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How To Have a Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing Christmas
We will be alone this Christmas. Eleven hundred miles from any family. Distanced from friends who will take the risk to be with their grandchildren (as I would if we had them), but it means we won’t be visiting them either. Ah, Covid. You are such a joy stealer. Such a prime example of the curse of sin in a fallen world. Often I wake up thinking of the distance and the empty calendar ahead. Today, as I play my Christmas music, I’m fighting back a few tears. Maybe you’re fighting for joy too. How can we reclaim the joy of this Advent season? I’ve been surprised how our fall…
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Performing deeds of kindness
Matthew 25:31–46 forms part of the lectionary readings for the twenty–fifth Sunday after Pentecost, which is November 22nd. Chapters 24 and 25 comprise the last of the five discourses in the first Synoptic Gospel. Because Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives when He taught this material to His disciples, it has been called the Olivet Discourse. It contains some of the most noteworthy prophetic passages in all of Scripture. In 24:1–14, Jesus revealed the signs of His return. He then talked about perilous times (vv. 15–28) and the glory associated with His Second Coming (vv. 29–31). In the parable of the fig tree (vv. 32–35), Jesus said that…
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Jesus, the One and Only Way
John 14:1–14 is part of the lectionary readings for the fifth Sunday of Easter, May 10th. The backdrop for this passage is the Savior’s final meal with His disciples before His crucifixion. During what is now called the Last Supper, Jesus demonstrated what it truly means to be a bondservant. Even though He was the Son of God (1:34, 49), He humbled Himself by washing the feet of His disciples. This act was so deferential that at first Peter refused to allow Jesus to wash this disciple’s feet. In response, Jesus told Peter and his peers that unless this was done, He could not accept them as one of His…
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The final victory
Title: The final victory Aim: To be prepared for the Savior’s return. Scripture: Revelation 19:1–21 The song of triumph, Revelation 19:1–10 Revelation 18 narrates the diabolical nature of Babylon and the future demise of the sinister world system that Babylon represents. First-century A.D. readers would have associated this entity with Rome. Imagine how joyous believers would be at the end of the age when the Lord destroys the demonic system of evil that has corrupted humanity since antiquity. Babylon’s demise would be so complete that no person would inhabit her again. Instead, only demonic spirits and unclean birds would make the place their hideout. The above…
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Jesus, the eternal King
Title:Jesus, the eternal King Aim: To recognize that Jesus is the eternal King of heaven and earth. Scripture: Revelation 1:1–20 The apostle’s opening greeting, Revelation 1:1–8 John began his book by stating that it is a “revelation” (Rev. 1:1). The apostle used the Greek noun, apokalypsis, to describe the nature of what he was about to convey. For this reason, scholars have also called his work the Apocalypse, that is, an unveiling or disclosure of truths about God’s universal judgment and the introduction of a new era. John stated that God the Father gave the message to His Son, and Jesus the Messiah in turn used an angel to make…
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The Son’s Transfiguration
Title: The Son’s Transfiguration Aim: To assess how our devotion to the Savior can strengthen our understanding of His teachings. Scripture: Mark 9:2–13 The mountaintop experience, Mark 9:2–4 Sometime during the last year of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He told His disciples that He would be executed and then rise from the dead (Mark 8:31-32). Not even Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers, could prevent this series of events from happening (v. 33). The Messiah stated that those who give Him complete control of their lives are His genuine followers and would be eternally blessed. In contrast, those who reject Him would experience eternal loss (vv. 34–38). Mark 9:1 records…
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Daniel, an elder statesman
Title: Daniel, an elder statesman Aim: To recognize that God is building a kingdom that is everlasting. Scripture: Daniel 7:9–14 Daniel, the man, Daniel 1–6 The book of Daniel contains historical accounts known and loved by generations of believers and unbelievers alike. What child who has spent any time in Sunday school cannot tell the episode of Daniel in the lion’s den? Or who does not know at least the basic elements of the deliverance of Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace? Miraculous events such as these have given Daniel a welcomed place in many people’s hearts. As a member of the Israelite nobility in…
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Treating others as if they were Jesus
It seems as if each generation is labeled as being excessively self-centered and self-focused. Take, for example, the millennials. According to the former Time columnist, Joel Stein, millennials are the “me me me generation.”[1] He also thinks they are “lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents.” Baby boomers don’t escape similar accusations, either. For instance, cultural historian, Amy Henderson, stated in a Smithsonian column that “when it comes to Baby Boomers, it is still about ‘me’”.[2] In fact, she maintains that the aging members of this generation have “merrily embraced their selfhood.” Scripture, it turns out, urges Jesus’ followers to resist the temptation of becoming lifelong, career narcissists, regardless of…
