People are often surprised when they hear that today Jesus is still in a human form, permanently in his resurrected body. Many people tend to think that Jesus had a real body while he walked the earth, but when he ascended into heaven, he reverted to a spirit form. But the reality is that Jesus permanently became fully human, all the while still being fully God. Jesus has a resurrected body, like the one that we who believe in him will one day receive (see Philippians 3:20-21).

Jesus’ Emotions.

In addition, Jesus also experiences the full range of human emotions. He did on earth, and he still does. Jesus experiences joy, sorrow, frustration, anger, and all the emotions we experience (see Hebrews 2:17).

John Calvin wrote, “The Son of God having clothed himself with our flesh, of his own accord clothed himself also with human feelings, so that he did not differ at all from his brethren, sin only excepted.”

Our Emotions.

But there was a significant difference between the emotions of Jesus and our emotions. Jesus had perfect emotions; ours are obscured and affected by sin. We tend to overreact emotionally. When we get sad, we can wallow in sadness beyond what is healthy. When we get angry, it can lead us to do things we shouldn’t do. We overreact.

We also underreact. We can be numb to pain, numb to injustice. When we see someone suffering injustice, we can be unmoved. Because we are sinful and are desensitized.

Perfect Emotions.

But Jesus experiences unrestrained and unfiltered emotions. When Jesus is happy, he is all in; when he is moved with compassion, he displays unrestrained compassion. When Jesus experiences anger, it is perfectly righteous anger.

In the account in John 11, where Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, we see Jesus displaying a wide range of emotions.

In verse 35, we read, “Jesus wept.” Jesus was not weeping because he felt helpless at the loss of his friend. Rather, I believe Jesus wept because of sin, death, pain, and all the accumulated effects of the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Jesus wept because he saw the bigger picture and was moved with compassion for his friends.

But there is also another emotion on display here. In verse 33 and verse 38, we read, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” John 11:33.

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it” John 11:38.

The original language is lost on us when we read, “greatly troubled” or “deeply moved.” The actual meaning of the Greek word is profound fury or rage. When Jesus saw the pain that death had caused, he was furious.

The theologian, B.B. Warfield, writes, “Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but this is incidental. His soul is held by rage.”

Jesus experienced perfect anger, rage unfiltered by sin. In fact, it would have been a sin if Jesus hadn’t responded in anger, because his perfect compassion would have to be suppressed for him not to get angry. If Jesus had no compassion for those around him, he would not be angry at the effects of sin in their lives. But Jesus has perfect and unfiltered emotions, so he experienced rage.

Jesus’ Anger.

In John 2, we read where Jesus cleansed the temple. He saw the money changers and the people selling oxen and sheep, and he was enraged because of his zeal for the house of God. But he didn’t fly into a rage; he took the time to weave a whip and then turned over the tables, sending all the money flying. He got perfectly angry, and that fueled his actions.

Did Jesus lose his temper? No, he was angry, but he did not lose his temper; he acted out of righteous anger. Jesus never lost control of his emotions; whether joy, anger, or any other emotion, he was perfectly in control. We know this because self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).

Our Anger.

If you are angry about something today, you may be right in your anger. Sometimes, to calm people, we treat anger as if it were a sin. However, the Bible provides guidance on how to handle anger (see Psalm 4:4 and Ephesians 4:26). Anger itself is not inherently sinful, but our response to it can be.

If you have been sinned against and someone has made you angry by a sinful action, know that Jesus is angry with you. Not like a distant observation of your anger, he is actually perfectly angry at the injustice done to you, and he has the perfect wisdom, power, and knowledge to do something about it (see Romans 12:19).

Two of the reasons why we don’t release our anger to God:

1. We don’t believe that God can or will do something to correct the injustice.
2. We are prideful, and humanism says, “I have my rights, you violated my rights, and I want to get my own back.”

Now, I am not saying that if someone does something illegal against you, you don’t go to the authorities. The law gives us recourse when someone hurts one of our loved ones. I am talking about the things that happen in life when someone says something that offends you or takes advantage of you, and it seems that they have gotten away with it. Do you trust the Lord to do something? When we hold on to our anger, it becomes bitterness and resentment. Unforgiveness is a downhill path to self-destruction.

Any emotion we feel, Jesus feels.

Emotions are not sinful; it is what thoughts and actions they lead to that can be sinful. Trust the Lord with your emotions today.

Do you have someone praying for you?

