Tag Archives: Jesus

On the Subject of Theology

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theologyTheology – theo meaning having to do with religion, ology meaning the study of something. Theologians are those that study religion.  We need not all be theologians, but a Christian should at least know what we believe, and hopefully why we believe it.  In this we are lacking.

In his Collapse of Evangelicalism, Michael Spencer says ” massive majorities of evangelicals can’t articulate the Gospel with any coherence.”  The next day after reading these words, our school chapel sang Hymn 604 in the Baptist Hymnal, which ends with these words: “And repeat the gospel story ’till his name the world has heard.” We have not done this.  It is not surprising that the un-churched do not know how to become a Christian, but church members not knowing how one gets saved is unacceptable.  Continue reading →

Jesus Example: Fish for Breakfast

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fish-fryOkay, this one may seem a little silly but there will be a point.  This lesson may be more about friendship than anything else.

So after Jesus had been crucified and buried, the disciples were in a tough spot.  They had given up the past three years of their lives to spend with Jesus, basically doing the world tour around the Mid East.  They had also preached, taught and cast out demons, but often disappointed Christ with their lack of faith and understanding.  So now all their hopes and dreams have been nailed to the cross.  Continue reading →

Jesus’ Example (What Did Jesus Do?)

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wwjdWhat would Jesus do:  Remember that one?  Just in case you missed the 90’s, that was the Christian youth catch phrase to end all others.  There were backpacks, bracelets, t-shirts, teddy bears, pencils, bumper stickers, and the list goes on.  If it could be printed, it was.

The question wasn’t new.  “What would Jesus do” is asked by the characters in the short novel In His Steps by Charles Sheldon.  The locals of a small church congregation are challenged to ask this simple question before making any decision of consequence, and their lives are changed in the process.  The only problem, of course, is that we cannot always know for certain what Jesus would do in a particular circumstance.  What then?  Continue reading →

Jesus’ Example: Resisting Temptation

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temptation-of-jesusThe temptation of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11.  We will be referring to these verses many times.

Walking the earth as a man subjected Jesus to all things common to humanity.  The Epistle of James teaches that God is not tempted by sin, and does not tempt anyone to sin.  But Jesus is God in the flesh; he experienced all the things we experience and can thus empathize with our weaknesses, feelings, emotions, frustrations, and so forth.  Whatever we experience, Jesus himself has been there.  And so it is with temptation.  Continue reading →

Commandments and Traditions, Jesus in Mark 7

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jesus_teachingThis lesson is from Mark 7:1-22.  Jesus is being questioned about why his disciples eat without washing their hands.  Jesus’ response says a lot about first century Jews’ attitudes toward the Old Testament Law, and how they lived out their convictions in real life. 

Jesus’ immediate reply to their criticism is to quote from Isaiah “this people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  Jesus tells them that they ignore God’s commandment to keep the commandment of men.  Continue reading →

Jesus’ Example: Growing Up

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child-jesusWhile it’s true that the whole Bible is about Jesus, what we know about his life on earth is found in four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   The story of his birth (Christmas) is only recorded in two of those, Matthew and Luke.  What we know about his childhood is very limited, basically one paragraph in Luke 2.  Yet even in this short story Jesus provides us with an example we can learn from.  Continue reading →

Jesus on Abraham

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abrahamMoses tells the story of Abraham, Paul mentions Abraham several times, but did Jesus ever talk about Abraham?  He does at length in John 8.  Jesus is explaining that God the Father has sent him, yet the people do not listen to his words but instead do the will of their father, the devil.  His Jewish audience insists their father is Abraham.  Jesus says that if Abraham were their father they would do the things Abraham did, such as rejoice when he saw the Day of the Lord.  Jesus contends they are not sons of Abraham. Continue reading →

Rethinking the Wise Men

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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:1-2

nativity

Take a good look at this nativity scene.  Study it for a moment.  It should look similar to every other nativity you’ve ever seen before.  Jesus is lying in a manger filled with hay; the major characters are in or around a stable of some sort; the star would be shining above; the shepherds came from the field, where they had been watching their flocks; and the 3 wise men came bringing gifts.  It’s a nice picture, and we think “That seems about right.”  But it’s not.  One of the things on my list, according to scripture at least,  doesn’t belong. Continue reading →

Immanuel, God With Us

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jesus-in-mangerIsaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah, saying that a virgin would conceive and have a child, and his name would be called Immanuel.  When Matthew quotes Isaiah he adds that Immanuel means “God with us.”  That’s the true meaning of Christmas.

I recently wrote that when we could not come to God, he came to us.  In Isaiah chapter nine he writes “His name shall be called Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  If the baby in the manger is anything other than God with us, you’re not understanding the full implication of Christ’s birth. Continue reading →

Almost Getting Christmas

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lego-manger1This is part two of Almost Getting Jesus.  It was just way too long to be a single post. 

Many believe Christmas to be Jesus’ birthday, and his birth is why we celebrate.  Yes; and no.  Mostly no.  The wise men brought gifts, which is why we exchange gifts.  Perhaps; but I don’t think so.  The true meaning of Christmas is about peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, right?  That’s what the angels proclaimed to the shepherds, but that’s not what Christmas really means to Christianity; not really.  What’s wrong with all of these statements you ask?  There’s nothing majorly wrong with them, and they are close to the Gospel. Continue reading →