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Sermon
Thomas Peterson
Once again Jesus gives a curious, cryptic teaching that leaves us wondering. “I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” These remarks are hard to interpret. Yet, as with all he says, we are inclined to believe they hold great value for us. Not long ago in a study group a man asked me if Jesus were “ordinary.” The question was unusual. O...
Sermon
Carl E. Zahrte
Were you there? Is that what you were singing? Yes, I was there, all right. I had no choice in the matter. I was locked up in that lousy, stinking hole that they called a prison. I didn’t think that there was any chance that I would ever get out of there alive. The Romans had been after me for some time. Once they got their hands on me and threw me down into that dungeon, I thought for sure that m...
Sermon
James W. Robinson
Events were chasing each other like chips in the churning rapids of a racing river. Jesus was helpless in the raging "current of events." He could scarcely keep his head above water. He was doomed to perish in cascading falls that crashed a short distance downstream. Or so it seemed to both bitter foe and disillusioned friend. The Last Supper, the agony in Gethsemane, the betrayal and arrest, and ...
Sermon
Warren Thomas Smith
"For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world ..." (v.37) Who is this Jesus? Shakespeare said, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."1 In Revelation we are told Jesus is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (19:16). Still we ask, "Who is he?" One of the essential, significant elements of our Christian faith is the concept of the Kingdo...
Sermon
Brett Blair
Perhaps you have heard this story. It's a great story: Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders...
Sermon
Cathy A. Ammlung
I'd rather hear Saint Matthew talk about Christ the King. His story of the Last Judgment is vivid. Concrete acts are laid out. "As you have done to the least of these," Jesus says, "you have done to me." We may disagree or cringe, but we can picture this King claiming kinship with the lowly.  Luke's story is good, too. Jesus hangs between two criminals and promises to one that "today you will be w...
7. Rally or Rail?
John 18:28-40
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
“Who’s on first?” That was the opening line of a classic baseball sketch acted out in 1945 by the vaudeville comedy team of Abbott and Costello. [You can find it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M ]. The big joke was that the ball players’ last name were “Who” (first base), “What” (second base), “I Don’t Know” (third base), “Why” (left field), “Tomorrow” (pitcher) “Today” (cat...
Sermon
Maxie Dunnam
It’s something for a commoner from rural Mississippi to be in the presence of royalty, but I want you to know I was there. I shook hands with Prince Philip. And my wife Jeri was standing beside the Bishop of Kenya, when he was introduced formally to the Queen of England. It was the occasion of the reopening of Wesley’s Chapel in London in 1980. It was a great occasion and people from all over the ...
Sermon
Lee Griess
An event is like a living organism. Its life depends on the inter-working of all of its parts. Take any one part and you steal the life from the whole thing. This is especially true of John's account of the death of Jesus. John, the theologian of the Gospel writers, more than any of the rest, views the crucifixion of Jesus as more than mere history. In the death of Jesus, John sees the person and ...
Sermon
Steven E. Albertin
Some have called it "The Worship Wars," In the past the church has always been involved in its share of conflicts. Some might even call them wars. There have been battles over slavery, over the role of women, and even over the Bible. Today many congregations and even denominations find themselves caught up in a war over styles of worship. Many criticize the church for being out of touch with moder...
Sermon
April Yamasaki
When Warner Brothers released the latest Superman movie, part of its promotion included a special online Pastor Resource Site on the Man of Steel. Critics complained it was one more blatant Hollywood attempt to use pastors and churches to market a movie, complete with free screenings for pastors, sermon notes, and movie clips. Promotion aside, is it even appropriate to compare Jesus to Superman? E...
12. Christ the King
John 18:33-37
Sermon
David E. Leininger
Church junkies know that on the ecclesiastical calendar, this marks the last Sunday of the liturgical year. The liturgical year is, of course, different from the calendar year. The liturgical year begins with Advent, the time we set aside for reflection about the coming of Christ. Advent is followed by Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Some churches intersperse periodically what is...
Sermon
David O. Bales
Christians Sunday by Sunday announce our collective memory of Pontius Pilate: “Suffered under Pontius Pilate.” By repeating this creed regularly, we agree with church tradition and we don’t wonder further about Pilate. We certainly have no sympathy for him. Pilate’s Jewish contemporaries had nothing good to say about him. Christians, especially on Good Friday, don’t let anyone forget our opinion ...
