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Sermon

The Day Jesus Met a Demon

March 8, 2026 | Watch

Study Guide

The Day Jesus Met a Demon

Purpose To discover and experience Jesus Christ in our midst To cultivate mutually encouraging relationships To participate in God’s mission to the world Opening Prayer Responsive Prayer — Psalm 139 Where shall I go from your Spirit?     Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there!     If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning     And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand shall lead me,     And your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,     And the light about me be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to you;     The night is bright as the day,     for darkness is as light with you. Summary This week we continue our Lenten series entitled A Day in the Life of Jesus during which we are exploring brief vignettes from the Gospels, seeking a realistic glimpse into a typical day in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Our passage this week picks up where we left off, in the middle of a Christological triad. Having already shown Jesus as Lord over nature (Mark 4:35-41), and before revealing him as Lord over death (5:21-43), Mark now displays him as Lord over demons and the spiritual realm. This passage also provides an answer to the question Mark left hanging in the last chapter — “Who then is this?” — by pressing it even further: Who is this that even the demons obey? This is something that has already been percolating through Mark’s Gospel to this point. He has already introduced Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits (Mark 1:23-28), and we have seen Jesus teaching that one must bind the strong man in order to plunder his house (Mark 3:22-27). Nowhere else, however, does the evangelist spend as much time and effort to demonstrate to his readers Jesus’ lordship over the demons. The prolonged descriptions of the demoniac’s strength (verses 3-4) and the number of demons (verses 9, 13) serve to demonstrate to his readers that, although demons are incredibly strong — so strong that no human can control them — Jesus is stronger still. The One who rebuked the sea (Mark 4:39) now rebukes a host of demons, demonstrating that he is stronger than the strong man and sovereign even over the prince of demons (cf. Colossians 2:15). The setting of this showdown was the region of the Gerasenes, a largely Gentile area marked by, as Mark describes, tombs and swine. Both of these are emblems of uncleanness under the Mosaic law (Leviticus 11:7; Numbers 19:11-16). The man Jesus meets is repeatedly described as having an “unclean spirit,” and his dwelling among the tombs is a visual representation of his spiritual condition: alienated, defiled, and constantly driven toward self-destruction (verse 5). Scripture consistently portrays demonic activity as attempts to distort and destroy the image of God in man, seeking ruin and chaos (cf. John 10:10). As one commentator once put it, demon “powers seek to ruin the man and sometimes drive him to self-destruction.” Though the forces that ravage this man are evil, they are not self-deceived. In a turn of irony, the demons recognize what the disciples have not yet, up to this point, fully grasped on their own. They address Jesus by name and confess him as “Son of the Most High God” (verse 7). The word used for “Most High” here is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament mainly by non-Israelites to denote the God of Israel (e.g. Genesis 14:18-22; Daniel 4:34). Thus the question of Mark 4:41 is answered, albeit from unclean lips. Even the powers of darkness know that they stand before the incarnate Son. Upon recognizing who they are dealing with, the demons beg to be allowed to enter a herd of swine — a request Jesus permits. This permission should not be understood as part of a negotiation, but instead as a divine decree. The demons’ destructive plunge into the sea (the “abyss of the sea” as Luke puts it in his account) reveals their nature. Bent on ruin, they destroy what they inhabit. And yet this also points to something provisional. The final judgment of the demonic realm awaits “the time” or “the hour” (cf. Matthew 8:29; Revelation 20:10). This act may have not yet put an end to Satan’s power, but it is the guarantee and the symbol of the definitive victory. As Dutch theologian Herman Ridderbos once put it, “The victory is a fact, but it only manifests itself as a sign [here].” The kingdom has broken in, Satan’s house is being plundered, but nevertheless, the consummation still lies ahead. Our narrative is framed by contrasting descriptions of the man’s former condition and his restored state. The one who terrified others as he ran naked among the tombs was now clothed; the one who had shrieked wildly and behaved violently was now fully recovered. So radical was the transformation that the townspeople were stunned and frightened (verse 17). Confronted with holy power, and perhaps mindful of the economic loss of an entire herd of pigs being destroyed, they prefer their former order to the presence of the Lord. The healed man, by contrast, becomes a herald in the Gentile lands, proclaiming what Jesus had done for him (verse 20). In the Decapolis, then, the God of Israel is glorified through the work of his Son. Whereas the last passage closed with a hanging question, this passage ends with contrasting reactions: One can either cling to the tombs and swine of this world, or sit at the feet of the Son of the Most High God, restored and sent forth. Discussion Questions 1. Looking at the Bible Share with the group some key phrases or ideas that stood out to you from the passage. 2. Looking at Jesus In verses 3-5, Mark emphasizes that no human “had the strength to subdue” this demon-possessed man, and no chain could bind him. When Jesus arrives, he doesn’t use physical force to overcome him. What might this suggest about the nature of Jesus’ power and authority? Scripture often conveys encounters with Jesus as transformative in nature. Does the idea of Jesus changing your life so radically scare you or excite you? Why might it be scary for someone? 3. Looking at Our Hearts Jesus also allows 2,000 pigs to be lost in order to save one unclean man. What might this choice reveal about the value Jesus places on a single human soul? Does your own perceived self-worth align with Jesus’ evaluation of you? What part of your life do you think Jesus would most like to see transformed? 4. Looking at Our World The Decapolis was the place of past shame for the demon-possessed man, the place where the townspeople chained him up. In spite of this, Jesus sends him back there. In a culture that often urges us to bury difficult experiences from our past, what does it suggest that Jesus sends this restored man back to the community that once rejected and restrained him? How might Christ’s authority to restore and commission reshape the way we think about painful chapters of our past? How might the redeeming power of Christ be displayed in and through your past pain? Prayer Pray for each other: Share any prayer requests you have. Pray for any areas of your group members’ lives that are in need of transformation.

