But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the . . . Continue reading →
Resurrection
Take Me to the Tomb
When all hope is smothered by dark despair, And shadows have swallowed the last of my light, Then take me to the tomb and leave me there; To sit in somber silence and to stare, To search for a sacred sign in . . . Continue reading →
The Devil’s Mousetrap: A Good Friday Meditation
I do not know your opinion of Peter Lombard’s Sentences, but it is one of the texts that we read each year in our medieval seminar. He compiled and wrote them (c. 1155–58) for his theological students in Paris. They became the . . . Continue reading →
Suffered Under Pontius Pilate
“[Jesus Christ . . .] suffered under Pontius Pilate.” With these words, the Apostles’ Creed has enshrined the name of Pilate in infamy for all ages. He certainly did not intend or anticipate this on that fateful day when he condemned the . . . Continue reading →
Why It Is Reasonable To Believe In Jesus’ Resurrection
The resurrection is central to the Christian faith, as the apostle Paul tells us, For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised: and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is meaningless; you are still in your . . . Continue reading →
“Woman, Why Are You Weeping?” (Part 2)
But, although these things were in principle present in Mary’s heart, she did not at that moment perceive the pledge of hope contained in them. Her grief was too profound to leave room for introspection. It even hid from her vision the . . . Continue reading →
“Woman, Why Are You Weeping?”
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. . . . Continue reading →
Fables, Friendship, and Living the Gospel: Why the Gospel Matters (Part 2)
Third, the gospel is a historical fact. Jesus lived, died, was buried, was raised, and appeared to others in time on this earth. Continue reading →
On The First Day Of The Week
Now on the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb. She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple . . . Continue reading →
Christianity Is A Public Faith Grounded In Fact Claims About History
Is Christianity private or public? Does the truth about Christ Jesus, who is the object of my faith, depend on my own private beliefs, or is there something verifiable that can be “fact-checked”? The reason I pose these questions is because we . . . Continue reading →
Why It Is Reasonable To Believe In Jesus’ Resurrection
The resurrection is central to the Christian faith, as the apostle Paul tells us, For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised: and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is meaningless; you are still in your . . . Continue reading →
“Woman, Why Are You Weeping?”
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
The Resurrection And Your Anxiety
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid (Mark 16:1–8; ESV). Continue reading →
45. What benefit do we receive from the resurrection of Christ?
First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, that He might make us partakers of the righteousness which He has obtained for us by His death. Secondly, by His power we are also now raised up to a new life. Thirdly, the . . . Continue reading →
Is Christianity For Suckers?
Someone once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Who first said it is disputed. It has been attributed to P. T. Barnum, to a banker, and to other possible sources. Whoever said it first, it captures the spirit of skepticism perfectly. . . . Continue reading →
Woman, Why Are You Weeping?
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On The Discovery Of The Empty Tomb
We now come to the closing scene of our redemption. For the lively assurance of our reconciliation with God arises from Christ having come from hell as the conqueror of death, in order to show that he had the power of a . . . Continue reading →
Heidelberg 57: The Comfort Of Resurrection And Glorification
The European Enlightenment(s) posed as world-expanding, mind-expanding movements. They promised to free us from the shackles of a benighted, narrow view of the world. Ironically, however, the Enlightenments did just the opposite. Whether through rationalism (what the human intellect cannot comprehend cannot . . . Continue reading →
Heidelberg 49: The Benefits of Christ Ascension (2)
Last time we considered the benefit of having a representative before a distant court. Now we want to consider the second benefit of Christ’s ascension: In Heidelberg Catechism 49 we confess: 49. What benefit do we receive from Christ’s ascension into heaven? First, . . . Continue reading →
Heidelberg 45: Three Benefits Of Christ’s Resurrection (4)
Be4 I sign off learned a new word in church today: Eschatology. Anyone? — Katie Couric (@katiecouric) December 1, 2014 Couric, a television host took a lot of heat for admitting that she did not know what “eschatology” means. That’s unfortunate because . . . Continue reading →