How the Gospel Helps Us Makes Sense of Newtown. When we see suffering around us we often ask, "Why?" Here we find the foundational truths about God and suffering.

Who was this man, John, and how did his birth provoke such joy and fear in this small town? Through these events we want to see God himself, his character, his power, his glory.

To magnify something is to emphasize its greatness. Here we see Mary putting God on display for what he has done. We should follow her example. We should seek to magnify God in our own lives.

In this passage, we see the visitation of the great and the greater. And in this scene, what we see more than anything is what it means to encounter the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, we come to one of the most important passages in all of the Bible - the coming birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world is announced to a young peasant girl. It's an announcement that not only changed the world but should change our lives.

Given who this book is about - namely, Jesus Christ - this book starts off in an unexpected place. We're told about two people, a husband and wife, named Zechariah and Elizabeth. As seemingly insignificant we come to understand that it takes on greater significance.

These verses tell us why Luke wrote his Gospel, what his Gospel is all about, and what spiritual benefit we can hope to gain by reading it.

Reformation Sunday

In these final verses, Paul builds on everything else that he has touched on in this letter, showing how to further gospel ministry. He envisions Christians investing in the lives of other Christians who in turn invest in the lives of others.

By God's grace, we are to respond to the calls we hear to godliness. We do it, remembering God's grace, remembering that we are not accepted because of our godliness. But because we are already accepted in Christ, we should pursue godliness and good works.