March 8, 2026 | Read

Sermon

The Day Jesus Silenced a Super Storm

When a sudden storm threatens to sink the disciples’ boat, their fear exposes just how fragile their faith really is. In the chaos, Jesus speaks a word and a raging sea becomes a great calm, revealing that he is no mere teacher but the Lord of creation itself. The storms we face uncover our vulnerability, but they also invite us to trust the one who has faced the ultimate storm on our behalf. Watch this sermon as Jason Harris explores what the super storm reveals about our faith, our fears, and the Savior who stands sovereign over it all.

March 1, 2026 | Watch

Study Guide

The Day Jesus Silenced a Super Storm

Purpose To discover and experience Jesus Christ in our midst To cultivate mutually encouraging relationships To participate in God’s mission to the world Opening Prayer Responsive Prayer — Jonah 2 I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,     and he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,     and you heard my voice.  For you cast me into the deep,     into the heart of the seas,     and the flood surrounded me; All your breakers and your waves     passed over me. When my life was fainting away,     I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to you,     into your holy temple.  Those who pay regard to vain idols     forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving     will sacrifice to you; What I have vowed I will pay.    Salvation belongs to the Lord! Summary This week we continue our Lenten series entitled A Day in the Life of Jesus, during which we are exploring brief vignettes from the Gospels, seeking a realistic glimpse into a typical day in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Before turning directly to the passage, it’s helpful to understand the context, both textual and historical, so that we develop a fuller understanding of the narrative. Our text follows immediately upon Jesus’ teaching on the nature of parables (Mark 4:1-34), consistent with the broader structure of Mark’s Gospel in which word and deed go hand in hand, mutually interpreting one another in order to portray Jesus as the divine herald of the kingdom of God. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus will proclaim the nearness and character of the kingdom in his teaching and then demonstrate his authority and power in his actions.  There are also a few Old Testament connections worth mentioning, the first being obvious connections to the story of Jonah. Both events include a “great wind” upon the sea, a sleeping figure amidst the chaos, and terrified sailors. However, it is where the events diverge that is most interesting. While Jonah’s disobedience occasioned the storm, Jesus’ sovereign authority silences it. Where one might expect recapitulation based on the story’s setup, Jesus decisively shatters expectations. There is also a recall of the Psalms which declare that the Lord alone “commands and raises the stormy wind” and then makes “the storm be still” (Ps. 107:25-29; cf. Ps. 89:9), subtly placing Jesus within the identity and prerogatives of Israel’s God. This passage in Mark 4 bears particular marks of eyewitness testimony: specific time reference, somewhat superfluous mention of other boats, vivid detail about water filling the boat, and the precise location of Jesus in the boat. Such features accord well with the idea that the book as a whole relied heavily on the testimony of Peter, who was an eyewitness to these events and who had a personal relationship with its author, John Mark (Acts 12:12; 1 Peter 5:13). The geographical setting further gives shape to the scene. