In our previous message we saw at Jesus's baptism that his Father blessed him with the Holy Spirit and with an affirmation of his identity as the Son. As we move into Chapter 4 we see all of that immediately tested. The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested, and if Israel's history is anything to go by, this is a dangerous situation. Will Jesus give in to evil and idolatry like Israel or will he prove to be the faithful Son?

Matthew chapter 2 ends with Jesus being a small child, as his family returns to Israel after having fled to Egypt for safety. However, when we continue to chapter 3 we see that 25-30 years have passed and Jesus is now an adult. Chapters 1 and 2 are filled with many supernatural encounters and expectations, and yet now several decades have passed and nothing has really changed. What is Jesus doing? Why is there such a delay in what was promised and him fulfilling it? Did Mary and Joseph get it wrong, or did they miss something? Fortunately for them, and us, chapter 3 marks the beginning of Jesus's ministry. He is the King and because of that, his kingdom is at hand. This means the people better prepare themselves. And who better to help prepare them than a throwback prophet like John the Baptist.

As the election approaches, what are you feeling? Afraid, confused, detached or cynical? Is there any guidance from the Bible regarding how to approach the election and our politically polarized world? Is it possible to think, feel and see like Jesus, even though His world seems so far away from ours? I believe it is. In a powerful encounter towards the end of His life, Jesus offered a radically new perspective on our relationship to government--one that still informs, guides and reverberates in contemporary life two thousand years later.

A brief summary of this episode

There are few stories in the scriptures as familiar to our imaginations, as the story of the wise men. We sing about them in Christmas carols like "We Three Kings." We set them up each year with our nativity scenes. However, given how the story is talked about and portrayed, one has to wonder if we know it as well as we think we do. Were there just three of them? Were they in fact kings? Were they actually there at the birth of Christ? What is this story even about and why did Matthew include it?

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode