Easter is the most significant event in the Christian church calendar. Without the events of Holy Week, there wouldn’t be a Christian faith. Easter is the reason the Christian church exists! Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his execution on a Roman cross. That moment of resurrection is the core of […]
Lent begins on March 6th this year with Ash Wednesday, and it’s almost in sight. It’s a season of reflection and meditation, a perfect time to renew our knowledge of and devotion to God’s Word just as Psalm 119:15 instructs: I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. (NIV) For many centuries, Christians have used the season […]
Filed under Bible Gateway Features, Easter, Lent, Newsletters, Reading Plans, Reflections
Today is Good Friday. Today we remember the agony experienced by Jesus in his death on the cross, crucified by Roman soldiers. As he hung there he uttered “seven last sayings:” “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34 “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” Luke 23:43 “Woman, behold […]
“Holy Week” in the Christian church calendar commemorates the chronology of Jesus’ triumphal entry, last supper, betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. [Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Proclaiming the Gospel from the Upper Room to the Cross: An Interview with Christopher J. H. Wright] As Holy Week plays out, the story’s breadth and depth makes […]
Filed under Holy Week, Infographics, Jesus
What follows is a day-by-day biblical account of the time leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, assembled by Russ Ramsey (@russramsey), assistant pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee. This timeline reflects one possible breakdown of the events of the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry, based on the author’s best synthesis of the four […]
Filed under Bible, Guest Post, Holy Week
We’re nearly a week into the season of Lent. Did you commit to “give something up” during Lent? It’s a common practice during the Easter season, but it can certainly be a challenge to give up a long-held habit or activity, whether the change is major (giving up a deeply-ingrained habit) or relatively minor (staying […]
Now is a great time to take a few minutes and consider how you can draw closer to God’s Word and to Jesus during the Easter season. Not all Christians observe the Lenten season, of course—there’s no command in the Bible to do so. However, Christians around the world and from many different theological traditions […]
Lent is the season of reflection and repentance leading up to Easter. You’re invited to draw closer to Jesus during the Easter season with the insights of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dallas Willard and others. As we do each year, we’ve put together a series of email devotionals to walk you through the season of Lent. This […]
Filed under General
Is the word “Easter” derived from the name of a pagan goddess? Is it appropriate to use that term to refer to the Resurrection day of Jesus Christ—and is the entire Lent season and Easter holiday tainted by association with ancient pagan religion? We’re asked these questions each year during Lent. We’ve asked Mel Lawrenz, […]
Lent is here! Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent, and around the world, millions of Christians are beginning a 40-day journey of reflection toward Easter. The Lenten season is focused on reflection and repentance—of acknowledgement of our sins in anticipation of the forgiveness that Easter represents. In this spirit, […]