Passion and Death Jesus’ life journey now focuses on his death and resurrection. From Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem until his crucifixion, Passion Week takes up nearly one-third of the canonical gospels. Jesus expelled the money changers from the Temple for turning it into a den of thieves. He then predicted false prophets, wars, earthquakes, […]
John the Baptist Christ’s next big step on his journey is to be baptized by John, and then he will be tempted in the wilderness. In their gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all talk about Jesus’ baptism. John’s gospel doesn’t speak about Jesus’ baptism directly. Most modern theologians think that Jesus […]
“Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart.” Abraham Joshua Heschel And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 NRSV Only the Beginning The Three Wise Men may have […]
The Guiding Star A star in the East led the Magi on their trek. This matched their studies and observation. God can utilize science, literature, and work to bring us to Christ. He used Magi’s astrology. Ancients valued the stars. 2000 years ago, folks in the Middle East and on the seas didn’t have compasses […]
Three Gifts of the Magi Christmas is passed, but it’s important to remember the traditional story of the Three Wise Men making a pilgrimage to worship Jesus. There are two major hypotheses on the gifts: All three presents are both regular offerings and gifts to a king. Myrrh is a standard anointing oil, frankincense is […]
New Testament Magi The New Testament does not give the names of the Magi. However, traditions and legends identify a variety of different names for them. In the Western Christian church, they have all been regarded as saints and are commonly known as: Melchior (also Melichior), a Persian scholar; Caspar (also Gaspar, Jaspar, Jaspas, […]
The Pilgrimage of the Magi : “Pilgrimage to the place of the wise is to find escape from the flame of separateness.” Rumi POWER TRUTH Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18 NRSV Three Kings […]
Bringing the People Together “I have come to gather nations,” the prophecy begins. While it might be argued that the prophecy primarily refers to gathering the scattered Israelites, it could also refer to the nations themselves, the Gentiles. (The word here is goyim, which translates as “Gentiles” or “nations,” not “Jews.”) The goal of God’s […]
Metaphoric Pilgrimages : “Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.” Sivananda POWER TRUTH Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life but must endure God’s wrath. John […]
thTPilgrimages and the Jewish Community Reaffirming Commitment The pilgrimage festivals allowed the Jewish community a chance to reaffirm their devotion to the covenant with God, enhance the nation’s awareness of itself as a religious community, and keep Jerusalem and the Temple site sacred. These occurrences unite people. Some academics think Jerusalem’s “business” community at the […]
Remembering the Exodus Passover commemorates God’s deliverance of the Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt and their emancipation as a nation under Moses’ leadership. It commemorates the story of the Exodus as told in the Hebrew Bible, particularly the Book of Exodus, in which the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt. According to traditional […]
The Pilgrimage Festival The pilgrimage festival is an important type of Jewisessential. In the Hebrew Bible, these three holidays are called “agricultural festivals” and “historical events in the history of the Jewish people.” In biblical times, these three holidays were also when people went to the old Temple in Jerusalem. Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot are […]
