Faces Surrounding Calvary: The Foot of the Cross
Jesus, as He hung on the cruel tree, suffering pain for that which He had not committed, saw many people. The soldiers who had nailed Him to the cross, along with many other guards, were there. The chief priests and scribes, as well as a great following of people, shouted cruel words of blasphemy. As […]
Faces Surrounding Calvary: Joseph and Nicodemus
We are given very little insight as to the lives and characters of these two men, but there are some facts we know about them which are worthy of our attention. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, a member of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews. Both of them […]
Faces Surrounding Calvary: The Centurion
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all introduce us to this centurion. None of them attribute a name to him and none of them tell us of his character. We are told nothing about him, with the exception of one thing — he recognized the Son of God. He cried, “Certainly this was a righteous man” (Luke […]
“When He Saw the Multitudes”
Many of us would like to be able to do more than we are doing to serve the Lord. In Matthew 9:35-38, as Jesus ministered, He gave us a principle that will help us as we try to spread the gospel to other places. First, the conduct of Jesus in vs. 35 is noteworthy. It […]
Faces Surrounding Calvary: The Two Thieves
When looking at the hill of Calvary, we tend to focus a great deal on the middle cross. Rightly so, for that is the cross by which we are saved. But we must not exclude the other two crosses, for they are representative of mankind (Luke 23:39-41). We ourselves take one of these two viewpoints […]
Are You “Free in Christ”?
A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook where a young lady was communicating some thoughts that I felt deserved a response in case we may have people reading this article who feel the same way. This article won’t reproduce everything she wrote, but will concentrate on her more significant comments. She wrote, […]
What Shall I Do With Jesus?: Conclusion
Over the last several weeks, we have examined seven different individuals or groups of people and what they did with Jesus. Now, Jesus stands before us and we must decide what to do with Him. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the […]
Identifying the Church: The Proper Entrance
Over the last several weeks, we have examined the proper characteristics of the Lord’s church. We have considered the name, birthplace, age, founder, law, organization, and worship of the church. As you have been reading and perhaps even considering where you attend, I hope you have been thinking carefully about all the principles brought out […]
What Shall I Do With Jesus?: The People on Pentecost
In our final example of what different people or groups did with Jesus in the first century, we will consider the Jews at Pentecost. They obeyed Him (Acts 2:37-41). The preaching they heard was not in vain. Hebrews 5:8-9 says, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; […]
The Mission of the Church: Conclusion
Over the last several posts, we have studied how the church was in the mind of God from all of eternity (Ephesians 3:10-11). It follows the authority of Christ and a divine pattern (Ephesians 1:22-23; Hebrews 8:5). That pattern states that the work of the church is the building up of the saints, benevolence among […]