Highlight We start this week by moving a little ahead in the gospel of Luke to review the genealogy of Jesus. Don’t worry, in the coming days we’ll return to the events leading up to Jesus’ birth. Here Luke pauses in chapter 3 to tell us the genealogy of Jesus in the middle of the story of his baptism by John. Why? We may be tempted to gloss over what may seem like trivial details to us, but Luke is highlighting something that would have been of primary importance to his Jewish audience. As Jesus is baptized the heavens are opened and a voice proclaims, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (v. 22). These words from the Lord are recalling Old Testament prophecies, specifically Psalm 2 & Isaiah 42. At the start of Jesus’ ministry God the Father is establishing His authority as the Messiah.  Read More

Welcome Welcome to Week 2 of the 2023 Christmas with Compassion Reading Plan. This reading plan is designed to partner with Compassion Christian Church’s sermon series of the same name, which you can find information about right here. In this plan, we will take the time to study a few of the Old Testament messianic prophecies, journey through the Christmas story found in the Gospels, and the spiritual description of Jesus’ birth found in Revelation.  Read More

Highlight “And he will be our peace” (v. 5a). In the midst of an exile and fighting, this statement probably would have been welcomed by the audience. Because the Hebrew word for peace is Shalom. It is about a state of wholeness or completeness, not just the absence of fighting or conflict, but about truly repairing and working together – have wholeness with those around you.  Read More

Isaiah is an Old Testament prophet whose ministry begins in the midst of a brief calm and continues all through the Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian nations regaining power. This is important to keep in mind while reading Isaiah and specifically chapter nine. While we have the knowledge of knowing this is a Messianic prophecy and knowing the full story. The original audience only knew the calm and then destruction around them. They had an idea of the longing anticipation and hope of a future Messiah. But that hope can be hard to see when in the midst of pain.  Read More

Highlight Today’s passage is another covenant that has a long term hope or waiting with anticipation attached to it. We find King David in his palace at rest from his enemies, and compelled to build God a lasting home. Yet, that is not what God required of David. In fact, He sent the prophet Nathan to David to tell him God would “establish a house for you…I will raise up your offspring to succeed you…and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (vv.11-13).   Read More

Highlight A call and a covenant. That is the promise God gave to Abraham. A call to leave his country and family to a place God would show him, and a covenant to be with him and make his descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore.  Read More