You do; someone is interceding on your behalf every day. The writer to the Hebrews, speaking about Jesus as our Great High Priest, writes in Hebrews 7:25, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

Jesus is no ordinary high priest; He is the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, majestic, mighty, and holy. When Saul encountered this Jesus on the road to Damascus, he fell down and was blinded by his glory (see Acts 9). When John saw the vision of Jesus, he fell at his feet as though dead (see Revelation 1). This is Jesus today, awesome in power and majesty (see Hebrews 7:26).

This same Jesus invites us to come near and talk with him; he invites us into a growing relationship with him. If only we could fully understand the privilege we have of knowing Jesus, the creator God.

If we fail to grasp his majesty, we won’t value the opportunity to know him.

Because Jesus shed his blood and died on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World (see John 1:29), he is able “to save to the uttermost.” This means that he has the power to save anyone who comes to him in repentance.

Verse 25 continues, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Jesus lives to make intercession for those of us who have believed in him for salvation.

Jesus our Intercessor

Intercession is the act of praying on behalf of others, “standing in the gap” between God and someone in need of mercy, healing, or guidance. We intercede for our unbelieving family and friends, the sick, and the nations. We should be interceding for our nation daily.

Isn’t it incredibly encouraging that our savior brings us before God the Father daily in His presence (see Hebrews 8:1-2). Jesus is the only human mediator between God and man. It is pointless to pray to Mary or another deceased Christian; only Christ has the power to intercede for us before the throne of the Almighty (see 1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus is interceding for you, the King of Kings, who names your name before the Father when you are struggling with temptation, trials, and the hardships of life. You have a mediator – someone who is interceding for you.

Jesus our Advocate

But that is not the only role that Jesus has; in 1 John 2:1, we read, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

An advocate stands with the accused in a courtroom and defends the guilty party. An advocate brings the guilty party before the judge.

Jesus is interceding for you even when you are not aware you need it. He loves you, and he is bringing your life before God the Father, even when you are sleeping or relaxing.

But if you do sin, Jesus jumps in as our advocate. The Bible says that Satan is the accuser; he is accusing you and me before God the Father (see Revelation 12:10). Satan may be the prosecutor, but Jesus is your advocate.

Jesus advocates for us when we are accused, and there is no doubt that we are guilty, but Jesus replies to the accuser and says, “I paid for that with my blood.” (see 1 John 2:2). Jesus paid for our sins in full; he felt the full weight of our sins on the cross. Christ is always going before the Father on our behalf.

Bunyan wrote in his book, The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate.

“Christ, as Priest, goes before, and Christ, as an Advocate, comes after.

Christ, as Priest, continually intercedes; Christ, as Advocate, in case of great transgressions, pleads.

Christ, as Priest, has need to act always, but Christ, as Advocate, sometimes only.

Christ, as Priest, acts in time of peace; but Christ, as Advocate, in times of broils, turmoils, and sharp contentions; wherefore, Christ, as Advocate, is, as I may call him, a reserve, and his time is then to arise, to stand up and plead, when his own are clothed with some filthy sin that of late they have fallen into.

Jesus doesn’t discard us when we sin, waiting for us to get ourselves back in his favor by doing good things. No, Jesus comes to us; he is near when we sin, he is ready to embrace us as we repent and cry to him for forgiveness. The reason he does this is that sin causes pain, pain in our lives and pain in the lives of those around us. Jesus draws near to offer us forgiveness and grace as we repent and turn to him.

However, our natural inclination when we sin is to excuse it, make light of the sin, or blame someone else for our sin. But all the while, we are still falling short of the glory of God – we are still in sin – until we turn to the advocate.

An advocate who loves us unconditionally and who ever lives to intercede for us (see Romans 8:31-39).

What sin do you need to confess to Jesus today?

During every Christian’s life, there are days of pain and suffering, and we can be tempted to feel that Jesus is removed from our suffering, that he doesn’t understand what we are going through. There is the temptation to think of Jesus as less approachable today than he was when he walked the earth 2000 years ago.

Our Great High Priest (v. 14)

Hebrews 4:14 tells us that Jesus is our Great High Priest. A priest is a mediator between God and man; Jesus took on flesh to be that mediator (see 1 Timothy 2:5).  

Jesus is uniquely fully God and fully man. Only he can identify with us and present us before God the Father.

In the Old Testament, the High Priest could only enter into the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people. The High priest had to undergo extensive preparation. This once-a-year opportunity to atone for the sins of the people was done by a frail human being and had to be repeated every year. But when Jesus ascended, he did something that has never been done before; Jesus, in his resurrected and eternal body, passed from this earthly habitation through the heavens and into the throne room of God (see Hebrews 4:14).  

