Acts 2:14a,36-41; Luke 24:13-35 We read further in Acts 2 with Peter continuing his preaching to the Jews but here you have the reaction of his audience. They are said to be “cut to the heart” – many of these could have been part of the crowd which had shouted, “Crucify him!” Thus, they feel guilty, “cut to the heart” and ask how they can remedy this. Peter tells them to repent and be baptized and 3,000 persons were added to – became Christians, Christ’s followers. This is quite a contrast to the two walking on the road to Emmaus in our Luke passage. These men had been in Christ’s company – had heard Jesus’ words but were still confused and perhaps disappointed since they hoped he would redeem Israel but instead he died an awful death. They are discussing this on the road when Jesus, unbeknownst to them, joins them and listens to their account. Now these are men who knew their scriptures but didn’t quite get it. So, Jesus explains that the Messiah must suffer things before he...

  Psalm 16; I Peter 1: 3-9 Psalm 16 is written by a refugee who finds himself in a land that chooses to worship another god. The Psalmist however takes refuge in the Lord asking God to protect him from these others. He delights in the noble holy ones in the land who worship the true God. The terms used in verses 5 and 6 such as portion, lot, and boundary lines reflect what will be distributed in the promised land. In verses 8 and 9 he talks about God being at his right hand keeping him from being moved. Due to this his heart is glad and rejoices and his body rests secure. This Psalmist is confident that God will not give him up to death instead God shows him the path of life where there is joy and pleasures forevermore. This use of “forevermore” brings up the concept of eternal life. Thus, the Psalmist feels protected by God. The apostle Peter in one of his sermons to the Jewish people in Acts 2 quotes verses 8 and 9 of this Psalm his audience is familiar with. In I Peter, Pe...

  Matthew 28: 1-10; Colossians 3: 1-4   The two Marys went to the tomb to find Jesus but could not find his earthly dead body. Instead they experienced an earthquake and an angel of the Lord. The angel’s words: “He is not here. He has been raised from the dead.” This event is enough to cause fear in one’s soul and it is said they left the tomb in fear but in great joy – the news was so great and they were told to go tell the disciples. In this Matthew account Jesus, himself, meets them on their way. He knows of their fear and assures them: “Do not be afraid – go and tell my brothers.” Jesus here is reassuring them that what the angel said is true and they can be trustworthy witnesses to report to the disciples. Years later, Paul tells the Colossians that since we have been raised with Christ – we have eternal life and life with him on earth. Due to this we are to seek the things that are above. “You have died to sin and earthly things and your life is now hidden with Chr...

Matthew 26:36-46, Hebrews 4:14-16 The account of the Garden of Gethsemane is something we might hear each year during Holy Week since it is one of the Passion of Christ passages. This Lenten season I’d like to revisit it anew. Though it is a beautiful passage which celebrates the humanity of Christ, I have found over the years that both Christ and the disciples seem to have gotten a bad rap from it. The disciples are considered wimps for falling asleep when Christ asks them not to, and they get yelled at three times. Then there’s Christ who   seems to be getting cold feet before doing the mission he was sent when we see him asking God to remove the task before him. Many, I’m sad to say, have rendered this as his spiritual low point letting his humanity override him in this moment. Well, I’d like to address these misconceptions. Revisit with me the account of Gethsemane: Jesus takes three of his disciples with him to the garden. He tells them how distressed he is and asks them to ...

  Ezekiel  37:1-14; Romans 8: 6-11   I love this Ezekiel passage when all hope is dried up like dried out bones. The Lord shows Ezekiel that Israel like these bones will come alive again. The breath of the Lord – many see as the Holy Spirit – breathes upon the slain so they might live. The bones begin to come together, and sinews form then skin covers them making a vast multitude stand. Then God puts breath in them so they will live. God describes these bones as the whole house of Israel. These are those who after their captivity say their bones are dried up along with their hopes of ever returning to Israel. Who is the active member of the Godhead here? It is God’s spirit – the Holy Spirit. This is the same spirit – the spirit of the Lord – that brought Ezekiel to this valley full of bones and ends up breathing on these bones. God tells the hopeless captives that God will put God’s spirit within them and they will live, and God will bring them back to the land ...