Behold, magi from the east came to Jerusalem . . . (Matthew 2:1)

Matthew says "behold" to make sure he has our attention. He knows how prone we are to fall asleep while we're reading.

"Wake up. Make sure you're listening. This is huge. Don't miss it. It's not what you'd expect..."

But what's so shocking about magi coming to Jesus? We might be so used to this annual Christmas story that we're not surprised, like Matthew wants us to be, that magi came to Jesus. Don't they come every Christmas?

We should we be surprised. Because magi is an ancient word referring to pagan astrologers. And since they dabble in the dark arts, we eventually got our English word magic from such …

Continue Reading →

A Song of Ascents . . .
Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! (Psalms 120:5)

The first "Song of Ascents" tells us Israel is in exile.

Glance through the surrounding pages to see this same superscript is repeated. In fact, Psalms 120–134 are all introduced "A Song of Ascents." Understood in its context, this refers to Israel's "coming up" out of Babylonian captivity. As each psalm shows us a little more we begin to see the journey from exile to Jerusalem.

Psalm 121 reminds us that the Lord is our keeper, he'll keep our going out and coming in (verse 8). Psalm 122 directs us to a restored Jerusalem as our hope and prayer (verse 5). And a "r…

Continue Reading →

Mary was “blessed among women” (Luke 1:42). She received the singular holy gift of being the mother of our Lord (Luke 1:43). God the Son dwelled inside of her body in human form. Then he lived in her home and was under her care until adulthood. This has tempted some to worship her.

In fact, one woman publicly exalted Mary by crying out to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed” (Luke 11:27)! But Jesus corrected her by replying, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:27-28)!

Do you see what Jesus is doing? In this correction Jesus is protecting Mary’s true blessedness and protecting us from idolatry.

Gabriel to…

Continue Reading →

In this one-minute video, Pastor John reflects on John 12:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

Watch the entire End-of-Year Video Update.

Sometimes I write poems for our anniversary. Sometimes on our anniversary. This one I wrote on our anniversary, December 21st. It addresses the question of where in this baffling, unknown, fragile world certainty and security can be found.

The Bridge and the River
A Poem on Our 43rd Anniversary

I count at least two thousand gray triangles
in the two-lane bridge that links Wisconsin
to the town

where we sat by a gas fire,
marked our forty-third wedding anniversary,
ate our turkey wraps, played scrabble,
and talked, cautiously, of years to come.

It may be double that — four thousand — if you allow
the parallel beams that form the sides of most,
and if you count the hu…

Continue Reading →

John Piper and Darrin Patrick recently discussed the Bible's teaching on biblical manhood and womanhood. In this ten-minute video they share about their journey to embrace biblical complementarity and why it matters:

Stream or download the interview.

Time-markers:

00:35 — John Piper's pilgrimage on the issue of biblical complementarity.

05:03 — Darrin Patrick's pilgrimage on the issue. . . .

07:33 — Why biblical complementarity matters in ministry.

Darrin's topic at our 2012 Conference for Pastors is on how to be and build men for the mission of the local church. Register before December 30 for the early-bird rate of just $130. We also have a group discount of $100 (per person) w…

Continue Reading →

A danger lurks in our endeavors to live incarnationally. Danger, yes, but not deterrent. It is a risk worth taking, though not treating lightly.

The danger is that we can subtly begin to key on ourselves, rather than Jesus, when we think of what Christian mission is and what incarnation means. Over time we start to function as if Christian mission begins with, and centers on, our intentionality and relationality. What really excites us is not the old, old story, but our new strategies for kingdom advance. Almost imperceptibly we’ve slowly become more keen how we can copy Jesus than the glorious ways in which we can’t.

But thankfully the Advent season, and its annual buildup to Christmas …

Continue Reading →

There are trillions of ways that Jesus is not like us. The Nicene Creed is only a sketch of what this looks like. These ways are vast — far more vast than what we're able to say.

Jesus Is Different

Jesus is the Lord. From everlasting to everlasting, he is God. Very God of very God. A non-blended person of the undivided essence. Triunely Sovereign, utterly independent, sourceless and satisfied. We'll never know what that's like.

Jesus was begotten, not made. He dwelled eyes-wide in his own presence, basking in a trinitarian glory we must call unapproachable. We'll never see this, nor could we anyway.

Jesus made everything that exists. Everything. He is the uncreated Creato…

Continue Reading →

Tis' the most wonderful time of the year . . . and it's a unique opportunity to give the good news of Jesus to your unbelieving family.

Randy Newman's book, Bringing the Gospel Home, is a resource meant to equip Christians in how to talk about the gospel in their closest relationships. Because of the book's relevance in this season, Crossway is currently offering a free download.

Christmas with Family Who Don't Know Jesus

David Mathis recently extracted some practical ideas from the book in connection to all the family gatherings accustomed to the holidays. Here are those ten points again, or in his words, "a few thoughts from a fellow bungler to help us think ahead and pray about how…

Continue Reading →

Doug Wilson will join us in Minneapolis on January 30 to February 1 for our 2012 Conference for Pastors, "God, Manhood & Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ." Register before December 30 for just $130.

________

Recent posts for the 2012 Conference for Pastors —

• Have We Over-Elevated the Family? (Video from John Piper)
• Don't Lose Your Manliness by Pursuing Riches
• "Never" — A Word Worth Its Weight in Gold