Month: December 2020

I believe the birth of Jesus was an historical event. It actually happened. A baby was born to a virgin. He was born in low circumstances and visited by shepherds, celebrated by Magi and announced by angels. I believe those things happened in the past. They are history. But I also believe the birth of Jesus was historic. Not only did it happen but it also shaped all subsequent history. It made an impact so deep, so significant that over 2,000 years after the fact, we are still reeling from it, remembering it, reaching to grasp the meaning of it. … Read more…

In the first two chapters of Luke’s gospel, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, sings about peace (1:79); the angels announce peace (2:14); and an old priest named Simeon thanks God for dismissing him in peace, (2:14). It’s like a peace party. The cause for all this celebration is the birth of the Messiah, Jesus. But neither Zechariah, Simeon nor even the angels were the first to connect the birth of Jesus with peace. That honor belongs to Isaiah, hundreds of years before Jesus was born. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and … Read more…