Month: March 2018

Christ Crucified Good Friday is the darkest day of the Passion or Holy Week.  The final hours of Christ’s life in the flesh leading up to His death were marked by  betrayal, false accusations, multiple unlawful trials, condemnation, mockery, beatings, and abandonment.  After being scourged, spit on, mocked, tormented, and pierced with a crown of thorns, Jesus carried his own cross to Calvary where he was unceremoniously nailed to it and raised into the air.  Over the next several hours, Jesus spoke seven final statements from the Cross: #RadicalWords – Luke 23:34 (ESV) 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” #RadicalWords – LukeRead More →

  From Bethany, where Jesus and the disciples spent a quiet Wednesday, Jesus sends Peter and John to Jerusalem to secure a location and prepare for the Passover Feast: #RadicalWords – Mark 14:13-15 (ESV) 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” That evening after sunset, as theyRead More →

Jesus Teaching on the Mt. of Olives – The Olivet Discourse On Tuesday afternoon of #HolyWeek, after preaching in the temple all morning, Jesus and the disciples traveled up the Mt. of Olives, just outside the city.  Using parable and symbolic language, Jesus delivered what is now referred to as the Olivet Discourse, a prophetic description of the destruction of Jerusalem, the coming of the Son of Man, and the end of the age.  This passage from Luke foretells of wars, persecution, and disaster that followers of Christ will experience in the last days. #RadicalWords – Luke 21:10-19 (ESV) 10 Then he said to them, “Nation willRead More →

Jesus’ Authority Challenged Tuesday morning of #HolyWeek, Jesus returns to Jerusalem after spending Monday evening in Bethany.  Again, He makes His way to the Temple just one day after chasing out all the money changers, tax collectors, and thieves.  While teaching in the Temple, Jesus was confronted and challenged by the chief priests and elders who were clearly only interested in trapping Jesus in His own words for the purpose of humiliating Him in front of the multitudes, having Him arrested, and killed for the chief priests feared the influence He was developing over His flock.  At one point, a lawyer among the Pharisees questionsRead More →

“Like a tree with many leaves yet no fruit, the religious hypocrite displays to the world many impressive activities of devotion and self-denial, but under the leaves of external religion the Lord sees that there are no fruits of Christian love for God and man, joy in the Lord, or peace by Christ’s blood” — Commentary: Family Christian Bible Guide. #RadicalWords – Matthew 21:18-19 (ESV) 18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry.19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever comeRead More →

The Triumphal Entry: The people greeted Jesus with much fan-fare and enthusiasm.  They covered his path with their cloaks and palm branches and waved palm branches in the air, singing: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest.” #RadicalWords – Matthew 21:1-5 (ESV) 21 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything toRead More →

“Those who love Christ and honor Him must expect to be critically misjudged by those who are only nominal Christians.  That should not discourage them from pouring out their lives in love for the one who died for them” — Commentary: Family Worship Bible Guide. #RadicalWords – John 12:1-8 (ESV) 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wipedRead More →

“You cannot build a Kingdom in non-Kingdom ways” — Unknown. #RadicalWords – Romans 12:14-21 (ESV) 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To theRead More →

I dedicate today’s #RadicalWords to my eldest son, Samuel C. Smith II, who turns 12 years old today.  Happy Birthday! #RadicalWords – Ephesians 6:4 (ESV) [4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus has recently become one of my favorite books of the New Testament.  The entire letter is filled with instruction and application which #RadicalMen should be following when interacting with the Gospel (Ephesians 3), the body of Christ (Ephesians 4), our spouse (Ephesians 5:22-33), our children (Ephesians 6:1-4), and with the world at largeRead More →

Does your life astonish the non-believers around you? #RadicalWords – Galatians 5:16-26 (ESV) [16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fitsRead More →