Jesus is the first and only human to do this. He is our Great High Priest who ministers in the very presence of the Almighty God. And here is the best news: the apostle Paul writes that because of our position in Christ, we, being in Christ, are seated with Christ in the throne room with unlimited access through a perfect sinless mediator – Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:4-7).

Our Unwavering Confession (v. 14)

Because we have this great, eternal, and superior High Priest, we must not give up our confession. The people receiving this letter were tempted to give up their faith in Jesus. The world around them was drawing them back to the familiar ways of the law and the temple system, slowly turning them away from Jesus.

Today we have a similar challenge: the world is loud, angry, and godless. It may be easy to simply be silent and keep our faith in Jesus to ourselves. But there is no appeasing Satan and his demons; they want to destroy your life.

Our Sinless Sympathizer (v. 15)

Sympathy is a poor translation of the original Greek word. Sympathy in our English understanding means to feel pity or sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. It is recognizing suffering from a distance (e.g.,”I feel bad for you”). But the Greek word is a much deeper word that means “fellow feeling” in which an individual is fully acquainted with the suffering of the other person and fully feels the seriousness of the situation. That is what our High Priest—Jesus—is saying to all of us: “I really know what you are feeling”.

Pain is a physical manifestation of sin. Pain originated as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden; there was no pain before that (see Genesis 3:16-17). God never intended for us to feel pain; it was not His original design. When sin entered the world, so did pain.

We experience pain for multiple reasons: we feel pain because of the harm or sin done to us by other people, and we feel pain because of our own sinful or stupid choices. But most often we experience pain because we live in a world diseased by sin, with temporary bodies and unjust systems and dysfunctional relationships and decaying creation. Pain is a part of the journey through life on this broken earth. Some people experience more pain than others, but that does not mean they are any less near to God.

So, we ask the question: does Jesus feel our pain?

When Jesus suffered on the cross, he not only felt the pain of the nails and the beatings and the crown of thorns, but he also felt a more excruciating pain. When Jesus hung on the cross, he bore the weight of the sins of every person who would place their faith and trust in him. As he took on the wrath of God the Father for our sins, he felt the immense pain associated with that sin.

Can Jesus sympathize with our pain? Absolutely. He knows your pain; emotional, psychological, and physical.

Jesus sympathizes with us in our weakest and most painful moments, not with a detached simply of someone who doesn’t understand our pain but as a co-sufferer, one who suffers with us. 

Our Confident Approach (v. 16)

Everyone who has given their lives to the Lordship of Jesus has an outrageous invitation. Jesus invites us to come boldly before the throne of God. We are invited to come to the throne room of the Almighty God, whose holiness would consume us if it wasn’t for the High Priestly presence of Jesus. We get invited, but even more scandalously, we are invited to come boldly, confidently. We can come confidently because our Great High Priest is ministering there for us and to us.

Today, because of what Jesus has done, we have a standing invitation to the throne room of God when we are tempted and when we are suffering. In that throne room, we have a high priest and advocate who knows our temptations. We can ask for help, and Jesus promises us to give us help in our time of need.

There is no temptation, no trial, no painful struggle that Jesus is not co-suffering with you.

This is not the promise of a quick ending to suffering or instant healing and wealth—that is not what the Bible teaches. Rather, this is the promise of the nearness and intimate presence of Jesus when you are suffering.

Do you know Jesus as he one who co-suffers with you? 

Do you know what it means to come boldly before his presence?

Have you ever wondered if Jesus cares for you? We know from the Bible that Jesus demonstrated compassion for many people, but sometimes, when life’s trials assail us, we may begin to doubt whether Jesus truly cares. Some of you are there now, wondering if Jesus sees you and your situation.

But the Bible assures us that Jesus has never lost his heart of compassion. We read about a display of his compassion in Matthew 14 from verse 13. It was also a time when Jesus was dealing with his own pain; John the Baptist, his relative, had just been beheaded. Jesus was grieving and needed some time alone (see Matthew 14:13). He told everyone to go away, so that he could go and absorb his grief and contemplate his personal loss.

But the crowd followed him and found where he was. I am sure Jesus could be forgiven for being a bit frustrated; he was human, after all. However, we read in verse 14, “As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

The Greeks thought that one’s stomach or inner core was the place where pity and love originated. The Greek word used here for compassion conveys the meaning that Jesus was moved to the pit of his stomach with compassion. This is the nature of Jesus.

Compassion and Wrath

But is Jesus all compassion? Is he a pushover who just overlooks our sin because we are too weak to resist temptation? No, he is also the God of justice, the mighty king who will one day destroy his enemies. We can fall into the danger of seeing Jesus as all compassion and no justice, but he is fully both. Something we need to always bear in mind, the mercy and compassion of Jesus is not at odds with the wrath of Jesus as judge.

