1. Nothing stands against you. Only Christ stands now, and he is for you, more for you than you could ever know, for you like nothing else that has ever loved you.
  2. Every part of Jesus’ encounter with Mary Magdalene in John 20 was incredibly intentional and personal for God to systematically redeem what was lost.
  3. What the gospel promises is not escape from our humanity, but resurrection from the dead.
  4. This book is not in your hands so that we can simply commiserate with each other’s difficulties. It is meant to pierce your sin-darkened night with the light of God’s Word.
  5. I want the beginning of my funeral to be focused on Jesus, as well as the middle, the end, and every point in between.
  6. Free-range Christ is fearful Christ because he is present, speaking, and I just crucified him.
  7. Sometimes loss is gain. Sometimes defeat is victory. Sometimes weakness is strength. Sometimes death is life. Sometimes, that is, when Christ is at the center, on his cross and not in his tomb.
  8. God has found a way to be God even for the likes of us. He has found a way to save sinners.
  9. The Messiah is exiled from God on the cross as Israel was. Forsaken as Israel was forsaken. Cast away from Yahweh as Israel was. Why?
  10. Today, Maundy Thursday, we receive the feast of Christ’s true body and blood for us, for the forgiveness of our sins. All of them.
  11. How fitting that we have our feet washed by the very God from whom we once ran in terror and shame.
  12. Christ has come to make every last aspect of your life the object of his eternal, never-ending, always transitive grace.