How to Find Jesus in Genesis 1:1

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Wayne Davies

Jesus made some incredible statements about Himself.

For example, in John 8:58, He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.”

Christ was identifying Himself as Yahweh, the eternally self-existent God of the Old Testament.

The Jews understand exactly what he was saying, and therefore “they picked up stones to throw at him” (John 8:59).

 

Furthermore, Jesus said that the Old Testament was about Him. He told the Jewish religious leaders, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39).

This is why, on resurrection Sunday, when Jesus encountered two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, He explained why it was necessary “that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory” (Luke 24:26).

How did He do that? Luke tells us plainly: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

So, when reading the Old Testament, starting with the books written by Moses (the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), we should not be surprised to find passages about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And there are many of them, starting with the very first verse of the Bible.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

We usually think of God the Father as the subject of this sentence. And that is certainly true; many passages teach that, such as Revelation 4:11:

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”

And we know that God the Spirit was also present at creation: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).

But the New Testament also includes God the Son in Genesis 1:1 –

“He (Jesus) was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him (Jesus), and without him (Jesus) was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:2-3).

“For by him (Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16-17).

These are breathtaking statements: Jesus created everything!

All things were made by Him and through Him and for Him.

This is one more wonderful reason to worship Jesus. Amen?

Take a look outside today. Jesus made it all. Then take a look at your hands and feet. Spend time thinking about the mind-boggling complexity of your own human body. Jesus made you and He made me. He is our Creator and therefore we are accountable to Him and owe our entire existence to Him.

Then give thanks to Jesus our Maker for the gift of life, “for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). He is worthy of our praise!

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The Most Amazing Chapter in the Bible?

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Wayne Davies


I just finished reading the book of Genesis.

I’d like to read the Old Testament in 2025 and the New Testament in 2026. (For details on my 2-Year Bible Reading Plan, check out this blog post:
https://godwrotethebook.com/2-year-bible-reading-plan/

I’m actually a little ahead of schedule. To accomplish the goal of reading the entire OT this year, I need to read about three chapters a day, six days a week. But when I got to Genesis 37 and the story of Joseph, I picked up the pace, simply because the account of Joseph and his brothers is so captivating, I couldn’t put it down. So I ended up reading chapters 37-50 in three days.

As compelling as the final chapters of Genesis are, I’m even more overwhelmed by Genesis 1. In my opinion, this is one of most amazing chapters in the Bible.

I love to read the Bible because I want to learn about God. Lately, my desire to know God has increased significantly. I have a desire to know God better and more intimately than ever before.

And Genesis 1 is a great place to meet God in all his glory, for here he is revealed as the all-powerful, all-wise Creator of the universe.

I believe that God created everything from nothing, and he did it in six 24-hour days. In my opinion, that is the plain meaning of this text.

Six times we read the same words:
“And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
“And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.”
“And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”
“And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”
“And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.”
“And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

He could have made the universe in a second or a minute. But he wasn’t in a hurry, so he took his time and spent six days making everything.

And he did it by simply speaking it all into existence. All those galaxies and stars and planets – he merely spoke, “and it was so.” Whoa! This is incredible. Who does that? Only God does that.

The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible:

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
Psalm 33:6-9

God’s breathtaking power is on display here. This is reason to be filled with awe!

“Since He has at His command all the power in the universe, the Lord God omnipotent can do anything as easily as anything else. All His acts are done without effort. He expends no energy that must be replenished. His self-sufficiency makes it unnecessary for Him to look outside of Himself for a renewal of strength. All the power required to do all that He wills to do lies in undiminished fullness in His own infinite being.” (A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy)

To create everything required work, yet paradoxically, God made the universe effortlessly. “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done” (Genesis 2:2).

After six days of creating, did God need to rest because he was tired? Of course not. “He does not faint or grow weary” (Isaiah 40:28). To quote Tozer again, “He expends no energy that must be replenished.” I love that about God.

