As Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, much of our focus will be on the glorious reality that Christ’s resurrection from the dead was the precursor to the future bodily resurrection of all His followers. Indeed, Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). We must never forget or downplay this …
(Note: This is a portion of an article on Passion Week that is presented within The Biblical Story Course under ERA 6: Jesus, lesson 31). Summary The week of Jesus’ crucifixion is called “Passion Week,” after the Greek verb, “to suffer,” pascho. It began with His triumphal, popularly acclaimed entry into Jerusalem, and it culminated in …
I’ve been reading the Song of Solomon devotionally, and I can’t help but think it’s meant to picture Jesus and the Church. The woman’s delight in her husband (Song of Solomon 1:16-17) makes me think of Peter’s statement that loving Jesus causes believers to “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible” (1 Peter 1:8). The man’s …
Too often Christians downplay the resurrection unintentionally. Our gospel presentations jump from Christ’s death to the need for faith in Him. Our Easter celebrations focus more on eggs and family meals than the risen Lord. And when was the last time Christ’s resurrection came up in your prayer life? In contrast to all this, time …
Ask the average person on the street to name the foremost atheists of our day, and they probably will list the likes of Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins, philosopher Daniel Dennett, the late literary critic Christopher Hitchens, or neuroscientist Sam Harris. If you had asked the person on the street in the nineteenth century the same …
Perhaps the most basic Christian question is, “Who is Jesus?” It was this question that Jesus Himself asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Luke 9:18-20). Since Jesus is without doubt the most central figure in Christianity, discerning His identity is of paramount importance. The most basic answer to this question is …