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Baptism of Our Lord • Matthew 3:13–17 • January 9, 2011
by Dale A. Meyer Still Waters Run Deep Introduction: Over time you get to know some people well enough to know how they’ll react. You have a good idea how friends, family,…
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Christmas 2 • Luke 2:40–52 • January 2, 2011
by William W. Schumacher So soon after the sometimes sentimental scenes of the infant Jesus we cherish at Christmas, this unique account of Jesus as a twelve-year-old boy accelerates us toward the…
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Christmas 1 • Matthew 2:13–23 •December 26, 2010
by Travis J. Scholl Talk about good news, bad news. The day after Christmas (“On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”), and already the evangelist has swept…
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Advent 4 • Matthew 1:18–25 • December 19, 2010
by Paul Robinson We were driving home from a Wednesday evening Advent service when my three-year-old daughter announced from her car seat, “I’m afraid of angels.” Her mother and I, in mild…
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Advent 3 • Matthew 11:2–15 • December 12, 2010
by Jeffrey A. Kloha Textual Notes Two phrases are problematic in this text. First, Jesus seems to diminish John in verse 11. So who is the “greatest?” Greatness in the kingdom is…
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Advent 2 • Matthew 3:1–12 • December 5, 2010
by Jeffrey A. Gibbs Historically Specific Theology Matthew begins by writing, “and in those days.” Recalling that chapter divisions are later additions and (sometimes) unhelpful, I would encourage the following understanding: there…
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Advent 1 • Matthew 24:36–44 • November 28, 2010
by Travis J. Scholl Socrates summed up the first principle of philosophers everywhere: to know that we don’t know. And perhaps the “not knowing” is what makes the future so maddening. Everything…
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Proper 29 • Malachi 3:13–18 • November 21, 2010
by Michael J. Redeker There is famine, poverty, oppression, and unfaithfulness. People live their lives contrary to God’s Word, and he doesn’t even seem to care. Does it really pay to follow…
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Proper 28 • Malachi 4:1–6 • November 14, 2010
by Joel D. Biermann Thoughts from the Text The end is in sight. Another year is drawing to a close—the church year anticipating the calendar year by a good month. Fittingly, the…
