Scripture Snippets

  Read Matthew 1:16-2:11 If there was one thing Herod the Great would not tolerate, it was competition. When these wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, Herod took notice. For many years, the wise men had been studying the stars and had seen something remarkable in them about a coming king which pointed them to Jerusalem. We don’t know why they associated a star with a king, nor how they identified it with Israel. The only related prophecy we know of is Numbers 24:17 when Balaam said about the nation Israel, “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” The star and the scepter go together—these wise men came out of the mysterious east in their search. The prophecies of Daniel, given in that section of the world, also revealed almost the exacttime when Christ was to be born. So when the wise men saw this unusual star, they knew what it meant.  The wise men’s arrival in Jerusalem disturbed King Herod and the whole city. The question has always been, ...

  John 16:12-15 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. God sent His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. As a member of the Trinity, the Spirit is all-knowing and trustworthy to instruct us with regard to divine matters. But He promises to do so only for those who by faith have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  The primary way by which the Spirit directs us is through the Word of God. The Bible is His revelation to mankind, and every word of it is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). That mean...

  Read Jonah 4 As children, we have a natural determination to get our own way, and though this trait is usually tempered as we age, it never really leaves us. Even after salvation, we still have some sinful, self-centered tendencies, which the Bible calls “the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). We all retain habits, attitudes, and thought patterns that must be relinquished if we’re to submit to God’s will.   Jonah ultimately did what the Lord commanded and saw a great revival in Nineveh. However, he was still controlled by his self-centered attitude and so angry that he preferred to die rather than see the Ninevites saved (Jonah 4:3). He wanted mercy for himself but not for his enemies. Jonah’s bitterness shows that stubbornly clinging to our self-focus is a snare for our spirit. Pride, anger, resentment, and self-pity are like thick weeds in our path, preventing us from moving forward. But if we give in to such feelings, we’ll steep in emotional turmoil, just as Jonah did. Thankf...

  Hebrews 10:19-22 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness  to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. In the book of Hebrews, we find encouragement for God’s people to persevere and draw near to Him.  When facing all kinds of difficulties, many of us have a tendency to power through in our own strength. But the reality is, that’s never effective—at least not for long. Instead, God wants us to come closer to Him. All too often, our frustrations about life impact our ability to submit to God and be intimately connected with Him. Trusting our Father requires humility—we must remember He alone knows all. But we also need to keep in mind that He loves us more than anyone can gr...

    Luke 2:19 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. There is no season of the year more festive, significant, and memorable than Christmas. The colors, the sounds, the family gatherings, the special meals, and the excitement of children and grandchildren make for happy memories. (In our house we have a special December calendar.) Secrets abound, touched by affection, only to be unwrapped on Christmas morning. For us, there are other memories as well that fill our minds—the things we unwrap, the gifts we give, and the joy we experience in giving are symbols of the greatest of all gifts, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The mystery of deity-in-flesh-among-us is as incomparable as it is incomprehensibly true. It is something that has captured our imagination, filling us with delight and appreciation. Mary is a great illustration, and model, in this regard for us. She was likely aroused from sleep by a group of shepherds who, somewhat perplexed, came to se...

  Luke 2:15-16 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. It was time for the Christ Child to be born—in the middle of the night and in a manger. The birth announcement came in spectacular fashion—not on social media nor to powerful leaders of the day but to lowly shepherds on the hillside.  Heavenly messengers proclaimed the news about the Savior who had been born (Luke 2:11). In their excitement, the shepherds hurried off to Bethlehem to see this miracle for themselves. But did they imagine this tiny baby was also their Shepherd?  We are compared to sheep throughout Scripture (Psalm 100:3). We stubbornly go our own way (Isaiah 53:6) because we think we can manage life without the Lord. But the truth is, we are lost ...

    Luke 2:13-14 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Gloria in Excelsis Deo—Glory to God in the highest! We hear this highest praise given at Jesus’s birth, and it is reserved for only one. “Glory to God in the highest” was the praise given by the angels while the shepherds watched their flocks by night. The angel’s greeting and the heavenly host’s praise caused the shepherds to get on their feet and run to see where Jesus was born. Jesus’s birth brought about “highest praise” from Mary in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55), from Zechariah in his prophecy (1:68–79), and from Simeon in his prayer (2:29–32).  Everywhere the announcement of Jesus’s birth was heard, high praise followed. The higher one goes the better, like a sledge hammer hitting a bell at a carnival: high, higher, and highest! This reminds me of my grandfather’s phrase, “good,...

   Luke 2:10-12 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Joseph and Mary travel a great distance for the census as Mary’s contractions increase. Upon their arrival in Bethlehem she goes into labor. Just in time Joseph finds a place of shelter. There is no room in the inn, so the back stable will have to do.  Meanwhile, the Lord prepares nearby shepherds as witnesses to the Savior’s birth. These simple herdsmen are familiar with sheep and stables, but they never imagine what would happen that starry night.  The midnight sky dims. The shepherds kindle a small fire, keeping watch over their flock. A veteran herder tells the story of fending off a wild beast. Wind-carried yelps echo in t...

  John 1:1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The fragrant, lip-smacking aroma of breakfast made me feel hungrier than I really was. My buddy’s wife was frantically cooking up a feast. Eggs, juice, toast, apricot marmalade, and fresh fruit topped off the spread. Nevertheless, this effort made my “Spidey-senses” buzz, and I could not shake my suspicions.  Soon the reason came out in their words: “Would you come and visit our church this Sunday?” “Sure, I would be glad to come,” I said. It was really her church, where they got “points” for bringing visitors. Now, these are friends, but in the past, they never really agreed theologically on a lot of viewpoints with me, but they were going to a new church and I was curious what they were being taught now. I was right to be suspic...

    Luke 2:7 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. For a long time when I served as a youth pastor, every Christmas season I challenged the teenagers in my Sunday school class to take a Christmas quiz to demonstrate that much of what they think they know about Christmas may be incorrect. There are gift cards on the line, so they take it seriously. Most miss half or more of the questions because of assumptions and a lack of careful reading. One of the questions on the quiz asks, “What did the innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph?” There are five possible answers, but virtually every teen confidently chooses, “There is no room for them in the inn.” All are surprised to learn there is no mention in the text of an “innkeeper” or anything anyone might have said to Mary and Joseph. In fact, the Greek word translated here as “inn” is a more general word referring to any place ...

    Luke 2:6-7 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The nativity sets that we see in homes, offices, and even on lawns during this season capture a still frame, a moment in time, but offer little to awaken our senses. I often read this passage in Luke and fail to linger in the process that brought Mary to the time when she gave birth to Jesus. We must call on our senses of taste, touch, and hearing to fully appreciate the process.  “The time was completed”: Those words are filled with many sights and sounds—Mary’s water breaking and her shrieks from labor pains as she tried to balance herself and stay upright, Joseph’s heart racing as he cared for his family, and finally a sigh of relief from the couple as a spot was chosen for the birth.  “She brought forth (gave ...