Zechariah 14 features many mysteries that even the brightest Christian minds stumble over. We need to tread with humility as we attempt to interpret these verses. One helpful north star to help us interpret these passages is to see them in light of the New Testament. Jesus sees himself as the center of a New Israel. He takes along twelve disciples which equals the twelve tribes of Israel. He leaves Egypt as a child like Israel’s Exodus, fights temptation in the wilderness for 40 days which equal...
Jul 25, 2023•24 min
The Holy Spirit plays a central role in Zechariah. The Old Testament does not name the third member of the Trinity, but references his activity as the engine that brings about restoration and revival. Old Testament prophecy gives the outline that the New Testament fills in. In Zechariah 12-13:6 we see the Spirit’s activity as a major sign that God will do a new thing in the future that brings about repentance, revival, and restoration. His power will cause those who “pierced” their shepherd to m...
Jul 18, 2023•17 min
Jesus tells us that Christians are marked by good fruit and endurance as they are building their foundation on the solid rock.
Jul 17, 2023•34 min
The story of the Old Testament is the story of Israel repeating the same history over and over again. God blesses them with prosperity and they take that blessing and use it to chase after other gods. If the OT have one message it’s this: learn from history and repent. Zechariah 10-11 continues that prophetic tradition by contrasting God the good shepherd with the wicked shepherds of Israel’s leaders. All of this comes together in a live-action sign performed by Zechariah to remind Israel of the...
Jul 11, 2023•25 min
This sermon goes through Psalm 125 - God's presence and power and how it gives us a sturdy hope.
Jul 10, 2023•34 min
Jesus invites us to come to Him at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, and He gives a warning.
Jul 03, 2023•43 min
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Whether you cheer on the Cinderella team who defies all odds to make it to a championship game or the overlooked player who finally gets a chance to shine we all want to pull for the little guy. Underdog stories testify to the power of grit, determination, and self-belief. In many ways the victory of Israel over their enemies is an underdog story but with one significant difference: the victory comes not from their own power, self-belief, or determination, b...
Jul 03, 2023•23 min
In Zechariah 1-6, we encountered a series of visions given to the prophet Zechariah about God’s promise to the returned exiles of a New Jerusalem with a New Temple that surpasses the old in glory. In Zechariah 7-8, the mode of revelation shifts from an emphasis on visions to specific words about Israel’s past and future. Despite the difference in mode the message remains the same: Israel must not only return to the land, but to the Lord. They must not only rebuild the Temple, but also their true...
Jun 27, 2023•21 min
Jesus tells us how we should position ourselves in asking and seeking and knocking, and He tells us the posture we are to have when praying for these things.
Jun 26, 2023•38 min
Jesus talks about what judging is - discernment and evaluation - and then talks about how to judge correctly.
Jun 20, 2023•38 min
One of the key aspects of understanding the Old Testament is getting a handle on the three offices of Israel: the king, the prophet, and the priest. Each of these offices serves a unique function in the religious economy of Israel. The prophet speaks God’s words to the nation, the king leads the nation to worship God, and the priests teach the law and perform its rites. But the Old Testament continually points forward to a day when all three of these offices combine into one. We see one of those...
Jun 20, 2023•21 min
If you read a lot of books by one author you find that, after a while, you begin to think like that author. As you recognize familiar patterns in your favorite authors you develop a sense not only of the kinds of stories they tell, but the way they tell those stories. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture we get insight into the kinds of stories God tells. We learn about one of God’s favorite stories to tell in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise...
Jun 16, 2023•26 min
Jesus gives us a few points of logic - and then applications - as to why we should not be anxious.
Jun 13, 2023•53 min
God gives his people visions in order to help them see by faith a future not yet realized. It’s been said that, “If you wish to build a ship, do not divide the men into teams and send them to the forest to cut wood. Instead, teach them to long for the vast and endless sea.” Visions utilize images and symbols in order to cause us to long for the vast and endless sea of God’s future. Old creation, marred by sin and death, falls into decay and corruption, but God through Israel and ultimately Israe...
Jun 09, 2023•24 min
The book of Zechariah unsettles us with strange visions of seven-eyed stones, flying scrolls, and conquering horns. We prefer the safe and familiar pastures of the gospels with Jesus walking, talking, and relating to the world in ways we deem “normal”. But the gospels feature exorcisms, miraculous healings, and angelic visitations. The Apostle Paul speaks of the third heaven, dining with demons, judging angels, and deflecting the fiery darts of Satan. Visions in the Bible remind us that we live ...
