John 6:68, ‘Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ When the torrents of confusion and uncertainty and doubt hammer against the disciples’ faith, what is it that binds them to Christ? It is not an elaborate system of apologetic arguments, it is not a collection of manuscript evidence, it […]
1 Cor. 6:7, ‘To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be defrauded?’ Paul’s question forces examination: “Why not” or “For what reason” would you not rather be defrauded? What is it that causes you to refuse to release your possessions—even if the situation IS unjust?
Psalm 61:6-8, “Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God…So will I ever sing praises to your name…” Notice that God’s prolonging of the king’s life and His enthronement of the king in His presence *results in* or *forms the ground of* the
Mark 10:49, “Take heart, rise, He is calling you.” A quick study shows that the Greek words translated “take heart,” appear in the NT only in relation to Jesus, specifically in instances where Jesus enters in to and meets someone in the midst of their darkness, fear, or suffering (Matt.9:2,22; 14:27, Mk.10:49, Acts 23:11).
John 6:51, “…the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The bread that fed the multitudes was given to the people only in its being broken (Mark 8:6). Were it not broken, it could not have been given….and it is only in the breaking that it becomes
Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of YHWH has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but YHWH will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” First and foremost, these words are about Jesus Christ, who—as
Rev. 1:17-18, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one, and I died, and behold, I am alive unto the ages of the ages, and I have the key of Death and of Hades.” What is John not to fear? The immediate context suggests fear of obliteration before the
Revelation 1:17-18 Read More »
Matthew 4:16, “…and to the ones sitting in the region and shadow of death, on them light shone.” If Death is associated with “shadow,” then what can it mean that a light has shone into that shadow? When you shine light into a region of shadow, what happens? The shadow disappears. Shadow cannot exist
Zechariah 9:11, “As for you also, because of my blood of the covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Most immediately, this refers to the rescue of the exiles from Babylon because of the covenant God has made with His people—the Abrahamic Covenant, as it was currently
Psalm 30:5, For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:11, You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness… Divine anger, weeping, night,
Micah 5:4, “And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of YHWH, in the majesty of the name of YHWH his God.” Micah anticipates an eschatological Shepherd-King, and the WAY in which this Shepherd-King will lead His people will display the sovereign power and majestic identity of who the one true God
Jonah 2:6, “I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever, yet you brought up my life from the pit…” In Matthew 12:40, Jesus teaches us to read His own death and resurrection in light of Jonah’s descent into the abyss of the fish’s belly and his ascent again to the
1 Corinthians 15:20, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Just as the first rays of morning on the Eastern horizon mean day is at hand; just as the first buds on the trees tell us that Spring has come; and just
1 Corinthians 15:20 Read More »
Psalm 116:8-9, “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before YHWH in the land of the living.” /// My soul, my eyes, my feet, my life Delivered now from woe And with the one who bore my strife I’ll walk in joy,
The War of Love against the enemies of the Beloved ends in peace when the Beloved stands in place of the enemies so that the enemies might become beloved ones. Christ is crushed for us, slain for us, damned for us, and joins His people in the indignity of death…. But then—beyond all hope—the Crucified
The Gospel – VI – Resurrection Read More »
“[Christ] himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” – Hebrews 2:14-15 The “same things” here is flesh and blood—ie, full humanity—and everything that
Psalm 34:18, “YHWH is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” If YHWH is near to the broken-hearted, it is fitting that we ask the question, “how near?” And isn’t the only answer: “as near as can be conceived, as near as is possible…” And how near is that? Certainly the
Isaiah 49:9-10, “They shall feed along the ways; on bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.” I was in Isaiah 47-49 this
Isaiah 49:9-10 + Revelation 7:17 Read More »
Song of Songs 4:7, “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” Ephesians 5:25,27 “…Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her…so that He might present the Church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing…” The goal in this picture was
Song of Songs 4:7 + Ephesians 5:25,27 Read More »
2 Corinthians 1:8-9, “we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Read More »
