Fellowshipmtz

John 1:35-51

In John's gospel, Jesus's first spoken words are: "What are you seeking?"  That question is as relevant today for moderns as it was in the first century!

John 1:29

What is the significance of the Messiah being likened to a lamb?  What does John mean to convey when he says the world's sin has been taken away?

The first 5-7 minutes are missing  from the audio.  During those opening minutes John the Baptist was reintroduced to those listening.  What did John think he was announcing when he said what he did in verse 29?  It seems evident from the Gospels that John did not understand Jesus, the promised Messiah, was coming to die on a cross as a sacrifice for sins.  From prison, John sends several of his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are the Coming One, or are we to look for another?" (cf. Matthew 11:2ff ;  Luke 7:18ff)

John 1:29-34

"Who is this John?" -- that's what the Pharisees in Jerusalem wanted to know, and so they dispatched a group of priests and Levites to find out!  John denies he is the Messiah (Christ) or Elijah, or "the Prophet."   So who is he then?  John calls himself the "voice crying out in the wilderness" as the prophet Isaiah foretold.

This sermon finishes exploring John's prologue. The text describes what it means for Jesus to be the source of eternal life and how he shines the light of salvation into spiritual darkness. We especially considered how God personally and visibly took up residence among his people in the form of Christ. 

We began the Gospel of John today. It is our plan to go through the entire book from beginning to end. In this sermon, we looked at how the Apostle John is a credible witness to the life of Christ. We also began to discuss Jesus as the Word in John's prologue and noted the purpose of this gospel is for us to know the Son of God alone provides true life. 

Luke 24:36-49

This is the third resurrection scene in Luke's gospel (chapter 24).  On Sunday evening Jesus *appears* to a larger group of followers who are gathered together in a locked room (for fear of the Jews).  He makes it clear He is not a mere ghostly presence.  He is very real -- and that is not without significance!

Psalm 118

Psalms 113-118 are commonly referred to as the (Egyptian) Hallel Psalms.  It is widely held that Israelites sang these psalms in conjunction with Israel's feasts, especially Passover and Tabernacles.  That being the case, these are probably the psalms Jesus sang with His disciples when they celebrated Passover together in the Upper Room.

Our church looked at Hebrews 1:4-14 in recognition of Lent for a second week in a row. The writer of Hebrews explains to us how Jesus is greater than the angels. The angelic host plays a major role in the Bible, but similar to humans, their greatest responsibility is to praise and glorify Christ. 

We are spending two weeks in Hebrews 1 to celebrate the worthiness of Christ during the season of Lent. Vv. 1-3 act as the introduction to this epistle in which the author argues that Christ is better than the Old Testament system. This sermon explores how Christ is greater than the prophets and has been exalted to the righthand of majesty on high as the eternally begotten Son of God. 

Genesis 12:1-9

We only "scratch the surface" of a passage of Scripture that runs particularly deep in Biblical theology and importance!  I am grateful to be able to draw on insights from the likes of Bruce Waltke, Christopher Wright, and Duane Garrett in an attempt to highlight the significance of the LORD's grace to Abram.