Judgment Begins at the House of God: A Theology of Malachi
Several decades have passed since the temple was rebuilt and the worship of Yahweh restored under the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah. The promised King, however, had not yet come (Zech. 9:9), nor had God’s promised glory filled the temple (Hag. 2:6-9). As a result, true worship devolved into dead religion. From Israel’s perspective, God existed solely to grant his people health and material prosperity as a merited blessing. Read more 
The God-Centeredness of Christ’s Birth: A Christmas Sermon
Many people view Christmas as a time for joy and celebration. Some are aware that it has some religious significance. But few in our day really appreciate the true significance of Christ’s birth. Even Christians can lose sight of the real significance of the Christmas event. In light of the confusion and distraction of this season, I’d like to reorient our minds to the great meaning of Christ’s birth. Read more
Beauty for Ashes: A Brief Theology of Isaiah
The book of Isaiah contains a theology of contrasts. Two sets of contrasts stand out in particular. The first set concerns the nature of God and man. God is absolutely holy; man is utterly sinful. These opposite realities become in turn the basis for the second set of contrasts, namely, judgment and salvation. These second two opposite themes prove to be complementary in the end—as judgment becomes the necessary prelude to salvation, and Zion receives “beauty for ashes” (61:3). Read more
Justification by Faith Alone: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
As noted in the previous post, “justification” is something that involves at a Judge, a defendant, and a verdict. Technically, the term does not refer to the defendant’s character or behavior as such, but more precisely, it refers to the judge’s verdict of the man’s character or behavior. It is a once-for-all legal act that takes place outside the sinner. That raises an important question: How can God justify sinners? Read more
Christ as the Pastor’s Center – Tom Ascol
Every serious-minded pastors desires to have a Christ-centered ministry. But what precisely does it mean to have a ministry where Christ is the central theme of our preaching and controlling paradigm of our shepherding? This is the question Dr Tom Ascol attempts to address as he discusses how Jesus Christ should shape the pastor’s ministry. Read more
Love is as Strong as Death: Interpreting the Song of Solomon
The medieval Jewish scholar Saadia compared the Song of Solomon to a lock for which “the keys have been lost.” Most modern commentators agree with his assessment. “The Song is the most obscure book of the Old Testament,” according to Franz Delitzsch. G. Lloyd Carr says, “The whole question of its overall interpretation is unparalleled in the Old Testament.” Dennis F. Kinlaw writes, Read more
Christ Our “Cover-over” Lamb
A careful reading of Luke 22:14-20 reveals that the Lord’s Supper is closely associated with an OT Jewish feast called “Passover.” This fact underscores an important truth: Christianity is not at odds with the religion of the Old Testament. Rather, it’s the fulfillment of OT religion. That’s why Jesus appends the Lord’s Supper to the Passover. Not surprisingly, the apostle Paul actually refers to Jesus as “our Passover lamb” (1 Cor. 5:7). The implication is that if we want to understand and appreciate what Jesus did for us on the cross and what the Lord’s Supper symbolizes, we need to understand and appreciate the OT Passover. Read more
Operation Infinite Justice: Why the Cross of Christ Is Necessary
If you’re like most Americans, your interest in America’s fight against terrorism has been renewed by the death of Osama Bin Laden. Like most Americans, you’re probably hoping that eventually all terrorist networks and their leaders will be brought to justice. You may recall it was that desire for justice that prompted the Bush administration initially to suggest the phrase “Operation Infinite Justice” as a description for America’s war against terrorism. Especially catchy is the term, “infinite.” That term suggests a strong confidence that justice will fully and finally be carried out. It suggests that not one “evil-doer,” as President Bush referred to them, would escape. Read more
Impeccable or Peccable? Jesus Resisting Temptation as the Second Adam
The greatest battle ever waged on earth’s soil took place two thousand years ago in the desert of Palestine. There met the champions of evil and righteousness. Satan, the most intelligent and powerful creature ever made and who’d become the archenemy of God, stood toe-to-toe with the Promised Descendant of Eve, Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and the Son of God. It was a conflict of cosmic proportions. And the final outcome of his battle determined the destiny of men. Read more
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Fact or Fiction? Part 2
The New Testament presents the resurrection of Christ as historical fact. In the previous post, we examined two lines of evidence to support its historicity, and we sought to rebut common objections to Christ’s resurrection. Even so there are so-called Christian theologians who tell us that the literal, historical raising of Christ’s body from the dead is not essential to Christianity. According to these men, we can still have the Christian faith without the historical phenomenon of the resurrection! Listen to one of their prophets: Read more
