Month: December 2025

What does the law of God have to do with us, we who live after the incarnation, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? Are we free from the law? John’s Gospel, while not describing the birth of the Savior, takes you back to eternity and makes sure you understand that he is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. He is the Word. He is the true light, in contrast with those who witness to the light. What does John mean in John 1:17 when he contrasts Moses with Jesus Christ?

The law was given through Moses. Understand how the Bible uses the word law. God’s law has been good — from the beginning in the Garden of Eden. It reflects his character. But, after the fall, too often mankind has used the law to try to earn favor with God, to earn a place of blessing in heaven. By its nature, the law can only condemn a sinner, it cannot declare him just. In Romans, and especially Galatians, Paul contrasts law and grace. The law he opposes is not God’s prefect law, but rather the term he uses to describe the position of false teachers who argue that in addition to the work of Christ one needs to add his own obedience to the law. There the contrast is absolute. But John has a different meaning.

“In the giving of the law God revealed himself to Moses, when ‘Yahweh passed before him’ (Ex. 34:6) as the God of grace and truth, steadfast love, and faithfulness. But in that event Moses was not to see God’s glory, even though he had prayed for it (33:20). Only after God had passed by would he remove from Moses the hand that covered him (33:18f.).”

Herman Ridderbos, The Gospel of John, p. 57

Continue reading “Moses and the Messiah”

Lights are prominent in Christmas decorations. John 1:6–9 shows that light is a vital concept to John’s Prologue. John ties in with that emphasis a stress on testimony.

See the light! John is not the Word. Which John are we talking about? John the disciple? John the Baptizer? The way John the disciple/apostle introduces John the Baptizer draws you to reflect on what he, the author, and John the Baptizer, have in common: they are witnesses to Christ. Note the contrasts between John and the Word. The Gospel may be correcting an unduly high view of the Baptist’s ministry (cf. Acts 18:25; 19:3). The Word was God. John was sent from God. The Word was light. John was a witness to that light. Recognize your own role. You are not central — God is. The fact that God is central is comforting because it does not all depend on us. Yet God has chosen to bring his Word to this sinful world through you, his church. He does not call you to be successful, he summons you to be a faithful witness. He uses you, his church, but he, by his Spirit, gives the results. John was in a unique position to witness (regarding what was about to come and was actually happening). You bear witness to what has happened.

Continue reading “The Light of Christmas”

We sing “O little town of Bethlehem.” Little is not just a sentimental description. Bethlehem was an insignificant town. But Micah’s prophesy (5:2) echoed through the years to be recalled by the priests almost seven centuries later.

Trust the humble Messiah. Bethlehem was insignificant. The town was ancient. Both “Bethlehem” and “Ephrathah” were associated with it (Genesis 35:19) but it was a small, unimportant town. It was the boyhood home of David, but that alone didn’t give it lasting importance. We may be proud of Newberg as the boyhood home of President Hoover, but that doesn’t put the town on the map. Perhaps the insignificance of Bethlehem was one of the reasons the priests and leaders of Israel, although able to cite this prophecy in response to Herod’s question, failed to follow the Magi to Bethlehem. The Magi must have been surprised. After following the star to the land of the Jews (where people responded, “What newborn king?”) they are directed out of Jerusalem to little Bethlehem. Today the kingdom of God still often appears insignificant to men. The church seems (and is) weak. Often it is unnoticed.

Continue reading “O Little Town of Bethlehem”

The Bible tells us very little about what God’s redeemed people are doing in heaven, awaiting the day when Christ returns to earth and makes all things new, but it does make clear that, while we await our resurrected bodies, we are conscious and we communicate, including praising God. One could imagine a fascinating conversation between, Eve, the mother of all living, and Mary, the blessed mother of our Redeemer — but instead of speculating, we can look at what God records about Eve in Genesis 3:8–4:2, and about Mary in our text, Luke 1:46–49, for Mary’s hymn looks back, not just to Hannah’s song, but also to the longing of Eve.

Look at Eve’s loss and longing. Eve’s loss affects you. We do not know how much knowledge of our failures and sins we will have in glory, so don’t put words in the mouth of Eve, were she to talk with Mary. But we do know from Scripture that God created Eve, like Adam, in his own image and likeness, emphasized in Genesis 1, “male and female.” God placed mankind in the Garden of Eden, best understood as an earthly replica of the glorious heavens that God created in the beginning, where he dwells with his angels. After creating for six days, God entered his rest on the seventh — with the goal of mankind entering that rest. And, as God said that it was not good for man to be alone, he formed Eve from Adam’s side or wall. She was a helper, not a lowly servant, but Adam’s companion. Frequently God is described as the helper of his people. Here he gives Adam the gift of Eve, not just to do the dishes, but to aid him in his task of entering God’s rest. Genesis 3:8ff records how Satan, in the form of a speaking serpent, questioned God’s goodness, and led Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and to give to Adam, who was there with her. It was Adam, not Eve, who was the representative, the federal head as theologians put it, who represented all mankind (except for One!), and when Adam sinned, we all sinned in him and fell with him. Eve failed as the helper, and the couple become conscious of shame, make pathetic fig leaf coverings, and hide from God. They are expelled from the Garden. Regardless of whether or not Eve has memory of this in heaven, whether or not she could talk about it with Mary or others, she certainly went through deep regret and sorrow as she reflected on her failure. And, before we point the fingers at her and her husband, we need to recognize that we would not have done better.

Continue reading “Rejoicing in God the Savior”