Hebrews 7:26 begins by telling us that Jesus is “a high priest [who] truly meets our need.” What does this tell us about Jesus? Well, the writer continues by telling us that Jesus meets our need in two ways, both of which are directly related to who Jesus is. That first way that Jesus meets …
Jesus’ wholistic mission and the Church (John Oswalt on Isaiah 9)
In his comments on Isaiah 9:2-4, Dr. John Oswalt makes this astute reflection on the wholistic mission of Christ that the church must keep ahold of in talking about salvation in Christ. They [God's people] rejoice because the Lord has freed them. It is not necessary to look for some specific liberation which Isaiah has …
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A Crash Course in the Gospel (Ephesians 2:1-10)
One of my favorite books of the Bible is the Psalms. Through the Psalms I have learned how to pray. One of my other favorites is the Gospel of John. John's telling of Jesus' story has helped me connect my spiritual longings with the revelation of God in Jesus Christ so powerfully. Right after the …
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A Letter from Prison (Philippians, pt 3)
This is the third in a series of posts with thoughts from Paul's letter to the PhilippiansA Letter from Prison (Philippians, pt 1). These posts are personal reflections taken from devotional reading of the book. I have always been captured by Paul's statement in Philippians 2:12-13: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed …
I Am Not Stuck
With our current series at Eastbrook Church, "Who Am I?", we are exploring biblical answers to questions about our identity as human beings. This weekend I addressed the ways in which we feel stuck in life, and how a deeper level of being stuck - or existential dissonance - is the underlying cause of that. I talked …
Matthew Erickson 