Sermons

So many marriages, so many friendships, even the relationship between parent and child—our love is tinted with betrayal. We break faith, we tell lies, or we just turn cold to the people who depend on us. And we can’t seem to stop it.

Jesus took three friends with Him when He was waiting for His arrest: Peter, James, and John. He asked them to pray with Him. And He went a little further—but not too far—to do His own praying. It’s a pity they let Him down.

John 12 tells us that he had been stealing money from the donations people gave to keep Jesus’ ministry going. And yet, this is a man who had been a preacher and healer. He got started down a bad road, and then one final thing tipped him into disaster.

And what was Jesus thinking of, when He allowed His life to be poured out on the altar of the cross? How much He loved the Father, who had sent Him. How much He loved us, the ones He was saving. His death and resurrection were a gift of love that would save us all. The shame didn’t matter.

Leaders of Jerusalem are not willing. They do not recognize their God in the Man who stands before them. And so Jesus says, “You will not see Me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

This story is bothering. The tenants have a history of murdering servants. How could anybody believe they would respect his son? They’ re going to kill him.

Jesus’ enemies have long been looking for a way to get rid of Him. But when He cleans out the temple they have turned into a marketplace, He attacks them on what they think of as their own ground.

God is urgent about gathering people into His kingdom. He wants us forgiven and brought home to Him as soon as possible. He will not be happy with any delay. He doesn’t want any of His harvest to be lost.

Do you ever feel like there’s just no way you could really matter to God? You see the greatness of the universe and the holiness of God, and then you look at yourself and—well, it doesn’t make sense. How could God care about someone as small and as messed up as I am?