Hear the messages that Father Jeremiah delivers each week
to the congregation of Grace Anglican.
When Jesus stood before Pilate, he confessed that his kingdom, and thus his kingship, was not from this world. What did he mean by this? Is his kingdom and kingship utterly separate from this world? Or do they overlap and interlock together, such that this world will be changed when Jesus returns?
Image: Boston at English Wikipedia & John Stephen Dwyer, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
As Jesus continues teaching about his being the bread of life that is necessary to salvation, he goes so far as to say that his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink! What does this mean? How does it relate to communion? Where can we find Jesus that we might feed on him always?
Image: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Jesus continues teaching the crowds after feeding them with bread and fish. He gives attention to the reality that coming and believing Jesus are connected to being given and drawn to Jesus by the Father and that he will receive all who come because he is the bread of life that gives his flesh to the world.
Image: The Lord’s Supper, taken by Lawrence OP, used under license: CC BY-NC-ND 2 (no changes made). Image Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/25915485262
Jesus confronts the crowds after feeding them with the reality that they are seeking him, not for the life that he can bring, but simply because he gave them an abundance of bread. How often do we do the same? How should we respond to this one who can give to us the bread of life through himself?
Image: unknown artist. no known copyright
On Trinity Sunday, Jonathan Wells, a member of Grace Anglican, gave us a teaching on the Trinity as revealed throughout Scripture and the importance of how God has revealed himself to our salvation.
Image: Holy Trinity, picture by Lawrence OP. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED Image Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/3600731119
The Spirit’s coming was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promises to his disciples and a fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy. His work sets believers in Jesus apart from the world and changes them from the inside out. He unites us to one another and to Jesus himself that we might know the redemption that has been accomplished for us.
Image: Descent of the Holy Spirit, by Paul Gustave Dore’s for La Grande Bible de Tours. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons. For more info on this and other illustrations see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Dor%C3%A9%27s_illustrations_for_La_Grande_Bible_de_Tours#The_New_Testament Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Bible_panorama,_or_The_Holy_Scriptures_in_picture_and_story_(1891)_(14598407958).jpg
Jesus spent time in deep prayer for his disciples and all those who will come to believe in Christ through their word. What does this prayer reveal to us about he work of Jesus after his ascension? We see through his words that he knew he would ascend and that he would continue to present us to the Father that we might be washed and sanctified in the truth of God.
Image: The Ascension of Christ, Pietro Perugino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
As Jesus continued to teach the disciples on the night he was betrayed, he told them to abide in his love that he had from them that flowed out of the love of the Father for himself. When we do this, we will discover that we want to keep his commandments and when we keep his commandments, we discover that we are more deeply abiding in his love.
Image: Patchy Grass by Andrew. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nez/2428875105/in/photostream/.
Jesus tells us that if we love him, we will keep his commandments. What are we to make of this statement of his? Does it mean that our salvation is because of our good deeds? Or are these words his way of showing us how to realign and calibrate our lives to the salvation we have received by faith? Father Jeremiah helps us understand Jesus’ calling today.
Image: By Tobias Aeppli. Free to use. image location: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-compass-in-forest-1125272/
Jesus calls himself the good shepherd. What kind of claim is this? How does he reflect an earthly shepherd and how does he surpass that to be something greater by the same name?
Image: The Parable of the Good Shepherd, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public Domain. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Parable_of_the_Good_Shepherd_MET_DP818250.jpg
Jesus appeared to his disciples multiple times after his resurrection. In the first appearance, they were not sure what to think save for the peace given to them by him and revelation of the scars upon body. After this he gives to them the Holy Spirit that they might be sent out in faith to make forgiveness known through Jesus.
Image: St Thomas touches the Risen Lord, picture taken by Lawrence OP. License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (no changes made). Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/14036502503/in/photostream/
Jesus spoke of a grain of wheat that must die to bring forth a harvest. Jesus himself is that grain of wheat, and yet, we too are grains of wheat that have come from Jesus falling into the earth and dying. We too must continually die to ourselves in order to bring forth the harvest that God the Father desires.
Image: The Veteran in a New Field, by Winslow Homer. Public Domain. Image Location: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11145
The destruction of the Temple by Babylon and the exile of God’s people was a devastating moment. Yet, God remained faithful to bring them back and re-establish them. After this return, God continued to fulfill his promises by sending the Messiah to make his people his new Temple that we might carry God with us throughout to the ends of the earth.
Image: Christ Feeds the 5000, photo by LawrenceOP, Detail from a medieval stained glass window in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. No Changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/7667661950
When Jesus cleansed the Temple, he was pointing toward himself as the true and pure Temple. We, as his people through faith and baptism, are also the Temple which needs continual cleansing because of our sinfulness. Father Jeremiah explains this and how it affects out lives day in and day out.
Image: Theodoor Rombouts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theodoor_Rombouts_-_Christ_Driving_the_Money-changers_from_the_Temple.jpg
John the Baptist is questioned in John 1:19-28 about who he is. He denies being the Christ, the Prophet, and even Elijah! But he points the priests and Levites to one who stands among them who is the great one to come. What kind of person is John to have his ministry overshadowed by another and to want it to be so? Father Jeremiah tells us about John’s humility and how it becomes his greatness because of the great one, Jesus.
Image: Interrogation of John the Baptist, Jacob de Weert, Public Domain Dedication (CC0 1.0). No changes made. Image location: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YR0194173/Interrogation-of-John-the-Baptist.
What is the purpose of giving the Holy Spirit to the disciples and to us? The Spirit calls gives gifts that are to be used for the good of the Church and to make Jesus known through those gifts! Father Jeremiah explains this in his latest sermon.
image: Tongues of fire descend on the apostles at Pentecost. Lithograph, See page for author, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tongues_of_fire_descend_on_the_apostles_at_Pentecost._Lithog_Wellcome_V0034957.jpg Original location: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/qqwwq4dm
Jesus tells his disciples that he is the true vine and that we are all branches off of him. What does this mean for our life? How does this reshape our entire Christian lives? Father Jeremiah guides us through this passage from John 15.
Image: From pxfuel.com, free for commercial use. image location: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-jrndb
Jesus speaks of the shepherd as one who can call out to his sheep and they will come to him. He also says that he is the door for both the shepherd and the sheep. How does Jesus call out to us today? How does he water and feed us? Are there under-shepherds who serve under this one good Shepherd? Father Jeremiah considers the care of the Good Shepherd for us in today’s sermon.
Image: Shepherd and Sheep, Anton Mauve, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed?” Why is this so important for us today? Guest preacher Harrison Northey helps us to understand that we are truly blessed in our faith when we haven’t seen Jesus with our physical eyes.
Image: Doubting Thomas puts his finger in the risen Christ's lance, See page for author, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doubting_Thomas_puts_his_finger_in_the_risen_Christ%27s_lance_Wellcome_V0034835.jpg
Jesus’ death is more than just the death of a single man. It is the death at the center of all creation that was walked into by Jesus. He knew fully what was in store for him and willingly accepted that he would be the sacrifice for us all. We continue to come back to this truth because it is foundational to us as Christians.
Image: Calvary, by Master of St. John and St. Stephen, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Master_of_Saint_John_and_Saint_Stephen_-_Calvary_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Grace Anglican Church, Sundays @ 10 AM, 800 Robinson Rd, Gastonia, NC
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 551081, Gastonia, NC 28054
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