The Big Buts of Passion Week
Introduction
For many, the thought of reading or studying the Bible is imposing. As a Pastor and Bible teacher, I’ve often heard people say “I don’t know where to start” or “I don’t understand what I’ve read”. Many times that will lead to setting their Bibles aside and giving up.
Consider the word ‘but’ for a moment. Not very imposing, is it? It’s a little three letter conjunction that is used numerous times each day, in virtually every dialogue you enter into. ‘Thank you, but’ is understood as a very polite rejection of an offer. ‘I’m sorry, but’ may cause you to question the authenticity of an apology. Why, even in traffic court the Judge is likely to give you three options: a plea of guilty, not guilty, or guilty - but with an explanation. Yes, I’ve been to traffic court. What can I say? Sometimes when you work for the Lord you have to go very fast! I thought about choosing the ‘guilty but’ option and trying that line on the Judge. ‘But’, I thought better of it.
My point is that in each of those examples the word ‘but’ stands as a great clarifier and lends tremendously to our understanding of what is actually being communicated. The same is
true where the written word is concerned. The same is true of your Bible.
For many years I’ve joked that I should write a book entitled ‘The Big Buts of the Bible’. As often as that word appears in Scripture it brings clarity to the text. I’ll offer you the same advice I’ve given for years: wherever you see the little three letter conjunction ‘but’ in your Bible, underline it, highlight it, or make a little star next to it, because it’s going to help you get more out of the passage you’re reading.
This blog series is intended to help you get the most out of your Bible reading and devotional time this Easter Season. My hope is that you will set aside a few minutes each day during this Passion Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday) to revisit the days leading up to and including Jesus death, burial and resurrection.
Each morning this week I will post a devotional that includes suggested passages for you to read that roughly correspond to the days of the week as Jesus experienced them. I’ll also outline a few of my thoughts from the four gospels around the appearances of the word ‘but’, hoping to stir your thoughts and devotions a bit. I pray that you will be blessed the Easter season and always as you walk in relationship to our risen Lord!
For many, the thought of reading or studying the Bible is imposing. As a Pastor and Bible teacher, I’ve often heard people say “I don’t know where to start” or “I don’t understand what I’ve read”. Many times that will lead to setting their Bibles aside and giving up.
Consider the word ‘but’ for a moment. Not very imposing, is it? It’s a little three letter conjunction that is used numerous times each day, in virtually every dialogue you enter into. ‘Thank you, but’ is understood as a very polite rejection of an offer. ‘I’m sorry, but’ may cause you to question the authenticity of an apology. Why, even in traffic court the Judge is likely to give you three options: a plea of guilty, not guilty, or guilty - but with an explanation. Yes, I’ve been to traffic court. What can I say? Sometimes when you work for the Lord you have to go very fast! I thought about choosing the ‘guilty but’ option and trying that line on the Judge. ‘But’, I thought better of it.
My point is that in each of those examples the word ‘but’ stands as a great clarifier and lends tremendously to our understanding of what is actually being communicated. The same is
true where the written word is concerned. The same is true of your Bible.
For many years I’ve joked that I should write a book entitled ‘The Big Buts of the Bible’. As often as that word appears in Scripture it brings clarity to the text. I’ll offer you the same advice I’ve given for years: wherever you see the little three letter conjunction ‘but’ in your Bible, underline it, highlight it, or make a little star next to it, because it’s going to help you get more out of the passage you’re reading.
This blog series is intended to help you get the most out of your Bible reading and devotional time this Easter Season. My hope is that you will set aside a few minutes each day during this Passion Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday) to revisit the days leading up to and including Jesus death, burial and resurrection.
Each morning this week I will post a devotional that includes suggested passages for you to read that roughly correspond to the days of the week as Jesus experienced them. I’ll also outline a few of my thoughts from the four gospels around the appearances of the word ‘but’, hoping to stir your thoughts and devotions a bit. I pray that you will be blessed the Easter season and always as you walk in relationship to our risen Lord!
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