INCARNATION

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Nov/Dec 2020

It’s confession time. I possess a peculiar ability that annoys everyone, even my husband. I listen to the same music over and over…

Inside View Nov/Dec 2020

When we tour Israel each spring and fall, we always visit Galilee. Why? Because much of Jesus’ ministry occurred there. Following His first miracle…

A Christmas to Remember

During the Christmas season, the popular children’s animated television show Bob the Builder and Hallmark…

What God Told Isaiah

More than any other time of year, Christmas is when people talk about Jesus’ birth. You would think that after 2,000 years, Jesus’ miraculous conception would be…

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Isaiah 7:14 is not the only Hebrew Scripture that ascribes deity to Israel’s Messiah. Isaiah 9:6–7 is another well-known prophecy…

Immanuel Forever

We don’t know his name or his background. We do know he was a criminal (Lk. 23:32). But as he hung between heaven and Earth on a Roman cross, something within…

The Incredible Incarnation

I have some Christian friends who do not celebrate Christmas. They object to the many pagan traditions that have crept into the holiday and argue that Jesus was not even born on December 25. I don’t disagree. They are quite correct…

The Unfathomable Christ

During His incarnation, Christ was humiliated for our sake. Here are seven characteristics of Jesus that should make us love Him even more. You are about to read one of the most enlightening passages in all of Scripture…

When the Time Was Right

The Hebrew Scriptures provide inklings of God’s special preparations for His Son. Abraham and his descendants were to live in a specifi c place, the “Promised Land” (Gen. 12:1).

Beyond the Manger

Even at this time of year, when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, most people don’t know who Jesus is. The Bible has much to say about the One who was born in a manger in Bethlehem.

No Room at the Kataluma

When it comes to the account of Jesus’ birth, it seems like the villain was the poor innkeeper. After all, he was the one who turned Mary and Joseph away…

The Birth that Changed the World

Hymns, tinsel, decorations, and good cheer used to flood America’s public schools at Christmastime. Though these have all disappeared, one thing will never be erased.

The One and Only Christ

Seven hours north of Tokyo is a small town called Shingo where you can buy biscuits, chopsticks, and postcards to commemorate your visit to the place where Jesus is buried…

Merry Christmas 2008

Gone are the days of Studebakers, five- and-dimes, and the much-anticipated gifts of sweet, juicy oranges stuffed into Christmas stockings. But two important facets of the holiday will remain forever.

The Herald Cometh

Most people are familiar with Luke 2 as the beginning of the Christmas story. But the wondrous account actually begins earlier, with an elderly priest who enters the Temple to burn incense.

For Unto You

In Jesus’ day, herdsmen were held in low esteem. Their honesty and integrity were often questioned, and apparently they could not always observe the rituals or keep the ceremonial laws.

The Message and the Maiden

A backwater town called Nazareth. A common Jewish girl called Mary. An angelic messenger called Gabriel. And a promise of God. These all converged to change history for all time in something called the Incarnation.

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

So you don’t believe a virgin can bear a child? You’re not alone. But you should believe it, particularly if you’re Jewish. Read this article and learn why.

In the Fullness of Time

Many secular people mistakenly believe that, except for the story of Jesus in the Gospels, there is no historical record of the man Jesus Christ. This is not true. Jewish sources…

For You and For Me

It was worse than a nightmare. There Mary stood as her son Jesus hung on a Roman cross between two criminals. With her sister Salome, Mary the wife of Clopas (probably her sister-in-law)…

Behold the Lamb

The great theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote, “There is no point in human history where the divine sovereignty and human responsibility, or free will, come into more vivid juxtaposition than they do in the crucifixion…

Matthew 1: Certificate of Authenticity

For 132 years the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) Dog Show has been held in New York City. Broadcast on cable television from Madison Square Garden, this fierce competition is considered one of the most prestigious…

No Other Name

As Christmas approaches, many people concentrate on gifts and decorations and enjoying the season. Fewer think about who Jesus is and what it meant for Him to come to Earth. But without the Incarnation…

A Star in the Heavens

The Magi were an old, powerful priestly caste that practiced astronomy as well as astrology. Naturally, they would have been familiar with the writings of Balaam the Mesopotamian (Dt. 23:4).

Why Tabernacles is Important for You!

Sukkot, or Tabernacles, begins this year on October 13 at sundown, five days after Yom Kippur, and commemorates God’s provision and protection of the Jewish people during their 40-year trek through the wilderness.

Silhouette of man speaking.

What’s So Special About Christmas?

When it comes to the holidays, and I’m asked to name a favorite, it’s not difficult. Thanksgiving is the day. It’s a time when the air is crisp and clear…

God and Wisdom Conclusion

The previous article described two wisdoms, or world-life views, that oppose each other concerning issues in modern-day society. One wisdom, or view, has as its foundation and starting point the revealed knowledge of the personal…

God is Glorious Conclusion

The previous article examined two ways in which God has manifested His glory during history: (1) through His created universe and (2) through unique, historic events. This article will examine two more ways.