Dane Ortlund writes, “The more robust one’s felt understanding of the just wrath of Christ against all that is evil both around us and in us, the more robust our felt understanding of his mercy.”

Compassion and Sin

With that in mind, we must never be tempted to abuse the mercy and compassion of Jesus. When we are tired, having worked hard or simply staying up too late, we are weakened to withstand temptation. Maybe someone has hurt us, and we are angry and offended. It is in these moments of weakness that we can be tempted to justify our actions and excuse our sin. We lean into the compassion of Jesus and rationalize our sin.

When we do that, we fail to remember, or we choose to ignore, what it cost Jesus to be our Savior. Jesus suffered more than any human in history, taking on the wrath of God for our sins. Jesus bore the weight of our sins on the cross so that we could know his presence and be restored in our relationship with the Father (see Romans 6:1-2).

But what about when we do sin? How does Jesus respond to sinners?

With compassion.

In the Bible, Jesus moved towards sinners. He went to the prostitutes and the tax collectors. He is moved with compassion towards those who are bound by sin, because he knows the pain that sin causes. Jesus moves and opens his arms towards sinners, to bring the invitation to repentance and grace through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Compassion and the Church

We read in Matthew 14 that a large crowd had gathered, it was getting late, and the disciples informed Jesus of the building problem. Jesus responds in an unusual way in verse 16, “But he replied, “They don’t need to go. You give them something to eat.”

Jesus is discipling his disciples! He is about to perform an amazing miracle, but he puts the pressure back on the disciples. He wasn’t simply adding stress to their lives; rather, I believe that he was introducing them to their position in Christ. We know that at this time, they had not received the Holy Spirit, and they were unaware of the power of the Spirit. But within a short time, they were doing amazing miracles like Jesus, after the coming of the Holy Spirit and the formation of the church at Pentecost.

Jesus was preparing them for when he would ascend into heaven. He was preparing them to be the church, to be the Body of Christ. When Jesus saw the broken and hurting, he was moved with compassion, if we are the Body of Christ, we will reflect that compassion. The church must be the most compassionate place on earth. The church must reflect the nature of Jesus. How compassionate are we as the church?

Compassion for You.

You may agree that Jesus had compassion, but you need to feel his compassion for you in your situation. You might feel that Jesus doesn’t see or care about your situation.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6 that if you are a follower of Jesus, his Spirit is within you, you are united with Christ, and our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Not only does that encourage us not to give in to temptation, but it also means that what we experience, he experiences.

Dane Ortlund writes, “Through his Spirit, Christ’s own heart envelopes his people with an embrace nearer and tighter than any physical embrace could ever achieve. His actions on earth in a body reflected his heart; the same heart now acts in the same way towards us, for we are not his body.”

Jesus knows and feels your pain; he is with you in your suffering, and he promises never to leave you.

When I ask people if they know Jesus, most people answer yes. But the reality is that their lifestyle and moral choices do not remotely reflect a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to know Jesus? Is he knowable?

In Matthew 11, Jesus was teaching people in the region of Northern Galilee, a region where he had performed many incredible miracles. While the people had seen Jesus do amazing things, most of them did not know him. They loved what he did, but they had no desire to know him.

Many people today know what Jesus did; they can explain the Gospel and that salvation is only found by repenting of our sins and placing our faith in Jesus. But do they really know him? Do we?

Come to Me

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus offers an incredible invitation, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This invitation was so different from the teaching of the Pharisees, who taught a list of things to do and mandated endless rules to follow. Jesus knew the burden of the law of Moses. Instead of piling on more expectations, he invited the people—as he invites us today—to enter into a relationship with the God of creation, where he promises rest.

In 2025 it seemed that burnout was all too common within Christian ministries. I believe that the feeling of ministry exhaustion can be a result of laboring for Jesus rather than with Jesus.

At the start of 2026, Jesus invites us to come to him and rekindle our relationship with him—or perhaps get to know him for the first time. Take my Yoke

Jesus continues in verse 29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

A yoke allows two animals to share a load and pull together. The animals yoked together need to be close in size and weight for the cart or plow to pull evenly. In the Bible, the yoke is sometimes referenced metaphorically to describe the weight of a task or obligation (see 1 Kings 12:11 and Isaiah 10:27). When Jesus speaks of his yoke being “easy”, he means that when we let him share our yoke, our burden is no longer heavy because he is pulling with us. When you work for Jesus, it is a heavy yoke; when you work with Jesus, it is easy.

