Christ and the Serpent
It was a serpent inhabited by the Serpent that led humanity astray. It was the heel of Christ that crushed the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Christ’s triumph means that the Serpent will be bound and cast into a bottomless pit. Ironically, Jesus was lifted up on a cross in the same way
Babies and Rescue
“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:11 (KJV). Bethlehem! City of David! A Baby! Descendent of David! Promised Messiah! More than once, in the history of Israel, God raised up a baby for His purposes. There was Sarah’s baby, born of
The Manger and Sheep Food
Jesus’ cradle was a manger, a crude feeding trough for sheep. In this manger sheep food was replaced with the body of Christ. He would later speak of the necessity of His disciples eating this food (John 6:32-65), fulfilled both by the Lord’s Supper and the spiritual nature of eating and thriving on His
God is Now Revealed
It has long been established in Christian thought that the only way we can know the Infinite God of the Universe is that He would choose to make Himself known to us. He revealed Himself through the patriarchs and prophets, but the fullness of His revelation came through His Son when He entered the
Christian Parenting
Joseph and Mary were model parents. Their lives separately and collectively were centered in God and obedience to His will. The first requirement for parenthood is to be God-centered. It is to sing from the same page of our loving God, to worship and do His will. This would solve so many problems in
Joseph Heard God Speak
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 1:20 (NASB). He hears God speak at least four times (Matthew 1:20; 2:13, 19, 22). Joseph’s revelations came over a period of years. Hearing God
Joseph and Compassion
“And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly” Matthew 1:19 (NASB). Joseph is considering another way to break off the engagement. He wrestled with the letter of the law to come up with a better way to deal with Mary’s pregnancy. He
Joseph and God’s Story
Joseph’s life was a part of a story bigger than he could know, even more earth shaking and world changing than he could ever have imagined. As his namesake, the other Joseph went to Egypt to save Israel from famine and extinction, so this second Joseph went to Egypt to save his Son so
Joseph’s Obedience
Joseph obeyed the Lord without hesitation or delay. He obeyed when he took Mary as his wife. He obeyed when he was commanded to go to Egypt. He obeyed when he returned to Israel. It is one thing to hear God speak, and it is another to obey. Joseph did both. May our obedience
Mary’s Inconvenience
It was very inconvenient for a pregnant Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to give birth in a stable, just because a politician wanted to count heads so he could get more tax money. And, he insisted on his subjects going to their native town for the count. While she was there, the
God’s Will and Mary
Mary embraced the will of God. Submission to the will of God can be costly. Her reputation! The scandal! The gossip! In a heated moment the religious leaders said to Jesus, “We were not born of fornication” (John 8:41), they may have been casting aspersions on Jesus’ origin (reflecting on Mary as well). The
Mary and Mystery
Mary embraced Mystery. All the things that were said about Jesus baffled Mary. We are rational beings. We think we have to explain everything. He is more profound than all of our lofty theology about Him. You cannot explain Him nor all of His ways in your life. He is working a great
Mary and Women
God again declared womanhood very good when He entered the world through Mary’s womb: “born of a woman.” Eve, the first woman came from the body of the first Adam. The second Adam (Jesus Christ) came from the body of a woman. Mary is the beginning of the gospel for male and female that
Mary and New Creation
God often came to barren women to give new hope to His people Israel through a child. Sarah! Rachel! Hannah! Elizabeth! But Mary was not barren; something entirely new was going to happen in her, something unprecedented in creation. God was going to touch earth in a new way, becoming flesh and blood. New
The Impossible
Through Mary, the world received a great miracle from the God who specializes in making the impossible possible. God wants you to be available to Him to do more than you can ever do by depending only on yourself. The things that are possible in your own strength do not amount to much. The
Mary Received Grace
Gabriel said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you..."Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:28, 30). As Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord to save God’s creation, so also Mary found favor before the Lord in order for her Son to
Mary’s Devotional Life
Mary’s devotional life was steeped in the great traditions of Israel as seen in her grand hymn (Luke 1:46-55). She was a young teenager whose spirituality did not start at the time of her miracle. The Lord comes to one who has already been shaped by her family and faith community, all before her
Mary’s Significance
Mary said, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name” (Luke 1:48). Mary is “blessed among women” (Luke 1:42) being the bearer of the Son of God, the promised Messiah. "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time
Mary as God-Bearer
Emmanuel, God with us, entered our world through Mary’s body. The name chosen in Greek for her by the Eastern Church is Theotokos, which is translated God Bearer. Mary was pregnant with God. She teaches us that all Christians are to be God bearers. This is one reason why the Holy Spirit, the Spirit
Mary’s Son
The only Begotten Son enters Mary to be born as all babies are born. God reduced himself to a one-cell fertilized ovum inside Mary’s body! What humility! Once this union takes place, before the first division of the cell, “It” is not half-human and “It” is not half-divine. Fully God and fully man! The
Mary’s Obedience
“Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” Luke 1:38a (NASB). Irenaeus contrasted Mary to Eve, “For as Eve was seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His word, so Mary by the word of an angel
Glorious Day
As we celebrate the first coming of our Lord we anticipate His Second Coming. Jesus constantly reminds us to be ready. History is moving to its final consummation, when everything will be summed up in Christ. “All things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:16). He is coming to reclaim what
A Stream Called Grace
Grace flows from who the Father is. Grace reveals Him. It has appeared in Christ for all (Titus 2:11). It is at work in us by the Holy Spirit. Grace cannot be earned by angels or men. It is the stream of God which nurtures us, strengthens and buoys us up as we
Depend on Him
God sometimes asks us to do more than we can do, so we can discover His strength. I will not be judged by what I could have done on my own, but what God and I could have done together. He waits to join hands with us. He waits to give strength to our
Gratitude and Generosity
Gratitude to God for His generosity to me is not real gratitude until I have been changed into a person of generosity. One way of saying thanks for all the Father has given us is to give to others. We who are on the receiving end of the Father’s generosity are called to give