John 12:1, 3-6; Luke 22:2-6 Such a mystery is unbelief. The unbelief of Judas goes deeper. For Jesus calls him to be His disciple, and he follows. One of the Twelve, the teachings of Jesus come to him firsthand. Still, he betrays the Son of God and dies in despair, committing suicide. Is Judas’ betrayal […]
Exodus 33:17-23: Transfiguration: The Cross Before the Glory
February 26, 2017 by
What is glory? Whatever glory is, rock stars exude its essence, inspiring many a teenager to pick up a guitar or play the drums. So also top athletes, with an aura of mystery with its drawing power—as long as they are winning. Earned by their sacrifices, others also hold such an allure. Do we not […]
Lent 2017: The Passion and the People
February 23, 2017 by
The Passion: From the Latin patior meaning “suffer,” referring to the sufferings Jesus endured for our salvation, from the agony in the garden through His death on Calvary. The People: The men, women, and children of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group, but which can also refer to everyone in the world. “The Passion […]
2 Corinthians 12:1-10: Power Made Perfect in Weakness
February 23, 2017 by
The Apostle Paul, firm in faith, with enduring character, and bold in tenacity against his many obstacles. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, he reveals what many of them are. Time in jail, countless beatings, and many brushes with death, which became the wrecked rubble of his past. The list goes on, for he endured being […]
David, Lesson 5: The Rebellion and Its Aftermath
February 22, 2017 by
The prophet, Nathan, confronted David about his adultery and murder of Uriah. More and more miserable David’s life now becomes. His son, Amnon, becomes smitten with his half-sister, Tamar, and decides to have sex with her, which did not turn out well (2 Samuel 13:1-22). Absalom, Tamar’s brother, soon found out what Amnon did, waiting […]
Exodus 17:1-7: The Rock is Christ
February 7, 2017 by
The hymn writer, Augustus Toplady, best-known for “Rock of Ages,” grew up in a religious English family. Contrary to his upbringing, he later left the Church as a young man. The Lord, however, guides in mysterious ways, using his brother, who decided to visit friends in Ireland. So, Augustus went along. At a religious gathering, […]
Romans, Lesson 20: The True Israel includes Gentiles
February 7, 2017 by
When we take in the macro structure of Romans, we find: Romans 1-8: God’s inclusion of the Gentiles Romans 9-11: God’s inclusion of Israel Romans 12-15: Gentiles and Jews getting along Within this section focusing on Israel, we find a chronological arc: Israel’s past (9:1-29): God’s fidelity to Israel revealed itself through Him choosing Israel. […]
David, Lesson 4: Sinner and Repentant
February 7, 2017 by
David unites both north and south. The capital is now Jerusalem, but Israel is still not without rancor. The former king, Saul, is dead; yet, some of his sons still survive. How will David deal with their threat to his rule? 2 Samuel 21 reveals further information, which took place earlier in the chronology of […]
Mathew 8:23-27: Jesus Saves Amid Our Storms of Life
January 29, 2017 by
The story is your story, soaked into the fabric of your being. The sun warms your face, but the sound of distant thunder echoes in your ears. At once, gray skies banish the blue, and the gloominess of clouds sends away the brightness of the sun. A howling wind drives away the calm, and smooth […]
Romans, Lesson 19: Jesus Comes to You in the Word and Does the Doing
January 28, 2017 by
When we take in the macro structure of Romans, we find: Romans 1-8: God’s inclusion of the Gentiles Romans 9-11: God’s inclusion of Israel Romans 12-15: Gentiles and Jews getting along Paul still deals with the question, “How do we understand the role of Israel in the New Covenant?” Today’s lesson delves into Paul’s second […]
