Christos anesti! O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. or this O God, who... Read more

Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι, ζωὴν χαρισάμενος! … Christ is risen from the dead, Trampling down death by death, And upon those in the tombs Bestowing life! Read more

One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions Kavin Rowe is Professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School. The following interview revolves around his latest book, One True Life: The Stoics and Early Christians as Rival Traditions  David Moore conducted the interview. Dave’s work can be found at www.twocities.org and www.mooreengaging.com. Note to Jesus Creed Community: I am fortunate to read many good books and interview several authors each year. Every so often a truly seminal... Read more

The Eastern Orthodox Church has a major emphasis on Good Friday through Easter and the emphasis is on what is sometimes called the “harrowing of hell,” the descent of Christ into hell between the Cross and the Resurrection. The idea is that Christ entered into Hades after his death and raided hell to ransom the righteous of the Old Testament. This is the classical theology of Holy Saturday. Clearly, then, the death prior to Christ’s death was not final. Is... Read more

What’s this Saturday without Sister Jean? SAN ANTONIO — Sister Jean has stirred up some controversy. Loyola’s 98-year-old chaplain, who has become the unquestioned star of the NCAA tournament, was asked during her media availability Friday — yes, she had a media availability — if God was a basketball fan. He is, she said. And he likes the NCAA better than the NBA. “I’ll wager that your viewer audience is very large this time and that if you compare it... Read more

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished... Read more

By Geoff Holsclaw: a professor at Northern Seminary and pastor at Life on the Vine. Geoff is giving away a mini-course on The 3 Forgotten Reasons for Jesus’ Death. Focusing on blood is tough for most living in the US—especially sacrificial blood. We don’t really have any category for that. And yet, if we are to celebrate our redemption in Christ as we did in the previous post on the Evangelical Preaching of the Cross: Redemption, then we must affirm that—in some way—... Read more

It’s Good Friday; we focus on the unjust crucifixion of Jesus’ death, his willingness to go to the cross for us and on our behalf, and at the same time his cross becomes the paradigm of Christian living. So today we look at Good Friday faith in 1 Clement 29-32. First, Clement urges the Corinthians (Clement, remember, is in Rome) to holiness, understood as worship and love of God. This is right because holiness is about God and God’s presence... Read more

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. John 13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come... Read more