Results

Jesus was always faithful when Israel was faithless. When God tested Him, He came out spotless. When God tests us, it's to initiate growth in us and cause us to rely on Him. When Satan tests us, it's in the hope that we'll fail and Satan will have the victory... this didn't work on Jesus! His faithfulness endured regardless of His circumstances. The perfect example for us: live the Word.

In the Bible, every jot and tittle is masterfully placed by God. The birth of Christ is placed in Matthew as the 7th item in a list of sevens. His genealogy includes many imperfect people, gentiles... those he will die to save. This part of Matthew recounts Genesis, where even then, the stage is being set for Jesus to save mankind. He's the promised son from the Old Testament, the anointed one. The whole Old Testament has been building to the Christ, and here in Matthew 1, he has arrived!

The birth of Jesus had political implications. The first gentiles to worship Him, the Magi, made a choice: to follow His authority over Herod's. As our society becomes more and more secular, the difference between following the rule of government and the rule of Christ becomes an ever widening chasm. And just as the Magi made a choice, so must we.

Joseph the husband of Mary sometimes gets a bad rap. Contrary to popular opinion, he was a righteous man... he puts his reputation on the line to stand by Mary. Through the virgin birth, we see that salvation cannot come from within mankind. Jesus is the answer to our hopelessness! Accept him and we are saved. Deny him, and we're in a lot of trouble!

John the Baptist's mission parallels with that of Elijah and Elisha: to call people to repentance, and prepare the way for the King. Just as Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist had a double portion of God's spirit, so do we, with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Our mission is therefore the same: to call people to repentance and prepare the way of the Lord!