Jesus Came to Bring Salvation (Psalm 80)
Jesus our Lord is the anticipated Good Shepherd and the Son of Man who will bring comfort to his people.
The “Son of Man,” rather than being, as it might appear to some, a reference to his humanity, is, rather, a special designation given to his divinity as the Messiah. Within this designation comes also something that Asaph was very concerned about: the promises of God made to Israel. Jesus, as the Son of Man, represents the mediator of this new... Continue Reading
An Advent Reflection: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
When Christ first came to His own, what caused the majority of His own to reject Him while others received Him gladly and with joy?
When Christ came unto His own, His own did not receive Him because they were on the wrong side of this contrast. They were not waiting for their Messiah. They had chosen to rely upon the types and shadows that were only ever intended to point them to Messiah, to cause them to long for... Continue Reading
Must Christians Believe in the Virgin Birth?
Christians must face the fact that a denial of the virgin birth is a denial of Jesus as the Christ.
Christians must face the fact that a denial of the virgin birth is a denial of Jesus as the Christ. The Savior who died for our sins was none other than the baby who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. The virgin birth does not stand alone as a biblical... Continue Reading
Christmas Under Death’s Shadow
There is one particular difference between old Christian carols and more recent popular songs: The old songs often refer to death, the new ones rarely do.
When the old songs tied death to Christmas, they had good source material. I like the old King James translation of Isaiah 9, one of the clearest predictions of Christ’s coming: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them... Continue Reading
What Does the Old Testament Say about the Trinity?
9 possible signs of the Trinity in the Old Testament.
But we discover Jesus and the Holy Spirit as distinct persons who are also God. Because of this New Testament revelation, Christian orthodoxy relies on an understanding of God as a Trinity—one living and true God who exists eternally as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In light of this revelation,... Continue Reading
5 Popular Misconceptions About the Christmas Story
We encounter the Christmas story so often we’re convinced we know all the details
“Another staple of modern nativity plays is the scene at the inn. Joseph and his wife, Mary—who is on the verge of giving birth—are cruelly turned away by the innkeeper who shows them no compassion. Here is another popular misconception. The Bible never mentions an innkeeper. In fact, it’s possible there was never even an... Continue Reading
Quagmires, Watergate, and the Bethlehem Infanticide
The media are reaching back into the past to find a narrative that everyone is familiar with in order to paint a similar, though not identical, picture of the future
Fast forward about 600 years and there’s another “fulfillment” of this prophecy. Matthew tells us that Herod ordered the Bethlehem infanticide in order to fulfill “what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they... Continue Reading
3 Reasons To Not Skip The “Boring” Parts Of The Bible
There are no unimportant words in Scripture. So let us delight in them and preach them all.
I think many of us come to the Bible and want to “get something out of it” — which is okay. However, it can create this idea that the Bible is only valuable if it proves to me how it fits into my life. So when we come across a genealogy and there are no... Continue Reading
Rehabilitating Mary
Scripture demands that we recognise her unique role in redemption’s story and her proper place in the presentation of the gospel
“For Mary, to take God at his word would prove unspeakably costly. It meant the stigma of becoming pregnant before she was married (in an age when chastity before marriage was still cherished). It would also mean deep perplexity, not just over the ensuing nine months, but also for the next 34 years and longer.”... Continue Reading
Answering Claims That the Bible Contains Errors, and Why It Matters That It Doesn’t
Without studying Scripture, countless believers embrace the claims of the Bible’s critics
“When you take the time to talk about their concerns, you can demonstrate that you have investigated it for yourself, that you’ve done your homework, and are convinced that when God says all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), He means that it is all accurate and reliable. Of course, if you haven’t actually done... Continue Reading