Gospel.com Blog

This Sunday, Christian churches around the world will commemorate Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended to empower the apostles of Jesus Christ. It was a foundational moment for the fledgling Christian church, and it still holds significance for Christians nearly 2000 years later.

If you aren’t familiar with this key event in church history, read the story of Pentecost in Acts 2 at BibleGateway.com:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them…. read the rest of the Pentecost story.

Pentecost fulfilled Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit to empower the church. Jesus’ promise, and the multilingual nature of Pentecost, made it clear that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was meant to be shared with all people, regardless of language or culture. And Peter’s sermon at Pentecost continues to serve as a blueprint for witnessing and evangelism to this day.

If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about the events of Pentecost, this weekend is a good opportunity to re-acquaint yourself with this miraculous event! Visit BibleGateway.com to read the story, and for further reading on the significance of Pentecost, see this essay on Pentecost at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Easter is several weeks behind us now; the last of the Easter candy is long gone and the Easter-themed services at church have been replaced with more typical fare. But did you know that the Easter drama hasn’t yet concluded?

There are two important events coming up that, with Easter, are generally seen as the culmination of Jesus’ ministry on earth. The first is Ascension Day, which marks Jesus’ departure to heaven; and the second is Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus’ disciples, as Jesus had promised.

These two events (which fall into the liturgical season of Eastertide) are of immense significance themselves, but they also serve as reminders to modern Christians of the turbulent, exciting weeks that must have followed Jesus’ resurrection. The Gospel accounts tell us relatively few details about the time between Easter and Pentecost, but it’s easy to imagine the chaotic excitement of those days.

The reports of Jesus’ resurrection must have spread like wildfire, frustrating his enemies and giving new life to the fledgling Christian church. Yes, Jesus’ resurrection completed his saving work, but it was in the weeks following it that his disciples began to understand the true extent of that work, and to accept the task of spreading the Gospel to the world.

Are you looking ahead to Ascension Day and Pentecost? Do you see their connection to Easter Sunday? Can you imagine the excitement that must have gripped Jerusalem in the aftermath of Jesus’ resurrection… and do you feel an echo of that same excitement today?

Easter’s come and gone… now what?

No other holiday except for Christmas is the subject of as much anticipation as Easter. But now that Resurrection Sunday is behind us and the distractions of spring and summer are right around the corner, it’s easy to mentally set the message of Easter aside until next spring.

At A Slice of Infinity, Margaret Manning calls us to keep Easter on our minds and not let the joy of the Resurrection fade. Jesus’ resurrection isn’t something to celebrate once a year and then forget about; it’s something that should influence and redeem our behavior every single day:

If we’re honest, many of us do wonder what difference the resurrection has made in the practical realities of our lives. We still argue with our spouses and loved ones; we still have children who go their own way. We have difficulties at work or at school. We still see a world so broken by warfare, selfish greed, oppression and sin. Like the two men on the road to Emmaus recounting the events surrounding Jesus, perhaps we wonder aloud: “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21a). Things seem pretty much as they were before Easter Sunday, and the reality of our same old lives still clamor for redemption.

This is often the way we feel if we have only understood resurrection as an event long past that only speaks to a future yet to come. We feel this way if we do not connect Jesus’s prayer for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” with the reality of the cry, “He is risen, as he said.” The glimpse into the kingdom of God that we get in the life and ministry of Jesus is ratified through the resurrection. New creation, new life, resurrected living is now a possibility for those who follow Jesus.

Read the full devotional at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Does Easter already seem like the distant past? How are you keeping focused on Jesus and his Resurrection now that Lent, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday are behind us?

Easter is here!

After the dark drama of Good Friday, God’s power over sin and death is made inescapably clear in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No commentary could improve on the Gospel description of Easter morning:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

This is the source of all our hope. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and will return again. Praise God!

