Matthew's Passion: Women's work Easter: 1 Matthew 28:1-10 There is a meme going around Facebook and Twitter. It says, "In the interests of Biblical accuracy, all the preaching about the resurrection on Easter Sunday will be done by women." It has a point. All the disciples have fled and a few women watched from a …
Names of God – part 55: Our maker
Hoseenu Names of God - part 55 Our maker 40 Blogs of Lent: 40 The same meaning in English as last week's blog on this, but it is not really the same thing at all. Eloah 'Ashah was about a God who created me, Hoseenu is about transformation. Like a potter takes a lump of …
Matthew’s Passion: Guards, guards
Matthew's Passion: Guards, guards 40 Blogs of Lent: 39 Matthew 27:62-66 In 2006 my wife and I holidayed in Nesebar on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. In the Archaeological Museum there is a room dedicated to icons from the churches there. Icons depicting the burial or resurrection of Jesus painted during the occupation of …
Matthew’s passion: A Borrowed Grave
Matthew's passion: A Borrowed Grave 40 Blogs of Lent: 38 Matthew 27:57-61 It is an odd way to celebrate a victory, by being buried. A group of women had been among those who had witnessed God incarnate, God in human form, win the final victory over evil, over sin and even over death. The chains …
Matthew’s Passion: The cross is victory
Matthew's Passion: The dawn of the dead? 40 Blogs of Lent: 37 Matthew 27:51-56 What are we to make of the zombie apocalypse in Matthew's Gospel? Jesus dies, God dies and then tombs are opened and the dead roam the streets like a scene from The Dawn Of The Dead. The events in Matthew's Gospel …
Matthew’s Passion: The cross is moral example
Matthew's Passion: God dies alone 40 Blogs of Lent: 36 Matthew 27:45-50 Jesus dies alone. Abandoned by his followers and rejected by the people he cries out to his Father. Since before time itself was created, Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, member of the Godhead, Emmanuel, God with us, God in human form is alone …
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The cross is the glory of God
The cross is the glory of God Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield, 14 September 2019 40 Blogs of Lent 35 What do you think of when someone mentions glory? Is it the glory of the football parade? The triumphant team parading through the town with the trophy on an open topped double decker bus. Or is …
The true God
Eloah Names of God - part 54 The true God 40 Blogs of Lent: 34 This name for God is God, that's it, just God in the singular and is the singular of the plural form Elohim. It is used for the gods of the surrounding nations when it includes the definite article, such as …
Matthew’s Passion: Association with robbers
Matthew's Passion: Association with robbers 40 Blogs of Lent: 33 Matthew 27:32-44 Who was Simon, the man from Cyrene who was made to carry Jesus' cross. That someone should ne named in the story in all three synoptic Gospels is strange. Stranger still is that Mark's Gospel should also mention Simon's sons Rufus and Alexander. …
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Matthew’s Passion: Humiliations
Matthew's Passion: Humiliations 40 Blogs of Lent: 32 Matthew 27:27-31 Jesus has been arrested, tried convicted and sentenced, other than the actual execution, could anything be worse? The answer to that is yes. There are lots of things that could be worse. There is an English proverb that says, "Sticks and stones may break my …
Making an ass of myself 