Inside out- that’s the essence of Jesus message in the Sermon on the Mount. Checking boxes and looking like a good guy just isn’t enough. Jesus begins the process of tearing down the external religion built by the pharisees and showing us that God demands more. It’s challenging teaching, but it’s the heart of holiness. Jesus wants us to see just what it means to live in his kingdom.
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Easter is the day that changed the world. When Jesus walked out of the tomb, he accomplished more than we can ever fully understand. What we do know is that his crucifixion and resurrection were the picture of a kingdom that is both victorious and unexpected.
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There is no greater example of how unexpected this kingdom is than the events of Palm Sunday and the week that follows. A beautiful picture of how Christ fulfills the law in perfection, Palm Sunday shows us the King on the way to take his throne—it’s just not the throne we’d expect.
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The Gospel According to Matthew sounds so familiar, but there’s nothing expected about the man writing this book. Being a tax collector made him an odd choice to join a group of other Jews and certainly wouldn’t be the first choice for his moral choices. So what does Matthew’s story tell us about our own lives? How can we learn the power of grace and redemption from Matthew’s own story? Al Lang teaches us that there’s a powerful story behind the one writing the story.
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Jesus teaches us that his role here on earth was not to abolish, but to fulfill the Old Testament. What did he mean by that? Does this mean that we are to practice everything in the OT? If not, then what did Jesus have in mind? It’s the difference between shadows and substance.
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Two simple word pictures provide us with a clear mission and some important warnings. What do two common things like salt and light have to do with eternity? What is the Christian’s role in the world? Should we run and hide? Dive right in? Try to play both sides? Jesus gives us a clear mandate that shows the reality that we have a dual citizenship, but only one ultimate allegiance.
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The Sermon on the Mount is some of the most profound teaching the world has ever known. What makes these lessons so powerful? Jesus begins with the beatitudes which set the stage for everything else that follows. Listen to find the heart of this teaching that is so life-giving and completely unexpected.
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Follow me. Two words that have tremendous implications for us and for the world. Matthew continues to drive home just who it is that we’re following…the messiah, the promised one, the king. As Jesus begins his ministry, he sets out to establish this group of men that would be his disciples. What does it look like to be one of those that call ourselves followers? Matthew helps us as he paints this picture.
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As we look at Jesus third temptation, we get a look at our hearts and the nature of sin. This exchange makes it clear: it’s more than just breaking rules, it’s choosing who we worship. What we value goes a long way to determining what we worship.
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For many, the basics of Christianity revolve around a set of rules that we must follow. The rules may differ from church to church and location to location, but that’s the gist. Follow the rules and you’ll be a good person. Well, in Satan’s attempt to tempt Jesus to sin while out in the desert, we see that the “rules” have little to do with Satan’s agenda and much more to do with our appetites.
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Baptism can be something we take for granted today as normal. Christians have practiced baptism for thousands of years and we can forget just how odd it would have been. Even still, to read of the baptism of Jesus seems to be out of place. It doesn’t seem to fit what we know about baptism and about Jesus. However when you understand that baptism is about more than the moment, but a bigger story—you begin to understand why Jesus came to the water.
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The message of John the Baptist was shocking and counter-cultural to it’s core. But according to him, his message was just taste of the message Jesus would bring. As Christians we believe that Jesus has the words of life, yet so often it’s our daily schedules and to-do lists that we run to for fulfillment in this life. What would it look like in 2015 to live as though we truly believed Jesus’s words?
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The start of another year provides us with a good reminder to consider our lives. Regrets, celebrations, and challenges are all things that meet us in the first days of a new year. As you consider 2015, what is it that you want to accomplish? As Christians, discipleship cannot be an option for us- it should be our resolve at every step of the way. The question is- is it yours?
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The three wisemen and the King Herod- There could not be a more stark contrast. Wisemen ready to worship in joy, and Herod ready to murder in fear. These two things, death and worship, would define Jesus’s ministry. Our response to him will look very much like one of these two responses from our Christmas story. Which one is yours and how do you know?
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Matthew’s account of Jesus’s birth is surprisingly short and to the point. In just 8 verses he describes the most profound and mind-blowing miracle in all of scripture: God becomes man. Can this be true? Can we believe it? Why is it important? The virgin birth, the incarnation, and salvation from our sins—this is the Christmas story.
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