Author: Pastor Howie

02 21 Luke 24.1-12 Did the resurrection really happen?  The stone was moved and the body was missing.  Perhaps the best two irrefutable pieces of evidence to substantiate the truth of the resurrection are the many eye witnesses and the transformed lives of the disciples who, afterward, boldly and emphatically proclaimed the gospel and the resurrection of Christ.  Christianity rises or falls on the resurrection.  If we believe that Jesus rose again from the dead, others should see a difference in our lives.  Do they?

02 14 Luke 23.44-56 The account of Jesus’ death provides a very important element for us.  Jesus was on the cross for approximately 6 hours.  For the first three hours He suffered at the hands of man.  For second three hours He suffered at the hands of God.  During this time great darkness shrouded the land as if God were hiding from man the awful wrath God put Jesus through for our sin.  At the moment of His death a supernatural event occurred.  The 60 foot curtain in the Temple was torn form top to bottom.  Through His death and finished work on the cross for sin, Jesus now made a way for mankind to enter into the presence of God.  Our access to God is through the shed blood of Christ.  He made a way for any and all.

“When the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, it divided the German capital in a way that reflected the division that had been forced on the conquered nation following WWII. West Germany remained free while East Germany was under the domination of the Soviet Union.  Once the wall was in place people could no longer escape the communist government. 

It is said that at one point during a particularly tense time in the East-West relationship in the 1970’s that a group from East Berlin began throwing bags of garbage over the wall in a symbolic protest against the West. After seeing the bags of garbage, some residents of the West decided to respond.  They filled bags with food and medical supplies that were in short supply in the communist run city and threw them over the wall with a note that read ‘each gives what he has.’”

Christ took on Himself all the garbage, all the stench of our lives to give us the spiritual food and medical supplies we need. He gives us His righteousness.  We must accept it by faith.  He has made a way into God’s presence by breaking down the barrier that stood between us and God.

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02 07 Luke 23.26-43 Did Jesus have to die?  We see from the passage not only the punishment on the cross for sin, the result of which we are told from Romans 6:23 is death, but then we see the pardon at the cross.  Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness and that blood could only be from the sinless Son of God who became man to die in our place, the death we deserve to give us pardon and paradise we don’t deserve.  John R. W. Stott said “My sins sent Him there (to the cross), but His love took Him there.”  If He did not go to the cross, we could not receive eternal life.  Yes, Jesus had to die.

01 31 Luke 22.66-23.25 This passage raises perhaps the single most important question that can be asked.  It was raised by those who should have known the answer given the overwhelming evidence in what they knew from Old Testament prophesy, what they were witness to, and in what they heard.  They posed it to a man they had arrested the previous night.  The answer to this question has eternal ramifications.  Speaking to Jesus they asked “are you the Christ?”  The religious leaders questioning Jesus had rejected the possibility that He was the Christ, the Messiah.  They had all the proof, but ignored it.

Matthew Henry writes “there are none so blind as those who will not see.”   Former US Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson said that “the real problem with Jesus Christ is not that folk can’t believe in Him – but that they won’t believe in Him.”

The question about Christ is one we will all face and must all answer.  How we answer it will determine where we spend eternity.  Do you believe He was just a man or that He was in fact God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) who died for our sin that by faith in Him we can everlasting life?

01 24 Luke 22.47-65 Our passage takes us to three scenes familiar because they are part of the remaining hours of Jesus’ life before the cross.  They are the betrayal by Judas, the denial by Peter, and the mockery by the guards.  Each scene has any number of characters involved and in each scene there is a common thread that running throughout.  What is clear is the demonstration of Jesus’ compassion to each of the characters in each scene.  Did they need compassion?  Did they receive it?  Ultimately, the answer is yes, they received it then and also on the cross.  In compassion Jesus without any retaliation or judgment they may have otherwise been deserving.  They all needed compassion – as do we.  Do we deserve?  Will we receive it?  How can we show compassion to those around us?

01 17 Luke 22.39-46 Jesus gives an example of prayer in times of great stress.  He prayed all the more fervently when He was sorrowful and troubled just before the cross.  But in that desperate hour and angel came and ministered to Him and strengthened Him.  He’ll do the same for us. 

01 10 16 Luke 22.7-38 During what is arguably the most selfless act to be demonstrated in the upcoming sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the disciples spent time during the Passover meal arguing about who was the greatest among them.  Jesus denounces this pride and then tells them how to destroy this sin in their life.  He says that if you want to be great you must become a servant.  Humility is essential to serve and to be humble you need to begin with making sure God is on the throne of your life.

01 10 16 Luke 22.7-38

01 03 Luke 22.1-6 When considering a passage such as the one this message, it is important to keep in mind that God is sovereign in all things, even when it concerns His Son – Jesus Christ.  We can look around us and become overwhelmed by a deplorable plot or a diabolical person.  The comfort comes in believing that God has a definitive plan that encompasses His sovereignty, His salvation, and His solution.  When things don’t make sense and when bad things happen, we need to implicitly trust God and hold onto His sovereignty.

12 27 Luke 21.5-38 In His last public address recorded in the Temple, Jesus prophecies about the destruction of the Temple and the future of the Jews.  The events described would occur in A.D. 70 as well as still in our future.  They were warning signs of destruction, but couched in them are words of hope, hope that would come through their redemption by the Son of God.  While it is a prophecy for and about Israel, it also has application for us today that we might be ready and watching for the return of the Lord.  Do you know Him as Savior?

12 20 15 Luke 2.13-14 The angels were given a very specific and important task in announcing the birth of the Savior.  The announcement was so wonderful that it culminated in an anthem of praise.  We have good news to share especially at this time of the year to join the angels in giving God glory for His indescribable gift.  “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.”  Celebrate His birth by praising God.  One day we’ll stand alongside the angels and proclaim His glory together.  Let’s not wait.  Let’s begin now.