Sometimes our world can look dark, whether from the many wars and terrible things that happen across the earth, or from the problems and trials we ourselves face. And it was the same in Jesus’ day. At the start of Luke chapter 3, which sets the scene for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Luke lets us know a little bit of what the world was like in Jesus’ day by telling us who was in power at the time:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…

This collection of seven rulers makes for a pretty dark list! Tiberius Caesar, an emperor whose armies were occupying Jesus’ homeland , Pontius Pilate the local leader of the occupying forces who was complicit in the murder of Jesus, the Tetrarchs Herod and Philip, sons of the murderous tyrant Herod the Great, who lived decadent lives and had John the Baptist summarily executed, and Annas and Caiaphas, the religious leaders who tried to stop what God was doing through Jesus. A world that was ruled by such men would have often been a dark place to live in.

However, God chose these dark times to do the most amazing thing – to come down from heaven and come to humanity in the form of his son Jesus Christ! This should be an encouragement to us when we feel that the world around us is dark. Instead of despairing we should instead wait in hope for God to act, and trust that he ultimately will act to end all evil and suffering in the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Ben Soderlund

I have enjoyed our study of Nehemiah over the past few weeks and it’s exciting, action packed and triumphal story of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. But the final chapter of Nehemiah, chapter 13, ends on a note of disappointment. So much so that biblical scholar Don Carson quips that a good alternative title for Nehemiah might be the ‘Triumph and Failure of Reformation and Revival’!

In the final chapter, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem for a second term as Governor, only to find that all those promises the people made to once again live according to God’s covenant… have been broken. The spiritual reforms that Nehemiah and Ezra brought in turned out to be short lived and skin deep. Jerusalem’s walls might be restored, but the hearts of God’s people still need much work.

Chronologically Nehemiah is set right near the end of the Old Testament’s story. And its ending that highlights the reality of human sin, is discouraging. But this ending also sets the seen for Jesus to come to God’s people and do for them what Nehemiah could not; rebuild their hearts!

And on Palm Sunday, hope begins that Nehemiah’s disappointment might be overturned! Because Jesus finally accomplished on his cross what God had long promised his people: ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; ‘I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26).

So let us be thankful for Jesus, the Greater Nehemiah, who came to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, ultimately to die on Good Friday, to once and for all take away the sin of his people.

Rev. Ben Soderlund