“Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for He has risen just as He said” (Matthew 28:5)
In uncertain times, fear is something with which we are all familiar. After the death of Jesus, His disciples ran away fearful of what the future might mean without Him. As we see war raging in many parts of the world, and hear of political leaders uttering threats to once friendly countries around the world, and economic uncertainty looms on the horizon, fear threatens to over-take all of our lives. Continue reading
Jerusalem is, and has been for several millennium, a great walled city that must be entered through one of the several gates in the city’s wall. It is a holy and sacred city. For the Jews, Jerusalem is that city where God dwelt among His people in the great temple at which they could visit Him and offer Him sacrifices. In His Holy City, God would listen to His people and they could be assured that they were standing in His presence. Whenever there was a great feast for the Jewish people they would go up to the city of Jerusalem to be near to God and celebrate with Him. For the Jewish people to live within the walls of Jerusalem—the Holy City—was the perfect life; it was equivalent to living with God on earth. In the mind of the Jewish person, the perfect place to die was within the walls of Jerusalem. To die within the walls of the Holy City meant that one had died with God in His Holy City and had indeed lived a blessed life. 
There is a beautiful passage from the Book of Deuteronomy that summarizes what Lent is all about. It reads: