Can we or should we call Jesus our brother?

Question: Can we or should we call Jesus our brother? Answer: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and…

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Jesus – Humble Servant King

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Jesus-Humble-Servant-King.mp3 by Ross Ward Text: Mark 11:1-11 The king of the Jews enters Jerusalem Mark 11:7-11 – on a colt donkey Zechariah 9:9-10 – fulfilling prophecy Significance of Donkey Horse symbol of war Size Strength Speed Chariots – Zechariah 9:10 Donkey symbol of peace Jesus was not a conquering King taking his kingdom by force…

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Portraits of God’s Leaders

A series of lessons presented by Ross Ward of Des Moines, Iowa, April 4-9, 2021 King Saul – An ‘I’ Problem Saul relies on his own will and ability, ultimately refused to accept responsibility for his actions (I Samuel 8-16) Jesus – Humble Servant King Jesus is King but not according to the world’s standards…

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His Name Shall Be …

by George Slover “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The names of Christ reveal the various aspects of his nature and character. By…

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Purge Me with Hyssop

by Johnny O. Trail Most scholars believe David wrote the fifty-first Psalm after his transgression with Bathsheba. If this is the case, it is one of the most penitent Psalms in the Old Testament. From the passages recorded in Psalm fifty-one, it appears the writer was heartsick over his sins. Psalm 51:11-12 says, “Do not…

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The Plea for a Daysman

by Jarrod M. Jacobs Job chapter nine records one of the speeches Job made when defending himself against Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. This speech in chapter nine is somewhat different from the others. Job does not spend much of his speech responding directly to Bildad and what he said in chapter eight. In chapter nine,…

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Hostile Fulfillment of Prophecy

by Matthew W. Bassford In Acts 13:27, Paul makes a fascinating claim about the Jews of Jerusalem and their rulers. He notes that even though they did not identify Jesus as the Messiah or recognize Him in the prophecies of the Old Testament, they fulfilled those prophecies in their bad treatment of Him. This is…

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Listen to Him

by Jefferson David Tant A “breathtaking” event took place in the lives of Jesus’ disciples James, Peter, and John when they went with Christ up a mountain. It was an experience they would never forget “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a…

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Is Isaiah 53:5 speaking of physical or spiritual healing?

Question: Is Isaiah 53:5 speaking of physical or spiritual healing? Answer: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,…

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Jesus was nothing more than a good Jewish man

Question: Note: I basically left this note as it was received. Incidentally, before I delete your nonsense comments of alleged religious significance. I don’t understand why you call the Jewish Essene Rabbi Yehoshua, (who lived over 2000 years ago) Jesus and/or Christ. Also, Yehoshua ate Kosher and you eat pork. Yehoshua did not eat meat…

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Propaganda Wars

by Terry Wane Benton There was the truth that Jesus was in fact raised from the dead, and then there were the opposition forces who needed to keep the nation from converting to Jesus. They wanted to stay in control of the crowds and keep their wealthy pockets padded. To lose control to Jesus would mean…

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The Deity of Christ

by Charles N. Spence, Jr. Sentry Magazine, June 2000 One of the principal points of the Christian doctrine is the deity of Jesus Christ. If Jesus was just an ordinary man, though perfect he may be, his death could never benefit the entire race of sinful man. Some faiths actually believe and teach that Jesus…

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My King

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/My-King.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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I can’t believe you waste time discussing imagination

Question: I cannot believe that you would waste so much time discussing total bonker imaginings. The fact that none of the persons who wrote about Jesus personally knew him seems to escape your grey cells. They lived three hundred years after he died!! You know nothing of what the leaders of the Sanhedrin said! How could you? You…

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Suppression of Truth

by Terry Wane Benton Pilate presents Jesus, saying Behold your king John 19:14-15 The whole effort by the leaders of the Jews and Romans against Jesus was to turn the tide of public opinion against Jesus. They staged His trials and execution on the cross to humiliate Him and end His influence upon the people.…

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When the Fullness of Time Had Come

by Wayne Chamberlain Sentry Magazine, December 2002 Throughout history, God has used natural events, nations, cultures, individuals, and even beasts to facilitate and accomplish the fulfillment of His will. Evidence is strongly indicative that God used some of these same components in preparation for the corning Messiah and the carrying of His message into all…

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Jesus and Prayer

by Jeff Wolverton Sentry Magazine, December 2002 Jesus as Our Intercessor The intercession of the Holy Spirit does not set aside the intercession of Jesus Christ. “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us…

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One Great Birth, Two Great Names

by Doy Moyer We are at that time of year when the birth of Jesus Christ is on the minds of many. That much is a good thing. There are many misconceptions about His birth, but doors may be opened to talk about it and we need to be willing to do that. We do…

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Why Jesus Died

by Matthew W. Bassford How do you convict a sinless man of a crime serious enough to warrant His execution? It might sound like a logic puzzle to us, but for the chief priests, it was a serious problem. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they determined that He had to die. However, they…

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Does Psalms 118:22-24 refer to Jesus and his resurrection?

