Last night was our Good Friday Service. We reflected on the crucifixion and death of Jesus and left off with the ceturion declaring Jesus to be the Son of God in Matthew 27:54. Today has been called Silent Saturday because Jesus was slient as he lay in the tomb. Little is known about what happened between the time he died Friday afternoon and when he rose Sunday morning,...

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 ...

The disciples wondered this as well when he died. It wasn't what they had expected the Messiah to do. How had it come to an end so quickly? Jesus had tried to explain to them several times that he had to die. At the last supper, when he took the cup he said "this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." God is a just and holy ...