Preparing for the Lord's Day Jesus is Better This Sunday we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem the week of his arrest, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. As Jesus comes to the city of Jerusalem he rides upon a humble donkey, yet showered with the praises of the people. The crowds call out to Jesus, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" They ...
Keep Reading Preparing for the Lord's Day Better If you've ever been to the ocean, you've probably heard about the danger of rip currents. They are strong enough to pull even the best swimmer out to sea, and if you don't know how to swim out of one, you'll likely be swept away. Simarly, the Hebrews are in danger of being swept away (drifting) in a cultural rip tide because of the cu...
Keep Reading Preparing for the Lord's Day Better As we come to the end of Hebrews Chapter 1, we continue to see Christ exalted above all else. He is "better" than anyone or anything, including the angels. This means that Christ is worthy of all worship, praise, and honor, as well as our complete surrender and absolute devotion. Sometimes, we miss the exalted Christ in our attempts to...
Keep Reading Preparing for the Lord's Day Better Angels are impressive creatures. Unlike the winged babies or mild human-like portrayals of angels in popular culture, the Biblical description of angels is much more terrifying. It is not uncommon for humans to become frozen with terror in the presence of angels or to fall down and worship. As our passage for this Sunday explains they ...
Keep Reading Preparing for the Lord's Day Better I remember the scene very clearly in my mind. I was taking an introduction to the New Testament course at the University of Georgia and the professor brought the whole class outside onto the North Campus lawn. It was a clear spring day in Athens. The sky was blue and the leaves were fresh and clean. The marks of God's glory in creation...
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