Word of Life Church Podcast

On the Mount of Transfiguration eternity broke into time, and Peter, James, and John saw in their present what we would call the future—they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Also, Moses and Elijah, who in the distant past had left this world, also experienced the Second Coming in what they would call their present.

Render unto Caesar his silver coin when he wants it back in the form of taxes. But never render your sacred soul unto Caesar. Your soul is reserved for bearing the divine image of Christ, not the beastly image of Caesar. Jesus Christ is the icon of God, and we are called to become icons of Christ.

When the multitude wanted to make him king
Put a crown upon his head
Why did he slip away to a quiet place instead?
–Bob Dylan, “In the Garden”

Paul's great yearning is to know Christ. Of course, Paul knows Christ. He met him on the Damascus Road. He preached him for thirty years. But the holy yearning remains. To know Christ is to know the infinite God, and so the yearning is infinite.

What does the story of Absalom have to do with Jesus and the cross? In this sermon we explore the striking parallels between two sons of David who reveal two radically different ways of becoming king. Discover how humility, self-giving love, and obedience bring a kingdom unlike any kingdom of this world.