Josh Benner

Tag: Matthew

  • Sunday to Friday: “Save us!” to “Crucify!”

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    Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons – Ben Stassen

    Originally published March 20, 2016

    Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It’s a festive scene. Passover week, one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish calendar. Jesus has been preaching throughout the region of Galilee. He has built up quite the following: teaching on the kingdom of heaven and performing miracles.

    And here he enters the holy city, the crowds shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). Palm branches had become a Jewish symbol of victory and the crowds bring these branches out as they chant. The processional they created was somewhat makeshift, but it had kingly overtones. They’re treating him like someone who was returning to Jerusalem after having conquered an enemy. Ironically, he was coming into Jerusalem to conquer sin. (more…)

  • Glimpses of the work of God in the world

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    Jesus taught: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
    With the promises of the Lord, there’s a sense of the present fulfillment of the promise, but it points to a later and greater fulfillment in heaven.
    So for the present day, we do get a sense of the Lord, we are invited into a relationship with Christ, growing in our knowledge of him, knowing him better.
    There can be times in our lives, seasons of our lives where we find his presence especially strong in our lives. We get glimpses.
    We can appreciate and have a sense of awe for the Lord who created everything when we truly behold his creation, see the beauty of the sunset or stand at the foot of a mountain.
    We have moments when we see people coming to faith in the Lord, born again to the hope of the gospel, and when we see lives transformed, people made new by the power of God’s saving work.
    So in little ways, we get glimpses of God’s glory, of his work in the world.
    But the pure in heart, shall see God.
    The Christian life, is still being lived in a fallen world, we still deal with our own sins and the ramifications of the sins of others. We still get sick and die.
    We shall behold of his glory and holiness in heaven. Not in a glimpse or a flicker of light, but beholding the glory of God, the awesomeness of the Lord for eternity
    In the Old Testament, we are told that a person could not see God the face of God and live.
    God is so glorious, he is so holy, he is so pure, so full of life and light that sinful people cannot behold his glory.

    But the promise of Jesus is an eternal blessing in the presence of the Lord. And for that, we should rejoice. We should enjoy the blessings he has given us today. But to know that they are merely appetizers to the greater feast.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Virgin birth shows us the gospel

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    The message of the gospel is that it is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). That we have sinned, that the relationship with God has been broken and that there is nothing we can do on our own to restore that relationship with a Holy God.

    We contribute nothing positive to our salvation. Our good deeds count for nothing. The only works that save men are the works of Christ. (more…)

  • Sunday to Friday: Save us! To Crucify!

    2929336358_1f97bc7308_z
    Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons – Ben Stassen

    Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It’s a festive scene. Passover week, one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish calendar. Jesus has been preaching throughout the region of Galilee. He has built up quite the following: teaching on the kingdom of heaven and performing miracles.

    And here he enters the holy city, the crowds shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). Palm branches had become a Jewish symbol of victory and the crowds bring these branches out as they chant. The processional they created was somewhat makeshift, but it had kingly overtones. They’re treating him like someone who was returning to Jerusalem after having conquered an enemy. Ironically, he was coming into Jerusalem to conquer sin. (more…)

  • Murders, mobs, dictators and the gospel

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    (originally posted March 7, 2016)

    In the gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was before the ruling Jewish council, he made a reference to his divine status. To the ruling council, this was taken as blasphemy. Within Rome, they didn’t have the authority to execute Jesus for his action, so they took him to Pontius Pilate, who was the governor of Judea

    Pilate questions Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. (Matthew 27:11-14). (more…)