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Tag Archives: Jesus
The origins of the Eucharist: not what you may have thought
Eucharist, Communion, Mass, Lord’s Supper. For the first Christians, it was their central activity. It was what they gathered for. Why? The usual story goes like this. On the day before he died, Jesus gathered with the twelve apostles for … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Churches, Theology
Tagged Communion, early Christianity, Eucharist, food, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Last Supper, poverty
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The Resurrection: what happened?
A few years ago there was a popular game of Bug the Bishop. Every Easter at least one newspaper would come out with a shock horror story about a bishop who didn’t believe in the Resurrection. They don’t do it … Continue reading
The Parable of the Mustard Shrub
This is my sermon for this coming Sunday, based on the Gospel reading’s parable about mustard. I have designed it to illustrate two things. The first is how New Testament scholars analyse early Christian texts to shed light on what … Continue reading
Is Jesus the way?
This is a sermon on a passage from John’s Gospel, 14:1-14. It’s the lectionary reading for this coming Sunday and I’m posting it in advance in case any other preacher wants to pinch bits. In Christian circles this passage is … Continue reading
Why Christians should vote for a different government: 2) Jesus
This post is part of the series introduced here, summarising some of the arguments in my new book Why Progressives Need God. The series presupposes that people who call themselves Christians ought at least to think Christ was broadly right … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Theology
Tagged Christianity, Elections, General Election, Jesus, politics
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Palm Sunday’s two processions
This is my sermon for Palm Sunday, based on Matthew 21:1-11. I was brought up to think of Jesus’ procession with the donkey and the palm branches as one of the most colourful stories in the Bible, but without the … Continue reading
Zacchaeus and the sex worker
This is about shame and reconciliation. It is an edited version of a sermon I gave last Sunday. It draws on two stories. The main one is the biblical story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). By way of a modern comparison … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Ethics, Society
Tagged honour, Jesus, prostitution, reconciliation, sex workers, shame, Zacchaeus
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The example of Jesus
This is the last of four posts on whether Jesus died for our sins. There are three main theories. One is that he won a victory over the devil, along with paying a ransom. Another is that he offered himself … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Ethics, God, Theology
Tagged Atonement, Jesus, reconciliation, subjective atonement
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Was Jesus punished as a substitute for humanity?
This is the third in a series of four on ‘Did Jesus die for our sins?’ The first is here and the second is here . This one is about the idea that Jesus died as a substitute for the … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Churches, God, Theology
Tagged Atonement, Jesus, punishment, salvation, substitute
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What did Jesus ever do for us?
Jesus died to take away our sins. What does that mean? If you are not used to it, it sounds odd. If you are, you may well have been introduced to a cruel and punitive God. This is the first … Continue reading