Christmas 2011

Messiah

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, NIV). The babe in Bethlehem, whom we celebrate at Christmas, is “Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and … his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32–33). “Messiah” (Hebrew) in …

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Eve’s Son

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the LORD’” (Genesis 4:1, NKJV). If the normal and expected feelings of a woman who has just given birth to a living child are joy and ecstasy—following the pain of her labor—how boundless the joy must …

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Jesus

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS” (Luke 1:31, NKJV). The angel Gabriel was sent to announce to a virgin, “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son” who was in truth the eternal coexistent Son of the Highest (Luke …

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Child

“The Child . . . you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20–21; 2:11, NASB). Last Christmas saw the release of the third movie in the Narnia series—The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Great movie. But I missed a cool line from C.S. Lewis’s book. In …

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Jesus Is God

“You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped” (Philippians 2:5–6, NET). As an exhortation to Christians to live ethically, the apostle Paul uses Christ Jesus as a model. Christians should …

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The Lamb: Slain from before the Creation of the World

“You were redeemed … [by] the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 1:18–20, NIV). Christmas begins within the triune God—the Father’s planning, the Son’s choosing, the Spirit’s moving—before creation began. The Incarnation and sacrifice of the Savior is the final …

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The Living Door

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9, NASB). G. Campbell Morgan was a well-known Bible teacher from Great Britain who traveled to the United States a number of times. One of his trips was made on a ship with George Adam Smith, a great Old Testament scholar. …

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A Prophet

 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you …” (Deuteronomy 18:15, NASB). The nation’s religious leadership sent a contingent of soldiers to arrest Jesus. They sought to silence Him because the throngs were “hanging on his words” (Luke 19:48). Enraged by their failure, the leadership demanded an explanation. “Why did …

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Son of Man

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 NASB). The title, “Son of Man,” was the Lord’s favorite name. He used it of Himself eighty-four times in the four Gospels. Never does anyone else in the Gospels refer to Jesus Christ as the Son of Man. …

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I Am

“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” (John 8:58, NIV). A bush burned and God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM’ has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). Centuries later a baby penetrated time …

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My Master

“Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!’” (Mark 10:50–51, NASB). Mark tells us of a poignant moment in our Savior’s ministry. Just outside the …

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The Prince of Peace

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called … Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NASB). 2011 has been unusually chaotic—earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, wars, revolutions, skyrocketing national debt, economic hard times, and widespread unemployment. …

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My Son

“Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: ‘I called my Son out of Egypt’” (Matthew 2:14–15, NET). The aftermath of the first Christmas was not …

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The Truth

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6, ESV). Throughout history, many theories of truth have been suggested. The pragmatist claims that “truth is what works.” The empiricist states that “truth is what we can experience or observe.” …

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Powerful Baby!

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:68–69, ESV). When you think of “baby,” a synonym or an adjective that accompanies it is rarely, if ever, “powerful!” Yet, that is …

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Our Bridegroom

“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10, NASB) The Christmas season gives each of us the opportunity to remember, reflect upon, and celebrate the first coming of Jesus as …

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My Lord and My God

Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28, NIV). This season is not joyful for everyone. Some dread it. Their melancholy memories make it hard to sing. “Joy to the World!”—not really. “How Great Our Joy!”—well, maybe for you. Before you label me “Scrooge,” come with me to meet a first-century disciple …

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