Psalm 22.1-31.

In this sixth of seven brief ‘trailers’ from the Old Testament, as if giving a sneak peek into an upcoming blockbuster film, David writes in the first person about a suffering individual, but it is clearly not himself. Acts 2 says that David was a prophet, and Psalm 22 is his clearest vision of the afflictions of his greatest descendant, born 1,000 years after the psalm was composed.

6 April 2025.

Deuteronomy 21.22-23 and Galatians 3.10-14.

In this fifth prophetic picture of Christ's afflictions from the Old Testament, an obscure detail in the Law of Moses is picked up by Paul in Galatians 3, shows how the cross turns curses into blessings.

We apologise for the inferior sound quality in the first 4 minutes of this recording.

30 March 2025.

Numbers 21.4-9.

During the last year of their desert wanderings, the Israelites complain yet again and the Lord sends venomous snakes as a judgment. But, in another foreshadowing of the cross that Jesus himself refers to in John 3, Moses lifts up a bronze snake on a pole, and all who look to it are healed.

23 March 2025.

Leviticus 16.6-30.

Another amazing prefiguring of the cross occurs in the book of Leviticus. A goat whose blood is shed to forgive guilt, and a goat who dies outside the city wall to remove shame. Both point to Jesus and his perfect sacrifice, making atonement, once for all.

16 March 2025.

Exodus 12.1-13.

In our second Old Testament passage foreshadowing the sufferings of Christ, we look at the Passover; where the blood of an innocent lamb without defect, on vertical and horizontal pieces of wood, protects those inside from judgement and death. This central celebration of the old covenant points to Christ and all he did on the cross to bring in a new and everlasting covenant.

9 March 2025.

Genesis 22.1-18.

Genesis 22 opens with a strange and traumatic story about God testing a man by calling him to offer his beloved son on an altar of sacrifice. But God provides an alternative and the whole event points forward to Jesus' perfect offering of himself, once for all, on the same mountain centuries later.

2 March 2025.

Matthew 25.31-46.

Jesus concludes three parables concerning the Last Things with the metaphor of a shepherd separating his sheep from his goats, symbolising the Lord's sorting the entire human race into two groups at the last judgement, defined by what they did or failed to do. How does this agree with justification by faith alone? How should we respond to the message of this story?

23 February 2025.

Matthew 25.14-30.

In this series of three parables in Matthew 25, Jesus shows us what faith must look like. In v1-13, he tells us faith must be ready. In v31-46, he says faith must be generous. But in this parable, he tells us faith must be active. Active faith will be multiplied and rewarded at the final judgement, but inactivity and self-centred idleness will have terrible consequences.

16 February 2025.

Matthew 25.1-13.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells three parables to his disciples about the need to be ready and expectant for his return in glory. This is the first of them. This is no time to be sleeping on the job! Are you awake? Are you ready? Do you know the Lord?

9 February 2025.

Matthew 24.29-51.

In the second part of chapter 24, having spoken at length about AD 70 (which was then fulfilled in remarkable detail), Jesus mostly focuses on the end of the age when he will return. What should we expect, and how should we prepare for this event, which will happen as surely in the future as Jesus' words about the destruction of the temple were fulfilled in the past?

2 February 2025.