And I love knowing that the Creator of everything lives inside me and provides the strength I need to love him, serve him, and worship him every day.

I love knowing that the God who made everything from nothing in the physical realm is the One who is conforming me “to the image of his Son” in the spiritual realm (Romans 8:29).

I love knowing that the One who will one day make all things new is the One who is transforming me, “from one degree of glory to another . . .  into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Who does all that? Only God.

And if you know him, he is doing this powerful, life-changing work of creation in you, too!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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What Is A Man? What Is A Woman?

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Wayne Davies

I’ve been reading the book of Genesis this month.

You don’t have to read very far until you come to this verse:

“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27

 

 

To me, this is a straightforward statement, without ambiguity. You are either a man or a woman, a male or a female. Today, however, many would disagree with me.

I have been looking for a resource that can give me a better understanding of the ongoing debate about sexual identity — from a biblical perspective. Recently I came across an article that benefitted me greatly, and I’m writing to tell you about it. It’s entitled “What Is a Man? What Is a Woman?”

Here’s an excerpt:

“Though pockets of our culture are confused about fundamental human nature, there’s no excuse for Christians to be confused. Our Maker confirms through special revelation—Scripture—what we already know from observational common sense: God made humans male and female. Full stop.

“Here is the biblical record of God’s sexual design for humanity: ‘God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them’ (Gen. 1:27).

“When God fashioned the human race, he created two sexes and only two sexes. Jesus confirms this design when, in Matthew 19:4, he cites God’s created order described in Genesis: ‘Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?’ According to both Jesus and Genesis, our Maker made only males and females. Scripture never hints at the possibility of any other variation. That’s why God’s people have spoken with one voice on this for thousands of years.”

Then the author explains why “Scientific research also verifies the fact that human sexuality is binary, either male or female.” He delves into topics such as genetics and chromosomes, and he does it well. Even I could understand it, and I’m no scientist.

It’s written by Alan Shlemon of “Stand to Reason” (str.org). You can read the entire article for free here:

https://www.str.org/w/what-is-a-man-what-is-a-woman

Let me know what you think about this article by leaving a comment below.

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Does God Expect You to Read the Whole Bible?

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Wayne Davies

It’s already January 8, and I’m wondering if you’ve set a goal for reading the Bible this year?

I have.

Lord willing and by His grace, I plan to read the Old Testament in 2025 and the New Testament in 2026. I’ve done this before and it’s my favorite way to read the whole Bible – over two years.

Many Christians prefer to read the Bible in one year – and to that, I say, “Amen.” There are plenty of good 1-year Bible reading plans available for free online.  Here’s a list of 20 different plans, with links to downloadable free PDFs of each plan:
https://www.ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans

If you’d like to learn more about my 2-year plan, check out this article:
https://godwrotethebook.com/2-year-bible-reading-plan/

Included in the above article are links to free downloadable PDFs. I first did this plan in 2016, so the specific dates correspond to that year. You can easily adjust the dates for 2025, should you want to follow my plan this year.

Let’s get back to my original question: Does God expect you and me to read the whole Bible?

Short answer: Absolutely.

A longer answer: Of course He does. He gave us a book. Why would He do that, and not expect us to read all of it?

An even longer answer: The benefits of reading the whole Bible are many. If you’re looking for motivation to read God’s Word, please check out Top 10 Reasons for Reading the Bible Today — it’s free in Kindle format here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010VU9APE

Another longer answer, with Biblical support: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV). I emphasize the word “all” for obvious reasons. Every verse is for our benefit. Every word of sacred Scripture was ultimately written by God because He loves us and desires the best for us. He wants to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us to live a righteous life – and He has chosen to do that through a written document we call the Bible.

May you grow in the knowledge of God this year through quality time in the Word of God.

Posted in Bible reading, Bible study, Free Books & Other Resources | Leave a comment

The Precious Peace of Jesus

Posted on December 29, 2024 by Wayne Davies


As 2024 comes to a close, let’s meditate on the fourth name of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

I have benefitted greatly from Dr. Joel Beeke’s sermons on this passage. (See below for free access to the entire sermon, “Jesus, Our Prince of Peace.”)

