Articles for tag: Crucifixion

New Testament Theology & Bible

Incarnation and Resurrection

By Teresa D. Welch Strips of cloth, angels, a man named Joseph, a bed, spices, an angel”s “do not be afraid” message, and a group rushing to tell others the good news. In the context of December, with decorated trees and carolers singing “fa-la-la-la-la,” you most likely associated those items with the story found in Luke 2: “And she [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed in him a manager” (v. 7). But these elements of the Christmas story also appear in a different story about Christ. The story of Christmas reminds

August 9, 2017

When I Come to the Cross – Images of Sorrow and Joy

By Jackina Stark Scholars have suggested two details about the cross that I have found intriguing. One has to do with where the cross might have been placed. Some suggest it was not erected at the top of Golgotha but at the base. This is in keeping with crucifixions taking place in busy thoroughfares, but it puts the cross too close to an unconcerned, gawking public for my comfort. It puts it, for that matter, too close to me. The second detail some scholars suggest is that Jesus might have been hung only a few feet above the ground. The

April 28, 2017

Reaffirming Our “˜Yes”

By Mark Atteberry Some of Jesus” parables are epic in scope, like one about the prodigal son. Others are quite short, like this one about a farmer and his two sons:Â “There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “˜Son, go and work today in the vineyard.” “˜I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, “˜I will, sir,” but he did not go” (Matthew 21:28-30). The kingdom of God is hindered by people

April 12, 2017

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Shame on Jesus

By Jim Tune Three men sat together. After ordering food, one began to open up. Men usually speak about safe topics: work, sports, family. This time the man took a risk and dropped the mask. He felt exposed. He felt shame. Genesis 2:25 describes Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall: “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Kids and teens snicker at the verse. Later we begin to understand that we long for what Adam and Eve experienced: to be fully known and to be loved at the same

March 15, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Missing God

By Mark A. Taylor Being a soldier can be boring. Especially when you”re far from home, in a dry, dirty, dusty place. When the assignment is to keep order among a stubborn people who resent you and all you stand for, the duty is all the more distasteful. And so, when a strange peasant called a king is assigned to your watch, who could blame you for having a little fun? Nothing about him looks like royalty, that”s for sure. So you find some thorns and make him a crown. Your buddy has a robe he took from some unlucky

February 12, 2016

Hurting God

By Tom Claibourne When my son, Micah, was 7, he did his best to help me build a baseball backstop. After stapling the fencing to the frame, I let him hammer each staple to further secure it. I pointed each time where I wanted him to hammer, and he would proudly hit that spot. At one point he missed a staple so I pointed my finger near the spot, not realizing his hammer was already racing my finger to that location. Needless to say, I let out a loud wail after the impact. My cry startled him and he realized

January 6, 2016

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Kingdom Power

By Jim Tune Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water in a basin and began to wash his disciples” feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:3-5). There was never any question regarding appropriate etiquette. It was the privilege of the most powerful person in the room to never need to worry about his

October 30, 2015

Majestic Quietness

By Greg Swinney Several international students were traveling together to the Rocky Mountains for a weekend excursion during their university”s fall break. In preparation for the trip, they read travel magazines and browsed websites that described the grandeur of the mountains. Inside the church van, the international students asked their American friends about the elevation, climate, and vegetation of the Rockies. The excitement was contagious as the van motored west. As the van crested a small hill, the students got their first glimpse of the mountains in the distance. They grabbed their cameras and noisy conversations stopped. Most students were

April 22, 2015

Culture & Public Square Justice

World on Trial

By Jim Tune Henri Nouwen tells about a doctor in Paraguay who spoke out against the oppressive tyranny of the government. The local police took revenge against him by arresting his teenage son and torturing the boy to death. It was a brutal and senseless murder. The boy”s courageous father responded with the most powerful protest imaginable. At the funeral, the father did not have his son”s body cleaned up and embalmed. Instead, he displayed it as he found it in the jail: naked, scarred, twisted, with open wounds from the beatings and burns from cigarette butts. All the villagers

March 5, 2015

Local Churches Organizations & Events

Getting Ready for Easter: Camarillo (CA) Christian Church

Preparation, Pictures, and Prayer Stations By Charles Maloney, senior pastor, Camarillo (California) Christian Church Our student ministries department put together a guided Good Friday prayer walk involving “prayer stations” covering the events of the final week of Jesus” life, ending at the crucifixion. The prayer stations included pictures and prayer ideas, complete with drawings for children to color, for each of the days leading up to the events of Good Friday. The prayer walk was from noon to 7 p.m., so people could come during the day or after work. We encouraged families to participate together. The last prayer station

