VALLEYVIEW COMMUNITY CHURCH

Death of the Monster God - Brian Zahnd

March 15, 2015

 

Brian Zahnd is the pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph Missouri and the author of numerous books.  He has been an influential voice in the life of Pastor Jason and in this message Pastor Brian makes the necessary distinction between the Zeus-like God full of angry, accusative wrath that needs to be appeased and the God we see revealed in Jesus on the cross--full of mercy and forgiveness.  

 

God the Father is not an angry deity needing to be appeased by the death of His Son in order to forgive sins.  Rather, God is fully revealed in Jesus forgiving the sins of humanity, even as they murdered him on the cross.

 

You can follow Brian Zahnd at his blog: www.brianzahnd.com or church www.wolc.com

CSI JERUSALEM

 

 

 

Investigating the Scene of the World's Greatest Crime

(Lent 2015)

 

The cross reveals both a divine beauty and an evil ugliness.  On the cross we see the depths of God's unfailing love, revealed in the self-giving death of Jesus.  We also see the hideousness of individual and systemic evil, manifested in forms of religious violence and political power that are in constant competition with Jesus and his kingdom.

 

In this series, we take a long hard look at both the beauty and ugliness revealed in the cross as we examine three suspects in the murder of Jesus--God the Father, Caiaphas the High Priest, and Pilate the Roman Governor--to see how they reveal aspects of both the beauty and the ugliness of the cross.

 

 

Jesus: Lamb of God, Goat of Men

March 22, 2015

 

In the character of Caiaphas the High Priest involved in plotting the murder of Jesus, we see one powerful way to create unity amongst people--by coming together in common disdain for a person or people group that are deemed a threat.  In the case of Jesus, his life and teachings were seen as a threat to both the religious and political structures of first century Rome and Caiaphas was able to unite with Pilate, Herod and the people against Jesus.

 

Essentially, Jesus the Lamb of God, became the scapegoat of the people as he absorbed the violence and evil of the people (and all of humanity) on the cross.  In becoming the ultimate scapegoat, Jesus exposes both the human propensity to religious violence and blame, while revealing God's mercy and forgiveness.

 

 

 

The Cross and the Sword - Jason Tripp

March 29, 2015

 

God is often seen and proclaimed as Almighty and All-powerful.  While all Christians throughout history have acknowledged God as 'omnipotent', the way in which God reveals his power is contrary to the power structures of the world.

 

On the cross we see God's wisdom and power displayed in a manner that is foolishness in the eyes of many (1 Cor. 1:18-31) including Pilate, the Roman Governor.  In his pre-crucifixion trial and conversations with Pilate we see that not only is Jesus on trial, but also the power structures of political power and violence are also on display.