the Fifth Sunday in Martyrs’ Tide


Sermon Starter

The picture of a pet crouching under a table waiting for food to drop from the children’s meal is the word picture that lies at the heart of one the greatest confessions of faith in the Bible.  It also lies at the heart of one of the more puzzling statements that Jesus made during His ministry.

Jesus was in the process of preparing His disciples for His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection.  The disciples were struggling because they couldn’t conceive of the idea that Jesus would allow the authorities to arrest Him, try Him, and crucify Him.  The things that Jesus was trying to teach them were simply not part of their worldview.