Articles for tag: Resurrection

November 14, 2014

Christian Standard

The Perfect Emblem

By Trevor Tolley The emblems of the Lord”s Supper, the fruit of the vine and the bread, uniquely communicate the message of Christ”s death and resurrection. The emblems so perfectly illustrate the redemptive story that it smells of conspiracy. In other words, it seems Jesus did not choose, but instead created, the perfect emblems. Have you ever considered the thought that the juice in a grape, if it remains in the grape, rots over time? But when, at just the right time, a grape is pressed or crushed, the juice can be put in a sealed container and preserved? This

November 7, 2014

Christian Standard

The Best Object Lesson

By Trevor Tolley A good teacher likes to use an object to help his or her students remember the lesson. A good teacher knows that a good object lesson engages a student”s senses. The more a student”s senses are engaged, the greater the likelihood the student will remember the lesson. Jesus understands this about us. And through the Lord”s Supper, Jesus demonstrates his mastery as a teacher. He cares enough to provide a physical reminder, an object lesson, of what he has done for us and what we believe. And what a reminder! Have you ever stopped to ponder the

August 13, 2014

Christian Standard

Real Hope

By Jim Tune Last spring I taught a course on apologetics. We devoted considerable attention to the resurrection. I wanted students to sink deep roots in the ground of real hope””not optimism, not wishful thinking, but hope! I remember a story about a painful time in the life of a young missionary woman. This woman had married a Rwandan pastor, a Tutsi, and they had established a home together in that country. She was visiting Kenya on a mission trip when the dreadful Rwandan tragedy erupted. Hutu militia moved in, butchering men, women, and children wherever they went. The ensuing

July 1, 2014

Christian Standard

Most Memorable

By Mark S. Krause What was your most memorable Lord”s Supper celebration? Recently I shared the table of the Lord with 800 believers at the International Church in Kathmandu, Nepal. These were mainly expatriates””Christians far from home who were hungry for the fellowship of Communion. It cheered my soul to be with believers who prized this moment so deeply. Think back. What was a memorable Lord”s Supper for you? I can recall sharing at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem on Resurrection Sunday, with a village church in Uganda, and with a great crowd at the North American Christian Convention. What

June 13, 2014

Christian Standard

What”s So Distinctive about the Christian Faith?

By Donald S. Tingle The world is full of religions. If Christianity is just one of many faith traditions, what makes it so special, so distinctive from all other religious claims? The answers Christian have given to that question often fit somewhere between two extremes. But somewhere in the middle lie the answers we need to show followers of other religions why Christianity alone truly leads us to God. On the extreme right some might say, “Christianity is true; therefore all non-Christian religions are false. Non-Christians are so thoroughly blinded by Satan that nothing worthwhile can be found among their

February 28, 2014

Christian Standard

Alone in a Crowd

By Tom Claibourne   The Lord”s Supper is quite paradoxical. It looks backward and forward. It calls us to look upward but also inward. It is utterly profound yet disarmingly simple. It celebrates life while focusing on death. The Communion emblems prompt feelings of assurance while also calling for an honest self-evaluation regarding our sin. They honor Jesus” death but also his resurrection. They help us celebrate the forgiveness of our sins while reminding us of our ongoing struggle with temptation. The Lord”s Supper stirs tears of repentance but also smiles of celebration. It calls forth horror at the intensity

February 14, 2014

Christian Standard

Valentine Love

By Tom Claibourne   Legends abound regarding the origin of Valentine”s Day and the namesake for the holiday. At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies associated with February 14. The best-known account features a Roman priest who was martyred during the reign of Emperor Claudius for refusing to renounce his faith and for defying an edict issued by the emperor. The Roman Empire under Claudius was involved in many bloody, unpopular military campaigns. As a result, it became increasingly difficult to recruit soldiers. The emperor reasoned that the Roman men did

January 27, 2014

Christian Standard

Lesson for February 2, 2014: Hear and Do the Word (James 1:19-27)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Most Bible scholars believe that the James who wrote this epistle is the one who was a brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55). Though he was skeptical of Jesus during his ministry (John 7:5), James was convinced that Jesus was the Son of God after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). James was numbered among the company in Jerusalem waiting and praying after Jesus” ascension (Acts 1:14). Later Peter and Paul met with him in Jerusalem (Galatians 1:19)

