Questioning an Angel
Read: Luke 1:8-25 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar. (v. 11) Zechariah asked a logical question. A bit later in this chapter the virgin Mary would ask a similar question of the same angel, Gabriel. But whereas Mary receives a tender answer, Zechariah […]
The Miracle Child
Read: Luke 1:5-7 But they had no child. (v. 7) I once heard a biblical scholar compare the Bible to a piano keyboard. But in the case of the Bible, you can never press down just one key to sound just one note. Instead, when you play the keys on the Bible’s keyboard, you can […]
Certainty
Read: Luke 1:1-4 . . . that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (v. 4) If Luke’s Gospel never existed, most of what we associate with Christmas would be unknown. Two of the longest chapters in the Bible contain the vast majority of all things Christmas: The Annunciation. The Magnificat. […]
Tragic
Read: Matthew 2:13-18 Then Herod . . . sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem . . . who were two years old or under. (v. 16) In Advent we celebrate the good news of the arrival of God’s salvation. But to a lot of parents in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ advent […]
Shocking Guests
Read: Matthew 2:1-12 Behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. (v. 1) Matthew 1:23 says that Mary’s child—though named Jesus—would be called “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.” For Israel, having God dwell in their midst—first in the tabernacle and then in the temple—was a great gift. So the average Jew in Matthew’s day […]
Righteousness
Read: Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (v. 19) Joseph was a good man. He was “just,” which means he was a righteous man. This was the goal of every Israelite: to be righteous in God’s sight. Being righteous meant your life […]
The Whole Family
Read: Matthew 1:1-17 . . . and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. (v. 16) Writers, public speakers, and preachers all know that you only have one shot at catching the attention of the reader or listener. Spending extra effort to make your […]
Immediately
Read: Mark 1:9-13 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. (v. 12) Mark’s favorite word is “immediately.” Everything in Mark’s Gospel happens at lightning speed. Mark seems eager to show us that there is tremendous power in Jesus! But the first two instances of “immediately” seem at odds with each other. Mark contains […]
The Diagnosis
Read: Mark 1:4-8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (v. 8) All four Gospels make clear that John the Baptist was the necessary forerunner to Jesus. You can’t get to Jesus without going through John. And John was all about repentance. John’s message was simple: Each […]