Embrace Life Today

  It Must Be True: Preparing Our Hearts for the Resurrection Today’s Gospel (Luke 4:16–21) gives us a glimpse of Jesus standing in the synagogue, declaring that Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled in their hearing. It’s a moment of triumph. A proclamation of liberation, healing, and victory— before Gethsemane, before the cross, before the tomb. Most people can sympathize with Jesus at this point. He speaks with authority, courage, and hope. And who doesn’t love a hopeful message? But the Gospel doesn’t stop there—it takes us deeper. It takes us into suffering, death, and finally, into life everlasting. As Easter Sunday approaches, I find myself reflecting not just on the Resurrection, but on the reason for it. Why did our King choose this path? Why suffer so selflessly, so sacrificially, to redeem the world? The answer begins with God’s nature. His nature is fatherly. Protective. Nurturing. Sacrificial. Loving. The kind of love that says, I will suffer in your place. I wil...

  The Temple, the Coin, and the Crown: Christ's Authority in a Corrupt World Introduction Holy Week in Jerusalem was not a week of retreat. It was a campaign. Jesus of Nazareth arrived not to be caught off guard, but to confront corruption at its source. His cleansing of the temple and His reply about rendering unto Caesar were not isolated acts—they were deliberate and prophetic. Together, they unveil a King who stands in judgment over both religion and politics. 1. Cleansing the Temple: Judgment on Religious Hypocrisy The scene is unforgettable. Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who buy and sell, overturning the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons (Matt 21:12–13). He declares, "My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you make it a den of robbers." This is no outburst of emotion—it is a Messianic act of authority. Jesus is judging the spiritual leadership of Israel for turning God's house into a marketplace. Th...

When the Light Gets Personal (A Devotional Reflection) The Scriptures speak of light in two strikingly personal ways. In John 1:4, we’re told, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” And in Matthew 5:14, Jesus says to His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” Both statements are true, but neither can be rightly understood apart from the other. The light that shines from the believer is not their own—it is derived. And yet, it is real. It is present. It is meant to be seen. Moses’ face shone with the glory of God after being in His presence. But over time, that visible glory faded. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3 that Moses veiled his face not just to protect the Israelites from God's brilliance, but to obscure the fading of that brilliance. The light was glorious—but it was passing. In contrast, the light that comes through Christ is not passing. In fact, it increases. “We all,” Paul writes, “with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,...

Unmasking the Image of God In the not-so-distant past, wearing a mask in public became a symbol of public virtue—or of personal oppression, depending on your political lens. What began as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic quickly evolved into a cultural litmus test. Conservatives largely resisted mask mandates as infringements on civil liberty. Progressives often adopted them as signs of social responsibility—and, not infrequently, as subtle rebukes toward those associated with then-President Trump. Fast forward a few years, and the conversation has flipped. Mounting evidence suggests that mask mandates did more harm than good. And yet, in a strange twist, the very thing people were once required to wear in public is now causing suspicion. Those who choose to cover their faces today—especially in government buildings or public protests—are often met with hostility. “Why are you hiding?” becomes the new challenge. Ironically, those who wear masks now often do so not to comply with...