We are a week away from the most important week in the church calendar. Here’s a brief synopsis of the timing of events that took place with the corresponding Scriptures. Palm Sunday Triumphal entry into Jerusalem Mt.21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-10; Lk. 19:29-44; Jn.12:12-19 Monday in Holy Week Jesus curses the fig tree Mt.21:18-19; Mk.11:12-14 Jesus cleanses … Continue reading
Percy Shelley wrote one of his famous sonnets in the early 1800s entitled: “Ozymandias.” It concludes like this: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away. In … Continue reading
Good Friday Communion Worship – The Seven Sayings of Jesus from the Cross
To a Christian, Easter Sunday means everything, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. — Bernhard Langer The enemies of our joy are banished by our Savior’s resurrection: The finality of death, the fatality of sin, and the seeming futility of life. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised … Continue reading
The Passion Narrative: Matthew 27:45-49 – Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” 47 And some of those … Continue reading
The basic outline below of John 4:7-30 comes from a sermon given by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City entitled: The Living Water. John 4:7-30 – When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into … Continue reading
Grieving on Good Friday REFLECTIONS O all ye who pass by, behold and see; man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree; The tree of life to all, but only me: Was ever grief like mine? — From the poem “The Sacrifice” by George Herbert Is it nothing to you, all you who … Continue reading
What’s it like to be caught in a death trap? To be tricked and ensnared by a supposed gift? Ammi Ortiz, the 16 year old son of a Messianic Jewish pastor, was seriously wounded by a basket delivered to his family’s doorsteps with a simple greeting “Happy Purim!” When he opened it, it blew up … Continue reading
The Mark of the Christian (John 13:31-38) The text upon which this teaching outline is based is normally assigned to Maundy Thursday. The Latin word for commandment is mandatum. This commandment that Jesus gave was the old commandment with which Moses himself summarized the whole law, but Jesus made it new by highlighting three things: … Continue reading
When the gentle King of Glory comes into the citadel of your heart, his gentleness begins to pervade your life. We often think of a gentle or meek person as weak-willed, quiet, and reserved. However, a succinct description of gentleness/meekness is: The readiness to suffer wrong by entrusting everything to God. The biblical symbol of … Continue reading
