One might think that the manner in which Christ entered Jerusalem (Mt. 21:1-11) set the tone for the week. He came being acclaimed and worshipped by the crowds. They sang Messianic songs and welcomed Him with joy. They even declared Him to be “the Prophet” (v. 11), a reference to Dt. 18:15 and an affirmation […]
Read More A week of conflictThree statements about the resurrection: Easter is the New Year’s Day of the soul. [A. B. Simpson] The gospel…doesn’t explain Easter. Easter explains the gospel. Christ was God. The miracle wasn’t that Christ rose from the dead. It would have been even more unthinkable for the God/Man who was born as he was, and lived […]
Read More Easter and the resurrectionThe resurrection means that Christ is alive, and those who believe in Christ also live (1 Cor. 15:12-20). The resurrection means that we can rejoice in what we have in Christ even when we suffer loss in the world (1 Peter 1:6-7). The resurrection means that when others would say, “curse God,” we can say, […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (4/24/11)HT: Kevin DeYoung.
Read More That’s My King!Tomorrow morning our family has what we think is a fairly moderate yard task ahead of us — we have about 450 sq. ft. of sod to lay and about fifty feet of shrubs to trim (the shrubs average 8-10 ft in height). It seems like a manageable task now; in the middle of it, […]
Read More Good Friday – It is FinishedHT: Justin Taylor.
Read More It’s Friday . . .While preparing for tomorrow evening’s Good Friday service, I came across this gem: We cannot contemplate too often what the Saviour endured in order to secure our salvation. The better we are acquainted with His sufferings, and the more frequently we meditate thereon, the warmer will be our love and the deeper our gratitude. [A. […]
Read More We cannot contemplate the cross too muchThe movement of Christ during the Passion Week is significant, because it reveals both His nature and His purpose. But, it can be difficult to sometimes follow the progression of events over the different days. Here is a chart that demonstrates not only what happened on each of the days, but also the people with […]
Read More Passion Week timelineI do at least two things to prepare my heart for Easter each year. First, I read through the accounts of the passion week at least once and often more than that. The simple recitation of the account of Christ’s death and resurrection is sobering and invigorating and always stimulates in me grateful worship. And […]
Read More Books to read to prepare for EasterTitle: Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross Editor: Nancy Guthrie Publisher: Crossway, 2009; 152 pp. $12.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): It is a common temptation to think too superficially and too rarely about the cross and the gospel. The occasional evangelistic sermon, generally wrapped around a holiday celebration, along with an occasional communion remembrance is enough […]
Read More Book Review: Jesus, Keep Me Near the CrossThe work of God to redeem the sins of believers (what we call indwelling sin) — in the lives of people like Peter and his sinful denial of Christ — is a mark of great grace. And it is a reminder that God is not dependent on us; we are dependent on Him. He is […]
Read More Sunday Leftovers (4/4/10)Two quotes to stimulate your thinking as you contemplate the crucifixion of Christ on this Good Friday morning and His cry from the cross — “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?’ that is, ‘MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?’” (Mt. 27:46; NASB) […]
Read More The cry from the crossThe longer I walk with Christ, the more I not only love Him, but the more I love the cross. I love to read the crucifixion story. It moves me every time. I love to read about the cross — I have at least a couple dozen books that deal with the singular topic of […]
Read More Christ, the cross, and joyToday’s Scripture reading includes Dt. 32:35 — Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’ It is this verse that served as the text for Jonathan Edwards’ well-known sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an […]
Read More In due time their foot will slipOver the years, I have I heard others say this, and I have said it too: “Jesus didn’t have to die.” That is a partially true statement, in that Christ was fully blameless, innocent, and untainted by sin. It was “right” for Him not to die. Yet that obscures part of the message of Scripture. […]
Read More The necessity of a rejected Christ
Words of Grace 