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by steep hills and is known for sudden violent storms funneled onto the waters by narrow clefts. Because winds typically intensify in the afternoon, fishing was often done at night, and so when a storm arises in the evening, it is all the more dangerous. The narrative itself peaks as the disciples, overwhelmed by the storm, wake Jesus with a pointed interrogation: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (verse 38). Their rebuke of Jesus could be thought of as a sort of crisis of faith, and rather than answering them in self defense, he rises and rebukes the wind and sea, “and there was a great calm” (verse 39). As New Testament scholar William Lane notes, this demonstration of power reveals Jesus as the personal, living God who intervenes in human experience. When he chooses to reveal his will, the forces of nature must submit. Following the miracle, the focus shifts from the elements to the internal state of the disciples. Jesus rebukes the disciples for the lack of faith revealed in their terror, inaugurating a pattern of correction that recurs throughout Mark (Mark 7:18; 8:17-21, 32-33; 9:19). Despite the privileged revelation granted to them (Mark 4:11, 34), the distinction between the disciples and the multitude is one of degree rather than kind. They have received some insight into the mystery of the kingdom as present in Jesus, yet they remain slow to grasp its implications. Jesus’ pointed question about faith concerns not their generic religiosity but their trust in God’s saving power as it is present and operative in his own person. Their partial understanding is exposed by their awe-filled response (verse 41). The narrative thus serves chiefly to display the “greatness” of their Lord: a great storm (verse 37), a great calm (verse 39), and a great fear (verse 41) frame the scene, directing attention to the surpassing authority of Jesus. The unanswered question lingers, summoning the reader to reckon with his identity. Discussion Questions 1. Looking at the Bible Share with the group some key phrases or ideas that stood out to you from the passage. 2. Looking at Jesus Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is declared to be the Christ (1:1; 8:29), the Son of God (1:1; 15:39), the Beloved Son (1:11; 9:7), the Holy One of God (1:24), the Son of the Most High God (5:7), the Son (12:6; 13:32), the Son of the Blessed (14:61-62), the Son of Man (2:10, 28), and the King of the Jews (15:2). If the disciples had boarded the boat fully believing these titles were true of Jesus, how might their reaction to the storm have changed? Mark uses two different forms of the word “fear” to describe the disciples’ reactions (verse 40 is more akin to cowardice; verse 41 could also be translated as reverence or awe). Which fear (that in verse 40 or that in verse 41) is a more appropriate response to Jesus’ identity? Why? 3. Looking at Our Hearts Read Ephesians 4:11-14. How could an increased knowledge of who Jesus is lead us to better withstand the wind and the waves that so often distract us and trip us up? 4. Looking at Our World The passage ends with a hanging question: the disciples wondering “Who then is this?” Mark leaves it open and impresses it upon his readers. Who does the world say that Jesus is today? What categories do you hear our culture use to explain him? In light of Jesus’ authority over nature in this passage, are those common explanations sufficient? Why or why not? C.S. Lewis once argued that, given Jesus’ claims, he must be either a lunatic, a liar, or Lord. Mark wants his readers to understand that Jesus is Lord. How might this passage account for that fact, and what might this require of you? Prayer Pray for each other: Share any prayer requests you have. We all strive to react well amidst the storms in our lives, but when they come, we so often lose our heads. Pray for your fellow group members to be rooted in their knowledge of Christ even amidst the wind and the waves.

March 1, 2026 | Read

Video

Is Christianity Escapist?

Christianity somewhat conveniently offers an unbelievable narrative that, if true, literally changes everything. Which raises the question: Is it possible that Christianity is simply wishful thinking — a framework generated by humans who were (and still are) looking to place their hope in a future that’s better than their reality?

April 18, 2025 | More...

Video

Can We be Good Without God?

Throughout human history, both the religious and non-religious have exhibited the capacity for doing good works. But when we turn to the question of universal moral obligations of goodness, does atheism hold up? Without a belief in God, there is a ceiling to how far goodness can reach.

September 30, 2024 | More...

