This Sunday we will celebrate the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, conquering sin and death. As we do so, we will reflect on Luke 24:1-12. Mary Madgalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, along with other women, came to Jesus’ tomb on Sunday morning at dawn and found it empty. Even the Apostles didn’t believe them. But Peter, even in the wake of his denial and failure, ran to the tomb to see it for himself. We will see the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection, as well as its importance for us.

Throughout the ages, the church has gathered on the Friday before Easter to remember the path Christ took to the cross. Good Friday is an invitation for us to stop and reflect upon Jesus as He lived out the lowest of human experience. It is a call to sit in the dust, hand in hand with our own doubts and sorrows. This Good Friday, we gather as a church to reflect upon the sufferings of Christ, see the great cost of our sin, and foster an anticipation for Easter Sunday.

Luke’s Gospel paints a unique portrait of Jesus as the Lord was paraded through Jerusalem. It was the same city as the previous Sunday, and many of the same people. On Sunday His destination was the Temple, but on Friday it was the place of the skull, to be exposed, mocked, hung on a cross, and killed alongside criminals. As we look at Luke 23:26-43 we will see the importance of Jesus’ interaction with a group of women mourning for him, with the leaders and the soldiers, and with the thieves killed alongside Him. We will also see the role Simon of Cyrene played in the storyline. This is an important Sunday. The crucifixion is at the very core of the Christian faith and the gospel itself.

Luke records four rounds of questioning and accusation. Jesus was arrested and dragged in front of religious leaders, politicians, and crowds of people. The people in this story reflect so much of our world today. They were grappling with who Jesus really was. Their positions and passions shaped their responses to Jesus. The same happens today. This Sunday will be a great one to invite friends to join you. We will take time to ask the question, “Who is Jesus?” It’s the most important question we could ever ask because Jesus is either a man of infinite significance or dismissible insignificance. There can be no middle ground. This section will show us that Jesus is the Son of Man, the Messianic King, and the Innocent One.

We continue our Passion series with a look at Peter’s 3-fold denial of Jesus in Luke 22:54-62. Peter was the leader of the twelve disciples. He was told by Jesus that he would be the rock on whom the church would be built. At dinner with Jesus on Thursday night Peter boldly proclaimed that he would follow Jesus to prison or even death. And yet, by morning he had denied Jesus three times. Peter’s denial continues the quick descent into chaos and darkness. We will take time to look at the whole of Peter’s life and time with Jesus to see what brought this moment to fruition, and why it’s so important.

After praying in the garden, Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss. This leads to his arrest and is the first domino in the series of events to follow. Every one of us has experienced betrayal, whether in overt or more subtle ways. In this sermon, we will see the importance of this particular betrayal in Jesus’ life.

We begin with a look at Jesus’ agony as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s an important look at the role prayer played in Jesus’ life when He was confronted with intense suffering.

As we close our time in Ephesians we see that we are in a battle. Satan attacks all those who follow Christ. Ephesians 6:10-24 gives us essential insight into that battle.

This passage is a haustafeln, or table of household rules. There are some challenging things in it for sure. Above all, though, we see that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes the way Christians approach relationships at every level. There’s something for all of us in this text.

The call to love others can be so difficult, especially in a world where true love isn't always reciprocated. But when we come to know the source of Love in Christ and the promise offered by the Love of God, we can answer the call to Love through the power of the spirit.