He begins by answering two questions:

Question 1: What is a prince?

“My dictionary defines ‘prince’ as a ruler of a state. In Bible times, this word had the meaning of a leader or even a king. It’s not the prince here waiting to be a king, but this Messiah is a king. He came to be a king in his human nature but he’s now the great Prince of Peace who is at the right hand of the Father, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. It’s him of whom Isaiah speaks. His name is the Prince of Peace.”

Question 2: What is peace?

“And my dictionary defines ‘peace’ this way: a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disturbance and disquieting thoughts or emotions. It is harmony in personal relations – be it with God or with others. Peace is what Christ alone can bring. You can’t give harmony with God to yourself. It depends on him, by his Spirit.”

Would you like to live a life of peace? I sure do. But I find peace elusive, and at times, out of reach. I get anxious and feel stymied in my pursuit of peace by my own tendency to worry. And I find myself fretting about little things.

You may know what I mean – I worry about “the small stuff” of life. In retrospect, 99.9999% of what I worry about never happens. What’s up with that?

And then I read this statement and realize, once again, that there is hope for our troubled hearts:

“Peace is what Christ alone can bring.”

If we want peace, we must go to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to get it. He has peace, and plenty of it. Furthermore, he wants to give it to us!

Jesus said so himself:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

The world has a peace. It’s a false peace, a counterfeit peace, a deceptively empty peace. It’s the devil’s peace. And it’s light years away from the true peace that only Christ can give.

I want Christ’s peace. Don’t you?

How do we get this peace? Jesus told us how.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

We can find the peace of Christ in the words of Christ.

“I have said these things to you . . .”

The words of Christ can bring the peace of Christ. When we spend time in his presence, listening to him by reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture — literally hanging on his every word — he gives us his peace, calming our fears and easing our troubled hearts. By focusing on what says, he replaces our anxiety with his tranquility.

The Apostle Paul said something similar:

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:15-16

Note the relationship between the peace of Christ and the word of Christ:

Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly.

Christ’s peace can rule in our hearts when Christ’s word dwells in us richly.

May we experience the supernatural peace of God by spending quality time in the Word of God.

A 5-Sermon Series on Isaiah 9:6, by Dr. Joel Beeke, is available for free in audio, video, and written (PDF) formats. NOTE: The sermon quoted above is sermon #5, “Jesus, Our Prince of Peace.”
https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/142382

Posted in Attributes of God, Christmas, Jesus Christ, Sermons | Leave a comment

Why Jesus Is Called the “Everlasting Father”

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Wayne Davies

As we continue to celebrate the birth of King Jesus, I want to wish you and your family a Christmas filled with the joy of knowing who Jesus is and what he came to do for us 2,000 years ago.

Isaiah 9:6 enables us to do that, so this week we’re focusing on the third title given to the Lord Jesus Christ in this verse:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

I have always found this name to be confusing. How about you?

Why is Jesus called “Father”?

Scripture repeatedly teaches that Jesus is God the Son. So why is he called “Everlasting Father”?

Dr. Joel Beeke’s sermon, “Jesus, Our Everlasting Father,” provides an insightful answer to this question. (See below for a link to access the sermon. It’s sermon #4 in the 5-sermon series.)

He explains that the phrase “everlasting Father” can be translated four different ways:

Everlasting Father
Father of eternity
Father forever
Father of the ages to come

“All four of those translations are accurate . . . true to the original” – i.e. true to the Hebrew text.

These four renderings have a common thread: they each emphasize that Jesus is eternal. He has always existed and he will always exist, because he is, and always has been, eternally self-existent. Because he is God, he has no beginning and no end.

