Appearances of Christ in the O.T. (3): Moses. Starting with the Early Church, many biblical scholars have agreed that the mysterious Angel of the Lord, the Messenger of Yahweh, has been an earthly appearance of the pre-incarnate Jesus. No one can see the Lord face-to-face because of His intense purity and glory-fire. And no one can …
Appearances of Christ in the O.T. (2): The Patriarchs. The pre-incarnate Jesus made appearances at momentous times in the lives of the three Patriarchs in the Hebrew Bible. Christ made personal, life-saving interventions with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their lives were changed forever. When God shows up in the form of a man, or …
Appearances of Christ in the O.T. (1): Adam and Hagar. There were many times in the Hebrew Bible when God appeared in bodily form as a man. But can Yahweh be seen that way? Can one visibly witness a sighting of God face-to-face? There are a couple of reason why this contradicts Scripture: God is …
The Process of Temptation. “You can’t keep the birds from flying overhead, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” (Martin Luther). Let’s say we have an especially attractive desire that comes to the surface of our mind and heart. We seriously consider this desire, we give it some attention, even if …
Jesus and Sinners: The Lost Coin. “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him teach. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So Jesus spoke these parables to them…” (Luke 15:1-2). In response to the Pharisees’ grumbling and muttering about Jesus …
Jesus and Sinners: The Lost Sheep. “Many dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often gathered around to listen as Jesus taught the people. This raised concerns with the Jewish religious leaders and experts of the law. Indignant, they grumbled and complained, saying, ‘Look at how this man associates with all these notorious sinners, eats …
Jesus and Sinners: The Two Thieves. Please read this story in Luke 23:39-43. When Jesus was raised on the cross, he found Himself hanging between two thieves on their crosses, one thief on the right and the other thief on His left. The two thieves might have been similar in their criminal behavior, but it appears …
Jesus, Friend of Sinners. “Behold, a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and especially wicked sinners.” (Matthew 11:19). An Inside look at Levi Matthew’s Banquet for Jesus. Please read the story of Matthew’s party in Matthew 9:10-13, Mark 2:15-17, and Luke 5:29-32. Also refer to Luke 15:1-2 and 19:1-7. LADIES OF THE …
New Work in Newark. A Memoir by Steve Larson, July 19, 2020. I was a freshman in college, 52 years ago, at Wheaton College in the spring of 1968. I was sitting in daily chapel, wondering what I was going to do for the summer. I was typical in many ways… I was broke, and …
Representing Jesus: The Seventy. “The Lord now chose seventy (or seventy-two) other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places He planned to visit… When the seventy disciples returned, they joyfully reported to Him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” (Luke 10:1,17). Please read the story …
Representing Jesus: The Twelve. “And Jesus called His twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits… So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, …
Jesus and Sinners: Judas. “So Judas came straight to Jesus, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ he exclaimed, and gave Him a kiss. Jesus said, ‘My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.’ Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested Him.” (Matthew 26:49-50). The tragic life of Judas Iscariot is well documented in the Gospels. He was …