Sermons by The Rev. Ben Hughes

The people of God repent from their sins and promise to “put away” the foreign wives and children who were leading them into idolatry. This troubling episode anticipates Jesus, who purified not by banishing idolaters, but by dying for them.…

Ezra stakes his life on God’s faithfulness, and God delivers him through a perilous journey. Our God is sovereign over his enemies and faithful to His own. Readings from this service: Ezra 8: 24-36 Psalm 91: 1-7 Luke 12: 22-34…

God’s people are triumphant as they celebrate the first Passover with the completed Temple. Their victory is a foretaste of the final deliverance won by Christ. Readings from this service: Ezra 6: 19-22 Psalm 118: 19-22 Luke 19: 28-40…

Ezra 5 gives a window into source of Israel’s courage: a pairing of humility with trust in the Sovereign God. Readings from this service: Ezra 5: 6-17 Psalm 121: 1-4 Matthew 5: 13-16…

The complaint against God’s people in Ezra 4 exemplifies the enduring spiritual war that plagues our world. We do not fight against flesh and blood but against demonic strongholds, and we win victory only through Christ’s loving self-sacrifice. Readings from …

In Ezra 3 we see that the sweetness of Israel’s restoration is tinged with the bitter memory of their loss. Though all our joys in this life are likewise bittersweet, the Gospel says that it shall not always be so.…

The detailed list of Israelite settlers in Ezra 2 reminds us that the sovereign God directs all history to its center at Golgotha. Readings from this service: Ezra 2 Psalm 126: 1-4 John 10: 11-16…