As we consider anew the divine activity in the lives of the wisemen, we are met with the reality of God’s sovereign grace to those who were once far off from God. We are reminded of the way in which God chooses and calls pagans to trust in His Son.   Advent is a special... Continue Reading

We mark the giving of the name that is now the single most recognized name the world over and throughout time. But as we walk, in patient waiting, these three-plus weeks of Advent, and speak of this Jesus as the reason for the season and tell our children we celebrate the birth of Jesus, what... Continue Reading

We usually think of adoption as a parent-child relationship formed confidentially between persons (usually adults and orphaned or abandoned children) who are not biologically related. In the context of Gal 3:23–4:7, however, adoption was a public act in which a male heir was received from his boyhood standing as a minor into his manhood standing... Continue Reading

One aspect of knowing/believing Christ is imitating Him (13:15). In John 17:1–8, seeing Christ’s involvement with the Father (and the Holy Spirit) provides, with appropriate qualifications, a model for our interaction with other Christians (11:41–42).   Properly during the Christmas season, we emphasize Christ’s becoming man (incarnation) and that He is the King. But without... Continue Reading

He wouldn’t just be a denizen of Bethlehem. He wouldn’t be any ordinary ruler. He would be from old. What did this mean? How could a ruler exist before he was born? He’d have to be eternal, and no one is eternal…except God.   When Barack Obama became President, Donald Trump challenged him to produce... Continue Reading

We do not follow a King that is far off, one who reigns from a distant palace at a great distance from the real life struggles of His subjects. We follow a King who is, in all senses, with us.   The original lyrics to “Hark the Herald, Angels Sing” were written by Charles Wesley,... Continue Reading

It might be useful to reflect on a few common misconceptions about the Christmas story. The best way to validate the Christmas story to the Ebeneezer Scrooge’s out there is to make sure we’ve got it right ourselves. Bah, humbug. That’s probably one of the most well-known lines in literary (and now, cinematic) history. Everybody... Continue Reading

The Christian season of Advent is one that deliberately builds into calendars, into the rhythm of time, a reminder of our waiting. Just as God’s people waited, generation after generation, for the promised King who would one day come to sit on David’s throne forever and redeem Israel, so we now await his second coming.... Continue Reading

As we reflect on and remember his first coming, we call out for his second, longing for the consummation where all things are made new, knowing that he will come at the fullness of time.   I usually cherish the season of advent. But this year, the waiting feels like agony. In the Christian tradition,... Continue Reading

Many Christians tend to think of the Trinity as an impractical, speculative doctrine. But not so the Lord Jesus. For Him, it is neither speculative nor impractical—but the very reverse. It is the foundation of the gospel.   Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be within hours of death—not as an... Continue Reading