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By Al Felder It is one thing to speak about the Word becoming flesh in Jesus Christ. It is another thing to ask what that truth should produce in those who follow Him. The incarnation is not only something to admire. It is something meant to transform. The Word came into the world in visible form, full of grace and truth. Now those who belong to Christ are called to live in such a way that His character is seen in them. This does not mean that believers become divine, nor doe

By Al Felder Many people often think about the birth of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the cross of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ. All of those deserve deep attention. But another question matters greatly and is sometimes overlooked: What is Jesus doing now in heaven? The answer is not that He has simply finished His work and withdrawn into inactivity. The risen Christ is not absent in the sense of being uninvolved. He is alive, exalted, reigning, interceding, and s

By Al Felder The empty tomb is one of the simplest facts in the gospel record, yet it carries some of the deepest meaning in all of Scripture. The stone was rolled away. The grave clothes were left behind. The body of Jesus was not there. That is not a small detail in the Christian message. It is one of the great declarations of heaven. Many people speak of the empty tomb as a moving symbol of hope, and it certainly is that. But it is more than a symbol. It proves something.

By Al Felder If Jesus died and remained in the grave, then the cross would be only a tragic ending. It might stir emotion. It might inspire sympathy. It might even leave behind the memory of a righteous sufferer. But it would not save. It would not conquer death. It would not secure hope. The resurrection is what changes everything. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not an added detail to the gospel. It is at the very center of it. It is the Father’s public declaration that

By Al Felder When John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), he was not using a random religious image. He was identifying Jesus with one of the deepest themes running through all of Scripture. From the earliest sacrifices to the Passover in Egypt to the offerings under the law of Moses, the lamb was associated with innocence, sacrifice, blood, and deliverance. So when John called Jesus “the Lamb of God,” h

By Al Felder Few scenes in Scripture are more solemn, more powerful, or more revealing than the cross of Jesus Christ. At Calvary, we do not simply see a good man suffering unjustly. We see the heart of the gospel. We see the holiness of God, the seriousness of sin, the love of Christ, and the only hope for guilty man all brought together in one place. Many people speak of the cross only in terms of love, and certainly it does reveal love beyond measure. But the cross does mo

By Al Felder Many people are drawn to the miracles of Jesus, and rightly so. The blind receive sight. Lepers are cleansed. Storms are stilled. Demons flee. The dead are raised. These works are powerful, moving, and unforgettable. But if we stop at amazement, we miss their deeper meaning. The miracles of Christ were never mere displays of power meant to leave men impressed. They were signs. They revealed who He is, what kind of authority He possesses, and what the Father was m

By Al Felder One of the most remarkable statements Jesus ever made is found in John 14:9: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Those words are not poetic exaggeration. They are a direct declaration about who Jesus is and why He came. He did not come merely to speak about God from a distance. He came to reveal the Father perfectly. That matters because men often misjudge God. Some picture Him as distant and unreachable. Others imagine Him as only severe, with no tendernes

By Al Felder Some doctrines in Scripture are so central that if they are removed, the whole structure of the gospel begins to collapse. The incarnation is one of them. When John wrote, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), he was not giving a minor detail of Christian belief. He was declaring one of the greatest truths ever revealed. The eternal Word entered the world as man. But why does that matter so much? For many, the incarnation is familiar enough

By Al Felder Few statements about Christ are as profound as Paul’s words in Philippians 2:7: “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Many readers have paused over that language and wondered what it means. What does it mean that Jesus “emptied Himself”? Did He stop being God? Did He give up His divine nature? Did He somehow become less than He was before? Scripture does not teach that Christ ceased to be divine.

By Al Felder For many people, the story of Jesus begins in Bethlehem. It begins with the manger, the shepherds, the angels, and the child born to Mary. That is where His earthly life began, but it is not where His existence began. Scripture teaches plainly that Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem. He was alive before the manger, before Mary, before Abraham, before David, and even before the world itself. That truth matters far more than some realize. If Jesus began only as a man

By Al Felder Few truths in Scripture are more profound than John’s statement: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In that single verse, the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain on one of the greatest wonders ever revealed. The eternal Word did not remain distant. He entered the world He made. He took on flesh. He lived among men. He did not come merely to impress the world with power, but to reveal the Father, redeem sinners, and bring grace and truth in

By Al Felder Some Bible books are short, but they hit with unusual force. The letter to Philemon is one of them. In just a few verses, the Holy Spirit shows what Christian love looks like when a relationship is strained, a wrong has been done, and reconciliation is needed (Philemon 1–25). At the center of the letter is a phrase that still exposes our hearts today: “for love’s sake” (Philemon 9). Paul could have commanded. He had authority. But he chose another path—an appeal

By Al Felder Paul says Christ “loved the church, and gave himself for it… that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25–27). That statement forces an honest question: How glorious are we—right now—in our love, our unity, and our commitment to Christ? A “glorious church” is not about the building. Wood and stone make a meeting place, but the church is made o

By Al Felder Many people read about the tabernacle in the Old Testament and assume it has little to do with the church today. But Hebrews teaches the opposite. The tabernacle was not random religious architecture—it was a God-designed pattern, “a shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). Its layout, furniture, and priestly services were arranged to teach spiritual truths fulfilled in Christ and applied under the New Covenant. Hebrews 9 pulls back the curtain and shows why the

By Al Felder One of the clearest pictures the Bible gives of the church is a body. And bodies are meant to grow. Paul says the church is to “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ,” and that the whole body makes “increase… unto the edifying of itself in love” when every part supplies what it should (Ephesians 4:14–16). So when a congregation becomes stagnant—no spiritual maturing, no new disciples, no steady strengthening—something is out of order. The

By Al Felder Jesus told several “kingdom” parables to help His people understand what the kingdom is like—how it grows, how it works, and what kind of spirit must exist inside it. Every time Jesus says, “The kingdom is like…,” He is also teaching how things function among God’s people and what will ultimately take place (Mark 4:26–29; Mark 4:30–32; Matthew 20:1–16). These three parables answer questions many Christians still wrestle with: Will the church endure and keep produ

By Al Felder Jesus’ parable of the wheat and tares is one of the clearest kingdom teachings about life in a world where good and evil grow side by side—and even more, about why hypocrisy and lawlessness can exist among God’s people for a time (Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43). This parable doesn’t excuse sin. It warns the church. It also corrects a common mistake: thinking our main job is to “hunt tares.” Jesus shows that God will separate perfectly at the end, and until then, Christ

By Al Felder Jesus’ parable of the sower is one of the clearest explanations in Scripture for why people respond so differently to the same message. Some hear the gospel and dismiss it instantly. Others respond with joy, but disappear when the cost shows up. Others begin well, but slowly drift away as the world chokes the Word. And then there are those who truly hear, understand, and bear fruit (Matthew 13:1–23). This parable is often called the “Parable of the Soils,” becaus

By Al Felder Jesus told two short parables that cut straight to the heart of discipleship. One is about a man who stumbles upon treasure in a field. The other is about a merchant who searches until he finds a pearl of great price. In both cases, the conclusion is the same: once the value is recognized, everything else becomes secondary (Matthew 13:44–46). Then Jesus told another parable that explains how kingdom people must live once they’ve received God’s mercy—the parable o