The Sabbath was the seventh day of the Jewish week and was set apart by religious observances and cessation from work. The scribes and Pharisees, however, had turned the observance of the Sabbath from a delight into a heavy burden. Jesus had already proven to the scribes and Pharisees that he had divine authority to […]
Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days to enter into battle with Satan (Luke 4:1-2; Mark 1:12-13). This temptation in the wilderness was a pivotal moment in the mission of the Son of God to accomplish salvation for humanity. As the wonderful hymn states, “Come behold the wondrous […]
Following John’s preaching of the soon-coming Messiah, “the next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'” (John 1:29)! Yet Jesus came that day to be baptized himself by John and demonstrate the perfect obedience by which he would fulfill all righteousness. As he […]
The incident of Jesus remaining in the temple gives us a unique look into his life as a young boy. Not only do we observe Jesus fully dedicated to the will of his heavenly Father, that he “must” be in his house (Luke 2:49), but we also see him in submission to his earthly parents: […]
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 the Everlasting Father? The answer […]
Continuing to describe the practical outworking of being filled with the Spirit, namely, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21), Paul applies the gospel to the relationships between children and their parents, as well as slaves (employees) and their masters (employers). In these relationship, believers are radically called to be obedient, kind, gracious, […]
The people of God, reconciled to him through the death of his Son, to whom we are united by faith, are to live in a manner fitting of God’s workmanship. In view of God’s mercy, having been called out from the world to belong instead to the family and kingdom of God, we are to no longer […]
Having preached and defended the gospel of grace – “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom. 3:22-26) – Paul has been laboring to articulate the life of freedom that God’s children may now experience. This new life that we have been called to is one characterized by, submitted to, and controlled by the Spirit. […]
In Paul’s discussion of the believer’s freedom as found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, he warns the Galatians of two possible and dangerous errors: losing gospel freedom (Gal. 5:1-6) and abusing gospel freedom (5:13-15). While the Christian can foolishly turn back to legalism, to law-reliance as a means of acceptance before God, he can also approach […]