Because we are finite creatures with pea-sized brains, the eternality of God is a hard concept to grasp. It is mind-blowing, breathtaking, and incredible! As you read these words and meditate on this truth, go ahead and let your mind be blown away; let your breath be taken away; let your head spin and make you dizzy with delight – this is who Jesus is – the one and only forever God. Along with God the Father and God the Spirit, God the Son was, is, and always will be Life.

In light of these truths, let’s bow down and worship this Jesus! Because he is the One who said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58), he is worthy of our praise, adoration, and exaltation – today, tomorrow, and forever.

And to further amaze us, this eternal Jesus came down from heaven to give us what we don’t have: spiritual life.

It’s easy to overlook and even forget this profound truth: we are born physically alive but spiritually dead. We are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13).

After a good night’s sleep and a hot cup of coffee, we may look fine and feel great, ready to tackle our to-do list and start a productive day. Yet all the while, we are dead, and within a matter of decades, our bodies will follow suit and take us to the grave.

Because we are spiritually dead, we will end up physically dead, and there is nothing we can do to stop death from conquering us.

Dr. Beeke paints the picture accurately and realistically:

“Every one of us, if the Lord tarries, will face death. Death is no respecter of time or place. It strikes every minute of the day, every minute of the night.

“It claims its victims on land and on the sea; in the air, in the hospital bed, in the office; on the open road, on the sports field, even in the study.

“And every cutting edge of science is unable to deny it. Wonder drugs, intensive care, heroic measures, and organ transplants, must all give way to the demands of death. Our last appointment in life is one that we have not made and yet we cannot avoid, but God knows the date, God knows the time, and God knows the way.

“We can exercise regularly, we can eat nothing but health food, we can swallow vitamin pills and other food supplements daily, we can have regular medical check-ups, we can follow the best possible advice in micromanaging our lifestyle, yet the best we can do is maybe postpone a little while the inevitable.

“But the truth of the matter is, every 24 hours we live, we’re 24 hours closer to our appointment on God’s calendar book.”

He speaks the truth, does he not?

You and I have an appointment with death.

What are we going to do to prepare for that day? What is the solution to the inevitability and unavoidability of both spiritual and physical death?

Jesus is the only solution to our #1 problem: our sin and its devastating consequences of death and the judgment that is sure to follow.

Jesus can solve our death problem because he is the everlasting Father, the Father of eternity, the Father forever, and the Father of the ages to come.

He is the everlasting Father because, from eternity past, “In him was life” (John 1:4).

He is the Father of eternity because, as he said, “I am the life” (John 14:6).

He is the Father forever and the Father of the ages to come because “He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

Jesus can solve the problem of death because he is “the Author of life” (Acts 3:15).

Do you “know” this Jesus and his life-saving, life-giving power? If you “know” him as Savior and Lord, Redeemer and Treasure, you have eternal life, because “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

Do you “have” this Jesus? I pray that you do, for if you have Jesus, you have life and an eternally bright future, because “Whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12a). Should this be your situation, may the truth of having Jesus bring you much joy today and every day!

And if you don’t “have” Jesus, you don’t have life. You are still dead in your sins, and only God’s wrath and the eternal darkness of hell await you, for “Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12b). Should this be your situation, may the truth of not having Jesus bring you to your senses, to your knees, and to the throne of God’s grace.

NOTE: A 5-Sermon Series on Isaiah 9:6, by Dr. Joel Beeke, is available for free in audio, video, and written (PDF) formats. NOTE: The sermon quoted above is sermon #4, “Jesus, Our Everlasting Father.”
https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/142382

Posted in Attributes of God, Christmas, Jesus Christ, Sermons | Leave a comment

The Mighty Power of Jesus

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Wayne Davies


We are taking a close look at Isaiah 9:6 this month, which is all about who Jesus is.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

According to this verse, the Son of God is “Mighty God.” The deity of Jesus is the clear teaching of Scripture – that the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, who was born in Bethlehem of the virgin Mary, is Almighty God in a human body.

The Apostle John teaches this truth in his Gospel:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14 ESV).

Because Jesus, the Word, is God, He is therefore the omnipotent, all-powerful, “Mighty God.”

