“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham . . .” (Matthew 1:1, NIV) Two Gospels, Matthew’s and Luke’s, include genealogies of Jesus Christ. Luke traces Jesus back through Abraham, while Matthew provides the Messiah’s Davidic lineage. But another key difference between the lists is that Matthew’s, […]

“He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him.” (Isaiah 53:2, NET) Christmas, South Texas, 1957. I wanted a Christmas tree—a real one! But we were in

“A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. . . . Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together.’” (Isaiah 40:3, 5, NASB) Over six hundred years before the birth of Christ,

“Then blind eyes will open, deaf ears will hear. Then the lame will leap like a deer, the mute tongue will shout for joy; for water will flow in the desert, streams in the wilderness.” (Isaiah 35:5–6, NET) The days of our Lord’s birth were troubled times for God’s people. A corrupt priesthood and a

“And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NASB) The ancient prophet declared that Jesus Christ was the Prince of Peace. Jesus might have come to bring peace, but it wasn’t in evidence in Bethlehem last year this time. Reuters reported about a brawl in that

“ . . . The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14, NIV) Tucked away in this prophecy—first spoken by Isaiah and later fulfilled at the birth of Christ—is a special name embodying a vital truth: Even in our darkest moments, God is with us. It

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son . . . ” (Isaiah 7:14, NIV) Dr. Walter Wilson, a physician and Bible teacher in Kansas City, had just examined a young university student and felt constrained to share Christ with her before she left

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” (Psalm 110:1, ESV) My grandfather, succumbing to Alzheimer’s later in life, lost track of reality and eventually failed to recognize his own wife. And he died. This past spring, grief swept through our Seminary faculty as Prof

“I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8, NASB) One of the special delights of Christmas is how its true meaning often breaks through to us in unexpected ways in spite of our frantic pace. We glimpse it in the sheer joy on a child’s face,

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15, NIV) It’s always gratifying when a promise is finally made good. It’s an encouragement to faith when a Scripture prophecy comes true! Amazingly, many people often don’t recognize