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If you asked a room of Christians what their favorite post-Easter picture of Jesus is, what would you hear?
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There are so many memorable choices. Like when Jesus gently spoke Mary Magdalene’s name at the empty tomb because she thought he was the gardener (John 20:15,16). Or his patient explanation of Scripture to two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). Or how he twice appeared in a locked room with a message of peace for his frightened disciples (John 20:19,26). Or that he ascended into heaven with his hands raised in one final blessing (Luke 24:50). All those scenes form a portrait of a risen Savior who is unmatched in his love and compassion.
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What you probably would not hear from the group are the more militaristic images of Jesus fresh from his Easter victory. For example, the prophet Isaiah pictured the Savior returning from battle with his garments stained red by the blood of the enemies he had crushed underfoot like grapes in a winepress (Isaiah 63:1-6).
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This blood-spattered image is related to another Old Testament portrayal of Jesus’ triumph. In Psalm 110:1, the Lord says to his Christ, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
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That the writers of the New Testament considered this a favorite post-Easter picture of Jesus is obvious from their frequent use of it (see Acts 2:34,35; 1 Corinthians 15:25,26; Hebrews 1:13; 10:12,13). What may be less obvious to us is why they liked it. . . .
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Share your favorite Bible passages for parents
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When the apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy were in Galatia on Paul’s second mission journey, they made the prayerful decision to head north with the gospel. Their intention was to go to a region called Bithynia, but “the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” . . .
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“The Lutheran History Podcast interviews professional and independent historians on their work, covering over 500 years of Lutheranism. We hear news stories; examine old heroes of faith; and dig into the who, how, what, and why of history making.” . . .
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“I would use the illustration of a switchboard operator from the early days of telephone communication to explain the work of a diaspora ministry facilitator,” says Neil Birkholz, WELS’ Asian ministry consultant and diaspora ministry facilitator for East Asia. . . .
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