Monthly Archives: December 2010

Trinity means that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God.  When Jesus was close to his death he struggled under the stress of what was about to come.  I do not mean that Jesus was afraid of dying.  I think … Continue reading →

Ricky Gervais is the creator of The Office.  It ran for a few seasons in the UK before being converted into the massively popular US T.V. show.  Ricky Gervais just wrote the following article for the Christmas season.  It is … Continue reading →

Jesus prepares the disciples for the clamity and confusion that is about to fall on them.  After The Last Supper he talks to them of betrayal, who the greatest is, of denial, and the need to prepare for battle.  The … Continue reading →

Jesus took the Jewish Passover and used it to institute a ritual that Christians still do today.  Should we do it each week, each day, each year?  I don’t think that the frequency is clear.  I do think that we … Continue reading →

‘Judas’  – The name is synonymous with ‘betrayal’.  This shows that not all those who follow the crowd are part of that crowd.  Judas was not some kind of salivating maniac foaming at the mouth.  He was a disillusioned follower … Continue reading →

I went with a group to Israel in 2008.  I saw Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  I traveled north and south.  I believe that God is not done with that land.  At this time of year we think of Israel and the … Continue reading →

The story of the widow’s mite is often used to drum up generosity at the annual church meeting.  We should all give in the self-sacrificial way that she did.  There may be some truth to that, but that is not … Continue reading →

A father in ancient culture rarely payed great respect to his son.  He might admire his son.  He might lavish gifts on him.  However, a father would not often call his son ‘sir’, ‘master’, or ‘Lord’.  This is the theological … Continue reading →

Sadducees were the materialists of Jesus’ time.  They were focused on the hear and now.  They thought that belief in spiritual reality and the afterlife were absurd.  This is what their question to Jesus below is meant to highlight.  They … Continue reading →

There are two extremes to be avoided in politics.  The first, less common approach, is to change Jesus into a primarily political figure.  I played cricket in England with a communist who claimed that Jesus was a communist.  He said … Continue reading →