Month: May 2022

Digging in Deeper: Hebrews 2:8b-9

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“For in subjecting everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him. But we do see Jesus – made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone – crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What is it that makes Jesus so great? That, perhaps more than just about anything else, is the question the author of Hebrews is seeking to answer over the course of his letter. While there are several good answers to the question generally and three in particular to which he gives the lion’s share of his attention, we see his arguing for one here that may not be something we think about all that often. Let’s dig in to what he’s talking about this morning.

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From One to the Next

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This week was Mother’s Day, and a happy Mother’s Day to you. This week also finds us continuing in our series, How to Read the Bible. What does Mother’s Day have to do with Bible basics? That’s exactly what we’re going to be talking about. Thanks for tuning in.

From One to the Next

Moms are a pretty amazing thing. Did you know that? Dads are important too. In fact, they are essential when it comes to turning out kids who are well-rounded, emotionally healthy, and set up for lifetime success. But there’s just something especially significant about moms. And not just moms either. God made women with this unique ability to nurture that men don’t have. Let me give you an example. If one of my boys gets a war wound of some sort, I think they pretty much all know what they’re going to get if they come to me. They’re going to get a once-over visual inspection, they’re going to be told they’re fine, and they’re going to be sent back out to play again. If there’s blood, we’ll deal with that a little differently, but otherwise they’re pretty much going to get told to suck it up and keep going. Sometimes, though, an injury needs a little bit more care and compassion. It’s not that I don’t care or have compassion, it’s just that I don’t default to those…because I’m a guy. God didn’t build me like that. He did build moms—and women generally—that way, though. 

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 12:19

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Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What do you do when you can’t decide between two options? If possible, you choose both. This past week I finished watching a miniseries and finally watched a movie that first came out a couple of months ago. I had always planned to write a review of both once I finished watching them. I hadn’t planned on finishing both in the same week. And yet, as I have gone back and forth on which one to write about first, it became clearer and clearer that they both covered a whole lot of the same theological ground, although from different directions. Trying to treat them separately just didn’t make sense. Today, then, we are going to span two totally different media universes and talk about the recently completed Marvel series, Moon Knight, as well as the fairly recent latest offering from DC Comics, The Batman, and see how two different visions of the world reveal the Gospel is still the greatest vision of reality there is.

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Morning Musing: Hebrews 2:2-3

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“For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Have you ever read a note meant for another person? There’s a good chance that note made reference to things you weren’t able to fully understand without some additional context. Often, reading things in the Scriptures can be a little like that. We can understand all the words (at least, we can once they’ve been carefully translated into the language we actually speak), but without additional context, it is not immediately apparent what they are talking about. Let’s add some more context to what we see here to make sure you understand it.

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Digging in Deeper: Hebrews 2:1

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“For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Have you ever wanted to quit something? I remember being asked by a neighbor once to do some yardwork for him while he was out of town. He wanted me to take out some weed grass in his yard. He was going to pay me for it, and I enjoy detailed, tedious work, but it was too much even for me. I got about halfway through and was ready to quit. It was much harder than I expected it to be. Following Jesus is no small task either, and the audience of the author of Hebrews was struggling with it. As a result, he encouraged them to stick with it. Let’s learn from their lesson today.

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