Somewhere in the night air between Matthew 1 and Matthew 2, Jesus was born. It likely wasn’t on December 25. Based on the timing of the priest Zechariah’s temple service, scholars suggest that Jesus was probably born in the fall, when sheep were still out in the fields, perhaps in late September or October. It’s … Continue reading –>
What do the following texts say about human nature? What powerful evidence do we have about the truth of these sentiments? Rom. 3:9-10; Romans 5:8; John 2:25; Jer. 17:9. As has often been stated, but is worth repeating, the Bible does not paint a rosy picture of humanity or human nature. From the Fall in Eden … Continue reading –>
Beyond David, who else do we find in Jesus’ family tree? Matt. 1:2-3. Women weren’t even typically listed in genealogies; so, why would a woman named Tamar be listed here? Who was she to begin with? Tamar was a Canaanite woman who had been married sequentially to two sons of Judah. Both of these sons … Continue reading –>
Whatever the various views of the Jews regarding the coming of the Messiah, one thing was for certain: the Messiah would be from the house of David. (Even many religious Jews today who await the Messiah believe that He must come from the house of David.) That’s why Matthew began his gospel as he did; … Continue reading –>
“This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ … the son of David” (Matt. 1:1, NIV). Right from the start, Matthew calls his work a “book” (from the Greek word, biblos, which can mean a “sacred writing”), a “book of the genealogy,” of the ancestry of Jesus. In fact, the Greek word translated “genealogy” or “generation” is … Continue reading –>
During his birth in Winchester, Massachusetts, Rick Hoyt was strangled by the umbilical cord, leaving him brain damaged and unable to control his limbs. Months later, doctors told the Hoyt family that Rick would live in a vegetative state the rest of his life and should be put in an institution. “But the Hoyts weren’t … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 1; Mark 12:35-37; Isa. 9:6-7, Rom. 5:8; John 2:25; Jer. 29:13; Matt. 2:1-14. Memory Text:“He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJV). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Matthew began his book with a genealogy; but not with just any genealogy but with that of Jesus Christ. … Continue reading –>
Think about the millennium, and about our understanding of it. Though we are not told a lot, we are told enough to know a few things. First, the millennium occurs before the final destruction of the lost. Second, before that final destruction, the saved spend this time getting a lot of questions answered. So much … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 21:3-5. What do the tears there mean? We are all experienced with what it means to cry. We are also familiar with the action of wiping tears from another’s eyes: a mother tenderly comforting her child; a close friend comforting a companion; or one parent comforting the other in the midst of heartache … Continue reading –>
Sin and rebellion have been unwelcome intruders. They were never meant to be here. They inflicted incredible damage, but now that the cause of that damage no longer exists, it is time to restore everything to perfection. Not until that happens will the great controversy be completed. Read Revelation 21:1-2, Rev. 21:9-10; Rev. 22:1-3. What … Continue reading –>
