But he was piercedfor our transgressions, he was crushedfor our iniquities; the punishmentthat brought us peacewas on him, and by his woundswe are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) Horatius Bonar was Scottish preacher, poet, and hymn-writer in the 1800's. In 1878 he wrote a hymn called The Sin-Bearer. These words really bring to life the enormity of Christ's sacrifice for us in contr...

"Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭23�...

Psalm 22 is extensively quoted by and lived out by Jesus while he is dying on the cross. Jesus specifically quotes some words from the Psalm, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me". Some elements of Psalm 22 are fulfilled during his crucifixion, such as the Messiah's garments being divided, and his executioners casting dice for a share of his clothing. There is one phr...

John 13:1-17 In the final few days before Jesus' crucifixion, John 13 talks about a meeting with his disciples for Passover meal. At the meal there has been no servant present to wash their feet as was the custom, since their feet would get very dirty just walking in sandals in everyday life. The disciples who had previously had discussions about who is the greatest am...

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭ I was talking to a Jewish person recently who was sharing how tired he was of the commands t...

I'm relatively new to this "Lent and fasting thing". I grew up in a very fundamentalist Baptist church. I heard a couple of my friends talk about "Lent" and giving up meat on Friday nights. But I really had no idea what it was or why they were giving up meat. I learned a bit more about it over time. At college I became friends with people from many different Christian tra...

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." - Matthew 5:23 This is not an explicitly traditional "Lent" passage, but hang tight and I'll show you how it ties in. During our...

Over the past decade or so I have become more interested in the church calendar including the season of Lent. I was not raised in the Catholic Church, so the rhythms that some of my friends participated in growing up were not familiar to me until adulthood. As I have discovered more about this season, one of the traditional anticipatory periods of the church calendar, I ha...

And they praised God because of me. - ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬ Paul wrote this to the Galatian church when he was recounting his testimony. Jesus got hold of his heart, then he spent some time with Peter and James, and then: Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: "The ...

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." --Luke 23 :44-47 Ever since I became a Christian 40 years ago, I've often visualized various Scripture ...