Jesus invites us to take his yoke, and we will find rest for our souls (see Philippians 4:5b-7). When you are yoked with the Lord, you know the peace of God that passes all understanding (see Philippians 4:7).

Learn from Me

Jesus invites us to learn from him. As we come to Jesus,submitting to his leadership in our lives, we learn from him. We learn his ways, we learn his nature, and we find peace. Do you know what it means to learn from Jesus? The best way to learn from Jesus is by meditating on his word. The Bible is the revelation of Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we see Jesus revealed in its pages.

Developing and growing our personal spiritual disciplines is good, but what if this year, our goal is to know Jesus more and to learn from him rather than trying to do more things for him?

His Yoke is Easy

In verse 30, Jesus continued, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The yoke that Jesus has for us is tailor made for us. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and when we are yoked together with Christ, it fits us perfectly.

However, Jesus does not mean that the Christian life will be one of carefree ease. The Greek word for “easy”, can be translated as, “suitable fit” or “kind”. Jesus is saying that his yoke is kind and a suitable fit for our lives, and it will not weigh us down. This does not mean we won’t have challenges in life (see John 16:33); rather, we will be yoked with Jesus through the challenges of life.

He is Gentle and Lowly

In verse 29, we read the only time in the Bible where Jesus reveals his heart to us, when he says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

In other places in the New Testament the word for gentle is translated as meek or humble. Jesus is not easily frustrated or exasperated; he has a gentle spirit.

Dane Ortlund writes, “He is the most understanding person in the universe. The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open arms.”

Jesus is gentle, understanding, and humble. Jesus is the perfect picture of humility. The all-powerful creator of the universe humbled himself and became a child, on a rescue mission to save his creation (see Ephesians 2:8). Jesus is accessible and approachable. As we come to him, yoked with him, we find rest for our souls. Jesus desires to be yoked with us; he never gets tired of being with us and carrying us through the challenges of life.

This invitation is mind-blowing – to meet daily and walk with the one who gives us breath, powered by his strength and protected by his sovereign love.

At the outset of 2026, I want to invite you to take the yoke of Jesus and learn from him. May 2026 be a year of rest for your soul as you walk with Jesus!

Do you know Jesus? Are you walking with him daily?

Why did God decide to intervene in history at the time He did? It was a campaign to bring freedom and salvation into the world, to provide a way to reconcile man to God.The Creator of all things was on a mission to set the captives free. Jesus came to a world enslaved by sin to set us free. The timing of this mission had to be perfect; the pieces had to be in place. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son” (Galatians 4:4).

The Perfect Time

When we study the historical context of Jesus’ birth, we see that the pieces perfectly aligned for Jesus to be born. The Roman Empire had ushered in a time when all the nations and peoples of the known world in the Mediterranean region were unified. The Roman roads and transportation linked people groups and nations that previously had no contact with each other. Sailing ships had been developed, and the vast distances of the Mediterranean were connected. All these developments paved the way for the message of Jesus Christ to be easily spread.

This was also the period in world history of unusual peace, from 27B.C. to 180 A.D., known as Pax Romana. The Roman Empire was stable, and there was relative peace across the known world. The Prince of Peace came at a time of peace in the World.

The Perfect Language

The Roman Empire was influenced by the Greek Empire, and the common language across all the Empire was Greek. Greek became the common trade language. Language experts say that Hellenic Greek was one of the most articulate languages in history, making it a perfect language for the greatest story ever told.

The Perfect Town

Why should Bethlehem be the location for the one born who was to be the savior of the world?

Bethlehem was not a major city of any importance, but when Jesus was born there, it became the most important town on the face of the earth. Reading the Old Testament, we see that Bethlehem has quite a legacy. Jacob’s wife, Rachel, was buried in Bethlehem (see Genesis 35). She died giving birth to Benjamin, Joseph’s favorite brother.

The story of Ruth and Naomi also takes place in Bethlehem. Boaz married Ruth and was the great grandfather of King David.

In 1 Samuel 16, we read of the prophet Samuel anointing young David, who became Israel’s greatest King and the man after God’s own heart. That is why Luke in his Gospel calls Bethlehem the town of David (see Luke 2). The name Bethlehem means “House of Bread”, and Jesus was well aware of that when, in John 6:48, he says; “I am the Bread of Life”.

These are just a few examples, but we see a thread running through the Old Testament that ties Israel to this little town. For most of history past, God had been preparing this place. Bethlehem was ready; it was the culmination of these people and stories across time.

For Christ to be born in Bethlehem at that time in history was not an accident. The fullness of time had come for the arrival of God’s Son.

Why Are You Here Today?

