If the Christian faith had one central “anchor point,” it would be this: Jesus is not only alive in some vague spiritual sense. The resurrection is presented in Scripture as a bodily resurrection. A real body was crucified. A real body was washed and wrapped. A real body was laid in a tomb. And that body is gone.
That emphasis matters because the gospel is not merely advice about how to live. It is a historical proclamation about what God has done in Christ.
If the Christian faith had one central “anchor point,” it would be this: Jesus is not only alive in some vague spiritual sense. The resurrection is presented in Scripture as a bodily resurrection. A real body was crucified. A real body was washed and wrapped. A real body was laid in a tomb. And that body is gone.
That emphasis matters because the gospel is not merely advice about how to live. It is a historical proclamation about what God has done in Christ.
If the cross has become “ordinary” in your mind, Luke 23 is meant to take the lid off that familiarity. Not by overwhelming you with new facts, but by reintroducing you to what is holy, heavy, and glorious. This section of Luke gives us the historical account of Jesus’ crucifixion and death, and it does something else too: it keeps insisting that Christ’s death was never merely tragic. It was purposeful, theological, and deeply personal.
In Luke 23, you do not just watch Jesus suffer. You watch how He speaks, how He prays, and how His approach to death reaches people who seem least likely to respond: a man who is forced to carry the cross, women mourning along the road, a hardened criminal, and even a Roman centurion.
There is a debate among Christians about methods of evangelism. Should be more direct or subtle when presenting the gospel? While on the campus of Clemson, a Christian came and asked about our approach.
What are your thoughts? Should we be more direct or subtle when dealing with sin and the solution for sin? Leave your comments below.
Interactions like this resulted in many one-on-one conversations with students at Clemson.
Innocent babies are being aborted in Greenville, SC. Join us (and other Christians) to expose this wickedness.
Since the government of South Carolina refuses to abolish abortion, our church goes out to interpose and help moms choose life for their children.
Friday Night Gospel(2) On Friday evening, our church evangelizes in downtown Greenville, SC. Meet some of the members from Grace as they explain why God has convicted them to come out to share the gospel.
Grace Promo 2(1) At Grace, we believe that the sign of a healthy church is one that spends time together (beyond the Sunday Service) fellowshipping, evangelizing, and engaging our culture with the truth of the gospel.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church 