Blog (Page 248)

Colossians 3:1-4 “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” vs. 1 As we take time to prepare for tomorrow’s celebration of resurrection, it’s important to remember that Easter isn’t just about Jesus. It’s also a time to sing praises for the resurrected life that is ours now in Christ. When the Holy Spirit called us to faith through the gospel, we also received…

Psalm  22 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.” vss. 1-2 According to Matthew as Jesus hung on the cross on that fateful Friday we call Good, he endured scorn and abuse from all who were watching: soldiers, religious leaders, anyone who passed by…even the…

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” vs. 23b-24 From the very beginning, followers of Jesus have gathered regularly for Holy Communion and used the same words remembered by Paul as he sent instructions to the Corinthians. What is said and done is the…

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,” vs. 1 From the beginning followers of Jesus have believed that the dead in Christ are a part of what is known as the “church triumphant.” They have ended their lives in this world and now rest in peace…

Psalm 71:1-4 “Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” vs. 3 According to tradition Rev. Augustus Toplady was riding along a gorge in the Mendip Hills in England in 1763 when he took shelter from a sudden storm in a fissure in the rock. Inspired by the moment he later penned the words to a hymn called “Rock of Ages” that has touched the hearts of…

Isaiah 42:1-9 “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,” vs. 6 Isaiah lays out the role of the Suffering Servant quite clearly in these amazing passages written some 500 years before Jesus. It’s obvious from the context of these verses that the prophet identifies Israel with the Servant, but following Jesus’ resurrection…

Matthew 27:35-54 “And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” vs. 46 As Matthew recounts the last of hours of Jesus he doesn’t include the conversations noted in Luke and John. For him there were no last minute promises, instructions, or heroic gestures. Instead there is complete darkness and silence from noon until three o’clock…and then a cry of total desperation from Jesus,…

Matthew 27:26-24 “Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’” vss. 39-40 As he hung dying on the cross Jesus heard again the words of the tempter from his post-baptism days in the wilderness. “If you are the Son of God…” the devil had said, and now the temptation came once…

Matthew 27:11-25 “Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’” vs 23 Pilate evidently thought that a logical, objective question would cause the crowd to reconsider and choose to let Jesus live. He failed to recognize what some would call a mob mentality and the incoherent blood lust that almost always prevails when the masses are empowered. Some of those people had perhaps been a part of the welcoming…

Matthew 21:1-11 “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’” vss. 10-11 There had likely been a large number of pilgrims making the trek from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. They traveled in caravans for protection and safety, and on the way they often had conversations and random encounters. Doubtless those traveling with Jesus, and not just the inner…

Philippians 2:5-11 “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.”   vss. 5-7 While Paul’s words to the Philippians are still often quoted, in reality, few in our newly gilded-age take them to heart. The people most admired among the masses are the…

Psalm 31:9-16 “For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.” vs. 10 The psalmist wasn’t just having a bad day…his misery had become chronic and times of joy were but a distant memory. Most of us probably can’t identify with such long-lasting pain and sorrow…but some can! These are those who deal with depression, grieving, and sadness every day of their lives. Sometimes they…