Theological term
Pentecost
2 sermons · All terms
The Joy Associated with Christ's Departure
John 16:16–24 records Jesus preparing his disciples for the grief of his death and the joy of his resurrection, framing both under the single announcement 'a little while.' This exposition works through two movements: the announcement of Christ's departure and the disciples' confusion (vv. 16–18), and then the benefits of that departure — lasting joy grounded in the resurrection, and direct access to the Father through prayer in Christ's name (vv. 19–24). The sermon argues that the joy promised here is not the absence of suffering or temporal prosperity, but an indestructible joy rooted in Christ's finished work of life, death, resurrection, and ascension, a joy no adversary can strip from the believer.
CTF 2024 Session 5 - Confessional Guidelines for Scripture Interpretation
Christ is the scopus scripturae — the bullseye around which the entire canon coheres. Drawing on Luke 24, John 5, and Acts 2, this lecture argues that the Old Testament was a messianic document independent of Christ's own self-witness, and that the apostles, particularly Peter, interpreted Scripture exactly as Jesus taught them: finding the sufferings and glory of Christ throughout the law, prophets, and writings. The session establishes that when Scripture cites and explains Scripture, the explanatory words need not appear in the cited text — a pattern that legitimates expository preaching and creedal formulation alike.