If your family opens up a Bible on Christmas morning to read the story of Jesus’ birth, chances are you’re not going to be turning to the Gospel of Matthew. There is no manger scene, no shepherds, no beautiful chorus of angels. It is not poetic or lovely. In fact, it’s kind of messy, and awkward, even a little scandalous. Nobody wants to have a Christmas morning conversation with the kids answering the question, “What does ‘consummate’ mean?” (NIV) You can try to get around that and read the...

Most of us can remember a time in our lives when we felt invincible. Whether as a result of success, prosperity, faith, or simply the...

The big question for many in approaching this passage is whether or not Peter is waving the Jesus flag over all other religions, arguing...