O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

WHY MUST JESUS GO TO JERUSALEM?

          Jesus must go to Jerusalem. We thank God for these wonderful words which are found in Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” The words “must go” manifest His love for underserving sinners like us. 

          We cannot fathom the unimaginable outcome with regard to our eternal destiny if Jesus were to say, “I should avoid Jerusalem at all costs!” Jesus could easily have steered clear of Jerusalem to avoid the sufferings and death at the hands of His creatures. Remember, when Peter cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest, Jesus admonished him to put away his sword and He said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) But Jesus willingly went to the cross in obedience to His Father’s will and with joyful purpose (John 4:34; Hebrews 12:2).

Because of God’s Plan to Save Us from Our Sin 

          However, Jesus must go to Jerusalem because it was all in God’s perfect salvation plan to save us from our sin. This is the central theme in the Bible. God loves us and He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus to save us from the wrath we deserved for our sin through His atoning sacrifice on the cross.  God’s Word says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John. 3:16-17) 

          We are sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) not only because we commit sin but also because we are born in sin, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”  (Psalm 51:5) Therefore, we deserve God’s wrath and condemnation.  In a sermon entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Jonathan Edwards, (1703–1758) an American revivalist and preacher graphically portrayed our predicament before a holy and just God: “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: His wrath towards you burns like fire….” 

          But the Good News of salvation is that Jesus, the Son of God paid the penalty for our sins. He was made a propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2; 4:10) which means that He alone satisfied the wrath of God against sin. His death on the cross was the ultimate satisfaction of justice of a holy God against sin. The cruel cross is turned into an emblem of God’s justice satisfied, and God’s love magnified. 

          Do we deserve God’s love? As sinners we are most underserving of His love. We deserve His full wrath and condemnation for our unceasing offence against Him. But God is love. God’s Word says “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8) God’s love for us is infinite, as the hymn aptly puts it:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Because He Lives for Us 

          Jesus must go to Jerusalem because He would live for us. Matthew 16:21 ends with, “...and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” The gory end was turned to glory. Jesus rose from the dead as He promised, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John. 2:19). He also declared, “...I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25,26).  

          Jesus rose from the grave bodily on the third day after His death and burial. “He is not here: for He is risen” were the words of hope spoken by the angels to Jesus’ disciples at the empty tomb. Jesus’ resurrection seals everything that He ever claimed. If we believe Jesus lives, we shall live also (John 14:19). Our faith is therefore not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). Would death ever have power over us? No, for the apostle Paul triumphantly declares, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?... But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57 cf. Romans 6:23). 

          What wondrous grace and mercy it is that Jesus must go to Jerusalem to save us from our sins. If we believe in Him, by His saving grace we are no more condemned by God for our sins (Romans 8:1); our sins are forgiven through His blood (Ephesians 1:7); we are reconciled to God (Romans 5:10); there is no such thing as earning our way to Heaven (Ephesians 2:8,9); He gives us life abundantly (John 10:10) and we have a blessed hope of Him coming again for us  (Titus 2:13; John 14:3). Let us not neglect so great a salvation that God has offered us.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and we shall be saved!

– Rev Quek kk 

Shorter Catechism Question 41

41. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?

The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Mar 31

        7.30 pm     No ERBL Lecture

Tuesday, Apr 1

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Eld Woon Sin Wei)

Thursday, Apr 3

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     No ERBL Lecture

Saturday, Apr 5

      11.00 am     Faith NBC

        3.00 pm     LTF / YLM

Sunday, Apr 6

   8.00 am     The Danger of Staying Spiritually Young Hebrews 5:11-14 (Rev Quek kk)

  8.00 am     Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am The Danger of Staying Spiritually Young Hebrews 5:11-14 (Rev Quek kk, with Holy Communion)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

In-Person Church Prayer Meeting

Date: 6 April 2025 (Next Sunday)

Time: 5.00pm

Venue: Beulah Room 2-1

Church Camp 2025

Registration for 2025 church camp is now closed. Those interested may email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to be placed on the waiting list.

Library Ministry

Members are invited to serve in the Library Ministry. If you are available on Sunday, please contact Sis. Mimi or Bro. Paul for more details.

Traffic Warden Service

We welcome all church members to join in this work. Our TW’s role is to provide godly service to facilitate worship. We need help in following time slots for Sunday: 7.30-8am or 10.30-11am with a frequency of once or twice a month. Please contact Dn Chan Yong or Bro Kelvin.

Infant Baptism on Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025.

Parents, please email the church office with your full names, contact numbers, and your child’s name and date of birth by 6 April 2025.

Door to Door Evangelism

6 April 2025 (Next Sunday)

Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30pm

Contact: Desmond or Amos

Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Course (MBCC)

Another Church Outreach Ministry invites Lifers to register their young children, teens, or grandchildren with our MBCC. Those whose loved ones, friends or colleagues who are either young in their faith or being non-believers, are interested to know and explore more of Christianity, are also invited to register with us by filling in the registration forms which are now available at the Church front counter and post them to:

Life B-P Church

No.10, Gilstead Road

Singapore 309064

Attention: Mrs Ong Chuay Ying

Birth

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Jacob Lim on the birth of a baby girl on 23 March 2025. 

Senior Fellowship Medical Seminar: Coping with Critical Illnesses

Date: 26 April 2025

Time: 4-6pm

Venue: Beulah MPH

Speaker: Dr Loh Keh Chuan 

We all have to face ageing, sickness and death as we pass through life’s journey on earth. The majority of us will encounter critical illness at some point in our lives. We do not ponder on the prospect of imminent death until critical illness strikes.

This Seminar will:

1. provide an overview and conceptual understanding on the biology of ageing, sickness and death that God programmed in our DNA since the fall of man.
2. focus on cancer as example of critical illness. This is pertinent because one in three people will develop cancer in their lifetime.
3. explore both the biblical perspective on coping with terminal illness and the medical perspective on diagnosis and treatment of cancers. 

Register by 13 April https://www.lifebpc.com/sfseminar

Exploring Christianity

What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? If there is a good and powerful God, why do we have global pandemics and unrest in this world?  The answers to these questions can be found in the Bible, which is God's word to man. 

Exploring Christianity is a course that looks at how the Bible addresses these pertinent questions about life. It is a 5-part series and is suitable for (1) Non-Christians seeking God and (2) Christians who would like to learn how to evangelise. 

The first session will be held on a Saturday, 10 May 2025, from 9-1pm at Beulah Centre. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Kindly note that the other 3 sessions will be held on Sunday mornings. All Lifers are encouraged to bring their non-Christian friends and family members to this introductory course on the Christian faith. 

Register at https://tinyurl.com/ECMay2025

Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2025
Theme: A Whale of a Time
Date: 4-6 June 2025 (Wed-Fri)

Time: 8.15am - 12.45pm (Wed-Thurs); 8.15am - 1pm (Fri) 

Calling all children aged 4-12 years old (N2-P6)! Registration for Vacation Bible School is now open! Registration deadline: 13 April 2025
Lifers needed for the available areas of service: Teaching, Logistics, Craft, Games, F&B and Traffic/Security.
Register now at lifebpc.com/vbs
For further enquiries, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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