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Grace, Then Gratitude

For many of us, the thing that we fear the most is being insignificant. This is why we are so driven and ambitious—we think that we have to do everything we can to prove that we are significant and that our life counts for something. We scramble to find whatever meaning, value, and purpose this world alone can offer.  Although it is true that there is no good or fulfilling life without significance, through Jesus we are offered not only significance but grace. While we may be tempted to try and prove our worth to God or others, God relates to us not on the basis of merit, but on the basis of grace. Our life is simply a response to his love. Accepted First God showers his love upon us simply because he loves us—not because of what we have done, will do, or what potential he may or may not see within us. This is what gives us absolute and utter security. If we do not do anything to win God's love, there is nothing that we could ever do to lose it either. Furthermore, grace means there is nothing we could ever do to make God love us more, and there is nothing we could ever do to make God love us less. His love for us is immovable. This is the difference between Christianity and every other religion. Religion requires you to obey before you are accepted. But the message of Christianity is that you are accepted in and through Jesus Christ first, despite all your faults and failures, and therefore, you obey—not in order to try to win God's love or out of obligation, but out of gratitude for the love you have first been shown. Consider the Exodus story. God could have given his people the Ten Commandments while they were living in bondage in Egypt and required them to follow the law before he rescued them. But instead, he rescues his people first. It is only after he delivers them from their bondage that he then gives them the law in order to show them how to live their lives in response to his love.  It is not law, then grace. It is grace, then gratitude. Contra-Conditional Love Grace is the most powerful force in the world. And yet, at the very same time, it is the most difficult thing for us to accept because it is an affront to our pride and self-sufficiency. When we accept God’s grace, we acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves.  Years ago I had a conversation with a college student who told me, “I hate the very concept of grace because I want God to love me for me. I want God to love me for the things I do for him because then I know what I'm worth. Then I know that I'm valuable.” I tried to help her see that grace is far better. Consider the words of Victor Hugo who said, “The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved—loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” God's love is not conditional or even unconditional. His love is contra-conditional. In Jesus Christ, he does not merely love us as we are. He loves us despite who we are and despite what we have done. That is why Pastor Jack Miller used to say, “Cheer up! You're worse than you think! But in Jesus Christ, you are more loved than you could ever imagine.” The House of David In 2 Samuel 7 we read that several decades after God raised David up to be the prince over Israel, David decides to build a house for the Lord. David is living in a luxurious house with paneled walls made out of fine cedar, and he realizes that by contrast, the Ark of the Covenant—the place where God said that he would dwell in the midst of his people—is being kept in a tent. It suddenly dawns on him that his housing is better than God’s! David, understandably, wants to do something for God by building him a permanent house.  But rather than allowing David to follow through with his plans, God responds by saying God is going to make a house for David, and David's son, in gratitude, will be the one who builds a house for the Lord. In 2 Samuel 7:16 God says, “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” God makes this unconditional promise to David—not because of any merit on David's part but out of sheer grace. This is how God works with all of us. Like David, we might want to go out there and do something great for God as a way to prove our worth or win other’s respect and admiration. But God’s grace always precedes our work. He makes the first move and takes the initiative. His grace comes first.  If you continue reading through the Bible, you discover the house of David eventually comes crashing down. The kingdom is plagued by civil war, and eventually, the Babylonians conquer David's kingdom, setting fire to the temple that Solomon builds and carrying away the last kings in the line of David into exile. And yet centuries before, the prophet Isaiah promises that one day a child will be born who will establish and uphold the throne of David with justice and righteousness forever.  The promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7 points us forward to Christ, the true son of God, who knows God as Father. That is why Jesus is repeatedly referred to as the Son of David. When Jesus begins his public ministry, he proclaims: “the kingdom of God is at hand.” And when Jesus establishes the kingdom of God, he says that he will build a house for the Lord in the midst of his people, not in a temple made out of human hands. This means that the moment we put our faith in Jesus, we become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Building for the Kingdom After becoming a Christian, we might start talking about bringing the kingdom, building the kingdom, advancing the kingdom, expanding the kingdom. But “bringing the kingdom” is precisely the one thing that we cannot do. Only Jesus can do that.  Matthew 6:33 tells us we are called to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” We are called to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, to testify to the kingdom, to inherit the kingdom. The kingdom is not something that we achieve through our own effort but rather something we receive as a gift of grace. But that does not mean that we are supposed to sit back and passively await the coming of the kingdom in its fullness. We may not be able to build the kingdom of God, but we can and must build for the kingdom of God. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright writes, “The final coming together of heaven and earth is, of course, God’s supreme act of new creation, for which the only real prototype—other than the first creation itself—was the resurrection of Jesus. God alone will sum up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. He alone will make the ‘new heavens and new earth.’ It would be the height of folly to think that we could assist in that great work. But what we can and must do in the present, if we are obedient to the gospel, if we are following Jesus, and if we are indwelt, energized, and directed by the Spirit, is to build for the kingdom…You are—strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself—accomplishing something that will become in due course part of God’s new world.  Every act of love, gratitude, and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one’s fellow human beings and for that matter one’s fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world—all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation that God will one day make. That is the logic of the mission of God.” The kingdom of God is a present reality because the kingdom is present in Jesus. It is a kingdom of grace, which means that it can only be received. That is why Jesus said in Luke 12:32, “‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’” He went on to say that only those who receive the kingdom like a child will ever enter it. How does a child receive the kingdom? With empty hands. Our faith does not add or contribute anything to our rescue. Faith is simply empty hands which receive what Jesus gives. And what Jesus gives us is himself. Wherever Jesus is, there is the kingdom. There is grace. ___ Adapted from David and The Good Life: Grace, a sermon delivered by Jason Harris on October 23, 2022. Listen to the sermon or read the full transcript. Christ and Contemporary Culture is a journal written by Jason Harris which reflects on the intersection between Jesus Christ and our contemporary culture. If you are skeptical or resistant to Christianity, the hope is that you might pause to reflect on your pre-existing ideas about the way things are and perhaps think again. For those who have embraced Christianity, these posts will serve to encourage you in your ability to communicate the gospel in a way that takes our current cultural context seriously. Produced by Mary-Catherine McKee

