Good Friday Meditation on the Crucifix
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The Glory That Comes from Man... Or God?
Click here to listen to this sermon. “Isaiah said these things because he saw His
glory and spoke of Him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in [Jesus],
but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not
be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more
than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:41-43). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ! The news spread quickly that Jesus was in
Bethany, and large numbers of people headed there to see Him. With the influx
of pilgrims in Jerusalem getting ready for the Passover, it wasn’t long before
a great crowd had gathered. No doubt, their curiosity was doubly piqued, since
they would also be able to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had recently raised from the
dead. Realizing they were losing the battle for public opinion, the chief priests
decided to kill Jesus. They would do whatever was necessary to end Jesus’
popularity. They added Lazarus to thei…
Holy Water: Holy God and His Holy Things
Click here to listen to this sermon. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and
warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like
a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I
will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts
will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the
wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people, the people
whom I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise” (Isaiah 43:16–21). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ! In all the searching that scientists do in outer
space, one of the things they are most anxious to find is water. If they can
find water, it would improve the chances that other forms of life might exist
in the universe besides the life…
What Will the Owner of the Vineyard Do?
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“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Luke 20:13-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Do you remember last week when I told you the key to understanding any of the parables is to look for the point where it departs from everyday life? Well, good luck with this one! No one behaves in the way that we would normally expect them to behave. I mean, what landowner would keep sending his servants to collect the rent when they’re being so mistreated. Couldn’t he send a couple of big guys with swords? Maybe the sheriff? Or the militia? And t…
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Luke 20:13-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Do you remember last week when I told you the key to understanding any of the parables is to look for the point where it departs from everyday life? Well, good luck with this one! No one behaves in the way that we would normally expect them to behave. I mean, what landowner would keep sending his servants to collect the rent when they’re being so mistreated. Couldn’t he send a couple of big guys with swords? Maybe the sheriff? Or the militia? And t…
While Still a Long Way Off
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“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! There was a man who had two sons. The younger one demands his father give him his inheritance now. Amazingly, the father honors this brash request, and divides his property between his two sons. Not many days later, the younger son gathers up everything he now has and takes a journey to a far country. There he squanders it all in reckless living, whatever that might be. A famine arises, and the life of a penniless foreigner is especially difficult when there is little food around. It gets so bad he hires himself out to a pig farmer. He’s so hungry that the pig slop starts to look appetizing. Finally, he comes to his senses. He realizes that his father’s hired servants have it a lot better than he does. They have m…
“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! There was a man who had two sons. The younger one demands his father give him his inheritance now. Amazingly, the father honors this brash request, and divides his property between his two sons. Not many days later, the younger son gathers up everything he now has and takes a journey to a far country. There he squanders it all in reckless living, whatever that might be. A famine arises, and the life of a penniless foreigner is especially difficult when there is little food around. It gets so bad he hires himself out to a pig farmer. He’s so hungry that the pig slop starts to look appetizing. Finally, he comes to his senses. He realizes that his father’s hired servants have it a lot better than he does. They have m…