Imagine walking with the two disciples on the way back home to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It was the day of the Resurrection, a mere three days after Jesus was crucified. He had indeed risen, as He had promised, but these two disciples had already given up hope. They were downcast and they had lost hope. Notice the past tense: “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel” (21). How strange:…
Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1:8-9 Last week we considered how we can come to believe in the Risen Christ without seeing Him face-to-face. Belief should not be limited to our human senses, such as…
Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. – John 20:8-9 Our Lenten adventure has reached its end. We have reached Jesus’s empty tomb. We have encountered the truth of the Resurrection. Imagine you are with Mary Magdalen that Easter morning. As you follow her to…
And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised – Matthew 27:51-52 As we enter Holy Week, we are about to reach the pinnacle of our Lenten adventure. This Palm Sunday, we follow Jesus as He enters Jerusalem to praises of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew…
…when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live…- Ezekiel 37:13-14 Imagine a tropical island getaway. Everything there has been arranged for you. All you have to do is get there. But there’s a catch: you have to get there completely on your own. No planes, trains, or automobiles; no boats or helicopters. Just you and your own power.…
…he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see. – John 9:6-7 This Laetare Sunday we rejoice that Easter is quickly approaching. We also rejoice in the fact that Jesus can heal our wounds if we allow Him to, just as…
Come see a man who told me everything I have done. – John 4:29 This week in our Lenten adventure we travel to Jacob’s well in the land of Samaria. Jesus stopped at the well and along came a woman coming to draw water in the middle of the day. The other women did this task together in the cool of the morning. But this woman was alone. When we hear about her life we…
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. – Matthew 17:1-2 Our Lenten adventure includes a mountain hike this Sunday! We follow Jesus, Peter, James, and John as they climb the mountain of encounter with the Holy Trinity. A theophany is a manifestation of God, a direct…
This Sunday, Jesus demonstrates the power of obedience and humility. The Holy Spirit led Him to the desert to be tempted (Matthew 4:1). Israel was called but failed to persevere the temptations of the desert; Jesus had to undo this knot of disobedience in the desert. Notice that Satan, the prideful fool, took Jesus ever higher to tempt Him after the first attempt failed: “the pinnacle of the temple” (4:5), “a very high mountain” (4:8).…
Have you ever thought about Lent as a spiritual adventure, or does it seem more like: “Here we go again. Time to give up meat on Fridays and sweets again.” That doesn’t seem very motivating to me. But Lent as a spiritual adventure? A chance to go somewhere new in my interior life with Jesus as my companion? That sounds motivating! We start our spiritual adventure in the desert with Jesus. Later, we’ll climb Mt.…