Jesus’ title for himself was not Son of God, nor was it Messiah, but he used a rather common phrase from the Old Testament, “Son of Man” found 193 times in the Old Testament. Virtually all of the usages translate literally the phrase from Hebrew “Son of Adam”. Psalm 144:3 is different and translates theContinue reading “Jesus, Son of Man”
Tag Archives: Kingdom of God
250 Years
Today is the 4th of July, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 250 years ago. This weekend, many churches are celebrating, decking their facilities with flags, as well as red, white and blue bunting. While there is nothing wrong with celebrating the founding of our nation and praying that GodContinue reading “250 Years”
Jesus Is King
Recent “No Kings” protests in the United States illustrate the anti-monarchical sentiment that historically exists in this country. This sentiment goes back to the rebellion against the authority of King George III of Great Britain, which established what is now known as the United States. However, for those of us who call ourselves Christians, meaningContinue reading “Jesus Is King”
Affections and Freedom
Freedom is more than merely enjoying civil rights. It is more than Jefferson’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. True freedom can only be received from the hand of God, otherwise, we are at the mercy of our affections. What we desire and organize our life around. It may be our possessions; it mayContinue reading “Affections and Freedom”
A Peculiar People?
Why does the King James Version of the Bible call Christians a peculiar people? In that version of the Bible, 1 Peter 2:9 refers to Christians as a peculiar people. That phrase sounds odd to our modern ears, because today the word has taken on somewhat of a negative connotation that it did not haveContinue reading “A Peculiar People?”
Misguided Assumptions about Man and God
Our assumptions on a topic naturally lead to our conclusions about that same topic. This is what Paul was getting at when he summed up his thoughts regarding God’s forgiveness of man’s unrighteousness and ungodliness. The Jews of Paul’s day, as do most everyone today, believed that the way to be acceptable before God wasContinue reading “Misguided Assumptions about Man and God”
The Irony of Jesus’ Leadership
It is fascinating to see how much irony is found in the Bible. In Matthew 20, Jesus had just informed his followers that he would be crucified. To say the least that was not good news or a positive message. However, right after Jesus’ statement two of his followers, James and John, along with theirContinue reading “The Irony of Jesus’ Leadership”
Seeing God’s Image and Reading His Inscription
No one enjoys paying taxes, even in Jesus’ day. Jesus’ enemies hoped to put Jesus in an awkward situation regarding taxes, but Jesus used it to give us revelation about who man is and how God expects him to live. The trick question regarded paying taxes to Caesar (Luke 20:22). The trick involved putting JesusContinue reading “Seeing God’s Image and Reading His Inscription”
True Freedom Comes From Overcoming Fear
When Jesus gave his disciples counsel on the way to live their lives, his desire was to set them free and to live lives free of fear and anxiety. One example of this was when Jesus instructed his disciples not to fear men, but rather to fear God (Luke 12:4-13). When considering Jesus’ teaching hereContinue reading “True Freedom Comes From Overcoming Fear”
Love Your Enemies
In Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, he recorded Jesus’ teaching to his disciples regarding how we are to act toward those who oppose us. Jesus said some surprising things that often go counter to how we understand self-preservation. Surprisingly, Jesus tells us to love and act kindly toward those whom we considerContinue reading “Love Your Enemies”
David Freitag 