We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - November 28, 2021
The Crucible’s Window
In this passage, we are given a dramatically singular window into the inner revulsion that God the Son has against sin and its encounter with the Holy. He who directs the darkness is no victim. The whole enterprise of events has been thoroughly subject to His rule. Yet knowledge of His deity must not deter us from fully appreciating the deeply dark—even indescribable—distress that He experiences. Gethsemane hosts an intensely unique scene. Never before has Jesus displayed a hint of hesitancy at the prospect of His cross—never again will He. Here, a window into the depth of Christ’s anguish is given. It reveals His arcane agony. Only faith can see the intent and meaning of His suffering sorrows—they are unknowable by appearances, unknowable from the outside.
Scripture References: Matthew 26:36-46
