It’s hard for us to really embrace the idea that Jesus Christ was as much a man as he was God. But along with the miracles he performed as the Son of God, he also experienced humanity as deeply as we do. . . and one of the best examples we see is when he, while being crucified, was thirsty. Jesus was human after all, and if he was going save us, if he was going to die in our place, then he needed to be one of us to do it.
Every Last Word features the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Philip Graham Ryken. The mission of this ministry is to broadcast clear Bible teaching that glorifies God and helps people grow by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This weekly program helps Christians apply God's Word to everyday living.
Grotesque, morbid, unsightly. . . those words describe something that is at the very heart of Christianity. It’s something that is preached and taught about all the time in the Christian faith. I’m talking about Christ’s crucifixion. And while some may find it too brutal, or think it unnecessary. . . because of our sin, it is essential to our very salvation. For wherever the cross disappears, true Christianity also disappears.
Peter was a big disciple. He was the first disciple to trust Christ with his life. He left his career and followed God. But even Peter denied Christ. . . not once but three times! But thankfully Jesus Christ did not abandon Peter. He picked him up after he had fallen, set him back on his feet, and encouraged him to continue to grow in his faith. And the good news is that this same encouragement is available to us when we stumble.
The Bible teaches that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most significant events in human history. The reason Jesus rose from the dead was to conquer sin and death once and for all. That sounds like critical information for all of us to hear. But the question you might be asking is this: Is what the Bible says about Jesus really true? Did Jesus of Nazareth actually come back to life?
I need just a little peace and quiet. That’s something we’ve all said on occasion. It may seem innocent enough, but the truth is, deep down inside, we all long for peace. . . in our relationships, at our workplace, in our families. Often these areas of our lives have very little peace, even though we may work hard at it. The problem is, real, genuine peace in our lives only comes after we make peace with God.
The times we live in are difficult, some might even say tumultuous. If you look around you can find much to be afraid about. . . the economy, current world affairs, wars. We can let our fears get to us, or we can stop, and take a minute to look at what the Bible has to teach us about this world, fear, our future, and the courage we can have as we face all of those things.