“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) We live most of our lives with our hands closed. They wrap, […]
The Interceding Christ Scripture Reading: John 17:1-26 Meditation Prayer lifts hands and head toward heaven. And because the eyes are looking up, they can’t look around at the many worries that the world brings. They can’t look down in depression. They don’t close in despair. When one prays up, the head lifts, the heart opens […]
The Serving Christ Scripture Reading: John 13:1-38 Meditation Century after century, year after year, and month after month, the pages of the redemptive calendar have been turning. But now the long awaited day is almost here. The clock of Jesus’ crucifixion is about to strike fulfillment. The bell of his death is about to toll. […]
The Triumphant Christ Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 Meditation No two issues are more volatile than politics and religion. On the day Jesus rides into Jerusalem, the hammer of nationalism hits the flint of messianic expectation and sparks begin to fly. Ever since the glory days of King David and the golden days of King Solomon, […]
The Anointed Christ Scripture Reading: Mark 14:1-11 Meditation The foul odor of foul play is in the air and the stench is coming from the chief priests and teachers of the law. They’re saturated with anger. They reek of hypocrisy, deceit, and decaying spirituality. They’re salivating at the thought of Jesus’ death. All they’re waiting […]
The Commanding Christ Scripture Reading: John 15:1-27 Meditation As Jesus moves closer to his death, he moves closer to his disciples. The final moments that he shares with them are sacred treasures. He wants to bury these treasures deep into their hearts, safe from thieves, secure from robbers, and protected from the approaching pirate of […]
The Promising Christ Scripture Reading: John 13:31–14:31 Meditation On the eve of his betrayal, Jesus knew that everything was about to change. In a matter of hours, one disciple—Judas—would betray him. Another—Peter—would deny him. All the others would scatter, flee, and disown him. Soon, the only words he would hear would be those of accusing […]
“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 63:6-7) A Sabbath day of reflection entails both a look into the mirror of our humanity and a stare into the majesty of his divinity. […]
The Grieving Christ Scripture Reading: John 11:1-44 Meditation Two sisters, their brother, and Jesus. They aren’t just friends; they’re family. They might not be connected by genetics or related by blood but they are bound together by love. And so when the brother, Lazarus, gets sick, the sisters send word to Jesus, “Lord, the one […]
The Accepting Christ Scripture Reading: John 4:1-42 Meditation She’s a Samaritan; he’s a Jew. Woman. Man. Her life is a mess and he is the Messiah. Culturally she’s not allowed to mix with him, socially she’s not allowed to be seen with him and spiritually she’s not allowed to talk to him. She’s prohibited from […]
The Loving Christ Scripture Reading: John 3:1-21 Meditation Nicodemus, is a bright man and yet he’s spiritually in the dark. He’s a man of the Pharisees and a member of the Jewish ruling council, Israel’s teacher and yet he’s looking for the truth. The number of his years makes him cautious but the number of […]
The Passionate Christ Scripture Reading: John 2:1-25 Meditation A wedding is a grand affair: festive, full of joy, short on worries, and long on well wishes. It’s a community event that could last up to a week. In a close-knit village like Cana, everyone is invited. It’s a time to celebrate and Jesus is right […]
The Sacrificial Christ Scripture Reading: John 1:19-51 Meditation Between a promise and its fulfillment is a waiting room. John the Baptist, his disciples, and an entire generation of Jews have been sitting in that room and now the door is about to be opened. They have read the Scriptures, they understand the characteristics of the […]
The Incarnate Christ Scripture Reading: John 1:1-18 Meditation Every story starts somewhere. Either it opens with a fanciful, “Once upon a time …” Or it launches out with an adventurous, “A long time ago …” Or it looks back, reminisces, and recollects past events with a nostalgic, “I remember when …”. But what do you […]
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8) Grace is God taking the initiative. He acts. He moves. He invites. He works. He changes lives. He seeks and he saves. Following right behind grace is […]