August 9, 2023 | Read

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Beyond Morality: Living a Life of Worship

When most of us think of the “good life,” we are not merely imagining an ethical or moral life but a life that is truly worth living, even in the face of the existential problems with which we must contend. Luc Ferry, a French philosopher and self-proclaimed atheist, offers this interesting thought experiment: Imagine we could wave a magic wand and cause everyone living today to begin treating one another perfectly, with equal dignity and respect. There would be no more war, genocide, racism, or xenophobia. There would be no need for a police force or a standing army. Our judicial system and prisons would eventually disappear. And yet, Ferry suggests that even if we were to wave that magic wand, the most profound existential challenges we face would still not be resolved. This is how he puts it,  “Still—and here I have to weigh each one of my words—none (I really mean none) of our most profound existential problems would be resolved if this came to pass. Nothing, even in a perfect realization of the most sublime morality, would prevent us from aging; from witnessing, powerless, the appearance of wrinkles and white hair; from falling sick, dying, and seeing our loved ones die; from worrying about the outcome of our children’s education or from struggling to achieve what we want for them. Even if we were saints, nothing would guarantee us a fulfilled emotional life.” The point is that morality is indispensable to human life. And yet, it is not enough.  We read in the story of David in 1 and 2 Samuel about the importance of living a life of worship before God. David is far from perfect, but that is not what matters. What matters is that whether winning a great victory or committing an egregious sin, David lives a life of repentance and faith. Whether in triumph or defeat, hope or despair, David does not run away from God. He runs towards God. And that is what fills his life with enduring meaning, value, and purpose. What Is Worship? The problem with religion is that it leads us to think of God like a genie in a bottle—rub the lamp and out will pop God to grant you your wishes. Religious people tend to think God is there to serve us, to fulfill all our dreams, and to make us feel good about ourselves. We assume that if we are good enough, pious enough, zealous enough, devout enough, if we say all the right prayers, observe all the right rituals, and keep all of the right rules, then God is obligated to bless us and to make our life go well. We are not really interested in God for who he is—we are merely using God to get whatever we want. And if God does not deliver, then we become angry, bitter, and resentful because he did not fulfill our expectations.  It is critical to realize that the real God will challenge our dreams, not merely fulfill them. The poet W.H. Auden once wrote that a Christian is someone who says, “I believe because He fulfills none of my dreams, because He is in every respect the opposite of what He would be if I could have made Him in my own image.” God is not here to serve us. We are here to serve him. In fact, in Hebrew the word “worship” and “serve” are the very same word. God is not here to worship us. We are here to worship him. God is not supposed to follow us according to our terms. Rather we are supposed to follow God on his terms. And if we do, then he promises that he will bless us—not out of necessity, but as a pure gift.  