Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Easter is the most important time of the year for Christians. Part of that is the recognition of Jesus’ death on a cross, something that is to be reflected on all year round. But how does Jesus’ death benefit us? Some Christians not only hold to a very specific theory, they believe that others must … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Theories of Atonement” »
Christians believe that Jesus’ death was more than just a terrible miscarriage of justice. The death of Jesus is the means by which we receive salvation. But how exactly does that work? What does his death on the cross do? In theological terms, what is the correct atonement theory? There are those who would suggest … Read More “What Atonement Theory Should We Hold?” »
One of the most powerful moments in the passion narrative is when Jesus on the cross calls out to his Father. Matthew records it this way: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46) The way this passage was … Read More “Did God Abandon Jesus on the Cross?” »
The cross (along with the resurrection) is the central theme of Christianity. There is a reason that Christians use a cross as our symbol. But is the cross a good or bad thing? Some skeptics describe the gospel in this way: “God was so angry with humans that in his rage, he killed his own … Read More “The Cross and Cosmic Child Abuse” »
The day that I’m writing this is Good Friday, the day that we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is the focus of our faith and the inspiration for our ministry. How did Jesus lead? He let by self-denial and humility. What does a successful ministry look like? We may aspire to a ministry of … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Remember the Cross” »
Although the Lord of the Rings is a popular fantasy story, many do not realize that the entire story is grounded in a Christian world view. Tolkien was a devout Christian who was instrumental in C.S. Lewis coming to faith. Scott Masson, a professor at Tyndale (where I also teach), has written an interesting article … Read More “A Footnote to the Cross in The Lord of the Rings” »
I have had a number of people ask me why Good Friday is Good. Even explaining that it is the day that we remember that Jesus died on a cross doesn’t immediately make things clear. How can the painful death of an innocent man be good? That is one of the most important questions we … Read More “4 Things That Are Good About Good Friday” »
While in some ways it is good that Christians use the cross as our symbol, in other ways it leads to a lack of shock at the horror of the cross. We have become comfortable with the cross. What we forget is that crucifixion was one of the worst ways to die. Stephen M. Miller … Read More “What the Romans Said About Crucifixion” »
The shape of things The death of Jesus is one of the most important events (along side the resurrection) for all those who consider themselves followers of Jesus. But what was the shape of the wood that Jesus was executed on? Was it a cross or a stake? Options Traditional Christians have an interest in … Read More “Did Jesus Die on a Cross or a Stake?” »
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity There are a lot of topics that I have no interest in arguing about. There are certain biblical stories and events, while interesting and having something to say to us, that in the end will not make much difference to us. On our death bed, we will … Read More “5 Reasons Why the Resurrection of Jesus is Important” »
Sunday is my time to share a good news report from the past week. I will confess that this is a hard week to find good news. It has been a difficult week at the Bedard household. That is as much as I will say about that. Tonight as I was feeling at my lowest, … Read More “Praying at the Cross” »
When we think of Christmas, we think of the manger and the shepherds and many other images. How many of us think of the cross? The word Christmas actually comes from Christ’s Mass. If you know anything about the Catholic concept of Mass, you will know that is a celebration of the crucifixion of Jesus. … Read More “Advent Three: The Cross” »
“Christian Scientists seem to me to be altogether too simple. Granted that all the evils are illusions, still the existence of that illusion would be a real evil and presumably a real evil permitted by God. That brings us back to exactly the same point as we began from. We have gained nothing by the … Read More “C.S. Lewis on Christian Science” »
Introduction Good Friday is about remembering Jesus’ death on the cross. The cross is central to the Christian hope. But why did Jesus die and why do we consider that death good? Many Christians would respond by saying that Jesus died so we can go to heaven. Well, that is fine as far as it … Read More “Cross of Suffering” »
As we approach Easter, we are drawn to the New Testament accounts of the crucifixion and the Old Testament texts that seem to point to the passion. One of the most frequent is Psalm 22, the first part of which Jesus quotes while on the cross (Mark 15:34). Many Christians look at Psalm 22 as … Read More “Psalm 22, Christ and Humanity” »
There is an article on the CNN Belief blog calling into question whether or not Jesus was really crucified. You can read the post here. What is different about this is that the scholar identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. The issue is not whether or not Jesus was executed but whether he was executed … Read More “Was Jesus Really Crucified?” »
I recently read D.A. Carson’s The Cross and Christian Ministry. I picked up this book as a potential text book for a course I am teaching in the summer on 1 Corinthians at Tyndale. I was very pleased with this book. It is an exposition of a number of passages from 1 Corinthians. It is … Read More “The Cross and Christian Ministry” »
1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 15:12-17 Introduction Have you ever been in some sort of sales transaction or contract? All sorts of details are being presented and the other person goes on and on and on. As you are listening to all the talking, you begin lose patience. What is the bottom line? Whether that is price … Read More “Did Jesus Die on the Cross and Rise Again?” »
There seems to be no lack of Jesus movies but a new one has come out that should capture some attention. It is called the Messiah and it was made by Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh. You can get some more information on this film and read an interview with Talebzadeh here. This film attempts to … Read More “The Muslim Jesus” »
