Holy Week 2014 -Good Friday

Join us each day as we focus on the final week of Jesus' crucifixion.


Good Friday. What a contradiction in terms. How can there be anything good about the beating, torture and crucifixion of of the Son of God?

Christians originally called Jesus' crucifixion day 'God's Friday' but over time the phrase was transformed into 'Good Friday.'

From 9am till 3pm, Jesus hung on the Cross. Mocked by the crowds, ridiculed by the religious leaders, and abandoned by his closest friends; Jesus felt the weight of our sins and the distance of being separated from God's love.

The suffering and agony caused by crucifixion was so intense that a whole new word was created: 'excruciating,' Latin 'of the cross.'

Our sins drove the nails, but it was love that held Him to the cross.

Holy Week 2014 -Maundy Thursday

Join us each day as we focus on the final week of Jesus' crucifixion.


Thursday of Holy Week is called 'Maundy Thursday.' The term 'Maundy' is derived from the Latin mandatum. While eating the Passover Meal with his disciples, Jesus said, 'I give you a new command (mandate), that you love one another as I have loved you.'

The central focus of Maundy Thursday is Jesus washing his disciples' feet. During the Passover meal, Jesus gets up from the table, takes off his robe, grabs the basin and begins to scrub the dust and dirt from their feet.

Jesus offers two reasons as to why he is doing this demeaning task. In John 13v15 he reminds his followers to follow his example. 'I have set an example for you that you should do as I have done for you.' Jesus wants his followers to be marked by service, humble self-sacrificial service. What strikes me about Jesus' actions is that he is also taking time to wash Judas' feet. A few days earlier Judas went to the Chief Priests in order to set the trap to betray Jesus. Jesus' example compels us humbly serve, even those who are actively working against Christians!

The other reason Jesus gives for this shocking act of service, is found in John 13v7. 'Later you will understand what I am doing.' Jesus' cryptic comment actually points towards the Cross -as the foot washing foreshadows his crucifixion. Notice the parallels...

Foot washing                                               Cross
Humbling - slave work                                  Crucifixion - a slave's death
Water poured out                                           Blood poured out
Wipes dirt from feet                                       Wipes sin from our lives
Dirt transferred from feet to his towel            Our sin is transferred to Jesus
Jesus was in his underwear                            Clothes divided while on the cross
Done to both friends and Judas                     Died for the sins of us all

Maundy Thursday points us towards Jesus... His life and his sacrifice for our sins.

Holy Week 2014 - Plotting Wednesday

Join us each day as we focus on the final week of Jesus' crucifixion.


Wednesday of Holy Week finds the plot to kill Jesus picking up steam. From the very beginning, the Jewish religious leaders set out to get Jesus.

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah -the Chosen One and he also claimed to be the Son of God. This caused great concern to the religious leaders, as Jesus was young, not formally trained, and came outside of their established religious traditions. Inside Jerusalem the Sanhedrin met. The Sanhedrin was a religious court, where the spiritual leaders gathered to make their decisions.

Fear drove this group. Because it was Passover, the city was jammed with pilgrims and the political tension was at an all time high. The Jewish religious leaders feared that Jesus would spark a political rebellion -which would incite the Roman Army to enter the City.

In order to avoid the greater potential threat of an invading Roman Army, the Sanhedrin decided it was more expedient to get rid of Jesus.

Holy Week 2014 -Confrontation Tuesday

Join us each day as we focus on the final week before Jesus' crucifixion.


The plot to arrest Jesus picks up steam as Judas agrees to betray Jesus. Luke 22.1-6 records Judas' trip to the Chief Priests and his agreement to betray his friend. For a while now, the religious leaders were looking for ways to trap and arrest Jesus. Judas' betrayal adds more fuel to the fire.

As Jesus was leaving the Temple on his way out of town he predicted that the Temple would be destroyed. He took this opportunity to also speak about the end times and that even he doesn't know the specifics of how it will all end.

The conspiracy against Jesus is well underway. From the perspective of the Pharisees, Jesus was just a young man: unschooled and uneducated. 'Who is the 33 year old kid, who makes these claims about being sent from God?'

Tuesday is marked by confrontation, as both sides are looking for ways to discredit the other. The tension is high, the city on edge, and the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering is in full force.

Holy Week 2014 -Fig Monday

Join us each day as we focus on the final week before Jesus' crucifixion.


Christians call the day after Palm Sunday, 'Fig Monday.'  On this day Jesus curses a fruitless fig tree and chases the corrupt people out of the Temple.

At first these two events seem unrelated and frankly, quite odd.  But viewed together, we see that they are what is known as, 'an acted parable.'

