People promise to return all the time. When I left for college, I told my parents, “Don’t worry. I’ll come back to visit in a few weeks.” Turned out to be Thanksgiving weekend, but I did return. When General MacArthur escaped from the Philippines in 1942, he famously said, “I shall return.” He lived up…
Read MoreWe Have an Intercessor and Advocate in Jesus
I still have a letter my grandmother wrote me when I was in college. She was in the Holy Land at the time. She wrote, “While I was viewing the ‘Place of the Skull’ where traditionally Jesus was crucified and the tomb where He was buried, you came especially near to me. You were the…
Read MoreOur Great High Priest Offers Mercy and Grace
Jesus is serving as our Great High Priest. He offered the ultimate sacrifice to pay for our sins — himself. And because he came to earth as man, Jesus sympathizes with us. He has experienced what we experience as humans. As our high priest, Jesus also leads us into God’s presence. In Hebrews 4:14-15, the…
Read MoreThe Importance of Having a Great High Priest
What does the Bible mean when it teaches that Jesus is our Great High Priest? More importantly, what does it mean for us? The writer of the book of Hebrews especially emphasizes this truth. (By the way, who is the author of Hebrews? That’s one of those questions I’m going to ask in heaven. That…
Read MoreWhat Does Melchizedek Have to Do with Jesus?
The Bible, especially the author of Hebrews, tells us that Jesus is now serving as our Great High Priest. That sounds important, but what does it mean? To understand the role of Jesus as high priest, we have to go back to the Old Testament and learn more about the Jewish high priest. When God…
Read MoreIs Jesus Greater Than the Storm You’re Facing?
After Jesus returned to heaven, the Bible says he sat down at God’s right hand. His sitting is a symbol of his power and authority. Jesus is currently reigning over all creation with full authority. He had told his disciples that this would happen: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven…
Read MoreWhat Happened after Jesus Ascended?
At the Ascension, the disciples watched Jesus rise into the sky until a cloud blocked him from their view. He was talking to them one minute, and then, suddenly, he was gone. I can only imagine how they felt. They’d been with Jesus through three years of ministry. They’d seen the miraculous. They were taught…
Read MoreWhy is the Ascension Important?
Jesus had been on earth for over a month after his resurrection, and many people had seen and talked to him. One day, he led his disciples out to the village of Bethany, which is on the Mount of Olives. Jesus answered one of their questions about whether he was about to overthrow the Roman…
Read MoreJesus is Alive! Why the Resurrection is Important, Part 2
The one event in world history that’s more important than any other is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There’s nothing else that comes close. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know the full penalty for our sins has been paid. There is nothing else we need to do or can do to save ourselves….
Read MoreJesus is Alive! Why the Resurrection is Important
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history. It split time in two, as seen in the designations BC (Before Christ) and AD (anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord”). I refuse to use BCE/CE. The universe changed forever that first Easter Sunday. Paul says that without the resurrection, nothing…
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