Christianity offers this unique view of salvation: God relates to us on the basis of sheer grace, which means that a relationship with God is not something that we achieve through our own efforts, but something we can only receive with empty hands. Religion leads us to say, “I obey, and therefore, God accepts me.” But the gospel tells us, “God accepts me, despite my sin, through the substitutionary sacrifice of another, and therefore I obey.” We strive to love, serve, and honor God, not motivated by mere duty or obligation, but motivated by gratitude and joy for what he has first done for us—not as a way to try to win God's love, but in order to demonstrate that we already have it. If we know that God has done absolutely everything that is necessary in order to cover our sin and put us in right relationship with himself, then that will infuse our life with insuppressible joy, regardless of our life circumstances or personal challenges. There is, of course, a rightful place for lament as we mourn those aspects of our lives or within the wider world that are not yet in line with his purposes. Nevertheless, the foundation of a Christian’s’ life must be one of joy. The English author G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul.” Why Worship Matters When Isaiah has a vision of the Lord seated enthroned above the ark of the cherubim in Isaiah 6:5, he immediately says, “‘Woe is me! For I am lost!’” Isaiah acknowledges that he is a sinner and “a man of unclean lips.” But despite Isaiah’s sin, God does not strike him down. Instead, one of the seraphim flies to the altar, the place of the sacrifice, and removes one of the burning coals and places it on the lips of Isaiah saying: “‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’” God has now made Isaiah clean.  This, of course, was just a vision. We get something far better. There are only two places in the New Testament where the Greek word for “mercy seat” or “place of atonement” is used—once in Romans 3 and once in Hebrews 9. In both cases, “mercy seat” or “place of atonement” is used not to describe a place but a person. Hebrews 10 tells us that the blood of bulls and goats could never do anything to actually take away people's sin. This is just a symbol meant to prepare us for the ultimate high priest who does not enter the most holy place within a humanly constructed temple, but rather he enters into the presence of the divine being himself. And there he offers not the sacrifice of an animal, but rather the sacrifice of his very own self. He gives himself for us so that our sin might be covered by his blood, and so that God in his mercy might forgive us and cleanse us so that we can enter into his holy presence and live. Jesus is the mercy seat and the place of atonement. He is the true prince of peace and the one who makes it possible for us to approach the throne of grace and live. And the mercy seat is open, still.  The gospel tells us that God is so holy and you and I really are so flawed that Jesus had to die. There was no other way for us to be able to enter into God's holy presence and live. And yet, at the same time, God is so loving and you and I are so valuable, that Jesus was willing to die for us. When you take these two truths deep into your heart and into your life, then that is what unlocks the joy. Morality and ethics are essential and important, but they are not sufficient to actually live the “good life.”  The Westminster Shorter Catechism, a historic document of faith from the 1600s, begins with this question: What is the chief end of man? In other words, what is the meaning of life? The answer is short: To glorify God and to enjoy him forever. As C.S. Lewis astutely observed, those two commands are actually one and the same. In commanding us to worship him, God is inviting us to enjoy him. The only way in which we truly learn to live the “good life” is through worship, by living our lives before the God of grace. And when we do, it will fill our lives with insuppressible joy.  ___ Adapted from David and The Good Life: Worship, a sermon delivered by Jason Harris on October 16, 2022. Listen to the sermon or read the full transcript. "Christ and Contemporary Culture" is a journal written by Jason Harris which reflects on the intersection between Jesus Christ and our contemporary culture. If you are skeptical or resistant to Christianity, the hope is that you might pause to reflect on your pre-existing ideas about the way things are and perhaps think again. For those who have embraced Christianity, these posts will serve to encourage you in your ability to communicate the gospel in a way that takes our current cultural context seriously. Produced by Mary-Catherine McKee

May 18, 2023 | Read