Today is a tale of two temptations - of Adam and of Christ, the first Adam and the second. The first fell, and with his fall came sin and death to all. The second stood, and with His stand comes righteousness and justification for all.
Adam was tempted in Eve, his wife. They are “one flesh,”…
“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Joel 2:13
Return. Return is the operative word for Lent. Another way of saying it is repent. Repent, turn to the…
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
John the Baptizer is our preacher, pointing the way, the only way to the One who is the Way, the Truth, the Life. Don’t look to John. He’s not much to look at anyway. Follow his bony, pointing…
What happens when the Son of God takes on flesh and becomes one of us? He is baptized by His cousin John in the Jordan river. His baptism is revelation, consecration, and preparation.
It is revelation. The Father’s voice from heaven makes the hidden thing known: “This is my beloved…
Epiphany - the Gentiles’ Christmas. Jesus is revealed to be not only Israel’s messiah and king but the world’s messiah and king. “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
The feast of Christmas is over, and yet it has only begun. God has let…
If you think God’s way is the easy way, think again. If you imagine that to be “highly favored” by God means that everything will fall together for you without some much as a drop of blood, sweat, or tears, you need to take a clue from the holy Scriptures.
We’re talking the…
God has uttered His final Word, and it turns out to be His first Word. God has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and it turns out to be His only-begotten Son. The Word became flesh and dwells among us, and we find a humble little Child born…
When the Word of God takes on flesh to be with us, nothing is ever the same again. There are very few sure things in life besides death and taxes, but here is one of them. Virgins do not conceive. You don’t need an advanced degree in biology to know that. …
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
The words of our Lord cause us to consider what it means to be great. What is…
Advent is a season of hope. In the Scriptures, hope is much more than a wish for something better. When we say, “I hope so,” that usually means we aren’t sure but we sure would like to think so. Will we have a good Christmas this year? I hope so. …