When you think of the power of Jesus, what comes to mind?

For me, it’s His work as Creator and Sustainer of the universe that I often ponder, because “all things were made through him” (John 1:3) and “he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

In his sermon series on Isaiah 9:6, Dr. Joel Beeke explains the meaning of the name “Mighty God” by focusing more on Christ’s power in the spiritual realm rather than the physical — specifically, his power to save us from sin by his death on the cross. This is a truth I have overlooked – when Jesus was being crucified, he was not a victim; rather, he was in total control as he demonstrated his strength as our mighty Savior.

To unpack this truth further, here’s an excerpt from Dr. Beeke’s sermon, “Jesus, Our Mighty God” (see below for a link to access it).

When it comes to our salvation . . .

“There’s no hope in us” because, as Paul says, “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). We are powerless to save ourselves.

“Our great need always is that Jesus alone would be our Savior to wipe away not just our sin but also all the guilt of that sin. We need an act of propitiation. We need a Savior to come to suffer and die in our place so that God can impute our sins to Jesus and Jesus can impute his righteousness to us.

“Therefore the gospel is not that Christ died for the godly — that’s Roman Catholic theology, you sanctify yourself and then God will justify you. Biblical theology is something far different. He comes to save people who can’t save themselves. He comes to save people who can’t take one step to God.

“You see, God is an amazing, mighty God.

“He says, ‘This is my gospel, this is a faithful saying that is worthy to be accepted: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.’ Have you ever become a chief sinner before God? You see, this gospel is designed for sinners, not for the righteous.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

“And that’s why this mighty God didn’t come down from the cross, this mighty God-man. That’s why he ended up on the cross. That’s why those nails were hammered through his wrists and his feet. That’s why all the taunts were thrown into his face, “If you’re the Christ, come down from the cross and save yourself and us.”

“He could have called for legions of angels to come and wreak vengeance upon that nation that put him to death. He could have turned those nails into thunderbolts and sent them crashing into the sneering crowd that crucified him.

“But what does he do?

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

“Pure amazing love from the mighty God!

“You see, we believe in Christ as the mighty God not because he came down from the cross as they challenged him, but because he didn’t come down from the cross. He’s so mighty, he can save us because he’s our substitute, because he’s mighty and almighty and all-powerful.

“It wasn’t the nails that kept him on the cross, it was love that kept him on the cross, pure love for his Father’s will, pure love for the salvation of sinners, pure love for you, dear believer. He stayed on the cross between a holy God and a sinful people until he drank the bitter dregs of his Father’s cup of wrath and could say, “It is finished,” so that you could be saved and don’t have to add one stitch to his perfect white-robed righteousness with which you can appear before God in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(End of sermon excerpt)

Yes, Jesus is Mighty God because he is “mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1). God became a man because he is “a mighty one who will save” (Zephaniah 3:17). That is why he was born: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

How have you experienced the mighty power of Jesus to save? Let me know what’s on your heart today by leaving a comment below.

Here are two verses to stimulate your praise and thanks:

“This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as the one who would turn aside God’s wrath, taking away our sins . . . The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:10, 14).

NOTE: A 5-Sermon Series on Isaiah 9:6, by Dr. Joel Beeke, is available for free in audio, video, and written (PDF) formats. The sermon quoted above is sermon #3, “Jesus, Our Mighty God.”
https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/142382

 

Posted in Attributes of God, Christmas, Jesus Christ, Sermons | Leave a comment

The Wonderful Wonder of Jesus

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Wayne Davies

About 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah wrote this about him:

“His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor.”
(Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

 

As we celebrate the coming of Jesus to earth to be the Savior of the world, here are some insightful and Christ-exalting thoughts on the meaning of the word “wonderful” from a sermon by Dr. Joel Beeke.

“The word “wonderful” used here (the Hebrew word is “pele”) literally could be translated as “wonder” or as “wonderful.” Usually, when the Bible uses this word, it’s referring to God in his historic saving actions, his acts that he performs on behalf of his people, the people of Israel.

