In Mark 7, Jesus and his disciples are confronted with an investigative team of Pharisees and scribes who have come up from Jerusalem. They ask Jesus why he and his disciples don’t keep the tradition of the elders. In reply, Jesus condemns them for following commandments of men even at the expense of keeping the law of God. This week, we “punch right” and put our own practices and cherished traditions under review: have we substituted our own good ideas for Scripture? Are we satisfied with keeping man-made laws that make us look good, even if it allows us to disobey explicit commands of God? Although it’s more comfortable to point out the sins of others; Jesus forces us to confront the dangerous deception of our own religious sins.

Three surprising things happen in succession over the course of 24 hours at the end of Mark 6. First, Jesus takes his disciples into the wilderness and performs a great miracle feeding 5,000. Then, he walks on water. Finally, he heals the sick in a region known for its prosperity and abundance. What ties these three stories together? This week, we look at the surprising places God shows up in our lives and the ways he uses both lack and abundance to help us see the need for his grace.

In the wake of tragedy, it is easy to ask: How did this happen? The cause of John’s death is clearly Herod, and Mark attributes 3 shortcomings to his character: He has misinterpreted the person and work of Jesus Christ. He has neglected his own repentance, and failed to steward the relationships and resources around him according to God’s will. In light of his sinful folly, John the Baptist is dead and his household have added “murder” to their list of sins before God.

Yet even in the horror of his own sin, God’s glory emerges through Herod’s action in John’s simple refrain: “Jesus must increase, I must decrease (John 3:30).” With John’s death, his life purpose is now complete and the ministry of Jesus can take its place in human history according to the will of God.

We return this week to the Gospel of Mark. Our series title in Mark is “seeing Jesus.” And this week’s text helps us see Jesus through the eyes of people who probably thought they knew him better than almost anyone: his friends and family from his hometown of Nazareth. But, the Jesus they think they see, the Jesus they think they know, isn’t a Jesus they respect or worship. Instead they call him a derogatory name, they make fun of him, and even try to kill him. What is it about Jesus that evokes this response from those who should have been among the first to worship him?

The visit of the Magi to Jesus is one of the indelible marks of the Christmas season. Bearing their gifts, these “three kings from Orient are.” But who exactly were they and why did they travel for about a month from Babylon to Jerusalem? What did they come looking for and why is their appearance on the scene important for you and me? This Sunday, we celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus: his revelation to the gentiles and the spread of the good news down through history, enlarging God’s family to include even you and me.

Pastor Danny closes out our Christmas series with his sermon "Firstborn from the Dead."

Eschatology is a theological term that refers to beliefs about the last days, final judgment, and the new creation. What does any of that have to do with Christmas? This Sunday, we’ll turn again to John the Baptist—no longer preaching repentance in the wilderness, but now sitting in prison and wondering if Jesus is the one he was expecting. John's eschatology led to confusion about the work of Jesus. Our eschatology may also lead us to be confused about God’s work on earth. So, what does Jesus tell John (and us) that will help us glorify God as we wait for the consummation of all things?

The second Sunday of Advent traditionally brings the ministry of John the Baptist into focus. The strange figure of John—dressed in camel’s hair, eating locusts and honey, preaching repentance in the wilderness—seems out of place in our preparation for Christmas, but he is an “Advent” character: someone who helps the people prepare themselves for the Messiah’s coming. This greatest of the prophets (as Jesus calls him) still points the way for us today. Do you see what John sees? Join us this Sunday as we continue our special Advent series through the Gospel of Luke.

Message from Rev. Eric Landry on December 1, 2024

Having defeated the giant Goliath, David is now a celebrity in Israel and even though only David, Samuel, and his brothers know that he has been anointed the new king, already people are reacting to him as if he is royalty. This Sunday, we’ll consider three different reactions to David’s emerging royal identity and consider how each reaction reflects the way we engage King Jesus in our own lives.