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Sermons, lectures and teachings from Christ Church Jerusalem, founded 1849 as a center of prayer for all nations with worship reflecting the Jewish context of the gospel.
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Ancient Israel was thrown into despair and hopelessness in 722 BC when Assyria conquered much of its land in the north (Zebulun and Naphtali). Yet the prophet Isaiah could foresee a time when gloom would turn to joy because “a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” In many societies today we find ourselves in such darkness that gloom, fear, and despondency cover our lands. The Good News is that the Son and His invitation have been given: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
In the first chapter of John we encounter three questions: Who is Jesus? What do you want? Where are you staying? These questions are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago, challenging us to set our desires in order and to abide with Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River is commonly thought to be the same rite that is practiced by Christians today. But there are significant differences and much for Christians today to consider carefully in that account – especially John’s call to repentance, hearing the voice of God, and the need to "fulfill all righteousness.” When understood in the context of Matthew’s Gospel, this phrase helps us focus on what is important and not end up majoring on minors.
The Season of Epiphany or of the Revelation of the Messiah begins with the Journey of the Magi, priests of the Zoroastrian faith from the Medo-Persian empire, who set out on a journey to find the promised Messiah, the King of the Jews. In this message Michael N. takes us on a journey through history, geography and the prophets, to a promised prophetic highway that will be a blessing on the Earth (Isaiah 19). It’s fulfillment is part of the good news of the Kingdom that brings Jews and Gentiles together in Messiah that has implications on how we live our lives in this present evil age as we long for HIs appearing.
This line from a popular Buffalo Springfield song sums up well the life of King Herod the Great. His insecurity and fear drove him to rule with a cruel hand, killing members of his own family and slaughtering the innocents in Bethlehem. This is not just First Century history; it is also a tale of our times. The worrisome rise of uncertainty and paranoia is causing many to look for scapegoats (anti-Semitism) and to demand an immediate fix for our problems. But it's the expanding rule and reign of King Jesus that is the best response to such recklessness, which, if left unchecked, will bring disaster upon us all.
In this Christmas Day message, Rev. Tom Burden, Director of CMJ Israel, talks about Luke 2:1-20 and how God reached down into the real world to live for us.
John the Baptist grew up hearing the promises of the Messiah foretold through the prophets. He also would have heard of his own miraculous birth—and that of Jesus. The prophecies regarding John were not all ancient, his parents knew prophecies and prophesied. John was also a prophet who bore witness to the Messiah and prepared the way for Him in the wilderness. But in a time of trial, faithful John was still confused and questioning what he knew to be true—not because he wasn’t faithful but because trials can be very difficult to go through.
James tells us that we are to be patient in times of trials until the coming of the Lord. But God will come and judge. So we must prepare ourselves for His coming.
The season of Advent calls us to repentance, humility, and spiritual readiness and directs us to align our lives with God’s purposes even in these times of uncertainty and conflict. Biblical hope enables us to trust and remain faithful while looking forward to the fulfilment of God’s redemptive work in Jesus the Messiah.
Jesus teaches us to watch and prepare for His return. Yet that teaching is relevant for more than just the Last Days. It prepares us for the unexpected and helps us remain faithful in the face of disappointment, misfortune, or disaster. And it enables us not to miss the day of God's visitation.
Archbishop Foley Beach’s sermon “How to Persevere in Good Times and Bad” encourages believers to stay faithful and grounded in Christ no matter their circumstances. He teaches that perseverance is not based on whether life is easy or difficult, but on trusting God’s unchanging character, maintaining spiritual discipline, and guarding against both complacency in good times and despair in hard times. Ultimately, he calls listeners to anchor their hope and identity in Christ so they can remain steady, obedient, and spiritually resilient through every season.
When reading prophetic passages we often overlook that they have something to teach us today. Paul, when warning the Thessalonians not to be deceived about the Lord’s coming, highlights the need to love the truth and adhere to the tradition that he handed down to the church. This will also help us to stand firm in difficult times and enable us to resist the deception and lawlessness and in our midst.
The first chapter of Ephesians is one of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament and has inspired uncountable sermons and commentaries. But if we overlook its Jewish context, we miss the full riches of what Paul is teaching about our identity in the Messiah of Israel.
The parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee may not be as simple and straightforward as it appears. One Jewish theologian has suggested that Jesus set a trap for his listeners in order to expose the ever present self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the human heart. But we just don't hear how shocking this story is unless we understand its social and historical context
Luke 18:1-8 presents a parable, alternately named the parable of the Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow. Jesus deliberately parodies the reality of God as a faithful judge. While we might doubt earthly authority, God has always been faithful and remains faithful. Nonetheless, we often lose hope. We look at the world and don’t see justice, righteousness, or faithfulness or we forget that God is faithful and so we do whatever is right in our own eyes. Until the day of the Lord comes, we must not lose hope and become faithless.
After Jesus healed the ten lepers only one came back to express his gratitude. This story in Luke’s gospel teaches us that our worship cannot be separated from gratitude for what God has done for us. His instructions for celebrating during Succot highlight the ways we should rejoice and also avoid the pitfalls that keep us from expressing heartfelt thankfulness.
When the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, what are they requesting? A related passage in Habbakuk reads, “The just shall live by his faith (Heb.emunah). This word has a cluster of meanings: trust, belief, persistence, fidelity or faithfulness. By examining the times in which Habbakuk lived (not much different from ours) we can come to a better understanding of what it means for us to live by His faithfulness.
The Feast of Michael and All Angels draws our attention to the nature of spiritual warfare and the battle that intensified with satan’s rage at Jesus’ enthronement. This Feast Day highlights an aspect of the gospel which is more than receiving our great salvation by faith. It gives us our marching orders as agents of King Jesus, calling us to advance His influence and authority over the enemy. Although we’re caught up in the hostilities, the Book of Revelation assures us that despite any causalities along the way, our resilience and testimony will overcome.
The story of Abraham, especially the binding of Isaac, has become closely associated with the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah. Abraham was promised great blessing, yet his life was full of challenges and hardships from start to finish. At the beginning, God asked him to give up his past and go to a foreign land … somewhere. Even towards the end of his life the testing wasn’t over. Abraham was asked to give up his future–his beloved son, Isaac. After undergoing so much why did God continue to test him? Why does the Lord continue to test us? And what’s the connection with the blowing of the shofar?
As we approach the season of repentance and intercession in the biblical/Jewish calendar, we turn our focus to mercy and justice and to God who is both. In the discourse on Mt. Sinai, Moses did not relent from interceding before God for a sinful people revealing some essential truths about the cost and the power of intercession.
We often find ourselves in messy entanglements in our families, work, and more, that seem to be beyond our control. These situations often confuse and immobilize us from living the way that God desires. Today’s readings (highlighting Moses, Jesus, and Paul) shed light on how we can live faithfully in the midst of life’s complications.
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