Jesus was dead, and I mean really dead, on a cross, but he's not anymore.

That's how my son Timothy, a few years ago when he was three, explained to neighbors why he was so excited about Easter. No one referred me to a therapist, or to a cognitive development seminar. Those around me didn't see the horror of what I was doing to my children. Neither did I.

We didn't know that the Gospel, like Ginsu knives and blood pressure medicine, ought to be kept out of the reach of small children.

At least that's what one church was told recently, by a publisher of children's Sunday school curricula, according to Two Institutions, a blog about family and church matters.

The pastors at this church in Raleigh, North Carolina, were perplexed when they saw the Holy Week Sunday school lessons for preschoolers from "First Look," the publisher of the one to five year-old Sunday school class materials. There wasn't a mention of the resurrection of Jesus. Naturally, the pastors inquired about the oversight.

We have previously seen that Jesus came to establish God's reign in this world through his life, death and resurrection. He teaches us this important truth in the Gospels, especially in the stories of the Gospels that we call the parables. We will look a little further into this truth as our story continues to unfold.

THE TIME FOR DECISION IS RIGHT NOW

Jesus' stories urged people to recognize that the time of crisis was upon them. (This was true in several ways, especially given the political and social context of his time and the fall of Jerusalem that would come in A.D.70.) The signs of the times are not difficult to grasp. People can see that a forceful wind, a coming weather pattern, and a budding fig tree, all point to something urgent and obvious. Why is it that his reign is not grasped by those who should pay attention to the numerous signs? To live as if things will always be the same is to not prepare for the night burglar. It is to collect great wealth and believe that such possessions will protect me in the day of death.

Luke 4:16-21

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1-2. He sits down, looks at the crowd of worshipers in the synagogue at Nazareth, and says, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." They may have thought that Jesus was another prophet like John the Baptist, announcing that the Messiah would soon come. But that is not what Jesus meant.

Luke 4:1-14

Jesus said in John 8:44, "The devil was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him." A murderer and a liar by nature--that's Satan. But we don't always see our enemy so clearly.

Last Thursday Noel and I took about three hours of our day off visiting computer stores to find out what sort of word processing possibilities we might be able to afford. We went to the library and read the latest Consumer Reports and then went to four stores downtown. It was an amazing experience. I came home with a stack of literature and with my mind reeling. Here's what I learned.

Luke 1:26-37

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

On September 17 and 18 Mars Hill Church hosted the Resurgence Fall Conference title: Continuous Worship. In this, the third of four main sessions, watch as Dr. Harold Best explains Jesus role at the Great High Priest and the only one qualified and able to lead worship.

On September 17 and 18 Mars Hill Church hosted the Resurgence Fall Conference title: Continuous Worship. In this, the third of four main sessions, listen as Dr. Harold Best explains Jesus role at the Great High Priest and the only one qualified and able to lead worship.

Who wants to read about stuffy old law, anyway? Jesus came and we have grace and love now, right? Jani Ortlund, the wife of Ray Ortland Jr., and author of His Loving Law, Our Lasting Legacy would graciously counter that grace was given to the Israelites before the law, and that the law was a gift of love from God, not slavery. In her interview she discusses her love of the Bible and commands that are not only in the Old Testament, but the New. She informs us that the law is meant to point us to Jesus as we cannot live up to its standards. Jesus cleanses us and frees us to love him back, and the law is a picture of what God is like. Formerly a school teacher, Jani saw the removal of the Ten Commandments from the walls of her school. With a deep love for Jesus and the law that God gave, she was burdened to share with families the practical teaching of the Ten Commandments as conduits to Christ and a gift of life to be passed on to the next generation. This wise and gracious woman clearly loves Jesus and clearly loves the Word.

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as Phil Ryken talks about Justification and Union with Christ.

An interview with Lee Strobel

Please enjoy this quick interview that Resurgence had with Lee Strobel, a New York Times best selling author and believer in Jesus. Apologies in advance for the interview being so short due to my lingering side effects of being a jock. Lee Strobel has just came out with a very helpful resource The Case for the Real Jesus and he does an excellent job again at investigating to the core the six major challenges today brought up against Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. You will want this book in your library.