14. Son of a Daddy
John 18:1-19:42
Sermon
Robert Leslie Holmes
"They shouted...'Not this man, but Barabbas!' " (v. 40). Our scripture reading brings us face-to-face with the most dramatic encounter between two people that earth has ever seen: the encounter between Jesus Christ, God's Son, and Pontius Pilate, a Roman procurator cum procurator. The procurator possessed full civil, military, and criminal jurisdiction and was the personal appointee of the empero...
15. The Terrible Tree
John 18:1-19:42
Sermon
George Bass
Jesus had to die, according to the religious leaders of Jerusalem, because his continued existence posed a serious threat to their system of religious beliefs and worship in their God’s holy Temple. And now, just before the beginning of the Passover, they were rid of him once and for all. On the orders of the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, Jesus was marched out of the city, forced to carry his ...
16. Uh-Huh!
John 18:33-37
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
Long ago Hosea gave some advice: "Take with you words and turn to the Lord." Today we take some tragically misplaced words such as "character," "honor," and "integrity," as well as their post-modern reincarnations as the "right thing," the "right stuff," and the "right one," and once again turn to the Lord. At the time of this writing probably the hottest new media blitz is the stylish and witty ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Welcome on this last Sunday of the church year. As most of you are aware, the church calendar is not the same as the calendar we use in our normal lives. Rather than beginning with January 1, the church calendar begins with Advent which begins next Sunday. Advent is, of course, when we celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world at Christmas and anticipate his return at the end of time. After we...
Sermon
King Duncan
Pilate was a politician. That says it all, doesn’t it? I read recently that 53 percent of Americans can’t name their representative in Congress. That doesn’t keep Congress from being highly unpopular. As someone once asked, “If pro is the opposite of con, is progress the opposite of Congress?” Someone else has said that the reason a person in Congress try so hard to get re-elected is that they w...
Sermon
King Duncan
The Rev. Susan Sparks, senior pastor of Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City has published a wonderful sermon online contrasting two kings, Elvis Presley, the king of Rock ’n Roll and Jesus, the King of all creation. You may remember comedian Adam Sadler’s comparison of the two men:  Jesus said: “Love thy neighbor.” . . . Elvis said: “Don’t be cruel.” Jesus is part of the Trinity; Elvis’...
Sermon
King Duncan
A five-year-old boy was stalling going to bed. He asked for a glass of juice. "No, sir," his father answered. "No more juice. I’m king of the juice in this house." "That’s not right, Daddy," the young fellow retorted. "Our Sunday school teacher said Jesus is the king of the juice." Pilate summoned Jesus to his palace and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus doesn’t answer the quest...
Sermon
King Duncan
(Christ the King) Leo Rosten tells a story about Yuri Smolenski, a Jewish engineer in the former Soviet Union. Yuri had been ordered to move to a minor position in a faraway, frozen Siberian outpost. His parents, in tears, were watching him pack. "I'll write every day," said Yuri. "But the censorship," wailed his mother. "They'll watch every word." Yuri's father said, "I have an idea. Anything you...
22. Held Hostage
John 18:28-40
Sermon
King Duncan
Have you ever thought how you would handle it if you were held captive? There have been endless television shows and movies about hostage situations. Have you ever thought how you would handle it if you were taken captive? Would you be the tough guy resisting your captors each step of the way? Would you be the hero looking for the opportunity to sneak up behind one of the bad guys and take his gun...
Sermon
King Duncan
In 1957, Ben Michtom, president of the Ideal Toy Company, had a brainstorm: why not sell a Jesus doll? The majority of kids in America were Christian, so he figured parents would jump at the opportunity to make playtime a religious experience. Other Ideal executives were horrified, but Michtom consulted with some religious leaders, including most notably the Pope, and the Jesus doll was born. It h...
24. Christ Our High Priest
John 18:28-40, Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon
Good Friday is a day of conversion. It is a day that focuses on the stark symbol of the cross, upon which our Lord sealed the New Covenant in the shedding of his blood. Just what was accomplished on the cross? The answer to that question is summarized in one word: Atonement. Atonement means a reconciliation of two parties. You can remember this by breaking down the word by syllables: atone-ment. ...
25. King Me!
John 18:33-37
Sermon
Several years ago, and in another congregation, I preached a sermon titled "Chutes and Ladders and the Kingdom of God." It was based upon a game we played countless times when our children were small, so as a family, it was great! But looking at that game as a preacher — as a theologian trying to proclaim good news to a hurting world — I came to recognize that "Chutes and Ladders" held a terrible ...
Showing 1 to 25 of 34 results