The Birth of Christ

Gary DeLashmutt
Luke 2:1-14

The birth of the savior occurs in an unspectacular fashion. Christ voluntarily gave up his perfect position for a life of humiliation, misunderstanding, and rejection. He takes this low standing to show people how desperate their situation is, wholly displaying that God loves us with an amazing love.

Jesus' Unique Conception

Gary DeLashmutt
Matthew 1:18-25

The birth of Jesus removes itself from being considered a myth by being deliberately lodged in history. This means that God really did come down in human form. There are several reasons that God did this: 1) to provide evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, fulfilling all of the prophecies along the way; and 2) to provide salvation for the human race as a substitute. This knowledge prompts the response of entrusting ourselves to God.

Jesus' Family Tree

Gary DeLashmutt
Matthew 1:1-17

The genealogy of Christ shows that he was the descendant of Abraham and David, which is important because it fulfills God's promises to each of them. This was just one of many promises or prophecies about Christ's birth, showing that God went through a lot of trouble so people could know that Jesus was God's unique Messiah! Christ also came from a long line of sinners because he came for such people. This beginning of the gospel teaches that it's not about how good people are, but how gracious and merciful God is.

The Victorious Return of Jesus

Gary DeLashmutt
Revelation 19:11-20:10

Jesus' second coming will be the most dramatic event in human history, and will bring an end to human history as we know it. Unlike his humble first coming, Jesus will come again in great power, with a host of angels and redeemed humans, crowned with universal dominion, and will triumph completely over all of His enemies forever! Jesus will reign for 1,000 years before he finally sends Satan into eternal judgment, which sets the stage for the final judgment of humanity.

Why Does God Have the Right to Rule?

Gary DeLashmutt
Revelation 5

In this stage of the letter of Revelation, John begins to address what will come to pass in the end times. Before he can do so, however, Jesus gives him a vision of heaven, a vision that addresses the character of God. It is important that John and his audience understand who God is and what He has done before describing what He will do. John addresses what gives God the authority to intervene in human history and pass judgment on humanity.

Introduction to Revelation

Gary DeLashmutt
Revelation 1

An overview of the book of Revelation including analyzing the style, structure, and the purpose of the book. John wanted to fortify the believers to follow him to withstand persecution. In this letter to seven churches within the province of Asia, he emphasizes who Jesus really is ? both king and savior ? and we see the importance of relating to Jesus as both.

The Cross

Dennis McCallum
John 18:33-19:30

After his betrayal, Jesus is beaten, flogged, mocked and led to the cross for his crucifixion. He endures physical torment, psychological torment, and spiritual torment, taking on the full wrath of God for the sake of humanity. Christ's perfect life made him able to atone for all of human sin for all time. We learn that Christ accepted this brutal and excruciating death to make human reconciliation with God possible, by faith.

The Light of the World

Dennis McCallum
John 8

God is not looking for people who are free from sin and need no help. Instead, He is looking for people who are aware of their sin and willing to receive help. The blind man admitted that he could not see and needed the light of the world. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were blinded by their pride but thought that they didn't need help. Jesus will respond to those who admit they need help with freedom that leads to joy.

Does Jesus Speak for God?

Dennis McCallum
John 7

Jesus makes some serious claims throughout the Bible, including that his words come from God. The people of Jesus' day responded to these claims by trying to make sense of who Jesus was. We all have a decision to make about who we believe Jesus to be. Some responses to this question are far more reasonable than others.