Why are you and I here at this time in history?

Time is one of the most precious commodities that we possess. But the truth is that we don’t possess time; we are given time with the purpose of stewarding it. In other words, each of us is granted a certain amount of time. God entrusts us with that time. We can choose to use it wisely, or we can simply sit back and let it run by like water running down a hillside stream. The Psalmist David wrote that God gives us a certain number of days and even writes them down before we are born (see Psalm 139:16).

So why are we here today? Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, writes in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” If you have made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you are a son and daughter of the King, and you were created in Christ to do good works that He prepared in advance for you to do.

This day is only here for a moment in history. God placed you in this moment, with a purpose, with a mission—a mission that only you could fulfill. Do you know your mission?

But there is another component to this line of questioning. Not only must we ask why we are here in this time in history, we must also ask why we are in this place. Why am I here in Kansas City? I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I am in Kansas City because God has called me to serve Him in this city. Along my life’s journey, I have often asked the Lord, why am I here? I believe that this is essential for us as Christians. We need to know our purpose and know why God has called us to serve Him in a particular place at a particular time. We can so easily drift along with no sense of purpose.

Jesus was born at a specific time in history, at a specific place on the earth, for a specific purpose – you are also born at a specific time in history, you have been placed at a specific place on the earth, and you have a specific purpose.

Do you know the call of God on your life?

In a culture that can be described as post-Christian, why do we still celebrate Christmas?

What is the point of Christmas if we leave out Jesus? I fear that in a generation to come we will still have this celebration called Christmas because the retailers demand it, but nativity scenes will be illegal and all reference to Jesus will be taken out. When that time comes, people may begin to ask, why do we celebrate Christmas?

In Isaiah 9 we read about two tribal areas in the northern kingdom of Israel: Zebulun and Naphtali. In 732BC the Assyrian army attacked and overran the northern Kingdom, and the first two tribes to be routed were Zebulun and Naphtali. The area became dominated by Gentiles and was known as Galilee of the Gentiles, as described in Isaiah 9:1. Over time it was inhabited by many different peoples and became known as Samaria. At the time of Isaiah’s early prophetic ministry—before any of this had taken place—it must have been inconceivable to the Israelites that this region would be inhabited by Gentiles.  In fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, this part of Northern Israel was the first to be overrun by the Assyrians, the first to fall into darkness, and by God’s wonderful grace, they were also the first to see the light of the promised Messiah (Isaiah 9:2).

Jesus could have launched his ministry anywhere. In fact, it would have made sense for him to start his ministry in Jerusalem, as this was a major hub. Instead, as we read in Matthew 4:13, when Jesus began his ministry, headed to Capernaum, which was in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. Not only is this significant because Jesus is coming to the area where the destruction of Israel began, but Jesus was also demonstrating that he was coming for both Jews and Gentiles. In verse three we read; “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy”. Here the prophet is speaking of God enlarging the nation of Israel through the inclusion of the Gentiles.

As a result of Jesus’ coming, the kingdom of heaven expanded because Jesus came for both Jew and Gentile. We who have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are part of the Kingdom of God, grafted into the nation of Israel. This is an incredible prophecy that Isaiah pens. The Old Testament has over three hundred prophecies directly relating to Jesus. So, the first question is:

Why Prophecies?

The role of a prophet is to preach, to declare the truth of God’s Word, declaring to the current age the  eternal truths of God. Frequently in the Old Testament the prophets spoke about a coming champion. At the time of the prophets, Israel was a dying nation; many of the people had been taken into slavery and exile. They had lost their identity; the people yearned for the days of David and Solomon when the nation was at its greatest and most powerful. It was in this troubled era that God used the prophets were to encourage the nation and give them a glimpse of greater days ahead.

The prophecies were necessary because when combined, they reveal that Jesus must be the Son of God, the promised Messiah. Today, even though we have seen the fulfillment of almost 300 prophecies about Jesus in the Gospels, we need the prophecies just as much as the ancient Jewish nation needed them.

They needed the prophecies  as a warning to keep them faithful and hopeful. We need them to remind us that Jesus was no ordinary man, and that God always fulfills His promises.

Every year we read those familiar words in Isaiah 7:14; “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Immanuel means; “God with us”, God in human form, which leads us to our next question.

Why Did God Become a Man?

The answer to this question starts with the creation of the universe. God created all things; Jesus spoke all things into existence (see John 1:1-4). In the Garden of Eden there was perfect communion between God and humanity, but then man sinned and a gulf formed between God and man. Mankind and all of creation has suffered as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve. The gulf that separates God and man is so great that mankind could never cross over back to God, no matter how good man tries to be, or how many laws man tries to obey. We can never be good enough to restore our relationship with God.

