Jill Partis
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Blessed Are They…
Matthew 5:1-12 When I am preaching I always think hard about the beginning of the sermon. What will grab people’s attention? What will make them want to listen to the rest of the message? Jesus begins His Sermon on the Mount with a series of eight blessings. The Greek word for “blessed” is makarios, which…
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The Sermon on the Mount: Introduction
Matthew 5-7 In countries where people are invited to vote for those who will represent them in parliament it is customary for the candidates to present a manifesto, in which they declare their policies and aims. It is a statement of what they stand for and wish to see achieved. There is a sense in…
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Refining Fire
Genesis 22:1-19 There is so much symbolism in this passage, which foreshadows God’s sacrifice of His beloved Son on that same mountain. However, in our context of Abraham’s faith journey, we will focus on what this event meant for him. Verse 1 tells us clearly that God’s instruction to Abraham to take his son and…
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The Promise Fulfilled
Genesis 21:1-7 At last, some 25 years after the Lord had promised him a son, Abraham was able to hold his child in his arms. The miraculous had happened. The thing that seemed too impossible to be true had taken place. God had done what He had said He would. Abraham and Sarah named the…
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It is Finished!
John 19:16-30 John tells us that Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “IT IS FINISHED!” (v.30). As the other gospels make clear, this was not the whimper of a dying man but a loud, triumphant shout (Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46). The Greek word is tetelestai, a word that was stamped on receipts…
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The King is Come
Matthew 21:1-11 Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day when we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This event was a clear declaration by Jesus that He was the Messiah. Rather than entering the city on foot, as he usually did, He rode a young donkey in fulfilment of the prophecy in Zechariah…
