When Jesus speaks His divine peace to His disciples, He shows them His wounds He received on the cross. For Jesus, the crucified One, is now risen from the dead. He is the Messiah–and His wounds prove it. But Thomas denied what he hadn’t experienced. Instead, Thomas demanded a religious experience of his own choosing […]
Easter: John 20:11-16
April 8, 2012 by
It doesn’t matter how many times you face it, it never feels natural. It never feels right. Death always feels wrong. Something inside us doesn’t accept that we will never again hear that voice, see that face, touch that hand, or experience that laughter. The grief counselors can talk until they are blue in the […]
Good (God’s) Friday: Isaiah 53:1-6
April 6, 2012 by
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. For, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. Amen. Crucifixes make us uncomfortable–and well they should. We squirm before them. And this is even apart from any lingering, anti-Roman Catholic bias we still may have. It is simply painful to look at our Lord […]
Maundy Thursday: Exodus 24:3-11
April 5, 2012 by
Did they even realize or have a clue what they had agreed to do? “We will do everything the LORD has said.” We don’t even have to think about all the Lord had commanded to realize the futility of that response. All we have to do is remember the two chief commandments: Love the Lord […]
Our King Comes In Humility: Zechariah 9:9-10
April 1, 2012 by
Suppose the President of the United States was coming to town. You then set up chairs at the side of the road and wait to see him. A short while later, the traffic begins to thin out on the road. You hear the thumping sound of helicopter blades overhead. Ten minutes later, the road is […]
The Wound of Abandonment: Matthew 27:45-48
March 28, 2012 by
How many are the wounds that we have inflicted on our Savior during His Passion, His suffering and death! Together, we have pondered the wounds of betrayal, apathy, denial, and mockery. We have seen ourselves, our own lives, reflected in Judas, the sleepy three, Peter, and the soldiers. Yet of the wounds that our Lord […]
The Annunciation
March 25, 2012 by
At the dawn of time, a woman, named Eve, came forth from the man, Adam. Yet, it was through that woman, Eve, that death entered the world. Later, a Man, named Jesus, would come forth from a woman, named Mary. And through that woman, Life Himself would enter the world, all in the Person of […]
The Wound of Mockery: Matthew 27:27-31
March 21, 2012 by
They thought it was hysterical–this Galilean peasant pretending to be a king. It made them laugh. So, they decided to have some fun with His obvious delusion. The soldiers began by taking away His clothes. He had to stand there naked as they mocked Him. Then, they found a beautiful scarlet robe and put that […]
Your Snake on the Pole: Numbers 21:4-9
March 18, 2012 by
The command to put a snake on a pole must have sounded ridiculous to some of the Israelites. Stare at a bronze snake and you’ll be healed? Who came up with that stupid idea? It must’ve just sounded silly enough that some Israelites started to look for more reasonable solutions to the snakebites. Now, one […]
The Wound of Denial: Matthew 26:69-75
March 14, 2012 by
Peter loved his Lord. Peter boldly declared to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). This was the Peter who, after Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” responded with, “Surely, not I Lord!” This was the Peter who later said, “Even if all fall away because of […]