The problem needed a solution, and it had to come from God. The first step was for God to introduce Himself to mankind. We could not connect with God, but He could connect with us and reveal Himself to us. But an infinitely holy God could not simply reveal himself to sinful man, so God had to become like man and take on flesh in the form of a baby, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. The Creator became like one of His creatures in order to display His character and nature to mankind and provide a way to reconcile man to God (John 14:9).

This leads us to our third question:

Why Do You Need to Believe?

Isaiah 9:6 states; “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…”

“For to us a child is born” shows that Jesus was born just like any other person; he was fully human.

Then we have the phrase, “to us a son is given”. We can compare it with John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son…”  The Almighty God gave His only son: why? Why did God give His only son? The rest of John 3:16 explains; “…so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

This is the miracle of Christmas, the significance of this special time of the year. God sent his son to dwell with man so that we might live eternally in His presence. All we have to do is believe and rest our hope fully on Jesus.

Have you believed this good news and surrendered to Jesus as Lord of your life?

Despite its faithful love and service to the Lord, the church in Thyatira was compromising, and this compromise threatened to lead to their demise. Jesus firmly rebuked them and called them to repent.

Thyatira was a military town, its location lent itself to being a key trading city, a commercial center for different guilds or trade unions. Sadly, the guilds were a source of immorality.

As with all the letters, Jesus introduced himself with a reference to his attributes, his eyes of blazing fire and his feet like burnished bronze (Revelation 2:18). His eyes see into the hearts and intentions of any man. Jesus is looking at the church and giving a prescription of their health. His feet of burnished bronze represent judgment. 

A Commendation

Jesus begins by complimenting the church (see Revelation 2:19). The Thyatiran church was hard-working, loving, and faithful in their service to God. They weren’t just busy; they had genuine love and faith. Jesus affirmed these two important attributes. Love and faith are essential elements in a healthy church. We care for one another, serve one another, and sacrifice for one another because our love for one another is grounded in our love for Christ. This kind of faith-driven love was on display in the Thyratiran church.

Unlike the church at Ephesus, this church’s action was motivated by love for the Lord and for each other. The church was vibrant and alive.

A Condemnation

But the Lord saw something he didn’t like (see Revelation 2:20). Jezebel is a reference to the wife of King Ahab from 1 Kings. The name is synonymous with evil; for 30 years she infused the worship of Baal and immorality into the Israelite nation. She taught that because of the grace of God; they were free from the constraints of the law of God. This is called antinomianism, and means, “free from the law”.

These false teachings are very present in our world today. Many churches follow the false teaching of Jezebel. It sounds something like this: “God loves you; he wants what is best for you and would never withhold pleasure from you – just do what makes you happy”. 

In Thyatira, like other Asian cities, Christians were not permitted to participate in business which caused extreme poverty. Many Christians joined the guilds to make a living; however, one of the requirements of being a part of a guild was that you had to participate in festivals that included all kinds of sexual immorality. Their participation in these guilds compromised their witness.  

We, too, face the daily temptation to compromise…in our speech, in our conduct, in our money-making, in our relationships. But compromise always reflects a lack of faith; we compromise because we are looking for someone or something else to bring us what only God can. For instance, if we seek to earn a little extra profit by cheating a customer or being dishonest on our tax return, we are taking our eyes off the Lord who alone is our provider. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”; we must have faith in this(John 6:35).

Not only is Jesus the bread of life, but by his death and resurrection, he paid for the salvation of all who would repent of their sins and turn in faith to Jesus. Jesus invited the false teacher of Thyatira to repent, but she refused, rejecting the Gospel. Today there are people who reject the invitation of Jesus; some feel that their sins are too many for his forgiveness. But we know from the Scriptures that no one who truly believes and repents will be turned away (see 1 John 1:9).

From time to time, I come across people who say, “Jesus would never forgive me for the bad things I have done. There is no hope for me; I have sinned too much.” You might be that person today, but let me assure you, there is no person too far gone for the saving power of the blood of Jesus. But you must come to him in faith and repent of your sins.

A Punishment

The punishment that Jesus was about to inflict on Jezebel and her followers would serve as a warning to the surrounding churches (see Revelation 2:23). Jesus is patient, loving and gracious, but there comes a time when, after all the offers to repent are refused, he lifts his hand of grace, and we feel the pain of God’s correction (see Galatians 6:7-8).

If you are harboring sin in your life, repent and do not delay. If you do not repent, you will reap the consequences of your sins. The warning to Thyatira is a warning to us.

