Messages

Jesus’ resurrection which we celebrate at Easter is the single most important event in all of history. The very definition of what it means to be a Christian is our belief in His resurrection. But just as importantly, Christians must understand that the reason Jesus was born into human flesh in the first place was to die on the cross in our place to take upon Himself God’s righteous judgment of death for our sins. Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates His power and victory over death and His invitation for us to join Him in resurrection out of death into eternal life together with Him through faith in His Gospel. Furthermore, Christians believe with eager anticipation Jesus’ promise to return one day to rule and reign eternally over all creation.

The story of Jesus’ so-called “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem at the beginning of the final week of His earthly ministry, is a familiar one. We are well aware that many of those who celebrated His coming on this day were the same ones who would cry “Crucify Him” a few days later. Why? It was clear to almost everyone in Jerusalem on this day that Jesus is the Messiah who had been promised for whom they had waited anxiously all their lives. Yet Jesus – the humble King – was not the Messiah they had expected – a warrior King who would free them from the oppression of their Roman occupiers.

Jesus’ chose to enter Jerusalem riding on a young donkey rather than on a powerful war horse not only to symbolize His own humility, but to show that He was the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and Zechariah concerning the Messiah.

Jesus frequently taught that whoever would be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven must be the servant of all in our lives. Jesus Himself modeled this life of service for us, perfectly fulfilling the prophecy we find in Isaiah 53 of God’s servant who takes upon Himself God’s rightful punishment (death) for the sins of all mankind. Jesus Himself said that He offered Himself as a ransom for many. So, since we have this perfect model of servitude shown to us by our LORD, we must also humble ourselves and become servants of all.

Jesus taught frequently about exalting the humble and humbling the proud. Indeed in Mark 10:45, Jesus proclaimed this about Himself – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus set the example for His disciples in the way He lived His earthly ministry, and ultimately in offering His own life in our place – taking the rightful judgment for our sins upon Himself in the ultimate act of humility.

God’s people Israel certainly didn’t expect their long-awaited Messiah to come as such a humble “Servant King,” but Mark’s gospel makes clear that Jesus perfectly fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy about God’s Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53), while John the Baptizer served as the messenger sent by God to prepare the way before Him as foretold by Malachi 3:1.

On the evening He was betrayed, Jesus gave a new commandment to His disciples – that we are to love one another, saying that all people will know that we disciples of Jesus by the love we show toward one another. Later in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for all of those who would come to believe in His Gospel through the words of His disciples. We who are followers of Jesus have a sacred calling from our LORD to go forth and share the Good News of salvation in Him with the lost and dying world all around us who desperately need to hear. Therefore, Pastor Brian asks simple yet critical question. In response to our call from Jesus, Will you go?

John 3:16 declares the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ in a single verse. It is also a very simple and powerful tool for evangelism. Almost every Christian and many non-believers have this verse memorized. Believers can simply proclaim this single verse to bring the Good News of salvation in Jesus to a lost and dying world desperate to hear it.

Recall from our previous study that the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, and that God therefore relented from the destruction of the city that Jonah had foretold in his brief prophetic message. Here in Jonah 4 we see that Jonah was highly displeased with the compassion God showed toward the Ninevites, forgetting the compassion God had shown to Jonah himself by rescuing him out of death through His sovereign provision of the great fish that swallowed and preserved him. God’s mercy upon Nineveh is not at all what Jonah expected, and he didn’t hesitate to tell God exactly how he felt about it.

In our study of Jonah so far, we have seen God’s relentlessness in His pursuit of Jonah when the so-called “Reluctant Prophet” tried to run away from God’s call for him to go to Nineveh. Then we saw God’s faithfulness in rescuing Jonah out of death, and Jonah’s gratitude for… read more

All of the events that took place during Jonah’s mission to Nineveh occurred in accordance with God’s will and by God’s power. When Jonah tried to run away from God’s calling, God relentlessly pursued Him, and made it possible for Jonah to be redeemed out of death by His provision… read more