In Mark 11, these event appear in this order:
     Jesus curses the Fig Tree
     Jesus cleanses the Temple
     Jesus revisits the cursed Fig Tree

In this final week of Jesus' life, he comes to both the Fig Tree and the Temple -seeking fruit, seeking life, seeking nourishment.  His physical hunger drove him to the Fig Tree, but since it was barren he cursed it. His spiritual hunger drove him to the Temple, but when he arrived it had been transformed into a commercial enterprise -and so he blasted it as well.

In this way we can see a link between these two events. What Jesus does to the Fig Tree he will do to the Temple. This story challenges us to ask the question, what would Jesus find if he came to our Churches, or into our homes? Would he find fruit? Would he find life? 

Palm Sunday

Join us each day as we focus on the final week before Jesus' crucifixion


Christians celebrate Palm Sunday one week before Easter. The crowds waved palm branches as Jesus and his followers enter the city of Jerusalem.

To fully understand Palm Sunday we need to view it through the lens of three themes: Passover, City vs. Country, and Triumph.

Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for the Passover festival -the annual celebration commemorating God rescuing His people from Egypt. During Jesus' time, Passover became a nationalistic holiday as well as a religious festival. The people were longing once again for a new Moses, a new leader who would bring them out from the oppression of the Romans.

Jesus and his followers primarily came from the country. They were viewed with disdain by the educated elite who mocked the uneducated country folk. The tension between the City religious leaders and the country followers of Jesus was at an all time high on Palm Sunday.

Jesus entered the city on a donkey to the cheers of his followers. By entering the city in this manner, Jesus is deliberately mocking and imitating the formal military processions of others who have come before him. 160 years earlier, Judah Maccabees led a revolt against the Greek rulers of Israel. He entered Jerusalem while riding a war horse, followed by his fellow Jewish rebels. At the time of Jesus, Roman generals and officials would enter a city riding a war horse, followed by their soldiers. Even Pilate, the Roman Governor entered the city before Jesus, with all of his soldiers. The name given to this specific method of entering a city- 'Triumph.' Jesus triggers Israel's cultural memory -by imitating Judah Maccabees' manner of entering the city.  Jesus also triggers Israel's anger towards their oppressors, by imitating Pilate's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus wants the world to know that he is a ruler unlike any that have come before him.
Instead of choosing Power, he chooses Humility. Instead of riding a war horse, he rides a donkey. Instead of carrying a sword, he carries the cross.

He will act in power and in glory and will do so in a way that no one ever saw coming....

The Risen Christ celebrated at the 2012 Masters

For 2012 Augusta National Winner, Bubba Watson, golf is third place in his life.  Bubba and his wife Angie recently adopted a son named Caleb.  But to Bubba Watson, his wife and son only hold second place in his life.   First place since 2004 is Jesus Christ.  That year, both Bubba and his wife committed their lives to Christ.

Bubba is active in leading PGA weekly bible studies, uses his twitter account @bubbawatson to share bible verses, offering words of encouragement and to remind his followers that golf is not his highest priority.

It is fitting that on Easter Sunday the winner of Golf's most storied prize realizes that it is just third place in his life...

To read more on his amazing Masters win, click here...

Is Doubting Thomas a Hero?

I always loved the story of Thomas, probably because I wrestle with doubt.  Thomas was one of Jesus’ original 12 followers. While he makes few appearances, his most notable comes after Jesus rose from the dead. About a week after his resurrection, Jesus’ followers are all huddled together -hiding out in fear.  The political situation, the rumors of Jesus coming back to life, the Priest’s anger -are still conspiring against those closest to Jesus. While most of Jesus’ followers had seen him; Thomas had not yet.

Thomas must have watched lots of ‘CSI: Jerusalem,’ because he wanted to see the evidence before he believed the rumors of Jesus’ resurrection. Dead people just don’t come back to life.

Instantly Jesus appears in the room, right through the locked doors. Jesus knows the disciples are afraid and so he tells them, ‘Peace be with you.’ He turns, faces Thomas and says, ‘Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas responds, ‘My Lord and my God!’

Thomas is a hero because he shows that there is hope for doubters. Jesus can and will meet our questions. He is not an elusive man of history nor is he a mythical legend. Jesus will move heaven and earth to answer our doubts.

Thomas is a hero because he rose to the challenge, and allowed his doubts to succumb to the truth.  Some revel in doubt because dealing with the truth is too demanding. Some enjoy sewing the seeds of doubt because they enjoy seeing others squirm. Thomas’ doubt led him to a moment of personal integrity and belief in Jesus.

Do you have doubts about Jesus?  Great, send them in and let’s continue the conversation.