“The root of this word refers to things that are unusual, things beyond human capabilities, things that awaken in us a sense of astonishment, a sense of wonder. Something wonderful is not just a remarkable happening but it’s a miraculous happening . . . that moves us because it shows us God’s amazing, loving care, a divine intervention, and his lovingkindness, his covenant loyalty to his own people.

“Someone has described this word “wonder” as “God’s marvels of love” . . .  and it makes you think of the Psalms, where Psalm after Psalm is telling you about the wonderful works of God to his people.

“But here in this case, God is setting before us through Isaiah the most wonderful wonder of all time, the greatest miracle of all miracles, because this wonder doesn’t just refer to an action of God but a person of God, the second person of the holy Trinity becomes man, “unto us a child is born.” Immanuel. “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

“He is God’s lovingkindness personified. He is his names. He is Wonder with a capital “W.” Jesus is eternal Wonder, divine Wonder, glorious Wonder. There’s no wonder like this.

“Unto us a son is born and a child is given and he’s the Son of God. He became the Son of Man. Samuel Rutherford said, “My salvation is my Lord’s second greatest miracle.” Then he went on to say, “His first greatest miracle is the Incarnation in Bethlehem.”

“Who’s ever been like Jesus? There’s no one like him. His character is distinguished, unique, miraculous, separate from sin, separate from others. Who has ever established a kingdom that is not of this world — without arms and without fame and without wealth? As Lord of lords and King of kings, he builds a kingdom that has never perished from a handful of fishermen and other unknown men whom he calls to be his apostles.

“What a wonder Jesus is. He’s one-of-a-kind. He’s in a class by himself. What a wonder Jesus is. He’s in a class by himself.” (End of sermon excerpt)

To access the entire sermon, “Jesus Christ: Wonderful!”, click here:
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/125202211335643

To access all five sermons in Dr. Beeke’s series on Isaiah 9:6, visit:
https://godwrotethebook.com/the-meaning-of-isaiah-96

Yes, Jesus is wonderful in a way that nothing else is. His wonderfulness is “off the charts.”

When you think of Jesus as wonderful, what comes to mind, specifically?

What has Christ done for you that is “beyond human capabilities” or “that awakens in you a sense of astonishment, a sense of wonder”?

I’d love to hear how you have experienced the wonder of Jesus, so please leave a comment below and share whatever is on your heart.

Posted in Attributes of God, Christmas, Jesus Christ, Thoughts About God | Leave a comment

The Meaning of Isaiah 9:6

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Wayne Davies

Do you have a favorite Bible verse that thrills your heart with the good news that Jesus Christ has come to earth?

I do.

It’s Isaiah 9:6.

 

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Here’s a free resource I’ve been using to immerse myself in the truths of this verse.

A 5-Sermon Series on Isaiah 9:6
https://www.sermonaudio.com/series/142382

For a deeper dive into Isaiah 9:6, I highly recommend these sermons by Dr. Joel Beeke, delivered in December 2020 at Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Joel Beeke (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the chancellor and professor of homiletics and systematic theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has served as a pastor since 1978.

I started listening to these sermons last week and they contain delightfully profound explanations of each name of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6, with practical advice on how to apply these truths to your life.

Each sermon is available in audio, video, and written (downloadable PDF) formats. Here are the links, along with the main points of each sermon.

Sermon #1 – Jesus Christ: “Wonderful!”
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/125202211335643

What does “Wonderful” mean?
Why do we need Him as “Wonderful”?
How is He “Wonderful”?

Sermon #2  – Jesus, Our Wonderful Counselor
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/12132002030797

Jesus is . . .
A given and Word-based Counselor
A listening and all-knowing Counselor
A teaching and exemplary Counselor
A sympathetic and successful Counselor

Sermon #3 – Jesus, Our Mighty God
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/1219202027171129

Where is the proof He is Almighty God?
Why did He come and end up on the cross?
How does His divine power help me today?

