Lessons from Matthew 2:1–12 Matthew’s account of the wise men is familiar to us; perhaps too familiar. It is easy to let the story sit quietly in the manger scene, safely contained between Christmas hymns and nativity figurines. But J.C. Ryle reminds us that this passage is anything but sentimental. It is searching, humbling, and…
’Twas with an everlasting love That God his own elect embraced; Before he made the worlds above, Or earth on her huge columns placed. Long ere the sun’s refulgent ray Primeval shades of darkness drove, They on his sacred bosom lay, Loved with an everlasting love. Then in the glass of his decrees, Christ and his bride appeared as one; Her sin,…
Awake, my soul, in joyful lays, And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise; He justly claims a song from me; His loving-kindness, O how free! He saw me ruined in the fall, Yet loved me notwithstanding all; He saved me from my lost estate; His loving-kindness, O how great! [Though numerous hosts of mighty foes, Though earth and hell my way oppose, He…
Matthew 1:18-25 gifts the church two plain and glorious truths: the Lord Jesus took our nature upon Himself, and His birth was miraculous. Mary, a virgin, bore the Son of God. J. C. Ryle reminds us that these are depths beyond our finite reason. Don’t try to dissect the ocean with a teaspoon. We ought…
Great God! my Maker and my King, Of thee I’ll speak, of thee I’ll sing; All thou hast done, and all thou dost, Declare thee good, proclaim thee just. Thy ancient thoughts and firm decrees;Thy threatenings and thy promises;The joys of heaven, the pains of hell –What angels taste, what devils feel; Thy terrors and thy acts…
When most people open the New Testament, they expect fireworks: angels, shepherds, wise men, the whole Christmas pageant. Instead, Matthew begins with a genealogy. Sixteen verses of names. To the modern reader, it can feel like starting a race by tripping over a family reunion. But the Holy Spirit wastes no ink, and this opening…
God shall alone the refuge be,And comfort of my mind;Too wise to be mistaken, He,Too good to be unkind. In all his holy, sovereign will,He is, I daily find,Too wise to be mistaken, stillToo good to be unkind. When I the tempter’s rage endure,’Tis God supports my mind;Too wise to be mistaken, sure,Too good to…
Loving and Hating at the Same Time: A Biblical Tension One of the more difficult tensions in the Christian life is how the Bible teaches us to both love our enemies and at the same time hate evil. Many people scratch their heads when they hear David say, “Do I not hate those who hate…
You’ve probably read Proverbs, or at least heard your grandmother quote it, and felt the sting or the comfort of those short, sharp lines. “Wise words,” you think. But what do Proverbs actually do for you when life falls apart, when your anger flames up, when words wreck a marriage, or when shame keeps you…
The last few days in America have felt like one more brutal reminder: violence is not a distant problem. Public events, schools, and public transportation, places we expect to be safe, have been pierced by murder and attempted murder. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a university event on September 10, 2025,…