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Of the twenty-seven books or letters of the New Testament, one letter stands out in its depiction of Christ Jesus as “greater,” “better,” far above, and supreme in all things. Hebrews is unique to all other books of the New Testament. Not only is its author...

John, the beloved, continues to write and continues to capture expressions that give us knowledgeable insights, depth of understanding, and a heart to embrace the greatest gift to mankind: eternal life! “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not...

The joy of the birth of Jesus was expressed beyond our capacity to visualize—by all of God’s angels: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?...

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16, NIV). The...

“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him’” (Matt. 2:7–8,...

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor. 1:25, NIV). “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose...

“Gloria in excelsis Deo” is Latin for “Glory to God in the highest.” It is a Christian hymn also called the Greater Doxology or sometimes the Angelic Hymn or the Hymn of Angels. “Gloria,” the abbreviated name, was derived from the Greek text seen in the title of this...

Let us look at Jester Hairston’s 1956 Christmas song and the Scriptures behind it. Long time ago in Bethlehem, So the Holy Bible say, Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ, Was born on Christmas Day. “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour...

We embrace the spirit of Christmas with forgiveness, service, celebration, gifts, and, finally, worship. The royal visitors brought their gifts and bowed before and worshipped the infant child. The presence of God in flesh on Christmas Day drew an audience that was...

The culmination of 4,000 years was fast approaching. A day was coming to change the world forever. Rich and knowledgeable men from the east traveled for two years across land and sea, guided only by a bright star. Logistics and supplies were needed for such a journey,...

The more I study Christmas, the more I am convinced of the need to understand, in some way, what the shepherds saw and heard as they watched their fields by night. This understanding just might deepen our appreciation for the gift given to man that Christmas night....

Jesus replied by telling the messengers, “Go back to John, and tell him what you have seen, the miracles of healing and other miracles, and say, ‘Blessed is he who does not lose faith in me.’” He then told the crowds: “John is a prophet and more than a prophet. He is...

Solomon of old wrote that there is a time for every season: “A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing (Eccl. 3:5, KJV-BRG). The definition of “embrace” is to hold (someone) closely in...

“Alive in Christ” is a miracle that has been at work for 2,000 years and continues to be at work today. From the very birth of Jesus, new life has been revealed because of the mere power of His existence. Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms inside the temple court...

The expression “Son of God” is used about thirty-five times in the New Testament while the expression “Son of Man” appears about eighty-five times. Jesus only once referred to Himself as the Son of God yet many times used the description “Son of Man.” It was Peter who...

The lineage of Jesus seems to emphasize certain aspects of the nature of the newborn Jesus. Matthew accounts for the earthly “fathers” of Jesus ranging from Abraham to Joseph. Abraham, as you recall, is the father of the son of promise, Isaac. At an impossible age,...

Anyone working on his or her family lineage is excited to reach back to the fifth, sixth, or seventh generation. Highly unlikely, even with today’s technology, is reaching to the tenth generation. The combination of Matthew’s and Luke’s writings, however, produce the...

Mary and Joseph have fulfilled the law of circumcision for their newborn child on the eighth day and are now back in Bethlehem making preparations for their return to Nazareth. Before they leave, however, Mary must obey the law of purification (Luke 2:22–24; Lev....

It was a very busy time in the land of Judea as the timeline for BC (Before Christ) came to a close. Quirinius was governor of Syria (Luke 2:2), Herod the Great was king over Judea (Matt. 2:1), and Caesar Augustus called for a census of the entire Roman world (Luke...

The monk Dionysius Exiguus does not receive as much credit as he deserves. His mathematical calculations in the fifth century ushered in not only the BC/AD timeline but also valid determinations for the equinox, solstice, leap year, moon and solar cycles, and Easter....

A few Old Testament quotes speak to the importance of remembering and believing in miracles: “Remember the wonders he [God] has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” (1 Chron. 16:12, NIV). “He [God] performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles...

God would have it no other way. The miraculous event of sending His Son from heaven to earth for the redemption of man should be accompanied with marvel and mysteries and miracles. Christmas, whether in pretense or in truth, has come again this year, and for over...

A miracle is defined as an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. Such an effect or event manifesting itself is considered to be a work of God. For the young virgin...

“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21, KJV-BRG). At first glance, this Scripture reads as ordinary, commonplace, and without...

Present-day Bethlehem lies about six miles to the south of Jerusalem in Palestinian territory and has a population of around 25,000. The majority of the population is Muslim, but there remains a large Christian element due to the popularity of the Church of the...

God’s control of world events is recorded by King David in Psalms 22:27–28: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations”...

Solomon, the wisest man to have lived, is given credit for writing Psalm 72. This nineteen-verse adoration of a king might possibly be about Solomon himself, but the adoration without a doubt extends as well to the superlative One, the King of kings. “Endow the king...

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14, KJV-RBG). “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain…. You are my son; today I have become your father” (Psalm...

What in the world do a donkey and a star have in common? The Ancient Words give a simple answer in one word—Balaam. Balaam is the not so good prophet from Beor who is used by God to deliver a very good oracle and prophecy for the ages. Balaam is employed by Balak,...

The question of whether God created life on other planets is certainly fascinating. Psalm 19:1 says that “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (NKJV). Everything that God has made, be it you and me, or wildlife, or angels, or...

A close comparison of Psalm 72, Isaiah 60, and Matthew 2 may reveal that much more than three single presents were brought to the manger scene when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. True, the small barnyard stall may have accommodated Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus along...

Mary of Nazareth—Preparation of Obedience Luke 1:26–38; Luke 2:4–20, 21–24, 41–52; Mark 6:1–6; John 19:25–27 Mary of Bethany—Preparation of Repentance Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:1–11; Luke 7:36–50; John 11:1–45; John 12:1–11 Mary of Magdala—Preparation of Response to...

There are three “Josephs” in the Bible who directly connect with the life of Jesus, the Christ, and each Joseph does his part to prepare the way for Jesus’s coming. Joseph #1, the Son of Jacob Joseph #1, the son of Jacob the patriarch, is found in the book of Genesis,...

Hosea 11:1—Matthew 2:13–18 “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (NIV) Joel 2:28–32—Acts 2:14–21 “Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.” (NIV) Amos 8:9—Matthew 27:45–4 “In that day…I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” (NIV)...

Birthdays! We all know our birthday, that special day when we were born. Our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents know it; family and friends come and celebrate with us that special day—our birthday! How much more does it stand to reason that God knows...

One of the several events of Christmas that continues to fascinate us is the star of Bethlehem. New information and technology led to the 2007 film entitled The Star of Bethlehem from Stephen McEveety, producer of The Passion of the Christ. This film portrays the...

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal. 4:4, KJV-BRG). The miracles of Christmas display God’s precise and perfect fulness in the birth of His Son. Prelude and Fulfillment: John the Baptist (400...