You cannot understand the Last Supper and the Crucifixion without hearing the echoes of the Passover, and you definitely cannot understand Jesus’ ministry without seeing it in the context of the Exodus. Even in the waning days of Christmas, we are reminded: Passover and the Cross are closer than they appear because of Matthew Chapter 2. As hard as he tried, Herod never had a chance of stopping this New Exodus. God’s work of salvation was destined to begin in Bethlehem and t

The joy of Christmas manifests itself because of the joy Christ brings into the world. It’s as simple as that: Jesus brings the joy of heaven with him to earth. What Jesus offers is a deeper joy than anything this world can give. It’s a joy that lacks sentimentality and will not quickly fade like momentary bouts of happiness. It is a joy that is real and authentic to our lived experiences. It doesn’t bypass the tougher parts of life, pushing them under the rug.

As much as we’d like to avoid it, we must go toward the voice of John, and all those whose voice is like his. Their ministry is to unsettle us and convict us, but we must realize that God’s judgment is not meant for our undoing but for our redeeming, and the redemption of all things. Being honestly insecure is a good thing. We should long for the world to be made right; for God's perfect justice to reign in us and our common life together. At the end of the age, wrongs will

Right now is the time of waiting, testing, and tribulation. We don’t have to wait for things to get worse before they get better. We are to live in the here and now, thankful for our daily bread and attentive to what God has tasked us with, while also never losing sight of Jesus’ return when he will set the world right. And oh, what a day that will be, when all is made right.