Sermons, Articles, and Other Things

Psalm 22 is a unique psalm because of the insights it gives to the experience of the Saviour. In verses 1-21, the psalm is about the cross and verses 22 to the end are about the crown. Or in the words of Peter, we have in the psalm an account of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow. Obviously, the psalm is a prophecy and it is on the level of prophecies such as Isaiah 53 concerning the details that it provides of the work of the Saviour. There is, however, a unique aspect to the psalm in that we see the work of Jesus from his perspective. Isaiah 53 is written from the point of view of an external observer describing what took place whereas Psalm 22 takes us inside, into the thinking and feelings of Jesus when on the cross and shows us his intentions when the subsequent glory appears. Moreover, the psalm is a conversation between Jesus and the Father. This is a common feature of the Messianic psalms as we can see from Psalms 2, 16, 40 and 45. Yet this is the lon

The background to this chapter is the then future captivity in Babylon and the return of the exiles to the Promised Land. As we can see from the opening description, the Lord has restored the barren land and made it fertile once again. But people will need to come and live there, so a special road would be created for them to use. Moreover they would be made new in order to use – the blind would see, the lame walk. Whatever was the fulfilment in the return from Babylon, it is obvious that the highway, the journey and the destination are a picture of a far greater company who are making their way to the heavenly city. The highway It is not a literal highway because the Jews did not experience such a highway when the exile was over. Instead, they had to make their way across mountains and deserts. The concept of a special highway being erected would not have crossed their minds because they would have known that it would take years for such a road to be completed. Whether

There are several statements in this section that we have found surprising because of the extent of Paul’s requirements. For example, his exhortation to rejoice says that we should rejoice always. Yet we know that there are circumstances in which we cannot find joy, such as a tragedy. The answer to our problem is found in the location or sphere in which joy can be found permanently – ‘in the Lord.’ There is not a circumstance in life in which a Christian cannot turn to the Lord and find in him a source of comfort and joy. Again, Paul exhorts his readers to be ‘anxious for nothing’. Yet there are many legitimate concerns in life, and Paul himself says in this letter that he had a great concern for the health of Epaphroditus when he was very ill. The answer to our problem is to note that Paul says our response to legitimate and inappropriate concerns is not apathy or stoicism, but prayer; which, of course, is what he did regarding his concern for the health of Epaphroditus. So t

We meet tonight in anticipation of meeting tomorrow evening at the Lord’s Table. Our preparation for that gathering includes spending time alone with the Lord. It is also appropriate for us to listen again to what the Bible says about the Lord’s Supper and we can do so by reflecting briefly on two passages, one which can help us prepare and one which can help us participate. Preparing for the Lord’s Supper (John 13:1-17) The Gospel of John does not mention the Lord’s Supper, although John tells us what took place before and after the Supper on that special evening. His account of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples gives us some insights into how we should prepare for the Supper. So what are some of those insights? First, we do it in the midst of the devil’s activity. His actions there were connected to Judas, and there were special reasons for that temptation and trial of faith for the disciples. Yet it is legitimate for us to remind ourselves that the devil will be act

One of the best-known theological statements is one we all know: ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.’ It seems a very simple statement, although it is also a challenging one. Our main aim in life, after all, is to glorify God. Yet there is also a wonderful compensation in that we can enjoy him forever. Nevertheless, there is a factor to understand, which is ‘who is the God we have to glorify and enjoy?’   Whenever we wish to interact with someone, we usually say to the other person what our name is. If we don’t do so, the other person does not know what to call us. We remain detached from that person, and not a human level it would be very hard for us to show devotion to him or enjoy his company. But God is not like that type of person. When we turn to the Bible, we see that God has revealed that he has several names or that he was addressed by specific names at particular times. In telling us his names, it means that God wants us to know who he is. We may