Building for Eternity
Archive for April, 2009
Victor Not Victim
3 years ago
in News
Even the most hardened person would not fail to be moved by the images of the crucifixion. The movie “Passion of the Christ” took the visuals to a graphic and disturbing level. It would be so
easy to see the Jesus figure as a victim of incredible cruelty. But victims can’t help others.
In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ last days, Jesus is never portrayed as a victim. Jesus is the author, director and producer of the Easter events. His was a purposeful death. Jesus could have escaped on many occasions. Jesus chose the time and He orchestrated the places. He was at pains for His disciples and all subsequent generations to understand the true meaning of His sacrifice.
It was a substitution. He took our place He bore the wrath of God and felt the desolation of a broken relationship with His father. He did it so that justice would be done and forgiveness would be available to all of us. He victoriously solved the problems of a fallen humanity.
Stephen Semenchuk
The King Still Has One More Move!
3 years ago
in News
When the sky went black on the first “Good Friday” it was the blackest day of human history. It was the day people killed God. Jesus had lived a sinless life. Jesus had lived His life in contrast to the meaningless rituals and rules that worship of God had become. If He had stayed dead nothing would have changed. Death would be the final word.
But King Jesus still had one more move!
Jesus came out of the tomb on the first Easter day.
Death died on the first Easter Day.
Everything changed that first Easter Day.
When our life gets hard and we feel like all hope is lost, we need to remember, “the King still has one more move”. When we look at a world suffering and contemptuous of Christianity we can cry out “the king still has one more move”. When our burden of guilt overwhelms us and we suspect we don’t really matter,
we cling to the fact that “the King has one more move”.
Jesus is risen.
Jesus is coming back!
He is the King
and He still has
one more move!
Stephen Semenchuk