We heard it at the start of today’s liturgy: Dust you are, and to dust you will return. The ashes, which give this day its name, have nothing to do with Lenten fasting. Whether you have ashes on your forehead or not, they tell no one if you have been fasting. But the ashes do […]
Jesus’ Glory Hidden in His Powerful Word: Luke 23:32-43
April 13, 2011 by
We have finally followed Jesus up to the hill called Golgotha, the place of the skull. At the beginning of Lent, Jesus called us to follow Him there, not so we could help Him, but that He would show us His true glory hidden in the cross. But, oh, how deep is the humiliation […]
Jesus’ Glory Hidden in His Stumbling and Falling: Mark 15:17-21
April 6, 2011 by
Is it not astonishing? It is just as Jesus said it would be. The soldiers mock Him. They beat and scourge Him. And to make sure Jesus’ humiliation is complete, they bow down to Him in mock worship. The angels, who love Jesus and have worshipped Him since their creation, do not intervene. The […]
Hidden in the Savior’s Rejection by the World: Luke 18:33-19:1
March 30, 2011 by
What a contrast we have between Jesus and Pilate? On one side is Jesus. He testifies that He is a king, but that His kingdom is not of this world. He testifies that all who are on the side of truth listen to Him: they hear and follow His Word, believe in Him, trust Him, […]
Christ’s Glory is Hidden in the Rejection by His Own: Matthew 26: 57-68
March 23, 2011 by
Wherever and whenever Jesus and His cross appear, hostility will eventually follow. Opposition and, sometimes, even persecution will follow–not outward glory. For Christ hides His glory under the cross of rejection. What should surprise us, however, is the source of that opposition and persecution! Who is the most hostile and has the most hatred toward […]
Hidden in our Savior’s Sighs: Luke 22:39-46
March 16, 2011 by
Lent is a distinctive season of the Church year. In Lent, we follow Jesus to Jerusalem and to the cross. Lent is also a glorious season of the Church year, but its glory is hidden in the cross. Those who don’t take Lent seriously will never see God’s glory. This evening, we examine how God’s […]
Lent–What’s with the Season Anyway?
February 21, 2011 by
Lent is almost here. Yes, the days of ashes and sackcloth, fasting, and mourning are almost here. As the ashes of Ash Wednesday remind us: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). After the Fall into sin, God called Adam to remember the earth from which he came, and […]
