By Paul Baxley This morning, Christians gather all over the nation, and indeed all over the world, to celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter. With our songs, our prayers, our reading and our preaching, we continue to proclaim that Christ has been raised from the dead! The very same one who died a horribly violent … Continue reading
By Andy Hale After morning had broken and the women had experienced the triumphant surprise of that first Easter morning, John’s Gospel takes us to a room where the disciples are locked away in fear, guilt, uncertainty, and apprehensive hope. They had all experienced the trauma of the last few days, as their Lord and … Continue reading
“Into your hands I commend my Spirit” This is the second time Jesus quotes the Psalms, this time Psalm 31:5. In the midst of the darkness, the anguish, the approaching death, Jesus’ prayer is not one of anxiety or abandonment, but one of trust. It is a trust that shines like light in a very … Continue reading
“It is finished” These last words of Jesus are really one word in Greek… “tetelestai” Is it a word of surrender? A word of resignation? We are tempted to hear it that way. And right now, many of us are tempted to think that way. After all, we don’t know how long this unusual season … Continue reading
“I thirst” These words of Jesus bring us face-to-face with the fullness of his humanity. The extraordinary suffering he is experiencing has left him dry and parched; he is thirsty. Any human being having experienced the cruelty of crucifixion would be thirsty. The fullness of Jesus’ divinity does not diminish the fullness of his humanity. … Continue reading
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Of all the words from the cross, this is the most painful to hear. It is a completely honest cry of lament, lifted from the opening phrases of Psalm 22. In this moment of extraordinary agony, Jesus enters fully into the darkest places of human experience, … Continue reading
“Woman, behold your son; son, behold your mother” Among Jesus’ words from the cross are words of provision for his mother and a disciple whom he loves dearly. As he dies, he models a sacrificial concern for his mother and a tremendously close friend. When we listen to Jesus speak these words, we are called … Continue reading
“This day, you are with me in paradise” Jesus’ second words, spoken to a thief on another cross, are spoken across a terrible boundary of physical separation and social distance. Jesus and this thief cannot touch each other. We cannot even be certain that by position they can see each other. But the thief reaches … Continue reading
While enjoying my church’s Easter service this past Sunday, I must confess I began to daydream. Now let me be clear, I wasn’t bored with the service or hoping I was somewhere else, I just began to think about my personal understanding of Easter. With most religious celebrations, I want to make them personal and … Continue reading
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