In Jesus’ trial, we see unity in evil (Luke 23:12). Politically, Pilate and Herod were at odds with each other. Spiritually, they were united in their opposition to Christ. Jesus was found guilty by neither Pilate nor Herod (Luke 23:13-16). They were Very Important People. Jesus was a threat to them. They held positions of great power. They could not allow Jesus to ‘upset the apple cart’. Three times, Pilate declared Jesus’ innocence (Luke 23:4, 14, 22). ‘Public opinion’said, ‘Crucify Him!’(Luke 23:21). Pilate had a problem. He would be ‘crucifying’ himself - politically - if he ignored public opinion. Pilate made his choice. Jesus had to go. Jesus went - but He came back again! There is real human drama here, but there is much more than that: There is God! Crucified by men, Raised by God (Acts 2:23-24): This is divine drama, the drama of redemption!
Showing posts with label Resurrection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Resurrection. Show all posts
Good News
‘Good News’- Let us ‘shout for joy’. ‘Good News’- Let us sing ‘songs of joy’.
There is the Good News of God’s reign - ‘Your God reigns’.
There is the Good News of our redemption - ‘The Lord has redeemed’ us.
We are not to keep the Good News to ourselves. This ‘news of happiness’ is to be shared with everyone. We must let ‘all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God’.
‘Christ died for our sins’- This is Good News.
Christ was ‘raised on the third day’- This is Good News.
‘Jesus is Lord’- This is Good News.
This is the Good News we must ‘pass on’ to others. In our world, there is so much bad news. We must not let the Good News be drowned out by the bad news. We must make sure that the people hear the Good News - loud and clear (Isaiah 52:7-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Mission Praise, 249).
Christ In All The Scriptures
Luke 24:13-53
‘In all the Scriptures’, Jesus teaches ‘the things concerning Himself’(27). Do ‘our hearts burn within us... while He opens to us the Scriptures?’(32). He calls us to be His ‘witnesses’, to preach His message of salvation ‘to all nations’(47-48). Before we can preach, we must listen to Him. Before we can proclaim His resurrection, we must consider His suffering for us: ‘See my hands and my feet’(39) - even after His resurrection, they still bear ‘the mark of the nails’(John 20:25). Listen to Christ. Consider His suffering for you. Be ‘clothed with power from on high. Let the Lord ‘bless’ you, strengthening your worship and filling you ‘with great joy’. With all this going on in your lives, we will consider it not only our responsibility but our joyful privilege to be His ‘witnesses’(48-53)!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘In all the Scriptures’, Jesus teaches ‘the things concerning Himself’(27). Do ‘our hearts burn within us... while He opens to us the Scriptures?’(32). He calls us to be His ‘witnesses’, to preach His message of salvation ‘to all nations’(47-48). Before we can preach, we must listen to Him. Before we can proclaim His resurrection, we must consider His suffering for us: ‘See my hands and my feet’(39) - even after His resurrection, they still bear ‘the mark of the nails’(John 20:25). Listen to Christ. Consider His suffering for you. Be ‘clothed with power from on high. Let the Lord ‘bless’ you, strengthening your worship and filling you ‘with great joy’. With all this going on in your lives, we will consider it not only our responsibility but our joyful privilege to be His ‘witnesses’(48-53)!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Jesus Has Risen From The Dead.
Luke 23:26-24:12
‘God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong’(1 Corinthians 1:27). In his weakness, the thief on the cross trusted Christ for salvation (42-43). Pilate, a man of power, rejected Christ, sending Him off to be crucified (23:23-25). Jesus was ‘delivered into the hands of sinful men’. Jesus was ‘crucified’. This was not, for Him, the end. He rose from the dead (7). At the Cross, ‘the centurion’ described Jesus as ‘a righteous man’(47). In the resurrection, God declared Him to be much more than a righteous man - He is ‘the Son of God’(Romans 1:4). Don’t be like those who do ‘not believe’, those who consider Christ’s resurrection to be ‘an idle tale’(11). Something has ‘happened’, something very wonderful - Jesus has risen from the dead:... ‘believe... be saved’(12; Romans 10:9).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong’(1 Corinthians 1:27). In his weakness, the thief on the cross trusted Christ for salvation (42-43). Pilate, a man of power, rejected Christ, sending Him off to be crucified (23:23-25). Jesus was ‘delivered into the hands of sinful men’. Jesus was ‘crucified’. This was not, for Him, the end. He rose from the dead (7). At the Cross, ‘the centurion’ described Jesus as ‘a righteous man’(47). In the resurrection, God declared Him to be much more than a righteous man - He is ‘the Son of God’(Romans 1:4). Don’t be like those who do ‘not believe’, those who consider Christ’s resurrection to be ‘an idle tale’(11). Something has ‘happened’, something very wonderful - Jesus has risen from the dead:... ‘believe... be saved’(12; Romans 10:9).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘Believe In Your Heart That God Raised Jesus From The Dead And Confess With Your Lips That Jesus Is Lord.’
