The Spiritual Meaning of Christmas: It’s Bigger Than “God Loves You”
What is the spiritual meaning of Christmas? The central message which defined the original Christmas and continues to shape spirituality today is that Jesus has come to earth as our rightful King. This places Christmas far beyond feel-good sentimentality, planting in the realm of both history and transformative spirituality. For most of us, Christmas wins […]
5 Insights from the Wise Men in the Bible
What can we learn from the wise men in the Christmas story of the Bible? By digging into the historical narrative, we come away with five surprisingly robust insights from these mysterious Magi. The wise men have been a source of inspirational sayings (“Wise men still seek Him”), narrative fiction (e.g., Martin Sheen’s The Fourth […]
Who is King Herod in the Bible?
Who is King Herod in the Bible? He was a great builder, dynasty namesake, skilled politician, and paranoid king who killed any perceived threat. Although an Idumean, he married into Jewish royalty and was proclaimed “king of the Jews” by Rome. This explains King Herod’s unease at hearing about a baby “born king of the […]
Try to Avoid a Star Wars Christmas
After its underwhelming prequels (Episodes 1-3), Star Wars seemingly came back to life with Episode 7 in 2015. But the most notable rise for Star Wars (more notable even than 2019’s Rise of Skywalker) was in 1980. That’s the year Empire Strikes Back was released. In my opinion, Empire Strikes Back in 1980 followed the lowest low in Star Wars history […]
The Virgin Birth: Q&A with Jared Johnson
What is the “Virgin Birth,” and how important is the concept to the Christian faith? The doctrine of the Messiah’s Virgin Birth, suggested in the Old Testament and explained in the New Testament, is tied integrally with the human-divine identity of Jesus. To help us think through this doctrine, I reached out to Jared Johnson […]
