Humans have searched for ways to deal with the reality of death – everything from medical advances, psychological therapy, and existential fatalism have been used to try, however unsuccessfully, to deal with the fact that everyone dies. But when death is seen...
In John 3, Jesus claims to be like the bronze snake Moses put up on a pole for the people of Israel to look at and be healed, but how is this possible? What's the connection? Jesus goes on to explain by connecting the realities of judgment and grace together in...
The temptation for many is to view the Ten Commandments as an ethical standard for living in a good society, God's rules for living a moral life, or (in many Lutheran churches) an impossible standard meant to stir up the guilt that can drive us to Jesus. And while...
For the world, Paul says, the message of the crucified Messiah is foolish. But the assumptions upon which the world’s wisdom is based – humanism, materialism, informationalism, and meaninglessness – are unable to provide true purpose and connection with...
The command to rejoice in suffering seems impossible, but Paul says our suffering is not a destination but a path toward the hope of the glory of God revealed in those he loves. The guarantee of this future hope is the Holy Spirit whom he's poured out on those in...
Like the man whose sight Jesus restored in two steps, Jesus' disciples come to know him in multiple stages: first, they recognize him as the Messiah; second, they accept that his mission is not in military or political victory but in suffering; and third, they...