March 5, 2015

Local Churches Organizations & Events

Getting Ready for Easter: Plainfield (IN) Christian Church

RememberingÂ the Final Week By Todd Dillon, worship arts pastor, Plainfield (Indiana)Â Christian Church We always have a pre-ResurrectionÂ Day service on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Some of our favorite have been Tenebrae services based on different approaches to the final week before the crucifixion. Some of these have been based on the last seven words of Christ, as told through the eyes of various biblical characters, entwined with Scripture and music. We have used the traditional Tenebrae approach, using lighted candles that we extinguish at intervals until we are left in darkness. Another favorite was “a meal of remembrance.” We had tables

September 26, 2014

Beauty in Brokenness

By J. Michael Shannon “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying “˜Take and eat; this is my body”” (Matthew 26:26). At one time or another we all must deal with broken things. As children, we break toys. Later we deal with a broken car or a broken appliance. Occasionally we drop a cup or glass and it breaks. More significant is the certainty of broken relationships. Broken things often tell a story of sorrow and disappointment, but there is also power and, occasionally, joy in what has been

April 18, 2014

Ethics & Moral Issues Gender

Good Friday, Sexual Identity, and the Fruit of the Spirit

By LeRoy Lawson City of Wrong: A Friday in Jerusalem M. Kamel Hussein (translated by Kenneth Cragg) Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995 (first published in 1954) The End of Sexual Identity: Why SexÂ Is Too Important to Define Who We Are Jenell Williams Paris Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2011 Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the SpiritÂ in Christian Community Philip D. Kenneson Downers Grove: IVP Books, 1999 Picture yourself in Jerusalem on Good Friday. Even better, imaginatively hover around and in and through the actors, big and small, in this most consequential drama. This is what Kamel Hussein does

December 16, 2013

Shawn McMullen

New Testament Theology & Bible

The Father Was There

By Shawn McMullen We see Jesus Christ as the focal point of the final week, the main character in the drama of redemption. From the triumphal entry to the resurrection, our eyes are fixed on him. We picture him during his last days on earth cleansing the temple, teaching the masses, and warning hypocrites. We follow him as he observes the Passover, prays in the garden, and suffers a friend”s betrayal. Our hearts ache over his abandonment, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Following Christ in his final week helps us appreciate the scope of his sacrifice and the depth of his

December 13, 2013

Theology & Bible

Like Us, With Us

What are we to think of ourselves, to make of ourselves, because God became a manÂ in Jesus? How does Jesus help us understand and define our own humanity? By Jon Weatherly What is a human? The story is told of two medieval philosophers discussing that question. One said, “A human is a featherless, two-legged creature.” The second excused himself, then returned an hour later with a plucked chicken. We need a better definition. Or perhaps we humans are better off describing our experience rather than formulating a definition. So what is our experience? We are like and unlike other

September 13, 2013

Careful on the Way Down

By David Ray Someone who”s done a Â study about mountain climbing made an interesting discovery. As risk-filled as the ascent may be, more than half of all climbing fatalities occur on the way down. For example, of the fatalities that had occurred on Mount Everest””the world”s tallest mountain””about 60 percent of them happened while the climbers were descending back to base camp. Different reasons for this phenomenon have been suggested, but there is often a natural letdown that comes after any great goal has been accomplished. With adrenaline pumping and a summit in sight, climbers may master an ascent. But

April 14, 2012

Forgiveness, Love, and Hope

By Bryce Jessup As a 20-year-old student in Bible college, I heard a sermon about the cross that I will never forget. The preacher told us the x in our English language was but a tilted t from ancient times. He went on to say that the t was one of the early symbols for the cross. His application was memorable. He said, “Isn”t it interesting that when you make a mistake with a typewriter (this was long before the computer age, but some will remember), you correct it by typing over it with a lot of x“s?” In other

March 25, 2011

He Chose Us

By Trevor Tolley Classes on ethical theory are notorious for presenting students with scenarios calling for difficult decisions. Often these scenarios have no good solutions. No matter what a person might choose to do, someone will die. The especially difficult scenarios pit the choice of saving a family member, such as a son or daughter, at the expense of many others dying, or saving many people at the expense of your own child dying. For example, let”s say a boat capsizes, and your son and his two friends are thrown into the water””your son is in the water to your

February 12, 2011