This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3). It is common, as each year begins, for people to make New Year’s resolutions … which is not a bad practice. As we look back over the past year(s), it is appropriate to wonder if we accomplished what we should have, if our life was as useful and happy as we would like it to be — and then, as a result of that assessment, we resolve to do better in areas in which we feel like we have
Jesus
God Is With Us
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:21-23). After the long genealogy with which Matthew opens his gospel in verses 1 through 17, proving that Jesus was indeed the promised son of Abraham and of David, we finally come to the fruition of hundreds of years of prophecy: “The virgin
Behold! An Angel, a Virgin, Wise Men, a Star… and Immanuel
The command “Behold!” appears 247 times in the New Testament. Each time this imperative is used in order to call attention to what is being said, or seen, or considered. It is a powerful word that forces us to pause, reflect, and be amazed by the subject matter being described. There are some things that are simply worth taking a long and careful look at. Not surprisingly, then, the New Testament opens — in the first two chapters of Matthew — with no less than six occurrences of this command as the story of Christ’s birth is narrated.
Why Such a Lowly Birth?
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). Jesus was born when “the time came.” The time came, not just for the fulfillment of Mary’s pregnancy, but for the fulfillment of God’s pre-world plan to become a divine human being. Think of it! The Bethlehem prophecy alone (Micah 5:2) reminds us that God had hundreds of years to plan this event! How will
What Is the Book of Revelation About?
The book of Revelation is perhaps the most controversial book in the Bible among Christians. Even sincere, Bible-believing Christians seem to come up with more widely varying interpretations of this book than of any other passage or prophecy. The variety and severity of these disagreements can be intimidating or discouraging to the simple reader, who may feel that there is no one Truth to be found within its mysterious pages. But it is vitally important to remember that God did not inspire the writing of Revelation to bring confusion, but hope and joy to his suffering church.
The Tax That Changed the World
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered (Luke 2:1). What powerful truth and what precious comfort are contained in this familiar verse! Here we see that God’s purposes are perfectly and promptly completed. Did you think that kings, or presidents, or dictators make history? No! They are but instruments in the hand of the eternal and purposeful God. Hundreds of years before, God had spoken through the prophet Micah saying:
Do Not Fear, Only Believe
Do not fear, only believe (Mark 5:36). As you read this, you may at this moment be filled with hope and expectation … or you may be filled with dread and anxiety about the future. Either way, Jesus’ simple words to a suffering man speak volumes. Jesus invites us to rest in him, now and always. But why should we trust Jesus? How can we be certain that he has our best in mind, or that he is working for our good?
Jesus Is the Reason for Every Season
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:20-22). This brief
Mary, You Have Found Favor with God
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). What an unspeakable blessing, to be chosen — of all women, from all generations — to be the one woman who would be mother to the holy Son of God. In the very next verse in Luke the angel announces that Mary will conceive and bear a son, who is to be named Jesus. He will be great, he will be called the Son of the Most High, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
The Story of Joseph Behind the Story of Jesus
As the story of the birth of Jesus is told, and retold, there are many characters whom we frequently hear mentioned: the virgin Mary, the magi (wise men), the shepherds in the field. But one person who is represented in every manger scene, but rarely even mentioned, is Jesus’ earthly father Joseph. This is not entirely surprising, since the Bible actually only gives us a few small snippets of biographical information on Joseph. We are told relatively little about Joseph’s role in the overall story of Jesus.
When He Comes, Our Glorious King
I have recently been enjoying a hymn recorded by Austin Stone Worship: Hallelujah, What a Savior. The lyrics by hymnwriter P.P. Bliss beautifully express the wonder of God’s saving work through Jesus Christ. Man of sorrows, what a name For the Son of God who came Ruined sinners to reclaim Hallelujah! What a Savior
That All May Honor the Son
Most Christians can quickly and easily repeat the formula that the trinitarian God of the Bible is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And perhaps the most famous verse in all the Bible is John 3:16, which refers to Jesus as God’s Son, sent into the world because of the abounding love of God. But what does it mean for Jesus to be God’s Son? What are the implications that Scripture draws from that reality?
Jesus’ Death Was Deserved
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin… (2 Corinthians 5:21). On one hand, of course, Jesus’ excruciating death on the cross was wholly undeserved. The only perfect man to ever live should not have been tortured and then executed as a criminal.
Visit Jesus In Jail
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me (Matthew 25:35-36). In Jesus’ famous description of the judgment day in Matthew 25, he describes those on his right hand (the children of God) as those who have personally ministered to Jesus in his poverty, in his sickness, and in his imprisonment.
The Lord Is My Shepherd. So What?
In Psalm 23 David famously writes, “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Though these words are familiar to most Christians, I wonder how much time most Christians have spent actually thinking about what this simple statement means. What truth is David here expressing about God, and what does it mean for us as believers?