'Jesus' Tagged Posts (Page 2)
THE GREAT EXCHANGE
We remember the dramatic scene at the judgment seat of the Roman governor. “When the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ ” It was an annual custom. It seems the Romans took it over from the Jews themselves – to release a prisoner of their choosing at Passover time when the Jews celebrated their freedom from bondage in Egypt in the days of…
TENDER MERCIES
The trigger for the attack of the Jewish leaders against Jesus in this morning’s chapter from John’s Gospel was His healing of a man who spent 38 years of his life unable to walk. With a single word, Jesus healed him. Jesus worked a great many miracles of healing during His earthly ministry. But have you ever wondered why these miracles seemed so selective? What about all the other people at the pool of Bethesda that day who were not…
“WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?”
Remember when the Peanuts cartoon strip came to the TV screen – Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Pig Pen? Remember how often the kids were shown sitting in the classroom, responding to the teacher’s questions and instructions? Do you remember the teacher’s voice – what she sounded like? You could never understand her words. It was always: “Wah, wa, wah, wa, wah…” I didn’t get this until I was older. It was the cartoonist’s way of saying that the…
TRANSFIGURATION TRUTHS – A REVIEW
On this Sunday before the start of the Lenten season, the Church has always tipped its hat to the account of Christ’s transfiguration. The Gospel of Matthew says that Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves. “There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.” There are several lessons in…
“IF YOU CANNOT PREACH LIKE PAUL…”
The familiar old mission hymn, “Hark! The Voice of Jesus Crying,” recognizes that not every Christian is called into the public ministry of preaching and teaching the word of God. That is more than OK. How could the gospel go forth to the work-a-day world without “the priesthood of all believers” telling others what they have heard from pulpits and classrooms? The hymn says: “If you cannot preach like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus; you can say…
“TREASURE IN CLAY JARS”
Speaking of the life-giving gospel he preached, Paul once said, “We hold this treasure in clay jars” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Martin Luther echoed this in the 62nd of his 95 Theses. He said: “The true treasure of the church is the holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” You would think that God would entrust the priceless treasure of the gospel to some exceptionally strong containers. After all, you don’t keep gold bars on the front porch, or…
LOOKING TO THE CURSED FOR A CURE
There is a knock on the door one night. It is Nicodemus. He wants to talk to Jesus. Privately. As a Jewish leader he doubtless worries about guilt by association with this new Teacher on the scene who is working wonders. Amid the soaring truths about a new birth and God’s plan of salvation, Jesus points the old scholar back to the Old Testament: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must…
ADVENT’S UNSCRUPULOUS INVITATION
First, some dictionary definitions: “Scruples” – doubts or hesitation about doing or allowing something because of conscience or principles. “Scrupulous” – having scruples; being principled, very conscientious and exacting, strictly honest or honorable.” “Unscrupulous” – you guessed it – without moral scruples or qualms of conscience.” C.S. Lewis once said that God’s grace was “unscrupulous.” At first that sounds like God has no scruples, no morals, no standards. God’s law has all kinds of morals, scruples, standards. They are holy…
TURN OUR HEARTS, O LORD!
Calling to mind the prophecy of Malachi, the angel Gabriel tells old Zechariah that his son, John the Baptist, will go before the Savior to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous” (Luke 1:17). Where this does not happen, said the prophet Malachi, then there is nothing left but “complete destruction” for those unprepared for the coming of Christ (Malachi 4:6). So just what does this mean? By…
“NO CONDEMNATION”
In Christ’s own description of the sheep and goats before His throne of judgment in today’s text, and in Paul’s words from our epistle lesson that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” we have the plain teaching of the Bible that we are accountable to God. This is the terrifying preaching of the law. God is utterly seriously about every word He says. But there is another teaching of the Bible about which God is equally…
THE SONG OF RUTH
Today we examine the little book of Ruth. The most famous verses of Ruth, as translated in the King James Version have often been sung at weddings: Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge: Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: The Lord do…
“SURVIVORS OF THE FOG”
In the final lines of Hebrews 11 – that famous “heroes of faith” chapter – the inspired writer hits the fast forward button. He lists a roll call of people whose mere names bring to mind their heroic lives: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. Suddenly he stops listing the names – because there are so many. The writer simply refers to them as those who, through faith, “conquered kingdoms…shut the mouths of lions…quenched the power of…