April 2026 New Horizons

Jesus’s Resurrection and Our Living Hope

by Thomas A. Martin

“He [God] has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3). Wise counsel for struggling Christians finds a sure starting point with Jesus’s resurrection—who would have expected that? Peter’s apostolic charge was to tend Jesus’s needy flock, and his first epistle is shaped by that mandate. Faced with the diverse needs of many believers across a wide expanse of territory, Peter focused on Jesus rising from the dead! Yes, there’s practical counsel of the “do this” variety later in his letter, but the apostle’s point of departure is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A Faith-Building Exercise This writer is not the same Peter who had vehemently opposed even the mention of Jesus’s death. Silenced are the protestations of, “Far be it from you, Lord!” (Matt. 16:22). The Savior’s gracious work in Peter’s life has unshackled him from the debilitating outlook shaped by what Jesus referred to as “the things of ... Read more

The Bride of Christ in John and Revelation

by Daniel R. Svendsen

In addition to his three epistolary letters, the Apostle John gave us two great major works, the Gospel of John and the Apocalypse, which is known more commonly as the Book of Revelation. Both books contain depths that cannot be exhausted in a single lifetime. Yet the Lord has placed treasures within them for the good of his people, and with his help we may discover riches that strengthen faith, deepen hope, and stir love. In recent years I have been blessed as I have explored the possibility that John’s Gospel and his Apocalypse share striking and intimate connections. Dr. Warren Gage has explored this hypothesis in his book John’s Gospel: A Neglected Key to Revelation? where he traces remarkable links between the two. Other authors and scholars have recently explored avenues that interact with Gage’s work and further the conversation. While we need not embrace every proposal, their work can help us see fresh dimensions of the unity and beauty of Scripture. Chiastic Structure Before we ... Read more

Special Needs Families in the Life of Christ’s Church

by Adrian R. Crum

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls us to include a wide variety of guests at our tables: “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (Luke 14:13–14). For many of us, hospitality is a matter of calculation—we tend to invite those who move in our circles, those who can reciprocate, or those we believe fit the social rhythms of our lives. But as Christians, Jesus invites us to different table fellowship. He calls us to a community that honors the weak and recognizes every member as a necessary part of his body. Recently, I had the privilege of hosting a conversation for The Reformed Deacon podcast with several brothers and sisters from across the Orthodox Presbyterian Church who live at the crossroads of faith and disability (releasing this month at thereformeddeacon.org ). What began as a discussion for deacons quickly broadened into a vital lesson for every member of the covenant community. How do we move ... Read more