according to plan
It was the week of the Passover celebration. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims came to the temple to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-28). On the Sunday preceding the Passover, Jesus had allowed the people to honor Him as king as He entered Jerusalem—something He hadn’t allowed them to do earlier (John 12:12-16).
the harvest
Christians observe Pentecost Sunday as the day the Holy Spirit was given to the church. Some celebrate it as the church’s birthday. Contrary to popular belief, the Day of Pentecost didn’t begin with the church. Pentecost is a very important ancient Jewish festival—the fourth of seven major Levitical feasts to be observed by every Jew at the temple in Jerusalem (Leviticus 23:16-17; Exodus 23:14-17).
one meal, one body
Have you ever wondered why Jesus taught His followers to eat His “body” and drink His “blood” during the Lord’s Supper? The Jews misunderstood the idea (John 6:52), and the early Christians were even accused of “cannibalism.” Couldn’t Jesus have described this special meal with less controversy? Not really.
Jesus’ original meal with His disciples took place on the evening…
breaking bread
Last month my brothers and our families enjoyed an outstanding dinner with our Amish cousins. The Amish begin every dinner with a silent prayer of thanksgiving, and—perhaps because their homemade meals are so delicious—they do it again at the end. Besides their terrific food, I was struck by the Amish emphasis on fellowship. Mealtime wasn't merely a refueling pit stop,…
why take communion?
Recently I was the guest speaker for the worship service in a church on Communion Sunday. When the pastor asked me to oversee the taking of Communion, I did it the way my home church does it. The pastor later told me that it was not the "usual way" they did it. He also said, however, that it was good…
the slaughter of the lambs
If someone were to tell me to slaughter a lamb and splash its blood on the doorframes of my house, I would be appalled. The wasting of an animal's life and defacement of my property are two reasons why I wouldn't want to do it. So why would God tell an entire nation of some 2 million people to do…
