But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Luke 23:18-19 We have many stories in the Bible from the week leading up to Jesus’ death. Stories about people he interacted with, places he went in Jerusalem, and people's responses to him. Through the Lenten season, our blog has been walking through some of these events, spotlighting key events and people. One

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Is it I, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Th

They arrived at a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, "Sit down here while I pray." He took with Him Peter, James, and John and began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 Jesus knew that His time with the disciples was about to end. He knew that “This very night you will all fall away on account of me.” (Matthew 26:31) He was reminding them that He would always be with them no matter how things looked. He wanted them to remain in Him, the true vine. He wanted to assure them that if they remained in Him th

The Gospel of John is a beautiful verbal picture of the ministry of Christ. In it, we see so much of the person of Jesus as well as His deity. But, as He draws closer to those final hours, His message to those who have walked with Him and learned from Him becomes more specific and more personal. "I am the Truth and the Life," He tells His disciples. "And I am the only way to the Father. No one goes to the Father except through me." Preparation had been made to celebrate the P

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 God had not wanted the Israelites to have an earthly king, but they longed to be like the countries around them. So Israel suffered through years of bad leaders. “And the Lord told him (the prophet Samuel), ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they

Recently, my son was in the hospital at Emory St. Joseph in Atlanta. As anyone who has had a family member in the hospital understands, I had time to wander the halls of the facility. If you are familiar with St. Joseph's, you know that it is very unique. In the quiet of night and early morning, I found comfort in the written prayers and statuary located throughout the hospital, a testament to the faith of its founders. One section that really interested me was a small room d

When he had said these things, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” And he that was dead came forth, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:43-44 There are moments in life when we feel like all hope is gone—when a prayer goes unanswered, a dream fades, or our heart feels heavy with waiting. I began praying and studying for this blog several weeks ago. As I was wri

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:25 Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes and his sight was restored; not just barely or a little, but he saw everything clearly. God wants us to see Him clearly. He told Paul: … I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins

Rubble is defined as "waste or rough fragments of stone, brick, concrete, etc., especially as the debris from the demolition of buildings." This is exactly what Nehemiah found when he returned to Jerusalem: rubble and ruin. Jerusalem was broken. God rescued the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. In fulfillment of His promise to Abraham, He intended to make them into a nation and give them a bountiful land in which to dwell. To establish this new nation, God gave them comman

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. Psalm 23 Perhaps the most loved scripture, and certainly the most quoted, is found in the book of Psalms. Sometimes referred to as the Shepherd’s Psalm, chapter 23 takes us through the beauty, the perils, and the rewards of a life well-lived. Green pastures, still waters, protection even in the valley of death…but perhaps most importantly, w

Remorse - regret for the things we have done or what we should have done. The moment when the reality and the penalty for our actions hit home. If you have ever been lost in the abyss of remorse, you understand the importance of the word "restore" - restoration of balance, of clarity, and perhaps forgiveness. But the haunting reminder of "what I should have done" and the realization that there are no "go-backs" in the real world can often block the path of restoration. As chi

First and foremost, let me remember Whose I am and that everything I do reflects my heritage. In a world where compassion is absent and the pattern of life teems with pain and selfishness, let me be called a peacemaker—not by the standards of the world where peace is determined by power, but because God is love, and love speaks a different language than might. Give me the peace that passes all understanding. Open my eyes to opportunities to share the light of God in a world o

Leo Tolstoy wrote a story of an old shoemaker who dreamed that Jesus would visit him on Christmas Day. The next day, he rose from his bed and began to clean his house and prepare food in expectation of the Lord’s visit. But as the day passed, the only visitors he received were an old man, a mother and baby, and a hungry child. To each of these, he supplied their needs. But by the end of the day, his holy visitor had not come. “It was only a dream,” he told himself sadly. Sudd

Throughout the writings of the Old Testament prophets, we witness the story of God’s chosen people. Again and again, they turn from the God who loves them fiercely, trading Him for idols. Whether false gods or the sinful longings of their own hearts, they choose to walk away from the One who called them His own. In the book of Malachi, we see the final words of prophecy given. Then four hundred years of silence from God. No prophets speaking God’s Words to the people. No noti

"Glory to God in the highest! And on earth, Peace, goodwill to men.” Luke 2:14 To the Magi, revelation came through the study of ancient manuscripts and prophecies. To Mary, a personal angelic visitation explained her role in the coming of the Messiah. But to the shepherds, the announcement of the birth of Jesus came with fanfare and amazement. Angel messengers, heavenly hosts, sang with praise to God, giving an invitation to the shepherds to greet the Holy One in His mange

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 We don't know much about the Magi who sought Jesus. The story is only recorded in the book of Matthew. We know that they came from the "East" and followed a star to worship the "King of the Jews." They brought gold, frankincense,

“… and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 100:5 Over the past few months, I’ve spent countless hours at doctor’s appointments with my daughter. She recently completed a comprehensive assessment, and we will receive the results in the coming weeks. According to the provider’s website, the assessment can provide us with “the answers we have been looking for.” While I believe the assessment will provide valuable insights that will help provide the support that she nee

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. There is something incredibly comforting about knowing that mercy is not something God gives out sparingly. According to Psalm 23, mercy does not just visit us occasionally. It follows us. All the days of our lives. Not just the good ones when we pray before breakfast and remember where we left our keys. Even the days when we are tired, distracted,

When I first received the topic of God’s goodness, I expected to write a simple, uplifting blog post. After all, the Psalms overflow with praises that celebrate His goodness and mercy, drawing our hearts to kneel in worship. In our church, we often echo the familiar call-and-response: “God is good all the time... all the time, God is good.” Immersing ourselves in Scripture leaves little doubt about His goodness. Yet as I lingered over the topic, I found myself wrestling with