jonosmith.com

I just trimmed the fat off my blog:

• 3 Posts per page
• 15 Categories
• 1 Archive list
• and a Twitter feed

Hope the lean version still works for ya.

Psalm 14:1
“The FOOL says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

Hope you have a great April 1st!

Last Sunday morning I experimented with a sermon style that I’ve never tried before. Normally I preach from a few dot-points on post-it notes stuck to my Bible.

But on this occasion I decided to retell the story of Jesus before Pilate, using the 4 Gospel accounts and adding in background historical information as I went.

There was a technical hitch, and the sermon wasn’t recorded, but here’s an excerpt, if you’re interested:

Pilate looks at Jesus’ battered face and asks: Are you the King of the Jews?’

King of the Jews!
Perhaps Jesus, the God-man, looks into the near future and sees that same inscription nailed to the Cross above his bloodied, broken, crucified body…
He looks further and sees a billion Christians, just like you and me, trusting in Him as the promised Messiah – The King of the Jews!
Perhaps there is a moment of silence.

If Jesus says nothing then he will be condemned to die – (in the Roman system) the outcome of a trial depended heavily on the prisoners’ defense…

But Jesus, with lips fattened with bloody bruises, answers: ‘You say so.’

The ball is thrown back in Pilate’s court!
The Jews begin to hurl evidence and accusations.
The trap has snapped shut! They will not let the miracle working teacher go now.

Pilate implores Jesus to refute the myriad charges!
But now Jesus is silent.
His hour has come.

700 years before this fateful morning, a man of God named Isaiah prophesied:
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus says nothing because the time of slaughter has come…

Any thoughts on using story telling / narrative to preach God’s word?