When Matthew tells us that Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, he is not simply reporting a change of address. He is making a theological statement. He carefully locates Jesus in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali and then quotes Isaiah 9:1-2, a prophecy given...
When you walk into a pitch-black room, you reach for the walls, shuffle your feet, and try to get some kind of reference point. Darkness disorients. It conceals danger. It leaves you feeling utterly alone. That is what life apart from God looks like. Matthew tells us...
Jesus’ baptism was an act of humiliation. The sinless Son of God stood in line with sinners, associated Himself with their shame, and submitted to a baptism He did not need. In the eyes of many, this made no sense. Why would the Holy One lower Himself in this...
If Jesus did not separate Himself from sinners, why would we? This is one of the most challenging applications of Jesus’ baptism. He entered into the mess of human sin and shame. He built relationships with tax collectors, touched lepers, spoke with the woman at...
After Jesus emerged from the waters of baptism, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father spoke: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This was a moment of Trinitarian glory: Father, Son, and Spirit all present...
