Posts by Todd Clippard
Hebrews 3: Warnings Against Apostasy
While the theme of Hebrews is “Jesus is better,” the whole point of the book is to admonish Christians of Hebrew descent not to return to their former religion. To do so would be to desert Christ and abandon all hope of salvation. The very fact that so much time is spent in Hebrews and elsewhere throughout the New Testament warning against apostasy is proof in and of itself that such is possible. Many of these warnings are couched within…
Hebrews 2: Jesus is still better
Pardon the lack of creativity with this title, but the more I read Hebrews 2, the more impressed I am with the author’s theme. Chapter 2 opens with this admonition and warning, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest we drift away.” In keeping with our theme, we see the reason for this “more earnest heed.” If the condemnation was severe for those who disobeyed the word given by angelic…
Hebrews 1: Jesus is Better
“Jesus is better” is the theme of Hebrews. Written to all Jewish converts, its message was given to help them remain faithful to Christ rather than return to the inferior former covenant. The authorship of this great epistle continues to be a source of great speculation and little confidence. There are several great truths found in this first chapter. Among them: God has spoken (v 1). The author affirms the inspiration and former authority of the Old Covenant, noting that…
John 1: Pictures of Jesus
John’s Gospel is unique among the four. Rather than being written to a specific audience, John presents Jesus as the Son of God. Chapter one sets this tone from the very first verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” From this point forward, John works his way through a few days in the life of Jesus to bring his audience this summary, “And truly Jesus did many other signs…
Mark 16: But it doesn’t say “and is baptized not”
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” This is perhaps the most straightforward statement in all of Scripture affirming the absolute necessity of baptism to be saved. One needs help, and a lot of it, to not see the clear teaching of the Lord in this text. Yet, those who reject this word of the Lord while claiming…
Mark 15: “For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy”
This statement is made of Pilate after spending time with Jesus and his accusers. One important point of note here, namely the power of envy. We often tend to think of sins categorically by their perceived level of vileness or danger. Murder is always atop our mental lists, and sexual sins like adultery and homosexuality usually find their way near the top. Envy probably doesn’t come immediately to mind for most of us, but it should. Envy killed our Lord.…
Mark 14: Breaking the Alabaster Flask
The family of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha is one that enjoys prominence in the pages of Scripture. Some of life’s greatest lessons have been learned and great sermons have been preached from the accounts involving them (cf Luke 10:38-42; John 11:17-44). Today’s reading contains one of them. “She has done this for my burial.” So said our Lord of Mary (cf John 12:1-3) after she broke an alabaster flask and poured out its costly contents on His head. Hers was…
Mark 13: If It’s the End, Why Run?
One of the most common misunderstandings about this chapter and its companion chapters (Matt 24; Luke 21) is that the text is speaking to the events immediately preceding the end of the world or the error commonly known as dispensational premillennialism. Many wild and fanciful theories have been concocted using these synoptic texts and the book of Daniel, none of which are in harmony with Bible teaching. Consider some of the clear statements within the text, starting with verse 14:…
Mark 12: The Common People Heard Him Gladly
One of my favorite things to hear following a sermon is, “I believe anyone could understand what you preached today.” I usually respond with, “I’m a simple country preacher. I’m not smart enough to get too deep.” The goal of every preacher should be this: Impart the word of God so that every honest heart can understand and respond appropriately. This is why I love the statement in Mark 12:37, “And the common people heard Him gladly.” For years I…
Mark 11: Not Every Question Deserves an Answer
One of the things we were taught in the Fishers of Men program is the importance of answering questions with questions. There are several reasons for this. First, so doing can disarm those who make inquiries that are prone to generate more heat than light. Another is to gain clarification and/or determine the meaning of the question. Finally, answering questions with questions can determine the sincerity or lack thereof of the querist. This last purpose was the point of Jesus’…