David has fallen. There is nowhere left for him to go except the grave. And that is exactly what Israel’s king deserves for his sin against God. He is a “son of death.” He had despised the word of Yahweh. Therefore, Yahweh rightly judged David. But with the word of judgment came a word of […]
As we continue on with the fall of David in 2 Samuel 12, it should be no surprise to find that after taking Uriah’s wife, and trying to cover it up with the “fig leaves” of Uriah’s death, Yahweh now comes to David. And just like he came to Adam and Eve, he come to […]
1 Samuel 4 describes the fall of Eli’s house. Samuel will take over as priest-judge in Israel, but Yahweh must first carry out his purpose of judgment against his corrupt priest-judge and a godless nation. This is why a new “character” takes center stage in chapters 4-6: the ark of the covenant. The ark was […]
In many ways, every thread used in the tapestry of the OT is woven together in Isaiah 53: the promises of Genesis, the redemption of Exodus, the sacrifices of Leviticus, the wanderings of Numbers, the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy, the victories of Joshua, the deliverances of Judges, the dynasties of Samuel and Kings; the […]
All along, Isaiah has told us that the Lord alone will be exalted. And his blessing would come to all nations through the witness of his redeemed people under the saving rule of his Messiah. We’ve heard of the child of Isaiah 9 who would sit on David’s throne forever and establish God’s kingdom of […]
Having introduced himself and his gospel to the church at Rome (Rom. 1:1-7) Paul shares his desire to visit them for mutual encouragement in the faith and to see all nations come to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord (8-15). To reach these goals, Paul knew that there was only one thing he needed to […]
The main point of Paul’s sermon at Pisidian Antioch was that “God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:23). He began with a summary of Israel’s history to show that with the coming of Jesus, God had proven faithful to his promises to rescue humanity. But the question remains: How […]
Good Friday isn’t good because it shows us how good we are or how valuable we are to God; Good Friday is good because it shows us the riches of God’s glorious grace and steadfast love toward unworthy and rebellious sinners. In this brief message, pastor Matt reminds us that the love of God in […]
The greater the authority rebelled against, the greater the punishment. To strike your brother is one thing, but to strike a police officer is another. But consider the consequences of rebelling against the Creator of heaven and earth, the infinitely holy and terribly just God. Every sin we commit is a direct assault on his […]
The trial of the sinless Son of God reveals that all humanity is guilty. If we look closely and honestly, we will see our own face in the crowd that day, calling out for Jesus to be crucified and for Barabbas to be released. For whenever we reject Christ—living as though Jesus isn’t the King that […]
The four Gospels—according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are not just ancient biographies of the man Jesus of Nazareth; they’re what we might call theological biographies. They are inspired accounts that ultimately tell us something about God and his purposes in redemptive history. Specifically, they were written to declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son […]
In order for Christians to faithfully follow Christ in this world, they need to be strengthened by God. Paul prayed that the Colossians would be “strengthened with all power, according to [God’s] glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Col. 1:11). One of the most simple yet profoundly overlooked means of receiving such […]
At Christmastime, we love to sing traditional carols and hymns, proclaiming that “all is calm, all is bright ’round yon virgin mother and child—holy infant so tender and mild.” With such a peaceful description of Jesus’ birth, it’s easy to forget the bitter cup of God’s wrath which he came to drink in full. In […]
All throughout Scripture, we are given glimpses the promise that one day sin and death will be no more. In the Old Testament, we see hints of this future hope through different characters, prophets, and events, all of which point to God’s final answer to the sting of death and the power of sin: Jesus Christ, the […]
As Jesus continues preaching to the crowds about kingdom living, he now moves into one of the most difficult, yet most distinctly Christian, teachings in his sermon: love for enemies. Jesus here commands his disciples that they must not only love them, but do good to them, pray for them, and even lend to them expecting […]