Luke 11:29-54
Christ is ‘greater than Jonah’(32). Jonah was preserved alive (Jonah 1:17-2:10). Christ ‘died... was buried’ and ‘was raised’(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Through His resurrection, He has been ‘declared with power to be the Son of God’(Romans 1:4). We are not to be secret disciples (33): ‘Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord’(Romans 10:9). Guard against ‘the lust of the eyes’(34; 1 John 2:16; Genesis 3:6; 13:10-11; 19:26; Joshua 7:20-21; 2 Samuel 11:2-5). The Pharisees were ‘fools’(40). Clean on the outside but not in their hearts, they ‘loved the best seat in the synagogues’ but they were spiritually dead - ‘like graves’(39,43-44). Their true nature is seen in their reaction to Christ (53-54): Don’t be a ‘fool’! Don’t be a ‘Pharisee’!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Christ is ‘greater than Jonah’(32). Jonah was preserved alive (Jonah 1:17-2:10). Christ ‘died... was buried’ and ‘was raised’(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Through His resurrection, He has been ‘declared with power to be the Son of God’(Romans 1:4). We are not to be secret disciples (33): ‘Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord’(Romans 10:9). Guard against ‘the lust of the eyes’(34; 1 John 2:16; Genesis 3:6; 13:10-11; 19:26; Joshua 7:20-21; 2 Samuel 11:2-5). The Pharisees were ‘fools’(40). Clean on the outside but not in their hearts, they ‘loved the best seat in the synagogues’ but they were spiritually dead - ‘like graves’(39,43-44). Their true nature is seen in their reaction to Christ (53-54): Don’t be a ‘fool’! Don’t be a ‘Pharisee’!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Hearing The Gospel, Believing In Christ And Being Saved.
Luke 9:1-27
It was a short mission (1-6) - short but important! They were being trained for future work. There and then, people were hearing the Gospel, believing in Christ and being saved. There was opposition (7-9): There’s always plenty of that - ‘We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’(Romans 8:37). There is physical need. There is also spiritual need - ‘Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life’(10-17; John 6:27). In verses 18-27, we learn (a) Who Jesus is: ‘the Christ of God’(20). (b) What Jesus has done for us: His death and resurrection (22). (c) What Jesus calls us to be: His followers (23). May God give us grace to follow ‘the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us’(Galatians 2:20). We follow Christ, looking for ‘the Kingdom of God’(27).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
It was a short mission (1-6) - short but important! They were being trained for future work. There and then, people were hearing the Gospel, believing in Christ and being saved. There was opposition (7-9): There’s always plenty of that - ‘We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’(Romans 8:37). There is physical need. There is also spiritual need - ‘Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life’(10-17; John 6:27). In verses 18-27, we learn (a) Who Jesus is: ‘the Christ of God’(20). (b) What Jesus has done for us: His death and resurrection (22). (c) What Jesus calls us to be: His followers (23). May God give us grace to follow ‘the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us’(Galatians 2:20). We follow Christ, looking for ‘the Kingdom of God’(27).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Come To Jesus, The Saviour Of Sinners.
Luke 5:12-32
‘You can make me clean... I will; be clean’(12-13). Look at Christ’s death for you - Can you doubt His desire to save you? Look at His resurrection - Can you doubt His power to save you? The Lord ‘desires all people to be saved’(1 Timothy 2:4). We are saved through ‘the Gospel’ which ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith’(Romans 1:16). Jesus can save. Jesus will save. ‘The power of the Lord’(17) is available to all: ‘Whoever wishes’ may ‘come’ and receive ‘the free gift’ of salvation (Revelation 22:17). To each one, Jesus says, ‘Follow Me’(27). We must not think of ourselves as ‘righteous’. Each one must come as a ‘sinner’ to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners (32). Through prayer, the Lord’s saving power can be released among us (16-17; John 14:13-14; 1 John 5:14-15).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘You can make me clean... I will; be clean’(12-13). Look at Christ’s death for you - Can you doubt His desire to save you? Look at His resurrection - Can you doubt His power to save you? The Lord ‘desires all people to be saved’(1 Timothy 2:4). We are saved through ‘the Gospel’ which ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith’(Romans 1:16). Jesus can save. Jesus will save. ‘The power of the Lord’(17) is available to all: ‘Whoever wishes’ may ‘come’ and receive ‘the free gift’ of salvation (Revelation 22:17). To each one, Jesus says, ‘Follow Me’(27). We must not think of ourselves as ‘righteous’. Each one must come as a ‘sinner’ to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners (32). Through prayer, the Lord’s saving power can be released among us (16-17; John 14:13-14; 1 John 5:14-15).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Jesus Christ - Risen And Victorious (Matthew 28:1-10)
The resurrection declares Christ’s victory over evil, the triumph of His love. There is no need for fear: ‘He has risen’- His ‘perfect love casts out fear’(5-6 1 John 4:18). There has to be a new beginning in faith. First, there was a new beginning ‘in fact- Christ has been raised from the dead’(1 Corinthians 15:20). Christ has won the victory over the grave. Christ has taken the sting out of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Between the new beginning in faith - making disciples (19) - and the new beginning in fact - Christ’s resurrection - , there is worship (9). The fact is not dependent on our feelings. ‘He has risen’(6-7) - the fact stands, even when many doubt and few worship (17). As we worship, we are strengthened in faith, strengthened for our task. We are to invite people to come to the place where ‘they will see’ Jesus (10). We are to ‘make disciples’(19). Run and tell - with great joy (8)!
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