was engaged to Joseph who was a descendent of David (Luke 1:27). We know that she had lived, up to this point, a pretty virtuous life, good enough that the angel addressed her as “highly favored” (Luke 1:28). But we don’t know anything about her parents, what her interests might have been, what she enjoyed doing, what her hopes and dreams might have been.
Many Christmas messages refer to the birth of Jesus fulfilling Bible prophecy. But what predictions did the coming of Jesus fulfill? Why do these prophecies matter?
Imagine what it must have been like that night when the shepherds first heard of their Savior. When the darkness that surrounded them was overtaken by the radiance of God’s…
Christmas nativity scenes often include three wise men riding camels and bringing gifts for baby Jesus.
Are you ready for an Advent challenge? In Timothy Keller’s book Jesus the King, he explains, “When I went through confirmation classes in my church, I had to memorize Scripture. But during college the Bible came alive in a way that was hard to describe…”
Simeon is often left out of the Christmas story. He did not visit baby Jesus in the manger. He received no visit from angels. He did not arrive with gifts…
The magi (sometimes referred to as the “wise men” or the “three kings”) are a mysterious bunch. Although we are not given many details about them, Matthew (the only biblical…
Many years ago, I shared a house for a time with my youngest brother and sister. During that time my brother got a job with a local company that manufactured…
We just don’t know a lot about Mary, the young woman who would become the mother of Jesus. We assume from historical records that she was fairly young, perhaps 14 or 15 years old, since that was the age when most young girls became engaged.
Imagine the first Christmas through the eyes of Joseph. A young carpenter in small-town Nazareth, his life was turned upside down when he discovered the woman he planned to marry…
