I want to share a story with you that really helped me understand the joy of the Resurrection a little bit more. But before I do, let me share some verses from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24.
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
Marley was dead to begin with.
That’s the first line of Charles Dickens’ story, “A Christmas Carol.” In 1843, Charles Dickens spent the entire first page of that book explaining just how dead Jacob Marley was. Then he ends his point with “There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.”
Well, the same must be understood about Jesus’ death. It must be fully understood that Jesus Christ was emphatically dead. Jesus willingly endured the humiliation and the pain of the events leading up to the Crucifixion. He willingly endured the nails through His hands and His feet. He willingly breathed His last and gave up His life on the Cross. Jesus was dead.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
It was a long night that turned into a darker morning.
Jesus had already been awake for hours. Arrested in a garden. Betrayed by a friend.
They dragged from one trial to another while the city slowly woke up.
First, the religious leaders, then Pontius Pilate, finally, mocked by soldiers who treated the King of Heaven like a criminal. They struck Him and spit on Him. They pressed a crown of thorns into His head and wrapped Him in a robe to laugh at Him. “Hail, King of the Jews,” they said. But their sarcasm accidentally told the truth. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. Yet pressure from the crowd was louder than his conscience. And so the sentence was given: crucifixion.
Roman crucifixion was designed to be slow and humiliating. Jesus carried His cross through the streets to a hill called Golgotha. Nails were driven through His hands and feet. The cross was lifted. And there the Son of God hung between heaven and earth.
Yet, what’s astonishing is not just the suffering. It’s His words.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
In the middle of injustice, Jesus offered mercy. In the middle of pain, He offered grace.
For hours, darkness covered the land. Then Jesus cried out and breathed His last. The earth shook. The temple curtain tore in two. And a Roman centurion looked up at the cross and said, “Surely this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54)
That evening, a man named Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body and placed it in a tomb. A stone was rolled across the entrance.
It looked like the end.
But Good Friday is called good for a reason. Because what looked like defeat was actually redemption’s beginning. The Cross was not the failure of Jesus’ mission—it was the very reason He came.
And in three days, the world would see that death never had the final word.
This was not the end.
Reflection Questions for Today
1. What part of the Good Friday story stands out to you the most, and why do you think it sticks with you?
2. How does Jesus’ response to suffering and injustice challenge the way we typically react to difficult situations?
3. If the Cross represents both sacrifice and new life, what might that look like in your everyday life right now?
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Tony D'Amico
Imagine knowing you had less than 24 hours to live. And you know that betrayal and suffering are coming. What would you say to the people you love most?
That’s the moment we step into today in Holy Week — Maundy Thursday. In John 13, Jesus and His disciples are gathered in the upper room, preparing for the Passover meal. The disciples didn’t know it yet, but this would be their final night with Jesus.
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
How would you respond to being in the room with the most important person in history?
As we head toward remembering the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see two very different responses to being with Jesus in Matthew 26.
The first response is that of the woman who anointed the head of Jesus with very expensive perfume. This was an offering by this woman given to her Savior.
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton
The Olivet Discourse is one of the most important prophetic teachings Jesus ever gave. It’s recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 24–25, the Gospel of Mark 13, and the Gospel of Luke 21. We call it the Olivet Discourse because Jesus delivered it on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem, shortly before His crucifixion.
The setting matters. In the Gospel of Matthew 24, the disciples point out the grandeur of the temple. Jesus responds with a shocking prophecy: not one stone would be left upon another. That prompts two questions from the disciples: “When will these things be?” and “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
I have a question. “Have you created a picture of Jesus that only exists in your mind?”
A philosopher once said, “Men create gods after their own image.” That’s a sobering thought.
When you imagine Jesus, are you and Jesus in total agreement? Does Jesus love all the things you love and hate all the things you hate?
As we commemorate Holy Week (the seven days leading up to Easter) on this Monday before Easter, we remember an intense moment in Jesus’ ministry. It’s when He cleared the Temple.
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
I still remember someone handing me a palm branch when I was about seven years old at my grandmother’s Presbyterian church. Since I didn’t grow up going to church, I had no idea why everyone had these branches. Years later, after becoming a Christian, I realized Palm Sunday marks the beginning of one of the most important weeks in all of human history.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. But this week points us to something even greater — the moment Jesus willingly walked toward the Cross to bring salvation to the world.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt, just as the prophet Zechariah foretold. Crowds waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” welcoming Him as King. It was the first time Jesus openly allowed Himself to be publicly declared the Messiah.
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
Holy Week is the most important week in history. And Easter is significantly more than just a single day. Holy Week was marked by powerful teachings, betrayal, warnings, fulfilled prophecy, and the clear display of God’s plan, power, and love.
It all happened in just eight days. Jesus Christ — the Son of God — entered Jerusalem on Sunday, was arrested on Thursday, was crucified and buried on Friday, and rose from the dead three days later. Why do those eight days still matter so much two thousand years later? What does that week mean for our lives today?
(more…)Posted in News, Series by The Rock Church
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” — Matthew 28:6
Could Easter be more than colored eggs, chocolate, and bunny rabbits? What if it is much, much more? Perhaps it’s a true story about the life and death of a man named Jesus (who really did rise from the dead)? That is to say, what if Jesus is truly alive right now? This truth might just change your life.
Last weekend, we witnessed how the truth about the radiance of Jesus’ Resurrection changed lives. It was one of our largest attended weekend services ever. On top of that, close to 70 people responded to the Gospel message!
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church