Today is Good Friday, the bleakest event in the Gospels. Reading the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion today, we have the benefit of knowing that it’s all leading up to the triumph of Easter. But to the Jesus-followers present at the scene, it must have seemed that the world as they knew it was falling apart.

If you haven’t read the complete story of the crucifixion recently, today’s a perfect day to revisit it. The Gospel of Luke’s account of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion tells the full story. As you read, consider these questions:

Jesus several times predicted not only his death, but his resurrection. Why do you think his disciples failed to understand him? When Luke records that Jesus’ “meaning was hidden from them,” does that refer to a simple failure to comprehend, or was God deliberately keeping the meaning from them?

What do you think was going through the disciples’ minds as the evening unfolded? What would you have been thinking if you had been there?

Can you think of anything that would explain the Jerusalem crowd’s abrupt shift in attitude over the course of Easter week? Just a few days earlier they had praised Jesus and welcome him like a king, but days later “they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

What would have happened to the early church if Jesus had not been raised from the dead? Would there even be a church?

One of the challenges of reading the crucifixion story two thousands years after the event took place is that it’s difficult for us to empathize with its participants. From our perspective, the Easter crowds seem insanely fickle; Jesus’ disciples seem utterly clueless; the members of the Sandhedrin contemptibly evil; Pilate laughably corrupt.

Those things are true. Nobody except Jesus behaves well in the Good Friday story. But it’s these very people—fickle, clueless, evil, corrupt—that Jesus died for.

The truth is that we have much in common with the fools and villains of Easter. The wonder is that Jesus loved them, and us, enough to submit to foolishness, injustice, and death. The miracle is that three days later, he rose from the dead to offer us salvation. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

The liturgical season of Lent begins next week on Ash Wednesday. Lent commemorates the final weeks leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, and many Christians mark the season with a spiritual commitment or by giving up a habit or behavior for the duration of Lent.

Examples of Lent commitments I’ve seen include giving up television, reading through a particular part of the Bible, volunteering at a local food kitchen, and many others. Whether it’s trivial or epic in scale, the point of such a commitment is to focus attention on the person of Jesus Christ.

Are you doing anything to commemorate Lent this year?

Share your thoughts!

Most Christians have a passing familiarity with the major holidays and notable dates in other religions’ calendars—Jewish holidays like Hanukkah are well-known, as is the Islamic observance of Ramadan. Similarly, most Christians have at least a basic knowledge of those religions’ basic beliefs.

But how much do you know about what Buddhists believe? Do you know how the claims of Buddhism compare and contrast with Christianity’s?

February is a fitting time to learn more about Buddhist beliefs, since it’s when many Buddhists celebrate Parinirvana Day, the day that, they believe, Buddha died and achieved complete Nirvana. A good place to start is an article on the basic beliefs of Buddhism from Campus Life, which also identifies points of similarity and difference between Buddhism and Christianity. A short article at Answers to Tough Questions explains how Buddhist beliefs differ from Christianity.

If you’re interested in further reading, J. Isamu Yamamoto has written a more in-depth article on how Christians should understand and respond to Buddhism in North America (and the article points out that there are different branches within the umbrella of Buddhism, so Christians who’ve studied up on one branch shouldn’t assume they know everything there is to know). Christianity Today has a short discussion of theological issues within Tibetan Buddhism, and an accompanying collection of articles for additional reading. And of course, you can’t beat Wikipedia for sheer volume of information about Buddhist history and beliefs.

So this month, as Buddhists around the world commemorate Buddha’s life and death, take some time to read up on Buddhist beliefs, and consider how you might share your faith with a Buddhist friend or neighbor.

Today’s devotional is a short but appropriate challenge to us as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving… and as millions of shoppers brace themselves for the post-Thanksgiving consumer frenzy. In today’s devotional at Words of Hope, Steve Petroelje asks us to think biblically about where our money will go this holiday season:

The biggest weekend in the Christmas shopping season is approaching. In the days ahead, many will awaken early and shop extensively. Lists will be made, deals will be sought, and lots of money will be spent.

