The narrative of the resurrection in this book is brief, but it is truly powerful. As we consider the appearances of the Lord, and His current enthronement, our prayer should be that we continue to spread the word. He is risen indeed. “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of …
Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing
“Certain good men appeal to me who are distinguished by enormous vehemence and zeal, and a conspicuous absence of brains; brethren who would talk for ever and ever upon nothing — who would stamp and thump the Bible, and get nothing out of it all; earnest, awfully earnest, mountains of labour of the most painful …
Minimum Prerequisites
“Still, a man must not consider that he is called to preach until he has proved that he can speak. God certainly has not created behemoth to fly; and should leviathan have a strong desire to ascend with the lark, it would evidently be an unwise aspiration, since he is not furnished with wings. If …
The Two Trials
In the last section, we saw two meals contrasted. Now we see two trials contrasted — the trial of Jesus and the trial of Peter. Because of nature of the material, we need to approach it a little differently. “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives . …
If You Can Do Anything Else, Do That
“The first sign of the heavenly calling is an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work. In order to a true call to the ministry there must be an irresistible, overwhelming craving and raging thirst for telling to others what God has done for our own souls; what if I call it a kind of storge, …
The Two Meals
In the section we are considering here, we have an account of two meals. One is in Bethany and the other in Jerusalem. One is a picture of preparation for burial, and the other is a picture of His death itself. At each, one disciple is singled out — Mary for glory and Judas for …
Stumbling Against a Pulpit
“How may a young man know whether he is called or not? That is a weighty enquiry, and I desire to treat it most solemnly . . . That hundreds have missed their way, and stumbled against a pulpit is sorrowfully evident from the fruitless ministries and decaying churches which surround us . . . …
Things That Accompany Salvation
INTRODUCTION: One of the perennial pastoral problems in the Church is the question of assurance of salvation. On the one hand are some Christians who hold that to seek any kind of solid assurance is presumptuous. On the other hand are other Christians who appear to glory in just that kind of presumption—”just prayer this …
The Great Tribulation
If we believe, by the time we are done, that God has given us an understanding of this chapter, our response should be one of humility and gratitude. The apocalyptic sections of the gospels have been the occasion of no end of confusion and dispute within the Church, and so we must watch our step. …
Preachers or Fops?
“As a general rule, I hate the fashions of society, and detest conventionalities, and if I conceived it best to put my foot through a law of etiquette, I should feel gratified in having it to do. No, we are men, not slaves; and are not to relinquish our manly freedom, to be lackeys of …