December 23, 2013

Christian Standard

The Color of Christmas

By Daniel Schantz “[White] is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. . . . God paints in many colors; but He never paints so gorgeously . . . as when he paints in white.” “”G.K. Chesterton, from his essay “A Piece of Chalk,” 1905   Although the traditional colors of Christmas are red and green, no color expresses the spiritual essence of Christmas quite like the color white.   Grace “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). Snow is the perfect

December 20, 2013

Christian Standard

God and Sinners Reconciled

By Victor Knowles I believe the music of Christmas is the most beautiful music in the world. Indeed, it may even be the most meaningful music the world will ever know. From “Away in a Manger” to Handel’s “Messiah,” the marvelous message of the true meaning of Christ’s coming to earth is made clear. It is especially appropriate at this time of Communion to ponder the reason Jesus Christ was born.x  “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing” (“O Come, All Ye Faithful”). John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and

December 16, 2013

Shawn McMullen

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

Christian Standard

Like Us, With Us

What are we to think of ourselves, to make of ourselves, because God became a man 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

November 22, 2013

Christian Standard

“˜A Different Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:12, 13)

By Neal Windham A young man, skinny as a rail, makes his way to the front of the church during the hymn of decision, and for him the decision has not come easily. He has examined his world of commitment, belief, and action, as well as the biblical account of Jesus” life, death, burial, and resurrection, and has concluded in his late 20s that this faith is the real thing, that he wants to become a Christian. His eyes grow wide with interest and fear, however, as he observes the part-time preacher who is about to baptize him standing in

August 2, 2013

Christian Standard

A Humble Savior

By David Timms In 1938 and 1939, as war loomed in Europe, a young British stockbroker changed his plans from taking a skiing holiday in Switzerland to helping in a Jewish refugee camp in Czechoslovakia. With that last-minute change of plans, he was able to help rescue 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia just before the Nazis took control. He found those children new homes in England and raised funds to guarantee each child could return home when (and if) it became safe to do so. He also quietly recorded their names, the names of their new parents, and the addresses

February 11, 2013

Christian Standard

The Spirit in Spiritual Formation

By J.K. Jones Jr. I”m grateful for our emphasis on logic and reason, but I believe the Holy Spirit is larger than something we can capture or fully understand. But starting with the words of Scripture, we can begin to grasp the Spirit”s role in the life God has planned for us to enjoy. Some things are so big they nearly resist explanation. Consider the way of an eagle in the sky. I”ve watched our national bird soar over the Mississippi River, gliding effortlessly on waves of unseen air currents, then dive at light speed to scoop breakfast from the

December 19, 2012

Christian Standard

We Still Can Celebrate

By Mark A. Taylor Some residents in the small, close-knit community of Newtown, Connecticut, took down and put away their Christmas decorations this weekend, and we probably can”t blame them. In the wake of Friday”s trauma and loss, many residents of that small town can”t face holiday festivity. Any of us, even those far from Connecticut, have trouble sorting out our feelings after nonstop news about the horror. The Muzak cycle of “Holly, Jolly Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” and “I”ll Be Home for Christmas” rings hollow””especially when we think about so many who will never again be home for Christmas. But

December 17, 2012

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 23, 2012: Alive in the Light of Christ (John 1:1-14; Ephesians 4:17″“5:14)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ By Sam E. Stone Today”s text is especially appropriate as the world celebrates the birth of Christ. The Christmas story does not begin in Bethlehem. Before the world was created, God existed. The prologue of John”s Gospel affirms this. That life was the light of all mankind. Paul”s message to the church in Ephesus some years later also emphasizes that light in the Lord in which all Christians walk.   Life-Giving Light John 1:1-5, 14 In the beginning was the

May 3, 2012

Christian Standard

Backward, Inward, and Forward

By Bryce Jessup Communion points us in three directions. We look backward, inward, and forward. First Corinthians 11:23-29 was written for troubled people who needed repentance, forgiveness, and acceptance in order to go forward with their lives. The same need exists for us today. The backward look is to Jesus when he said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (v. 25). Communion is looking back to the cross and seeing the One who died so that we might live. He hung from the cross not because of

April 14, 2012

Christian Standard

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 30, 2012

Christian Standard

Delivering the Message

By Gary L. Johnson The United States Postal Service is struggling””and so is the church. Can we see any similarities in their problems? The United States Postal Service is losing billions of dollars and faces possible bankruptcy. Losses for the last two years alone exceed $13 billion. To survive, the USPS will lay off postal workers, close post offices, and increase postal rates. Next-day delivery will become a thing of the past, and it may take as long as nine days for your favorite magazine to be delivered. Without a doubt, the USPS has been one of our nation”s most

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