A Promise

Jesus wraps up the letter by turning his attention to the faithful ones, the hard-working ones who haven’t been deceived by Jezebel. Jesus encourages the faithful ones to hold on and to remain steadfast. We as a culture want quick results, a quick remedy, instant sanctification, but the Holy Spirit invites us into discipleship, a steady progress towards sanctification. Daily spiritual disciplines led by the Holy Spirit have the power to transform your walk as a Christian. Keep moving toward Jesus; you will see fruit in your life.

Jesus gives a wonderful promise to the one who is victorious (see Revelation 2:26). The promise for the one who daily walks with the Lord without compromise is that they will rule with Christ (see Revelation 20). Jesus sees your faithful service and spiritual discipline, and he promises to reward you.

Is there an area of compromise in your life? An area of your life where you have compromised your faith, whether it be in business, finance, career, relationships or any area of your life? It is time to repent today and trust the Lord for the outcome.

In the world today, there is more and more temptation to compromise and stray from the steadfast way that the Lord has called us to.

Re-commit yourself to the Lord today.

Today, more than 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Persecution has always been a hallmark of the Christian church. Sadly, most believers in North America have very little knowledge of what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world.

Over the last year, we have sent out a couple and a family to two different countries, both of which are listed as a place where it is dangerous to share the Gospel. These are our family members, and they have gone to the hard places of the world to share the incredibly Good News.

Persecution has always been the refining fire of the church. By God’s grace, the American church might soon experience persecution, it might be just what we need.

In Revelation 2, Jesus wrote a letter to the church in Smyrna. Today this city is called Izmir in Western Turkey.

The name Smyrna means “bitter”, related to the word myrrh, which is an aromatic resin which comes from a thorn tree. For the aroma to be released, the branches need to be crushed. Such a significant picture for the persecuted church.

Smyrna was an important center of the Roman imperial cult, and anyone refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord would be excluded from business. This would mean unemployment and abject poverty.

You are Seen

Jesus begins in verse 9 with the words, “I know your tribulation…”

This is a promise that is echoed throughout the scriptures. Our God sees. There is no pain, suffering or persecution that God does not see and that He will not make right, either in this world or the next. Jesus does not simply look down on us disconnected from our suffering, he intercedes for us, and one day will return to bring everlasting justice.

Revelation 2:9, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slanderof those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.”

Jesus recognized their poverty, but he said that they are rich. When we grasp that we are part of the Kingdom of heaven and the incredible promises of Jesus, we will begin to understand the riches that we have. Riches that far exceed the world of bank accounts, houses, cars and other temporal things (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).

Not only were the Christians in Smyrna poor, but they were also being slandered. The Greek word used for slander here, is better translated as blasphemy. Jesus said, that when people slander the church, they are slandering him. Blasphemy is to disrespect God. Jesus takes slander of the church very seriously.

Jesus called these slanderers, the “synagogue of Satan”. These were Jews who did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God. These unbelieving Jews were being used by Satan to persecute the Church.

Most of the persecution the early church faced came from the Jewish community. Even most of the Roman persecution was an effort to appease the Jewish authorities

What a comfort to know that when we are slandered for being a follower of Jesus, we don’t have to defend ourselves or try to argue back, rather, we can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is our defender. As we are reminded in Ephesians 6, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Satan uses people to accomplish his purposes.

Do not Fear

Jesus continued in verse 10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The suffering was about to get worse, but Jesus instructs them no to fear (see Matthew 6:31-33).

Today, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide. Anxiety contributes to a myriad of health problems, increased mortality, obesity, heart disease, cancer and much more. We are a fearful generation, yet we have incredible wealth, medical care, comfort and convenience all around. Satan loves to prey on our fears, feeding us with things to be afraid of, many of which will never amount to anything.

When we take our eyes off the Lord our faith weakens, fear creeps in and consumes us (see Matthew 10:28 and Psalm 56:11). The fear of the Lord always defeats the fear of man.

How big is your God?

Be Faithful

Jesus told the church in Smyrna that even though Satan was going to have some of them imprisoned, God is in control, and their tribulation was temporal.

The encouragement of Jesus to the church is to be faithful, stay standing, even unto death

It doesn’t matter what the doctor says, or your boss says, or the government may say, we can stay faithful because of the one who died and rose again for our sins. Being faithful is standing firm, trusting in the Word of God and it’s promises.  

What anxious thoughts are consuming you?

The world has no shortage of things we are told to be afraid of. But today, the promise of Jesus is that if we stand firm, we have eternal life because Jesus has already won the victory.

What fear is hindering you from walking in freedom and peace?