Jun 02, 2023•24 min
Jesus teaches more about how to pray - asking for our daily bread, being able to forgive, and for when our hearts are tempted.
May 29, 2023•41 min
Jesus teaches us how to pray - he gives an example - and this sermon goes through the beginning part of how Jesus models us to pray.
May 23, 2023•43 min
The famous Christmas carol “Joy to the World” contains excellent theology: “No more let sins and sorrows grow/ Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow/ Far as the curse is found.” This is Genesis language. This song is about the gospel. The redemption of Christ to undo the curse of the fall as far as the curse is found. Revelation 22, the final chapter of the final book in the Bible, shows us a vision of that world. In Romans 8:18-25, Paul envisions a future glory that ...
May 19, 2023•18 min
This sermon talks through Matthew 6:1-8 and 16-18 and how Jesus tells us to give, pray, and fast. It addresses the ways in which the hypocrites do these things and what Jesus asks of us when we are practicing these things - the right ways in which to practice.
May 17, 2023•50 min
The Bible begins with creation, a husband and wife, and a garden surrounded by rivers and precious stones and ends the same way: new creation, Christ and his bride, and a garden-turned-city built with precious stones and flowing with living water. God fulfills his plan in Christ by the Spirit to reconcile his people to himself. He will be their God and they will be his people. Communion with God is the goal of eternal life which is why Revelation ends with a wedding. The church, adorned like as ...
May 12, 2023•18 min
Revelation 20 may be the most controversial chapter in the most controversial book in the Bible. The reason for its controversy lies in Revelation 20:4’s reference to a reign of the saints with Christ for a thousand years. We’ll dive into that discussion in this episode, but it’s important to recognize that when brilliant theologians across 2,000 years cannot come to a consensus on a particular verse we ought to approach that same verse with humility and charity. It’s been said that the millenni...
May 05, 2023•18 min
Revelation is an unveiling of Jesus, but Jesus is absent for much of the latter portions of Revelation. The last time we saw Jesus was as a child, destined to rule the nations with an iron rod, swept up by God from the clutches of the Dragon in Revelation 12. Here in Revelation 19, that child has matured into a man ready to claim his destiny as King of kings and Lord of lords. But this grown Christ comes not only to claim victory, but also a bride. Revelation 19 is not only a victory march, but ...
Apr 27, 2023•18 min
Jesus tackles the 6th and 7th commandments in order to reframe our understanding of the law of God.
Apr 25, 2023•41 min
Revelation startles us because of how vividly it describes the wrath of God in history. Our modern world sections off the spiritual from the historical. History deals with the real world “out there” while spirituality deals with our inner lives. But Christ came into the world not merely into our hearts. His kingdom ripples out and effects the powers and principalities both invisible and visible. Christianity changed and is changing the world. When we grasp the historical nature of God’s judgemen...
Apr 20, 2023•16 min
Jesus came to fulfill the Law and Prophets and sets a perspective for the rest of the sermon on the mount.
Apr 19, 2023•48 min
Peter shows how the resurrection of Jesus makes sense of the world.
Apr 18, 2023•37 min
Revelation 17 opens with shocking imagery: a drunk prostitute riding on a seven-headed and ten-horned beast holding a cup of wine. But the greatest shock is the prostitute’s identity: she is Jerusalem drunk with the wine of martyr blood. Her adultery is spiritual: she has forsaken her true husband Christ for the dragon and his Beast, the Roman empire. God will judge her for her unfaithfulness, but hints of redemption remain. The gospel is the story about Christ the bridegroom turning his whorish...
Apr 13, 2023•14 min
Revelation moves in waves. It pushes forward to a certain point, then recedes, then pushes forward again onto the shore except this time a bit further. We’ve seen seven seals, seven trumpets, and in Revelation 16 seven bowls of God’s wrath. Each succession of sevens overlaps, but also progresses forward toward God’s climactic judgement of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. We often think of God as trigger-happy, reading to inflict wrath at the slightest offense. But if we read Scripture carefully we realize G...
Apr 06, 2023•19 min
Mark paints a picture of Jesus entering Jerusalem as a victorious king.
Apr 04, 2023•40 min
The book of Revelation begins with the glorified Christ and ends with the glorified church. This helps us understand the narrative arc of Revelation. Christ’s bride shares in his glorious inheritance by following him through the path of faithful witness and suffering, but her blood does not spill in vain. God’s martyrs ascend from their earthly suffering to their heavenly throne. Martyrs from generations past cry out for vengeance from the base of the heavenly altar in Revelation 6. God promises...
Mar 30, 2023•18 min
