This must surely be one of the best-known chapters in the minor prophets, and surely this verse that I have read out to you must be one of the most important words in the whole of the Old Testament. There is so much in it; there is everything it. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Let me just remind you of the background to this chapter. God’s ancient people were in great trouble, great sadness, and especially their governor Zerubbabel, both personally and also concerning the state of Israel at that time. It seemed they were disappointed. It seemed there was no answer. It seemed they had failed. It seemed their enemies had prevailed. It seemed…

This is a wonderful chapter, but the second half of it seems completely different. Really, it is an account of the Lord Jesus calling five unworthy sinners to the knowledge of Himself, five unworthy sinners who all later became disciples, and every case completely different. If you carefully look at them, in one case it was John the Baptist’s preaching; in another it was Andrew’s personal testimony; in another it was the Lord Jesus speaking Himself. It is that point which has been emphasised so much here in recent times, and rightly so: the mysterious sovereignty of God in calling sinners by grace. There are no two cases alike. Wherever the Lord works in sinners’ hearts, they are all led to the same place: a…

There is a similar circumstance in these events in ancient Israel and the state of us as a church and as a nation today. First of all, it was a time of great sadness in Israel, and especially a time of sadness to Joshua to whom these words were spoken. Moses was about to die, and O what a terrible loss this was for God’s ancient people. He had ruled them, he had led them wisely. Most of them could not remember a time without him. But what were things going to be like when Moses was taken from them? So it was a time of crisis in Israel, and there must have been many thoughts among the people. There was the personal sadness, the…

Surely this is one of the most beautiful chapters in the New Testament. "The Lord is risen indeed"; "Vain the stone, the watch, the seal"; and these precious appearances to these godly women and to these two on the road to Emmaus. Now beloved friends, on a number of occasions I have spoken to you from this chapter, and often I have tried to go through it and open it up. Often over the years it has been on Easter Sunday. But the way this word rests with me this evening, not so much on the truth of the resurrection, not even the glorious Person of the risen Saviour, and not these to whom He appeared, but ourselves, that this prayer might be our prayer,…

I have thought a lot about the preaching of the gospel and its effect, and the hearing of the gospel. In a way, it seems to me that there are two kinds of preaching. There is one which, under the Lord’s blessing, really touches our hearts, when we are enabled a little to speak of Gethsemane and Calvary, the cross of Christ, His sufferings, His matchless love, what He has done for sinners, and those can be sacred occasions. Then there are other occasions when the preaching of the Word is not just like that, when it speaks of a sinner’s present need, how he ought to behave, what he ought to do, the way he ought to walk. It seems to me that sermons…