God Is Personal (Theology Proper)

Some individuals claim that God is an impersonal power or force and is not personal. Paul Tillich, who taught at Union Theological Seminary (New York), Harvard, and the University of Chicago and who was regarded…

Art Thou He That Should Come?

Some waited for years and were sure when they saw Him. Others are still waiting. Can we truly identify “he that should come”? Yes!

Confirmation of Jesus’ Messiahship

How can we know that Jesus’ claims about Himself are true? Examine
man’s twofold dilemma and God’s gracious, twofold solution.

Silhouette of man speaking.

Peace–Present and Promised

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Lk. 2:13–14).

The Son of Man

The term Son of man is used no fewer than 192 times throughout the Word of God. And it means more than you might expect.

The Eternal Sonship of Christ

Some say Jesus was not the Son of God until the incarnation because sonship implies subservience. But does it really?

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ Conclusion

Peter also declared that Jesus was “crucified and slain” (v. 23). The word translated crucified means “fix,” “fasten to,” or “nail to” (William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 725). Peter used it to describe…

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ Part One

Historically, some people and groups have denied that Christ came in human flesh. For example, some said that the Christ came temporarily upon an already existing man, Jesus of Nazareth. He came long enough to impart a secret body of knowledge…

Names and Titles Of Jesus Christ

All of the articles thus far in this series have examined the first major area of doctrine—Bibliology (the study of the Bible). This article begins an examination of another significant area—Christology (the study of Christ).

Mary and Joseph

Christmas has never been a time of rejoicing for Jewish people. The hubbub and festivities that effervesce around the holiday seem to many Jews more like a big ball of excitement that rolls…

The Dedication of a King

In every parent’s life there are those timeless moments when a newborn child nestles gently into his or her arms. With large, innocent eyes, the trusting infant looks up at its reassuring protector.

The Wise Men

There are many misconceptions about the magi who visited Jesus. The beloved Christmas carol begins, “We three kings of Orient are,” but already it has made at least three errors.

Ezekiel’s Call

What constitutes a “call” for a person of God? Is it a mystical experience that seemingly only a few receive? Is it that still small voice of God that speaks to us in our confusion?

A Portrait of the Messiah

With the shadow of the cross shading their minds, two of Christ’s disciples left Jerusalem. They were headed for Emmaus, a village seven miles from the city.

Paul’s Encounter With the Risen Savior

Regarding the miraculous turnabout of Rabbi Saul, Church historian Philip Schaff, states, “The transformation of the most dangerous persecutor into the most successful promoter of Christianity is nothing less than a miracle of divine grace.

“O Come, O Come, Immanuel”

Whether he understood the proper context of his words or not, the 12th-century hymn writer captured the mood of a remnant of Jewry who were longing for the appearance of the Christ.

Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1987/1988

In the days preceding Christmas, many people in Israel ask believers, “How can God have a birthday?” The concept of the birth of Jesus is very hard for the Jewish people to accept.

Why Do We Celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

Every year in the Hebrew month Kislev (December), on the 25th day of that month, Jewish people the world over celebrate Chanukkah.1  It is “nonbiblical” in origin and emerged as a result of events that occurred during the intertestament period.

Immanuel, God With Us

Legally, he was the right man for the job, He was a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Judah and of the family of David. He had a right to rule over Israel.

The Sign of His Coming!

Jesus is coming again. Nature impatiently awaits it (Rom. 8:19-21). Justice legally demands it (Mt. 24:27-28). Christians eagerly anticipate it (Heb. 9:28). And the Bible authoritatively proclaims it (Mt. 24:32-35).

5 Minutes with the Director

If one thinks about it — and I am writing this editorial to encourage you to do so — the birth and death of Jesus are uniquely ironic.

God Has Spoken . . . In His Son

Christians commemorate December twenty-fifth as the day more than nineteen hundred years ago when the eternal Son of God was clothed in human flesh. That the day and month are almost certainly in error is of no great consequence.

God Keeps His Promises . . .

God’s promises are always enough – His Word is truth. He is not a man, that He should lie (Num. 23:19). What God’s mouth has spoken, His right arm of power will always perform.

The Priest: Christ’s Supplication

The Passover was concluded with the chanting of the Hallel Psalms. Slowly the small group made their way down the narrow stairs from the upper room, through the winding streets of Jerusalem…

Should Jews Believe In Jesus?

These were the words emblazoned on the front of a flyer printed by the Hillel Union Of Jewish Students and distributed on the Arizona State University campus.

God’s Gift to YOU

“Why” is one of mankind’s most searching words. It is the word of the seeker — the word of the individual who wants to understand the “cause” of human events.

The Incarnation

During the course of human history, there have been many great men. A few, like Washington and Lincoln, have their birthdays remembered because those days have become national holidays.