One of the most fundamental truths of life is that no one escapes death. Scripture tells us that death came into the world because of sin, and death spread to all men because all have sinned (Rom. 5:12). But Jesus of Nazareth made an astounding claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes […]
In the tapestry that is the history of redemption, the threads of God’s awesome holiness and covenant love are woven together. This brings about a tension as we read through the Old Testament: How can God’s holiness and love coexist? How can a holy God dwell among a sinful people? The answer to these important […]
Over the course of redemptive history, there have been several pivotal moments that revealed who our God is and what his saving purposes are for the world. For instance, the giving of the Law at Sinai, the building of the temple, and the ascension of the risen Lord Jesus. However, before the final moment in […]
The ascension of the risen Lord Jesus and the sending of the Spirit are the two primary events in redemptive history that explain the incredible growth of the Christian church in Acts. However, between them, Luke includes the brief story of how another disciple was chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve Apostles. While […]
Acts is the second volume of the orderly account written by Luke (Luke 1:1-4). The first volume was his Gospel account, in which he “dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up” (Acts 1:1-2). This implies that Luke’s purpose in Acts is to continue the […]
Psalm 86 is a prayer of David, the anointed king and judge of God’s chosen people, whose life was being threatened by the enemies of Israel (Ps. 86:14). In these final verses, he cries out to be delivered from the hands of the ungodly men who, by opposing him, stand opposed to the God of […]
In the midst of a life-threatening situation, David is calling upon the name of the Lord for grace. However, while it’s true that David’s need compelled him to pray (Ps. 86:1), he can only stay focused on his present circumstances for so long. As he seeks deliverance from the Lord, he begins to consider the […]
David’s prayer in Psalm 86, like the prayers throughout the Psalter, is highly instructive and illuminating for our times of communion with God. He makes a total of fifteen requests, yet he is essentially he is calling upon the name of the Lord his God for one thing: grace. In the first seven verses, David focuses […]
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus rebuked two of his disheartened disciples for not understanding and believing all that the prophets had spoken about his sufferings. Since the Messiah was coming to redeem his people from the power of sin and death, it was absolutely necessary that this Anointed One experience the suffering of death […]
