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 […]

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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 […]

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Born That Man No More May Die (Luke 24:25-27)

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 […]

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We know that forty days after his resurrection, and after appearing to over 500 people, Jesus ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father. He now intercedes for us and will one day return in glory. But, with Jesus no longer physically in our midst, how can we know that Jesus is truly […]

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The Dark Before the Dawn (Luke 23:44-56)

Advent is the annual celebration of the coming of the Lord Jesus. Yet it’s not just a time for remembering his first advent—his coming in humility to die; it is also a time of waiting for his second advent—his coming in glory to reign. In a world full of darkness, the believer eagerly awaits the dawn […]

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Release For Us Barabbas (Luke 23:13-25)

The trial of the sinless Son of God reveals that all humanity is guilty.  If we look closely and honestly, we will see our own face in the crowd that day, calling out for Jesus to be crucified and for Barabbas to be released. For whenever we reject Christ—living as though Jesus isn’t the King that […]

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Raging Against the King (Luke 23:1-12)

In Psalm 2:6, God declares that he has set his King on Mt. Zion despite the raging of the nations, and the Scriptures are clear that this anointed King is his only-begotten Son, Jesus. Therefore, whether our response to him is one of indifference like Pilate, contempt like Herod, or hatred like the Jews, we […]

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The Trial of the Son of God (Luke 22:63-71)

The four Gospels—according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are not just ancient biographies of the man Jesus of Nazareth; they’re what we might call theological biographies. They are inspired accounts that ultimately tell us something about God and his purposes in redemptive history. Specifically, they were written to declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son […]

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In Agony He Prayed (Luke 22:39-46)

In order for Christians to faithfully follow Christ in this world, they need to be strengthened by God. Paul prayed that the Colossians would be “strengthened with all power, according to [God’s] glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Col. 1:11).  One of the most simple yet profoundly overlooked means of receiving such […]

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