Fisher of Men

We know from Jesus’ statement to the thief that when one dies they enter the presence of God immediately. Luke 23:42 states, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” This statement also tells us that Jesus went to His Father upon death. Beyond this we know very little about where Jesus was for three days. One must be careful not to read too much detail into a parable or story. Did Jesus Go to Hell? Bible Verses for this Theory The passage of Scripture most referred to by those holding to the hell theory is 1 Peter 3:18-20. “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in priso...

As we dive into the details of what Jesus experienced on the cross, it’s natural to wonder why he would willing do such a painful thing. Let’s first look at three reasons from the Bible to remember why Jesus died on the cross and then take a look at what Jesus actually experienced during his crucifixion. Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross? 1. Because our sin required a payment but disqualified us from ever fulfilling it. Romans 3:23 is an important place to start: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Then later in Romans 6:23 we find that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” These two verses show that each person has sinned, and that sin comes with a high price. God understands this price better than we do, so in love, he c...

What is Good Friday and why do we call Good Friday “good,” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating a day of suffering and death for Jesus? For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. Paul considered it to be “of first importance” that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day, all in accordance with what God had promised all along in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice...

Every year on Good Friday, Christians take time to meditate on the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us in suffering a humiliating, bloody death by crucifixion. It’s a time to dwell on what Jesus suffered for us, in all its pain and intensity, without rushing straight ahead to the good news of Easter, resurrection, and new life. The Last Words of Jesus One of the ways Christians have traditionally meditated on Good Friday is by reading and reflecting on the seven last words of Jesus from the cross. Luke records the final words of Jesus before he died on the cross: It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, ...

Good Friday, we know. And Easter most certainly. But what is Maundy Thursday? Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with His disciples. Most notably, that Passover meal was when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in an extraordinary display of humility. He then commanded them to do the same for each other. What does Maundy Thursday Mean? Christ‘s “mandate” is commemorated on Maundy Thursday—“maundy” being a shortened form of mandatum (Latin), which means “command.” It was on the Thursday of Christ’s final week before being crucified and resurrected that He said these words to his disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just...

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30)   Meaning of “It is finished” as Tetelestai “It is finished” is the English translation of the Greek word Tetelestai, which was the last thing Jesus’ said before dying on the cross. Tetelestai comes from the verb teleo, which means “to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish.” It’s a crucial word because it signifies the successful end to a partic...

During the Passion Week, the crowd in Jerusalem seems to have had a major swing in opinion. Jesus entered the city to praise and adoration but, by the end of the week, faced a crowd shouting “Crucify Him!” demanding for his crucifixion. Can such a change really happen so quickly? Why Did the Crowd Turn on Jesus and Yell “Crucify Him”? We must consider first that the people shouting “Hosanna” when Christ arrived were not the residents of Jerusalem. Instead, He rode in the company of pilgrims coming to the city for Passover. Because of the news about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and hopes that the Messianic Kingdom would soon begin, these pilgrims took to shouting and praising in their enthusiasm. Singing on the road to Jerusalem was not uncommon, a...

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Christmas is December 25; Valentine’s Day is February 14; Halloween is October 31 – but when is Easter? Each year we have to look at a calendar to find out the date of this major Christian holiday because this moveable feast can occur any time from March 22 to April 25. Why is this so? Why isn’t Easter the same day every year like other holidays? The yearly celebration of Jesus’ resurrection is the oldest feast of the Christian Church, and the resurrection has been a central belief of the Christian faith from its beginning. As Paul said, if Christ is not risen, our preaching is in vain and we are a people most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:12-14). Of course, every Sunday’s worship is a celebration of the risen Lord, but a special day for the resurrection has been part of th...

Luke describes the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem at the beginning of that last week of his earthly life: As he was drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Luke 19:37, 38) Palm Sunday: Today and To Come There is no doubt what was in the disciples’ minds. This was the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy given centuries earlier: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. I will...

Hosanna is often translated “Please Save Us.”  It is a Greek word “ὡσαννά” that most scholars believe is the transliteration of two Hebrew words- יָשַׁע- “yasha” which means “to save or deliver” and אָנּאָ – “anna” which means “please, I beseech.” Other scholars believe its Hebrew roots come from a different verb tense of “yasha” הוֹשַׁ֣ע which means to cause or to bring about salvation. In this tense, hosanna becomes a command to bring about or cause salvation. Where is Hosanna in the Bible? Hosanna occurs in the New Testament 6 times. Matthew, Mark, and John mention that the people called out “Hosanna” in praise and celebration during Jesus’ Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem during the week before Passover. “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosan...

Every year, my calendar reminds me that it is almost Palm Sunday. For many people, this day is the unofficial beginning of Spring Break, but it has a deeper significance for Christians.     What is Palm Sunday? On Palm Sunday, Christian churches often give the congregation palm branches to re-create the celebration of Christ’s final arrival in Jerusalem because his followers used palm branches to honor him as King and Messiah. When is Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday is the last Sunday in Lent and the Sunday before Easter. It’s the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week of the year for Christians. The date changes every year because the date of Easter changes in relation to the Jewish holiday of Passover. 2019: April 14 2020: April 5 2021: March 28 The Story of Palm Sunday ...