Christ Church Jerusalem

The scriptures appointed for this week, and a close encounter with mortality prompted this sermon's reflection on death. The fear of death is the work of the devil and its denial and trivialization are symptoms of our inability to come to terms with our mortality. The pairing of Psalm 130 with the raising of Lazarus in John's gospel reveals the patch to liberation from such fears and distortions.

The rich symbolism and connection to the Hebrew Bible in the story of Jesus' encounter with a blind man (John 9) gives us deeper insight into God's grace and our calling to be a light in the world.

Jesus went where the Holy Spirit led and did the will of God - evenwhen it was difficult. But what of His disciples? Did they go out into every town and preach the Kingdom of God or did they only do so when they felt they had been specifically told to do so?

When enemies surround, do we look at them or do we look to the one who made them?

Summery: The faithfulness and obedience of Jesus, as the second Adam, is in striking contrast to the action of the first Adam. Jesus based his life here fully on the God’s words, thus securing victory for all of us. He made us righteous but also gave us tools how to overcome temptations and carry on that victorious lives with prayer and fasting.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, God declared, "This is my beloved son." This was not the first time God declared this, He also declared it at Jesus' baptism. But even before that, Peter writes that God spoke these words through David almost a thousand years earlier in Psalm 2. Peter, who physically heard God repeat what He had spoken so long ago writes: "For no prophecy was ever produced by the w...

God’s light shines in the darkness, opening the eyes of the blinds and releasing the prisoner. He gathers sons and daughters to Himself. But He then calls us be a light in the darkness. What a responsibility… and what a great privilege.

Many Christians traditionally celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, forty days after Christmas. In Luke’s gospel, we are told five times that Joseph and Mary acted in accordance with the law of the Lord. In an age of increasing anti-Semitism and the rush to deny the Jewishness of Jesus, this passage serves as a powerful reminder of the Jewish identity and mission of the Messiah and th...

Ancient Israel was thrown into despair and hopelessness in 722 BC when Assyria conquered much of its land in the north (Zebulun and Naphtali). Yet the prophet Isaiah could foresee a time when gloom would turn to joy because “a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” In many societies today we find ourselves...

In the first chapter of John we encounter three questions: Who is Jesus? What do you want? Where are you staying? These questions are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago, challenging us to set our desires in order and to abide with Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River is commonly thought to be the same rite that is practiced by Christians today. But there are significant differences and much for Christians today to consider carefully in that account – especially John’s call to repentance, hearing the voice of God, and the need to "fulfill all righteousness.” When understood in the context of Matthew’s Gospel, this phra...

The Season of Epiphany or of the Revelation of the Messiah begins with the Journey of the Magi, priests of the Zoroastrian faith from the Medo-Persian empire, who set out on a journey to find the promised Messiah, the King of the Jews. In this message Michael N. takes us on a journey through history, geography and the prophets, to a promised prophetic highway that will be a blessing on the Earth (...

This line from a popular Buffalo Springfield song sums up well the life of King Herod the Great. His insecurity and fear drove him to rule with a cruel hand, killing members of his own family and slaughtering the innocents in Bethlehem. This is not just First Century history; it is also a tale of our times. The worrisome rise of uncertainty and paranoia is causing many to look for scapegoats (anti...

In this Christmas Day message, Rev. Tom Burden, Director of CMJ Israel, talks about Luke 2:1-20 and how God reached down into the real world to live for us.

John the Baptist grew up hearing the promises of the Messiah foretold through the prophets. He also would have heard of his own miraculous birth—and that of Jesus. The prophecies regarding John were not all ancient, his parents knew prophecies and prophesied. John was also a prophet who bore witness to the Messiah and prepared the way for Him in the wilderness. But in a time of trial, faithful Joh...

The season of Advent calls us to repentance, humility, and spiritual readiness and directs us to align our lives with God’s purposes even in these times of uncertainty and conflict. Biblical hope enables us to trust and remain faithful while looking forward to the fulfilment of God’s redemptive work in Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus teaches us to watch and prepare for His return. Yet that teaching is relevant for more than just the Last Days. It prepares us for the unexpected and helps us remain faithful in the face of disappointment, misfortune, or disaster. And it enables us not to miss the day of God's visitation.

Archbishop Foley Beach’s sermon “How to Persevere in Good Times and Bad” encourages believers to stay faithful and grounded in Christ no matter their circumstances. He teaches that perseverance is not based on whether life is easy or difficult, but on trusting God’s unchanging character, maintaining spiritual discipline, and guarding against both complacency in good times and despair in hard times...

When reading prophetic passages we often overlook that they have something to teach us today. Paul, when warning the Thessalonians not to be deceived about the Lord’s coming, highlights the need to love the truth and adhere to the tradition that he handed down to the church. This will also help us to stand firm in difficult times and enable us to resist the deception and lawlessness and in our mid...

The first chapter of Ephesians is one of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament and has inspired uncountable sermons and commentaries. But if we overlook its Jewish context, we miss the full riches of what Paul is teaching about our identity in the Messiah of Israel.

The parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee may not be as simple and straightforward as it appears. One Jewish theologian has suggested that Jesus set a trap for his listeners in order to expose the ever present self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the human heart. But we just don't hear how shocking this story is unless we understand its social and historical context

Luke 18:1-8 presents a parable, alternately named the parable of the Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow. Jesus deliberately parodies the reality of God as a faithful judge. While we might doubt earthly authority, God has always been faithful and remains faithful. Nonetheless, we often lose hope. We look at the world and don’t see justice, righteousness, or faithfulness or we forget that God is...

After Jesus healed the ten lepers only one came back to express his gratitude. This story in Luke’s gospel teaches us that our worship cannot be separated from gratitude for what God has done for us. His instructions for celebrating during Succot highlight the ways we should rejoice and also avoid the pitfalls that keep us from expressing heartfelt thankfulness.

When the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, what are they requesting? A related passage in Habbakuk reads, “The just shall live by his faith (Heb.emunah). This word has a cluster of meanings: trust, belief, persistence, fidelity or faithfulness. By examining the times in which Habbakuk lived (not much different from ours) we can come to a better understanding of what it means for us to li...

The Feast of Michael and All Angels draws our attention to the nature of spiritual warfare and the battle that intensified with satan’s rage at Jesus’ enthronement. This Feast Day highlights an aspect of the gospel which is more than receiving our great salvation by faith. It gives us our marching orders as agents of King Jesus, calling us to advance His influence and authority over the enemy. Alt...