Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Christians focus on the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday: the death and resurrection of Jesus. But where was Jesus between those two events? The easy answer is the grave. However, when people ask this question, they are thinking more of his spirit/soul than his physical body. His body was in the tomb, but … Read More “Where Was Jesus Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?” »
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” »
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” »
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” »
