The Jesus We Skip
March 29, 2026Pastor Travis Deatherage presented today's message, "The Jesus We Skip." A video of today's message is here on YouTube. It may help to be familiar with the message but that is not required to enjoy the thoughts below.
Mentioned at the very beginning of his message, Pastor Travis suggests that "to crown Jesus properly, we have to behold him accurately." He goes on to say that the word "behold" carries much meaning.
So let's take a look at the word: behold.
There are several words in both Greek (NT) and Hebrew (OT) that get translated as: behold, look, see, there, lo, etc. I'm going to focus on two of these, one from each language.
First, the Greek word idou (ee-DOO, ἰδού) can be translated a number of ways including behold, look, here, assure, lo, long, and see. It's close relative, eidó (i'-do, εἴδω), gets closer to what Travis was talking about: be aware, behold, consider, know, perceive, see, be sure, tell, and understand.
Both of these Greek words are often used to imitate hinneh (hin-nay', הִנֵּה) in the OT Hebrew. Hinneh carries the imperative "lo!" aspect as in see, behold, go, indeed, now, certainly, and surely. The words draw your attention including a plea to understand and perceive thoroughly.
The word "behold" appears over 1300 times in the King James version of the Bible. Its use emphasizes the importance of what's to come and calls the reader to pay attention and reflect on what's being said. See What Does 'Behold' Mean In The Bible?.
If you, like me, went on to wonder about the roots of the phrase "Lo and Behold," here's something to behold: Lo and Behold: Definition, Meaning, and Origin.
Bonus
Open the Door for Elijah
Today (4/1/26) is the first night of Passover in the Jewish world. We had our Passover Seder last Sunday with the whole family and a few guests.
Toward the end of the Seder, a cup of wine is poured for Elijah the Prophet and the door of the house is opened for him to enter. What's that about?
From Momentmag.com:
The tradition in the Haggadah [Seder program], 'Let all who are hungry come and eat,' has suggested that Jews open their door during the Seder. But how does this translate to Elijah? Although Elijah is never mentioned explicitly in the Torah as being a part of the Seder, in the 11th century, a rabbi said, "Passover is a time of redemption, and the Messiah is the ultimate redemption, so we're leaving the door open because we hope Elijah will come." Who is Elijah? "Yahweh is God," the meaning of Elijah's name, signifies what Elijah's mission was. Elijah proclaimed that there is no reality except the God in Israel. Elijah's greatest prophetic experience took place on his pilgrimage to Horeb, where he learned that God is not in the earthquakes, storms or lightning. Rather, Elijah concluded that God is invisible and spiritual through the form of the "still, small voice" [1 Kings 9:12].That last phrase is also translated as a "gentle whisper." For more on this phrase, see: What does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice?
Matteo made a Matzah Cake (layer 8x: matzah | chocolate | whipped cream)