The Weekend that Changed the World
Bishop John Harrower shares the notes he used at today’s Good Friday service of reflection at St John’s Launceston.
The audio files of his sermons are already up on the St John’s website.
Easter Message from Abp Robert Duncan
“Go make the tomb secure…”
Pilate invites Jerusalem’s leaders to “secure” the tomb of Jesus [Mt.27.62-66]. They “secure” the tomb with a stone, sealant and soldiers. As if these could contain our Lord… Their efforts prove inadequate. Their materials and means turn out to be no match for the One through whom all things were made. …
– Read the rest of the message here.
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ – Packer’s introduction
Dr Jim Packer’s introductory essay to The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen remains a classic essay on Christ’s atonement. Written in 1958, it is probably even more relevant now than it was then.
Among other things, Dr Packer gives a helpful introduction to Calvinism. The essay will repay careful reading.
There are several copies of the essay on the Internet – Monergism has one here.
Every good thing is to be found in Christ
“Every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us. He was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair.
He died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt cancelled, labour lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal.
In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune.”
—John Calvin, preface for Pierre Robert Olivétan’s 1534 French translation of the New Testament. (From Of First Importance.)
Anglicans warn of lonely heart at the centre of glittering city
“If Sydney were a person, she would have a loud laugh but a lonely heart.
The city’s Anglican archbishop, Peter Jensen, says ‘our glittering city contains so much loneliness’, and he is so concerned he has made it the theme of his Easter message…”
– from The Sydney Morning Herald. (Related: ‘Christians urged to reach out at Easter’.)
See the Archbishop’s message – and video files – here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…