Good Friday in Esther: How Esther Points Ahead to the Death of Jesus, Part 1

Tim ColeApril 3, 2023

Death and Resurrection in the Old Testament

Earlier that week, on Friday afternoon, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, as dead as a dead man can be. In their view, Israel’s Messiah wasn’t expected to suffer and die. But Jesus certainly did suffer and die. He died tragically while hanging on a cross, the death-penalty usually reserved for criminals. What a total let-down for the hearts of Jesus’ followers. They failed to see that coming. Thus, their hopes and expectations were dashed and discouragement set in. Three days of sheer hopelessness.

After listening to their thoughts and troubles—like a good disciple-maker and counselor that he was--Jesus identified their problem as foolishness and a slow-heart of faith. They were slow to believe all that the Scriptures had promised. The engine of their faith had slowed down. From there, Jesus showed them from their own Bible—the TaNaKh—how their longed-for Messiah first had to suffer before entering his glory.

But She Will Be Saved Through The Childbirth

What on earth did Paul mean when he wrote the following words to Timothy in his first letter?

“15 But she will be saved through the childbirth, provided that they abide/remain in faith and love and holiness with self-control.”

Tim ColeFebruary 10, 2023Saved Through the Childbirth, 1 Timothy 2:15, Childbearing, 1 Timothy 2, 1 Timothy 2:11-15

Famous for Making Pizza or Preaching the Gospel?

Paul describes Junia, a fellow-prisoner of war, as “outstanding among the apostles.” Was she famous for her apostolic cooking or her outstanding proclamation of Christ? And was Junia jailed by the Romans for being an outstanding chef for church potluck dinners or because she was a proclaimer of the Gospel? What does the evidence suggest?

Male and Female: The Visible Image of God’s Firstborn

Based upon the repeated words in Genesis 1:1, 27, and 5:1-3, I will show that male and female are created, not simply according to the image of and in the likeness of God, but more precisely and in congruence with the teachings of the New Testament, according to the image of God’s Firstborn Son. Male and female, paired together as a unit, are created to be the visible and equal image-bearers of God’s Son who is the image of God.

The Best Kept Secret in Overcoming a Stubborn Habit

Do you feel trapped in an endless habit of porn usage, materialism and the love of money, or the search for satisfaction and happiness in the excessive use of alcohol or food? Have you tried and failed to kick the habit too many times to count? Discouraged? Tired of the struggle? Tempted to give up? Given up already? Well, take hope.