The mission of John the Baptist was to prepare the way for the Lord, to announce the coming of the Messiah. But how exactly would this Messiah come? How could a child be born who would be the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:6-7, being both a Davidic king yet also Mighty God and...
We would imagine Luke’s gospel – an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – to begin with the story of Christ’s birth. However, Luke does not start with the announcement of the coming Messiah, but with the announcement of the coming messenger, John the Baptist: “Behold, I send my...
Luke’s Gospel was written so that we would know for certain all that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ in God’s great plan of redemption. He tells the story of the love and mercy of God in that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke...
The Gospel of Luke invites everyone to place their faith in Jesus Christ, the King who defeated death with his love. Over and over again, Luke shows us that the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, entrance into God’s kingdom, is an offer made to the entire world. But...
In this sermon delivered on Christmas morning, Pastor Dave opens up God’s Word to reveal and explain the gracious gift of the incarnation: how God himself came to dwell among us, live for us, suffer like us, and die to save us from our sins.
Addressing the people of Israel, the prophet Isaiah rightly foretold of God’s impending judgment coming against the nation. They were to be destroyed, ripped out of their homeland, and forced into exile, “thrust into thick darkness” (Isa. 8:22). Yet this darkness ultimately was not referring to their physical exile but their spiritual...
Our knowledge of God is inextricably linked with our worship of God. However, if we fail to understand the relationship between our theology and doxology, the results can be disastrous. On the one hand, if our knowledge of God (theology) doesn’t inspire whole-hearted praise and devotion to our God (doxology), the...
“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Eph. 6:23-24). So Paul concludes his epistle to the Ephesians, yet even here we are once again presented with...
In Philippians, Paul writes: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Php. 3:8). In Psalms, David writes: “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and...