Question: Dear Sir, May the peace of God be with you all. I would be grateful if you could help me with the understanding of Psalms 118:22-24. Is the verse(s) referring to Jesus and his resurrection? Thank you, God bless you. Answer: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is…

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Can We Pray Ever to Jesus?

by Terry Wane Benton This question is asking us to discern whether there is a pattern in scripture so restrictive that it never allows us to say a word to our mediator (a strange restrictive pattern that allows everyone to usually talk to their mediator or advocate but not in this case) or say a…

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When was Jesus born?

Question: I have known Bible scholars to teach that Jesus was born in the Spring or maybe the month of April!? What say ye? Answer: The day of Jesus’ birth gives rise to endless speculations. Instead of picking a day based on some obscure philosophical argument, let’s list out the markers that we do know.…

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Foreshadowing

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Foreshadowing.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 22:1-14   I.         A mark of a good writer is his use of foreshadows to give the reader a hint of what is to come later in the story             A.        It gives a sense of unity to a book, but it is difficult to do well. Small details must be…

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Present Your Case

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Present-Your-Case.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:21-22   I.         The Apostle Paul challenges Christians everywhere to prove all things – I Thessalonians 5:21-22             A.        Jude 3 tells us to contend earnestly for the faith             B.        I Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to give an answer to every question                         1.         The Greek word is the one…

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Jesus Turns up the Pressure

by Matthew W. Bassford As different as the four gospels are, all four of them put their greatest emphasis on the events of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Before that point, their narratives take different paths and discuss different things. At that point, all of them focus on the garden, the cross, and the empty…

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Did Jesus not want to go to the cross?

Question: In the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed to God and said remove this cup from me, was he saying he didn’t want to go to the cross? Answer: Jesus understood that it was necessary for him to die on the cross, but it doesn’t mean he enjoyed what he did. In John 12:20-28,…

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Does Colossian 2:9 mean that Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

Question: Does Colossian 2:9 mean that Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Answer: “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). “Fullness” (from the Greek word pleroma) means a complete or full expression. Thus, in Galatians 4:4 the fullness of time doesn’t mean all time but the moment…

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Majesty! Worship His Majesty!

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Majesty-Worship-His-Majesty.mp3 by Wilson Adams Faith Over Fear

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Jesus Predicting His Death

by Matthew W. Bassford Luke 18-19 chronicles the high point of Jesus’ ministry. He is on His way to Jerusalem, surrounded by an exultant crowd. According to Luke 19:11, the throngs believed that “the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.” In other words, they anticipated that when Jesus came to Jerusalem, He…

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The Timeline of the Resurrection

by Matthew W. Bassford Recently, I’ve become aware that there is this thing floating around on the Internet called “The Easter Challenge”. The inventor of this challenge is an atheist. He asserts that the Biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus contradict each other so significantly that they are clearly false and so provide no…

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Did Jesus become a curse?

Question: Good day, In Galatians 3:10-13, did Jesus become a curse? Please give some insight into this verse. Thanks. Answer: “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.'” So then those who are of faith are blessed…

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Did Jesus die to remove God’s wrath against sin?

Question: Good day, Is there Scripture that says God’s wrath was removed for sin after Jesus died on the cross? Answer: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from…

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Why did Jesus stay around for forty days after his resurrection?

Question: Good day, Brother Jeffrey, I am asking for your help regarding this question: Why did Jesus stay around for 40 days, after He came back from the grave, instead of going immediately into Heaven? I know you are busy answering hundreds of emails every day so I am sorry for adding another burden on…

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Did Jesus receive the Holy Spirit when he was baptized?

Question: My question is about Jesus and him being baptized. Did he receive the Holy Spirit during his baptism? Answer: When Peter said, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38), he…

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The Old Testament Points Us to Christ

by Tommy Peeler The Old Testament is valuable because it points us to Christ. Jesus emphasized that the Old Testament pointed to Him Jesus said, “You search in the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness of Me” (John 5:39). When the audience failed to…

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Isn’t Joseph the father of Jesus in Luke 3?

Question: Sir, Regarding your article about David being the father of Jesus.  ( the human father, of course.) You say that Mary, in the genealogy in Luke 3, is linked to David, but that is not so. Joseph is linked to David in both Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Or am I missing something? Joseph…

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John and Witnesses

by Matthew W. Bassford Most Christians probably appreciate the significance of Habakkuk 2:4 (“The righteous one will live by his faith.”) to understanding the New Testament, but the significance of Deuteronomy 19:15 often escapes us. It reads, “One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact…

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Is the Father the only true God?

Question: In Do You Believe in Three Gods or One? it is stated: We believe in the one true and living God because the Bible teaches it. Jesus identifies who the “one true and living God” is in John 17:3 which states in the King James Version: “And this is life eternal, that they might…

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What is the “holy thing” in Luke 1:35?

Question: Minister, could you explain as clearly as you can what is meant by saying that holy thing which shall be born of thee in Luke 1:35? I think it has something to do with combining the three persons of God together into one. Also, might it be as Paul describes us as the new…

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To Whom Shall We Go?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/To-Whom-Shall-We-Go.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 6:48-69   I.         When Jesus feed the 5,000, his popularity was at an all time high             A.        Some of the people decided it was time to make Jesus their king – John 6:14-15             B.        Jesus left because the people’s motivation was wrong. They were only thinking of the free food Jesus…

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