John 19:17-30 Surely one of the most painful experiences a parent can ever face is watching one of their children die, and watching that child being tortured and executed has to be the worst. Roman crucifixion was designed to scare people into thinking twice before...
John 13:1-17 The purpose of foot washing is to illustrate Jesus’ philosophy of ministry, which is servant leadership. It’s hard to respect someone who considers themselves the most important person in the room and who puts their needs ahead of everyone else. Perhaps...
Psalm 71:1-14 Because Psalm 71 repeats many of the phrases and themes of Psalm 22, which was quoted by Christ on the cross, it is associated with the passion of Christ and is a common lectionary reading for Holy Week. This Psalm is a prayer for help for those who seek...
John 12: 23-36 In The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Randy gives a great example of living for something more than himself. He bought his first new car and was really excited about it. He drove over to his sister’s house to take his niece and nephew for a ride....
Matthew 21:12-17 We know from rabbinic sources that the chief priest, Caiaphas, established markets inside the temple in order to compete with his political enemies who controlled the markets outside the temple. Jesus was not opposed to the necessary business of the...
Luke 19:28-40 During the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, the people from all over Israel came to celebrate this national feast. The Jewish historian, Josephus, estimated that almost three million people crowded the Holy City for this celebration. When Jesus came into...
