Author Archives: jmariegreen

Back to Bethlehem

Well, it’s that time of year when the Christmas cliches are taken out of their boxes, dusted off, and put back into circulation. Jesus (not the risen Lord but the less imposing perpetual baby) is brought out for brief appearances in Christmas pageants and plays. Everyone from movie makers to beer companies use His birthContinue reading “Back to Bethlehem”

An Empty Tomb and a Risen Lord

When we dip ourselves in the waters of the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, we get a look at a church that was living out the resurrection. Here are some of the things we see: Hope isn’t hope without the resurrection! In our culture, where truth floats up from the bottom, people’s “hope”Continue reading “An Empty Tomb and a Risen Lord”

Happy Father’s Day from Mount Moriah

Imagine three things concerning Genesis 22: If all of that were true, then Terah could have received a postcard from his son saying, “Happy Father’s Day from Mount Moriah.“ And that would supply us with the emotional landscape we need to keep this story fresh (maybe raw is a better word). To think of AbrahamContinue reading “Happy Father’s Day from Mount Moriah”

A Look at John’s Manger (2)

He was no mere tourist—He “made His dwelling among us,” (John 1: 4). The word translated “dwelling” is also used for the tabernacle in the wilderness and is meant to remind us of such. God didn’t desert His people in the wilderness! In fact, He was there in their midst the entire time. In theContinue reading “A Look at John’s Manger (2)”

A Look at John’s Manger (1)

John’s nativity scene is much different than what we find in Luke’s account. There’s no trip to Bethlehem, shepherds in the field, or angels singing. It’s more theological than biographical. It consists of him telling us that “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us,” (1:14). That’s a pretty impressive resume and youContinue reading “A Look at John’s Manger (1)”

A Great Plan for Life

Every spring at graduation, the years’ honorees hear an insidious untruth proclaimed over and over. It is delivered with the absolute best of intentions and from the purest of heart—but that will not change its—falsehood or its potential harmfulness. What am I speaking of? “You can be anything you want to be.” Those eight wordsContinue reading “A Great Plan for Life”

Aaahh, Joseph!

The angel tells Joseph that his beloved Mary is pregnant not by another man as he has supposed, but by the Holy Spirit of God (Matthew 1:20). Matthew lines their situation up with Isaiah’s prophecy, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,” (1:23/Isaiah 7:14). Joseph has two things to do: accept MaryContinue reading “Aaahh, Joseph!”

Last Meals and Living Hope

Asleep at the Wheel is the name of a group that plays western swing music. Several years ago they recorded a song called Last Meal. It is a fictitious account of a man on death row about to be executed. However, before his execution can take place, the warden tells him he gets a lastContinue reading “Last Meals and Living Hope”