What if this year you gave to others besides your family and close friends?What if, instead of buying so many toys and electronics, you and your family provided food for someone who is homeless? Or gave some cash anonymously to someone who is dealing with unemployment or struggling to make ends meet.

If Christmas is truly about God’s gift to us in Christ Jesus, then reflecting the heart of God would lead to giving generously to others.

Read the full devotional at Words of Hope.

So enjoy your Thanksgiving, and the inevitable preparations for Christmas. And take some time to consider how you will reflect Christ’s immense grace and generosity in the way you handle your time, finances, and gifts this holiday season.

Brace yourselves for Black Friday! In a sign that the holiday season is finally and officially upon us, Wal-Mart, Target, and other major retailers have just released ads for their Black Friday sales—roadmaps for the annual shopping frenzy following Thanksgiving.

I have no problem with anyone finding a good holiday sale at these or other stores, of course. But I can’t escape a twinge of despair at the thought of this annual celebration of consumerism. It’s partly guilt at the thought of so much money that will be spent on luxury goods and gadgets; it’s partly frustration that Black Friday is ironically linked to a holiday in which Americans (in theory) express their gratitude for and contentment with God’s blessings. And after the horror at a Long Island Wal-Mart last year, the thought of people stampeding through store aisles makes me feel somewhat ill.

What’s a Christian to make of all this? We can decry the excesses of consumer culture and the commercialization of the holidays… but that message, which I’ve heard repeated every year since I first watched the Peanuts Christmas special, feels these days less like a bold spiritual statement and more like a dreary and obligatory annual Culture War complaint. We can abstain from Black Friday and the frenzied consumerism it represents, or at least moderate our participation. But what’s something positive we can do as we head into another holiday season marked by sales and rebates rather than spiritual reflection?

This year, I’m going to use the beginning of the holiday sale season as a time to plan out how I and my family are going to live this Christmas. I’m not going to stop with the usual questions about Christmas shopping lists; this year I want to actively chart what we want to accomplish and think about during Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas. I’m going to ask the questions that usually get put off until the last minute, when holiday stress and expenses are high:

What will my prayer and devotional life be like over the holidays? Is there a particular book, devotional, or study I want to work through?

Are there any habits or behaviors God is calling me to give up?

What holiday programs in my community do I want to get involved with?

Who do I want to spend extra time with this holiday season?

What charities and organizations do we want to support this holiday season?

Who in my community is going to need some extra help (financially, emotionally, or something else) this Christmas? How will I help them?

What other questions should I be asking as the holiday season begins? Will you join me this winter in setting the holiday catalogues aside for a while, and making sure to ask these questions before the holiday madness distracts us?

What do you think?

Veteran’s Day (commemorated elsewhere in the world as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day) is tomorrow. Every year in early November, it reminds us of the countless men and women who have served in the military. American soldiers—and their brothers in arms from other countries—have marched, fought, and sometimes died in places all over the globe.

While the ethical questions raised are unique to each conflict, on Veteran’s Day we generally set aside such questions and simply salute those who have served their country. Nevertheless, the question of military service is one that has challenged Christians since the first days of the Church. Here are a few articles to get you thinking as you commemorate Veteran’s Day this year; all are from the Officers’ Christian Fellowship:

Can a Christian serve in combat? The age-old question of Christian ethics and the soldier’s calling.

A Conversation with a Chaplain: What’s it really like to serve as a military chaplain? An open talk about the challenges and realities of chaplaincy.

For more conversation, you might also see a recent post by Jonalyn Fincher about women and weapons. The post, and the ensuing conversation, touch on a lot of the questions that swirl around the issue of guns, self-defense, and violence.

These are weighty essays, but amidst all the moral discussion, let’s not forget to thank and honor those who have served their countries on the frontlines. Let’s thank those who have served in the past, and pray for those who are serving right now in hotspots around the world.