Sermon Archive

Jesus reserves his harshest words for those that had the best reputation in Israel. The religious elite and spiritual teachers of Israel were known for their piety, but Jesus saw through the show. He lays out the charges against them and is relentless in calling out their hypocrisy. What lessons can we learn from these men and Jesus’s stern rebuke?

If you could sit down and have dinner with Jesus, what questions would you want to ask? There may be a flood of questions that come to mind, but one of them might be the same question the Pharisees had- “What is the most important command in the law?” Jesus’s answer to this question is simple and straightforward, and it’s the essence of the Christian faith to live it out.

When a king hosts a party, he expects everyone invited to show up ready to celebrate. The story Jesus tells us is that too often many will send their RSVP, but think they’ll find a better offer somewhere along the way. When that happens, the gracious king is ready to throw the doors open to anyone that will come.

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Between religious posing and political power grabs, Jesus was surrounded by imposters and posers. Yet he chooses to highlight this hypocrisy through an odd choice of objects: a fig tree. What does the fig tree reveal about the people around Jesus and even about ourselves?

“We have no king but Caesar!” Words that are packed with symbolism and condemnation. It exposes the loyalties and priorities of the Jewish leaders and serves as their condemnation. While their words may be obvious in their misplaced loyalties, ours are often more subtle. How often do we proclaim we have another king?

“It’s our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities.”- Dumbledore (From Harry Potter)

This quote taken from the Harry Potter books/movies is a powerful little proverb that is a challenge to us to consider what our choices say about us. But is it really true? Are we nothing more than the sum total of choices and decisions? Certainly, the final hours of Jesus’s life leave many men with massive choices they must make. Most choose poorly and must deal with the consequences of those decisions. However, it’s not always this way because when Jesus enters the picture- things often get turned upside down. It’s because of Jesus that our choices- not matter how poor- don’t have to be our defining moment.

Who killed Jesus? It’s a question that historians, theologians, and skeptics have debated for centuries. Was it the Jews, the Romans, Judas in his betrayal? The Biblical record seems to lay the blame in several places, but the ultimate reason goes well beyond the circumstances of Good Friday. The answer the Bible gives is a bit more complicated, but it’s also the very foundation of our hope.

In Jesus’s final hours on earth, he desperately wanted the support of his friends- his disciples. As he goes to pray, they can’t even manage to stay awake for an hour with him. How does Jesus’s experience teach us a better way as a church? What does it look like to walk with someone in their darkest moments?

From the debates of the reformation to the fiction novels of today, The Last Supper has been the subject of extensive debate and intrigue throughout history. What exactly was going on the night that Jesus redefined that Passover meal? Why has one meal become one of the central practices in all Christianity?

Judas is the villain in our story. For that matter, he may be the most notorious villain in all of history. How does a man following Jesus and living as a disciple turn against him? How does the name Judas become synonymous with betrayal? It’s not as difficult as you might think. All it takes is an agenda you can’t quite give up.

The Kingdom of Heaven is full of things that challenge our conventional wisdom. God doesn’t calculate things quite the way we do. In fact, Jesus often drives home the point that it’s exactly the opposite of what we assume. Over and over the point is driven home- the first shall be last and the king did not come to be served, but to serve. The implications for our lives are drastic and clear.

Money is a powerful thing. It makes a lot of promises and often times, it can back up those promises- at least for a time. Jesus knows our hearts and the power money can have over them and he illustrates this with the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Like many, he thinks he’s got it all together and even a pretty good guy. Jesus knows his heart and makes it clear- he fails at the very first step in worshiping God.

Covenant or contract? What’s the difference? Marriage is the union of two people- forever inseperable. So what happens when divorce starts to feel like the best option? That’s what the Pharisees wanted to know when they came to Jesus. What’s allowed? But if that’s the question they start with, then they don’t really understand what they’re asking.