Sermon #4 – Jesus, Our Everlasting Father
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/122620162212925

Jesus is . . .
Father of eternity
Everlasting Father
Father forever
Father of the ages to come

Sermon #5 – Jesus, Our Prince of Peace
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/123020226276176

Peace in a princely Person
Peace through Jesus’s stupendous work
Peace from Jesus’s blessings

I pray that you’ll find these resources edifying. Leave a comment below to let me know how God uses them to enhance your understanding of the greatness of Jesus Christ.

Posted in Attributes of God, Free Books & Other Resources, Jesus Christ, Sermons | Leave a comment

What the Bible Says about Faith

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Wayne Davies

I love the simplicity of Ephesians 2:8.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

God saves us by His grace. And He also saves us through, or by means of, our faith in Him and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only those who believe “in him” (Jesus) have eternal life instead of eternal death (see John 3:16).

This begs the question, “What is the meaning of faith in Christ?” Fortunately, God has answered this question in Scripture.

God’s Definition of Faith

Hebrews 11:1 provides what is arguably the best teaching on the meaning of faith in the Bible:

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (ESV, NASB)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain about what we do not see.” (NIV 1978)

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV 2011)

By looking at four translations of Hebrews 11:1, we can enhance our understanding of faith, for here we find five synonyms: assurance, conviction, sureness, certainty, and confidence. To have faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord means that I am thoroughly persuaded that He is who He claimed to be and will do what He has guaranteed to do.

To believe in Jesus means that, like Abraham, we are “fully convinced that God was [and still is] able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21).

Aren’t you glad that Jesus commands us to “believe in the gospel” and then He goes to great lengths to explain what that means in His Word?

Two Illustrations of Faith

God also raises up godly and gifted Bible teachers to help us understand the meaning of biblical faith.

In his book All of Grace, Charles Spurgeon provides several “word pictures” that capture the meaning of faith. Here are two illustrations from the human body.

“Faith is the hand that grips. When our hand takes hold of anything for itself, it does the same thing that faith does when it takes hold of Christ and the blessings of his redemption. Faith says, “Jesus is mine.” Faith hears about the pardoning blood and cries, “I accept it to pardon me.” Oh friend, take that which grace has provided for you. You will not be a thief because you are the rightful heir and have been given divine permission to receive it. The one who is allowed to have a treasure simply by taking hold of it will be foolish indeed if they remain poor.”

“Faith is the mouth that feeds on Christ. Before food can nourish us, it must be received into us. Eating and drinking are simple matters. We willingly receive food into our mouth and then give consent for it to pass down into our stomach where it is absorbed into our body. Paul says, in his Letter to the Romans, that “The word is near you, in your mouth.” So then, all that needs to be done is to swallow it, to allow it to go down into the soul. Oh, that people had an appetite!”

God has prepared a Thanksgiving feast for our souls – a cornucopia of salvation blessings that await our reception and consumption, such as the forgiveness of sins and the infinite joy that accompanies it. By faith, we can come to the table and partake.

The invitation to believe has been extended to all:

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Isaiah 55:1-3

The Divine Prescription for Greater Faith

God desires and expects our faith to grow. I certainly covet more faith. How about you?

What can we do to pursue and cultivate a stronger faith? Start with these two practices:

  1. Ask God to provide the gift of faith. According to Philippians 1:29, belief is “granted” to us; God gives it to us. Therefore, like the man in Mark 9, we should cry out, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Pray this prayer every day with desperation and expectation. Acknowledge your need for greater faith and cling to the One who can meet that need.
  2. Spend much quality time in the Word. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Feed your mind with God’s truth about Himself. The more deeply you know your God, the more deeply you will believe Him, because “those who know your name put their trust in you” (Psalm 9:10).

May God answer our prayers, and by the power of the Spirit and the Word, may He supply the faith we need to satisfy our souls in Him and His Son.

Posted in Faith, What the Bible Says | Leave a comment