Pilate was an official of imperial Rome. Jesus stood before him as an accused traitor. The Jews claimed he was a king trying to usurp the power of Caesar. Pilate had a responsibility to question Jesus and assess whether or not He was truly a threat to the Roman empire. If Jesus was a king leading a rebellion, the Romans would oppose Him and His followers with the force of Roman legions. The empire was built on Roman military power, and Romans did not tolerate opposition to their power. But Pilate’s interview revealed that Jesus was not a threat. As a matter of fact, Pilate would conclude, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (Jn 18:38).

Still, Pilate was afraid to release Jesus for fear that the Jews would create problems with Caesar. Then, Pilate would be assigned an even worse place to govern than Israel. Pilate became downright terrified when he learned that Jesus claimed not only to be a king, but also the Son of God (John 19:8). To appease the Jews, Pilate issued the order for this king of the Jews to be crucified.

Norman Vincent Peale once said, “In comparison with the Great Depression of the 1930s, the recent recessions are like Sunday school picnics.” During the Great Depression, many people went hungry. Others stood in long lines for soup kitchens. Someone with a light touch said, “We occasionally see signs: ‘Keep off the grass.’ In the Depression they read, ‘Don't eat the grass.’”

The multitudes who came to Jesus in the uninhabited area in John 6 were told to sit down, for “there was plenty of grass in that place” (John 6:10). But the hungry people didn’t have to eat the grass; Jesus had real food in mind for them. He satisfied the hunger of all by miraculously multiplying five barley loaves and two small fish. He increased a young boy’s lunch to be lunches thousands of men, women and children.

A small band has left the church and are now gathered at the cemetery. They are gathered together to lay to rest the body of their dear brother in Christ.

They understand what this place is. It is a quiet place. It is a solemn place. It is the place where so many of their Christian brothers and sisters have been buried. The grandfather who died in his sleep. The mother who lost her battle with breast cancer. The teenager whose car careened into the ditch in an ice storm. The premature infant who died in her mother’s arms.

This is a place of grief. A place of heartache. A place of mourning.

Have you purchased your Vivos underground shelter yet? Vivos is a company that builds and sells fortified underground shelters that are said to “withstand virtually everything.”

You never know when your existence will be threatened by an earthquake, tsunami, nuclear fallout, a terrorist EMP attack, asteroid strikes, widespread anarchy, or a pandemic that turns the infected into zombies or wipes out humanity to make the earth a planet of the apes. While the earth is going insane, you can live in safety and security for up to a year in your fully-stocked underground shelter.

It is always good to know a few Latin phrases that you can use to season your conversations.

“Carpe diem” = “Seize the day.” Use this phrase when you’ve been diagnosed with a terminal disease. You aren’t going to waste time meaninglessly, so you seize the day.

“Veni, vidi, vici” = “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Use this phrase when you are facing any huge obstacle – cancer, an athletic event, or that huge pile of laundry in your son’s bedroom.

“Semper ubi sub ubi.” My high school Latin teacher taught me this three decades ago. It was good advice then. It is good advice now. “Always wear underwear.”

My daughter, Miriam, is a freshman at UW River Falls. She has only been on campus for two months, but she has already had numerous opportunities to give a witness to and present a defense of her faith.

Have you noticed that we are living in a time in our country when marriages are really under attack? We live in a country where family values are being eroded by movies and TV. Where the court system has confused the definition of marriage so that a wedding between a man and a woman is considered old-fashioned and naïve. Where many are confused about what it means to be a man or a woman anymore. Where sex is mistaken for love; living together is preferred over marriage; and unborn children are looked upon as a burden.

Barb started worshiping with us at Epiphany about two years ago. When Barb came for Wednesday night worship, she brought her son, Keith, her daughter-in-law, Chrissy, and their three children, Michael, Matthew, and Katelynn. I baptized the three children in June of 2014. That’s when Chrissy took our adult instruction classes to join Epiphany. Her husband, Keith, had no interest in church, though.

Then, God, in His grace and providence, got Grandma involved.

Two weeks ago, my mom suffered a stroke. All three of us children left our job and family responsibilities and gathered at the Aurora Hospital in Grafton. My sister, Brenda, left her Alpaca farm and family in Stevens Point to spend days in the hospital with mom. My other sister, Dawn, flew from Vermillion, South Dakota, to be at the hospital. I was able to move things around to stay a few days, too.

After a week in Aurora, as mom got healthier, she was moved to the Sacred Heart Hospital in Milwaukee for physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Since Dawn is a Division 1 Women’s Basketball coach, she spent the most time with mom. She knows how to communicate well with people, take notes, get things done, and deal with stubborn parents. She did a fantastic job.

I want a show of hands. How many of you watched all of the Packers/Bears game on Sunday night? You’re good fans. You witnessed a thrilling 24-23 come-from-behind victory as the Packers scored on three straight fourth quarter possessions.

I want another show of hands. How many of you turned off the game at halftime? Only me? I’m OK admitting that I’m a fair-weather fan. The franchise quarterback looked like he was out for the season and the backup quarterback allowed a fumble sack and a pick six. It was ugly. I had better things to do than watch what I thought would be a 54-0 debacle.

When I woke up Monday morning, I checked the score on my phone. I couldn’t believe it! I had to turn on SportsCenter to watch the highlights of the fourth quarter.