The Life of Christ
The Sermon on the Mount is, perhaps, the most famous discourse on record from the Lord Jesus. Snippets of this sermon appear in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, but the fullest treatment, of course, occurs in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5–7. Spanning three chapters [...]
Our world makes a radical separation between the realms of “truth” (for example, fact, science, reason) and “values” (opinion, religion, emotion).1 Yet the final two chapters of John’s Gospel make an intimate and unbreakable connection between true knowledge of Jesus and true belief in Jesus; there is no division between the “Jesus of history” and […]
Life beyond death? It’s a bold claim. Granted, it’s a doctrine confessed without much hesitation each week by Christians worldwide. And even the spiritual but not religious crowd often appeals to our deceased loved ones going to a better place. This is because many of us want to believe that we don’t go into oblivion […]
We have spent the last year working our way through the Gospel of John. Along with our sister broadcast radio program, White Horse Inn, we have explored the themes, characters, theology, history, and meaning of this important book. We believe that these kinds of “deep dives” into Scripture strengthen our faith and ultimately help build […]
And by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1 Cor. 15:2) Christians throw the word gospel around a lot. Based on my experiences, however, as a high school teacher, campus minister, parish pastor, and college professor, and in my work […]
The Gospels have sometimes been described as Passion narratives with long introductions! Nowhere is this truer than in John’s Gospel. He spends more time than Matthew, Mark, or Luke on the life of Jesus. He quickly skips over the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, almost—it seems—in a rush to get Jesus to […]
It is our Lord’s final night, the beginning of his finale. He knows the cup that awaits, he knows the betrayal and the pain, and he knows that we would be watching thousands of years later. What does he do? Through John’s eyes, we see how Jesus demonstrates the heart of the Bible: Jesus, knowing […]
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7) It is to your advantage that I go away.” What a strange thing to […]
When our Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday (see John 12:12–33), there was already a plot against his life and a price on his head. From that day on, the Jews made plans to put him to death. . . . The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that […]
It must have been quite a scene. Coins were scattered. Cattle and sheep were running. Even the tables were overturned. And there, in the midst of this chaos . . . Jesus. Jesus had entered the temple courts in Jerusalem and witnessed the crass commercialism of the people. There in the temple courts, bankers were […]
In 2002, M. Night Shyamalan released his film Signs, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. It told the story of a former Episcopal priest turned farmer who one morning discovers a crop circle in his cornfield. The film eventually reveals that similar crop circles have appeared throughout the world, ultimately proving to be signs of […]
One fine day in Cana, God interrupted a perfectly decent wedding. He must have had a good reason for doing so; after all, he invented the wedding and took delight in such things. It appears, however, that he was reluctant to interrupt as he says it was not yet his hour. Nevertheless, when his mother […]
Of all the Gospel writers, John spends the least amount of time on the early ministry of Jesus. Almost half of the book is taken up by Jesus’ last week. In contrast, the Synoptic Gospels give up to 80 percent of their space to the years of ministry prior to Jesus’ triumphal entry, crucifixion, and […]
The Christian church has been waiting for the return of Christ longer than Israel waited for his first appearing. Back on that spring day on Mount Olivet when the disciples saw Jesus ascend into heaven, did they expect this wait to be so long? How should the church conduct itself while its king and head […]
In 1970, Warner Brothers sold over two million records of the catchy tune, ‘Spirit in the Sky.’ A one-hit wonder, Norman Greenbaum’s song proved to be a classic. Though it was birthed in the hippie generation, you’re still bound to hear it everywhere you go. It was featured in movies such as Apollo 13 and […]
