December 19, 2022
The babe of Bethlehem (and Messiah of Matthew’s Gospel) is Lord of all—even wise men. Matthew devoted only one verse to the birth of Jesus (1:25) even though he spent many verses tracing Jesus’ human and divine roots. Then, a good length of time after Jesus was born, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
December 19, 2022
How can the Magi be examples to you for how to radically pursue Jesus?
December 5, 2022
There are five miracles in this lesson text—the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus walking on water, Peter walking on water, the calming of the storm, and the healings at Gennesaret. Only the Lord of Creation could demonstrate his power over that creation.
March 1, 2022
By Jerry Harris Belief has incredible power, doesn’t it? And to think, in some ways, we believe the same story of the Messiah the people of Israel have believed for thousands of years. It is quite revealing. Christ is a Greek term translated from the Hebrew word Messiah, and it’s more a title than anything else. It came from a compilation of Old Testament Scriptures like Deuteronomy 18:18. It means “anointed,” and it was reserved for prophets, priests, and kings. But this one person, this “super” person, would be all three. The Jews placed all their hopes and dreams in
December 14, 2020
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15) ________ By David Faust While in Israel filming a documentary about the basics of the Christian faith, I visited Herodium, the palatial residence designed for King Herod’s protection and pleasure. By all accounts Herod was paranoid and cruel. He tortured and killed family members, servants, and bodyguards. Ironically, this ruthless ruler who destroyed so many lives was an innovative and prolific builder who oversaw the construction of enormous forts, palaces, water projects, and Jerusalem’s crown jewel, the Jewish temple. Herodium (also known as
December 15, 2019
We plan to post a few Christmas-themed articles from Christian Standard’s archives during the days leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ birth. We’ll start with this Christmas quiz from 1974. _ _ _ How’s Your Christmas I.Q.? December 15, 1974; p. 12;By Maxine Fream You’ve heard the Christmas story ever since you were a small child and you know it backwards and forwards, right? So you should have no trouble answering the following few questions, right? Watch it! True or false?— 1. Joseph and Mary were both descended from King David. 2. Joseph thought Mary’s child was illegitimate and
December 23, 2017
This Christmas essay originally appeared in the December 18/25, 2011, issue of Christian Standard. ___ By Caleb Kaltenbach Every Christmas I struggle with the same thing: what in the world do I give my wife? Do I get her shoes, clothes, jewelry, a massage, or what? Maybe this is a better question: what gift will I give Jesus this season? In Luke 1, we see the birth of a child who would be a gift to Jesus. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his
December 21, 2017
This Christmas editorial from December 25, 2005, was written by Mark A. Taylor, who served as editor of Christian Standard from 2003 until earlier this year. ___ By Mark A. Taylor Because I’m a romantic, I love all the traditions and fun of Christmastime. But this year some national magazine editors don’t seem to share my nostalgic attachment to the holiday. In fact, I wonder if they enjoy Christmas at all, since they’ve printed so much about how simply to survive it. For example, here are warnings contained in just one of my December magazines: “¢ If you don”t handle leftovers properly,
December 10, 2017
(This article originally appeared in the December 23, 2007, issue of The Lookout, and subsequently was published in the December 18/25 issue of Christian Standard.) By David Faust The first time Bethlehem is mentioned in the Bible, it”s not a birthplace but a burial place. According to Genesis 35:17-19, Jacob”s beloved wife Rachel died while giving birth to their son Benjamin, “and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” For Jacob, Bethlehem was a place of tears. For Ruth, it was a place of new beginnings. She and her mother-in-law, Naomi. moved to Bethlehem after their
December 7, 2017
By Doug Redford “Silent Night” remains one of the most beloved of the traditional Christmas carols. The words, the tune, the message are all so simple yet so unforgettable (which is true of the Christmas message itself). The picture of the Christ child sleeping “in heavenly peace” amid less than ideal surroundings is one that beckons us during a season when crowds and commotion are all too common. “Silent night” also describes an evening that took place, ironically, near the end of Jesus” earthly life. That was the night of his betrayal and so-called trial””the series of events that led
September 24, 2014
By Jim Tune Jesus Christ turned conventional views of power upside down. Jesus was remarkably indifferent to those who held political power. He had no desire to replace Caesar with his apostles. He gave civil authority its due, rebuking both the zealots and Peter for using the sword. This seems to have infuriated the religious right of his day. In an effort to discredit Jesus, the Herodians tried trapping him over the issue of allegiance to political authority. I am mystified by the Evangelical obsession with power and influence. A made-in-America Jesus seems more concerned with nationalism, patriotism, and power
December 10, 2013
By Mark A. Taylor We hear plenty of exhortations to “Keep Christ in Christmas” but receive far too little help for actually doing that. Here”s a simple idea: Read and reflect on some part of the Bible”s Christmas story each day in the week-and-a-half before Christmas. Following is a plan for daily Bible reading December 15-25. The Scripture passages are short, and most are very familiar. You”ll hear some of them quoted in church services this month. But your own commitment to consider them afresh and alone can add balance and joy to your holiday this year. Or you might
December 25, 2012
By Victor Knowles How well do you know the Christmas story? Here are 17 Bible questions, taken from the King James Version, to test your Christmas IQ. 1. The first messianic promise of the seed of woman is found in: a. Genesis b. Ruth c. Psalms d. Isaiah 2. What Old Testament prophet said, “A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son?” a. Daniel b. Ezekiel c. Isaiah d. Zechariah 3. What Old Testament prophet foretold that a ruler in Israel would come forth from Bethlehem? a. Nathan b. Micah c. Samuel d. Amos 4. The angel
February 21, 2010
By Cheri Lynn Cowell I froze. My senses heightened. The Sea of Galilee spread out before me like the Table of Christ, as the rock is called over which the quaint chapel we”d just exited was built. From this rocky shore Jesus called out to the disciples, “Have you caught anything?” “No,” they replied. “Throw your nets on the other side of the boat,” he shouted. Peter and the other men had gone back to what they”d known before the ground-shaking events of the last several weeks””they”d returned to fishing. Yes, they”d been with the resurrected Lord several times. Yet,
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