A message from the series “Luke.”
Archives: Messages
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” One of the most striking themes of Jesus’ teachings in the original context is that of loving one’s neighbor so thoroughly, honestly, and genuinely – which is how we are prone to love ourselves. Especially when Jesus preaches the expansion of his ministry will be for the gentiles, the non-Jewish people, as well. Let’s try to imagine how radical this message was for the first hearers. Not only did Jesus preach the need to love one’s neighbor, but that it was right up there with the first commandment of loving God. The Jewish believers of this time would have known the command from Deuteronomy 6, to love the Lord their God with everything in them. That is not a new message for them. However, to hear the story of the Good Samaritan, or the command to love one’s neighbor… must have brought a convicting sting, for many of them (and us) struggle to do so. Through the connecting of dots between Old Testament laws and New Testament sermons, Jesus exemplifies the defining attribute of God: love. Now, it is up to us to strive to embrace and practice this command ourselves.
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” One of the most striking themes of Jesus’ teachings in the original context is that of loving one’s neighbor so thoroughly, honestly, and genuinely – which is how we are prone to love ourselves. Especially when Jesus preaches the expansion of his ministry will be for the gentiles, the non-Jewish people, as well. Let’s try to imagine how radical this message was for the first hearers. Not only did Jesus preach the need to love one’s neighbor, but that it was right up there with the first commandment of loving God. The Jewish believers of this time would have known the command from Deuteronomy 6, to love the Lord their God with everything in them. That is not a new message for them. However, to hear the story of the Good Samaritan, or the command to love one’s neighbor… must have brought a convicting sting, for many of them (and us) struggle to do so. Through the connecting of dots between Old Testament laws and New Testament sermons, Jesus exemplifies the defining attribute of God: love. Now, it is up to us to strive to embrace and practice this command ourselves.
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” One of the most striking themes of Jesus’ teachings in the original context is that of loving one’s neighbor so thoroughly, honestly, and genuinely – which is how we are prone to love ourselves. Especially when Jesus preaches the expansion of his ministry will be for the gentiles, the non-Jewish people, as well. Let’s try to imagine how radical this message was for the first hearers. Not only did Jesus preach the need to love one’s neighbor, but that it was right up there with the first commandment of loving God. The Jewish believers of this time would have known the command from Deuteronomy 6, to love the Lord their God with everything in them. That is not a new message for them. However, to hear the story of the Good Samaritan, or the command to love one’s neighbor… must have brought a convicting sting, for many of them (and us) struggle to do so. Through the connecting of dots between Old Testament laws and New Testament sermons, Jesus exemplifies the defining attribute of God: love. Now, it is up to us to strive to embrace and practice this command ourselves.
A message from the series “Luke.”
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” Family is a unique experience for every person. When Jesus preaches throughout his ministry, he includes many familial references, metaphors, parables, and teachings. However, as in most of Jesus’ teachings, he flips the worldly definition and perception of recognizable terms on their head. Jesus preaches a new understanding of what it means to be family as the element that binds members together, in God’s realm, is not merely blood lineage, but rather faith. From Jesus, we learn that our faith or relationship with God is what has the power to transform us, and our identity… including our role as “family”. Sprinkled throughout the gospels, are moments when the crowds or disciples pester Jesus in the middle of his teachings about his nearby relatives. Using that moment as a timely example of reorienting what it truly means to be “relatives” he preaches the importance of being focused on God and God’s will, stepping out in faith, which is what binds us together in this new “family”. As Christians, our faith forms a new bond between us. What once seemed to be limited to direct lineage or blood relative status, is now overcome by the powerful reality of pursuing God together in faith as brothers and sisters in Christ.
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” Family is a unique experience for every person. When Jesus preaches throughout his ministry, he includes many familial references, metaphors, parables, and teachings. However, as in most of Jesus’ teachings, he flips the worldly definition and perception of recognizable terms on their head. Jesus preaches a new understanding of what it means to be family as the element that binds members together, in God’s realm, is not merely blood lineage, but rather faith. From Jesus, we learn that our faith or relationship with God is what has the power to transform us, and our identity… including our role as “family”. Sprinkled throughout the gospels, are moments when the crowds or disciples pester Jesus in the middle of his teachings about his nearby relatives. Using that moment as a timely example of reorienting what it truly means to be “relatives” he preaches the importance of being focused on God and God’s will, stepping out in faith, which is what binds us together in this new “family”. As Christians, our faith forms a new bond between us. What once seemed to be limited to direct lineage or blood relative status, is now overcome by the powerful reality of pursuing God together in faith as brothers and sisters in Christ.
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” Family is a unique experience for every person. When Jesus preaches throughout his ministry, he includes many familial references, metaphors, parables, and teachings. However, as in most of Jesus’ teachings, he flips the worldly definition and perception of recognizable terms on their head. Jesus preaches a new understanding of what it means to be family as the element that binds members together, in God’s realm, is not merely blood lineage, but rather faith. From Jesus, we learn that our faith or relationship with God is what has the power to transform us, and our identity… including our role as “family”. Sprinkled throughout the gospels, are moments when the crowds or disciples pester Jesus in the middle of his teachings about his nearby relatives. Using that moment as a timely example of reorienting what it truly means to be “relatives” he preaches the importance of being focused on God and God’s will, stepping out in faith, which is what binds us together in this new “family”. As Christians, our faith forms a new bond between us. What once seemed to be limited to direct lineage or blood relative status, is now overcome by the powerful reality of pursuing God together in faith as brothers and sisters in Christ.
A message from the series “Luke.”
A message from the series “Jesus Preaches.” Before Jesus himself ever preaches this message of the “kingdom of God”, we find in the gospel that someone else first preaches it: the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, brings news of this ‘kingdom of heaven’ as an itinerant preacher preparing the way for the Christ. If it feels overwhelming to comprehend now (which it does), just imagine how it felt for those original hearers!
One of the most important themes in the gospel narratives of Jesus’ preaching and teaching is that of the “kingdom of God”. What exactly does this mean? Put simply, the “kingdom of God” is the reigning authority of God in which the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and promises are now set in motion! In Jesus, something new is happening not just for the followers of YHWH (God), but in fact for the whole world. Our faithful, loyal, omniscient God has ignited a new part of the grand rescue mission, which means that he has sent the Son (Jesus – who is both fully God and fully man) to earth in order to reconcile all of humanity back to God. There is an important part of theology that is intricately connected to this topic – that is what we call “eschatology”, meaning the study of last things. In order to describe where we are in this story, the “present age”, we must know where we came from and where we are going. In the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, a new age arrived. Jesus launched the reign of God’s kingdom on earth, which set in motion the “already” of the Kingdom of God, which is now present for us, because of Jesus. Yet, we know there is still more coming. We can see and feel there is still strife, struggle, and brokenness very present in this world and we await the day in which all of that will be restored completely. The present age and the age to come overlap and this is where we live… expecting and awaiting the return of Jesus (parousia) at his second coming. For now, the kingdom of God is already, and not yet.