Judgment and Salvation, Mark 13:14-23, Hebrews 10:31-39

When Jesus speaks during the Olivet Discourse about the destruction of the Temple, he was showing mercy with regard to the coming judgment of Jerusalem. He warns his disciples and those who follow them to flee when the time comes. How are we to understand this prophecy today? Is it about the future, or is it here to help us understand God’s desire to bring mercy and salvation in the midst of judgment against sin?

Image: The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, Francesco Hayez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Death that Leads to Life, John 18-19

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

Unity and Humility IN Christ, Philippians 2.1-13

How does the church come to have unity and humility? Is it through sweat and effort, finding strength out of our own beings? Is it through depending on the Holy Spirit to create it for us? Or is unity and humility something that we already have because of who Jesus is and what he has done and we receive it and live in it through trusting him? St. Paul reveals that it is IN Christ that we already have this unity and humility! We are to have this mind, which is OURS in Christ and thus we can act on it because it is here for us.

Image: 13th Station-Jesus is taken down from the Cross, Station from the church of St Jean in Montmartre, Paris, photo taken by Lawrence OP, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/47588814022/.