The Importance of the Ascension
Discouraged While Walking With Jesus?
Luke 24 is often seen as a model of the journey that Jesus makes with many of us today. Two followers of Jesus don’t even recognize their risen Lord as they walk along the road and have conversation with Him. Suddenly, their eyes are opened, and their deep discouragement turns into passion. Similarly, as followers […]
Evidence for the Head, Hope for the Heart
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is an historical fact that is unique to Christianity. No other world religion makes the claim that their leader, prophet, or king died and rose from the dead. People around the world are still celebrating a Risen Savior! In Luke 24, Jesus appears to His disciples and […]
We are Barabbas
What exactly was Jesus charged with that led to His crucifixion? What was His crime? There were two—BLASPHEMY and SEDITION. The charges were not legitimate but they were trumped up by His adversaries. The Jews demanded that Pontius Pilate release Barabbas and crucify Jesus instead. There is an irony in that exchange that Pastor Gary […]
Kissers and Weepers
Two of Jesus’ Disciples failed Him. One denied Him; one betrayed Him. One recovered and was restored; the other tragically took his own life and died in his failure. These are the stories of Peter and Judas. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, but Peter wept over his denial of Jesus. Peter was broken over […]
Jesus: Our Passover Lamb
For centuries Jews around the world have celebrated Passover to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. But when Jesus shared His last Passover with His disciples, He expanded their understanding of Passover—that it was not simply looking back to their deliverance from the slavery of Egypt, but looking forward to a greater deliverance for […]
The Rise of Russia and the End Times
The Bible says that Jesus is coming again! Jesus gives a list of events in Luke 21 to help us recognize certain indicators that we are drawing near to His Return. Among those things, Jesus says, will be “wars and commotions” and that “nation will rise against nation” and “kingdom against kingdom.” In the current […]
A Glimpse of Life in Heaven
In Luke 20, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what Heaven will be like—not in appearance, but in experience. He tells us two things: (a) there will be no marriage; relationships will be different, and (b) there will be no death; we will be like the angels in Heaven. Heaven is the eternal home for […]
Why Jesus Weeps
In a tragic scene on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Jesus weeps for the people who have seen Him, known Him, witnessed His miracles, heard His teachings, and yet have rejected Him as the Messiah. He weeps for the peace that they will miss and the judgment that they will experience for their refusal to believe. […]
Small Man, Big Change
In Luke 19 there is a story of a man named Zacchaeus who had a personal encounter with Jesus. The Bible describes him as having a “short stature” but the change that happened in his heart was huge. Zacchaeus was a hated tax collector who had fleeced his own Jewish people with extra taxation in […]