And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. -Philippians 2:8 Have you ever held a newborn during its first seconds of life? The most terrifying rotation I did in medical school was Obstetrics. Each of my classmates delivered probably three to…
Tag: easter
Clothed in White
It started with an Easter dress. It ended on a cross. Growing up, Easter meant a new dress, church, and a basketful of treats. After moving out and living my own life through college and medical school, I’ve come full circle in some ways. When I got sick at 27, my parents again became my…
Hosanna
Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The crowds surging around Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday joyfully echoed the words of Psalm 118:25-26. In the ESV translation, this psalm says, Save us we pray, O Lord… Blessed is he who comes in…
The Mystery of Holiness
I say “holy crap” far too often. I suppose there are worse things to say, but the casual and even crude ways we use the word “holy” these days has contributed to a corrosion of the meaning of the word. As I study the book of Exodus, having recently walked through Hebrews, the import and…
It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming!
What if we marked time not just with the birth of Christ, but with his resurrection, as well? What if every Easter was marked by fireworks and celebration and fancy parties? What if, on the first of each year, we toasted our fresh start in Jesus, not just the turning of a calendar page? Imagine…
To Be a Disciple on That Day
During Easter and throughout each year, Christians abide in the resurrection and the freedom and hope it has given all believers. On Good Friday, we also remember the awful necessity of the crucifixion. In terms of the latter, what I haven’t heard spoken about much is the agony of that hour, not for Jesus, but…
Palm Sunday: Foolish Knight
For Palm Sunday, I wanted to share a song I found a few days ago along with something titled only “from a Christian Lectionary.” The words from the lectionary are first. [Just a heads-up – I’ll be posting two more Easter-related messages in the next few days so that anyone who wishes has time to…
The Day the Curtain Tore
I can’t read those words without choking up. It’s such a simple verse and yet, to me, it is the crux of not just Israel’s history, but humanity’s. Maybe it’s how visual it is, or how matter-of-fact. But the simple words of Mark 15:38 negate our darkest hour, man’s expulsion from the Garden. Adam’s sin,…
Before the Fire 