We have recently celebrated Jesus’ birth and a new year on our calendar. Did you know there are some surprising parallels to Caesar Augustus? Luke reminds us of who was ruling at the time of Jesus’ birth: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus…” (Luke 2:1a) Caesar Augustus reigned over the Roman Empire when Jesus was born, including the areas of Judea (where Jesus was born) and Galilee (where Jesus grew up and did most of his ministry). “Gospel” Unlike Luke’s starting with Jesus’ nativity, Mark begins his account of Jesus with, “The beginning of the gospel […]
Author Archive: Marcia Johnson
Do Not Fear: God Is With Us
Most are familiar with the popular Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” but do you know the backstory to this title? It is most familiar in Jesus’ birth narrative, a message to Joseph from an angel: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:21-23 Immanuel 700 years before Jesus […]
The “Fourteenth” of Christmas
This traditional place for Jesus’ birth is marked with a silver fourteen-pointed star. Why fourteen? It is for the three lists of fourteen ancestors in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1. The birth stories of Jesus are favorites, especially with the magi, the shepherds, and the baby in the manger, but few of us would say we enjoy this long list of names. However, to much of the Eastern part of our world, what to us is a boring list of names is actually extremely important and interesting. An organization that distributes audio Bibles reports that one out of three people […]
Advent – A Season of Anticipation
Some Christian traditions celebrate Advent in the weeks before Christmas. The word comes from Latin (adventus) and means “coming” or “arrival” (parousia in our New Testament’s Greek). While most people focus on Advent’s preparation for Christmas, the Bible’s use of the term is usually about Jesus’ Second Coming. While it is wonderful to remember the time of Jesus’ incarnation and birth, we must never forget he has a second advent that we must all be prepared for. The main thing Jesus and the apostles taught about his return was to be ready. A little baby in a manger makes us […]
Why is Pentecost important for Gentile believers?
Yesterday was Pentecost. Because of its importance, I want to add one more post. We’ve already looked at how it most likely took place at the temple and how Luke tied it into the giving of the Torah. But, both of these are Jewish connections. Is there any special significance for those of us Gentiles (non-Jews)? Reversing Babel In Genesis 11, we read how people try to build a tower to the heavens: The people rebel against God. Each person seeks his own way to the heavens as they desire to make a name for themselves. God comes down in […]
What does Pentecost actually celebrate?
Many Christians think of Pentecost solely as a Christian holiday without realizing it goes back much farther. The Feast of Weeks is a feast initially prescribed by God to celebrate the first of the wheat harvest (Leviticus 23:15-21, Numbers 28:26-31, Deuteronomy 16:9-12). In Hebrew, it is called Shavuot, which means “weeks” (7 weeks after Passover); in Greek, it is Pentecost, meaning “fiftieth” (50 days after Passover). By the era of Jesus (and still today), it also became a time to celebrate God giving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Jewish sages had studied the Scriptures and made this time correlation between […]
Where in Jerusalem did God pour out the Holy Spirit?
This Sunday is Pentecost, remembered this weekend by some churches. Christians associate Pentecost with Acts 2 and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I want to explore a few aspects of it, starting by focusing on its location. Below is a picture of the Cenacle, a Crusader-era structure built over the site believed by some to be the “Upper Room” where Jesus held his last Passover, the Last Supper. Most tourists are told that this is the location where the events of Acts 2:1-4 and the outpouring of God’s Spirit occurred. But who cares where the outpouring of the Spirit […]