Matthew 1:18-25
O Come O Come Emmanuel, and Ransom Captive Israel. So goes the Advent hymn. God will be with us. Our story reminds us how this came about. God chose to become human in a way that is at the same time normal and abnormal. God became human by the Holy Ghost impregnating a young woman which is very abnormal. But God came into the world through a woman which is very normal. We all are born of a woman.
Acts 1:12-26
Two individuals were chosen by the group as possible replacements for Judas. One Matthias and the other Justus. Both Matthias and Justus were only mentioned in the Bible in this one place, but they stood with Jesus and followed for the whole time. We know that they both were true followers. They had been with the movement from the baptism of John through the great difficulties of the death and resurrection.
Psalm 2
Why do the nations Conspire against the Lord and The Lord’s Annointed? This question has got to be a rhetorical question. Why do they conspire? They conspire because they are wicked. They conspire because they do not like what God is doing in the world. They conspire because God is threatening their hold on the world.
Yes the nations conspire against the Lord and our scripture tells us that God is going to set up God’s annointed to bring down these powers. Then the Psalm turns to these leaders and appeals to them, stand with God or be destroyed.
Matt 1:1-17
This is a geneology of Jesus Christ. What is of interest to me is that most geneologies in the Bible do not include women at all. However this one does include women. Why the difference here?
Matthew 2:1-12
Here you are sitting in your seat of power that you have worked so hard and deligently to get and out of nowhere some outsiders come up to you and ask where is the new leader? Where is the one who is to take your position? Where is the King?
Many people make resolutions to read the Bible through in the incoming year.
Thanks from Dipnoi for this link to the Real Live Preacher’s series on How To Read the Bible. Here is a link to the video for part 1. It looks as if it will be helpful and valuable.
