Dr Paul Allen

A favorite point of attack on the Bible for those who deny its divine origin and inerrancy is the two varying genealogies of Jesus Christ . Not only is this a favorite point of attack by unbelievers, but it is also a point that often puzzles earnest students of the Bible. It is perfectly clear that the two genealogies differ widely from one another, and yet each is given as the genealogy of Christ. How can they by any possibility both be true? There is a very simple answer to this apparently difficult question. 1. The genealogy given in Matthew is the genealogy of Joseph, the reputed father of Jesus, his father in the eyes of the law. The genealogy given in Luke is the genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus , and is the human genealogy of Jesus Christ in actual fact. The gospel of Matthew was written for Jews. All through it Joseph is prominent, Mary is scarcely mentioned. In Luke, on the other hand, Mary is the chief personage in the whole account of the Saviour’s conception and b...

The Christmas season is filled with excitement and joy—and busyness. Retail stores have lengthened the season because successful sales and happy shoppers are critical for the economic success of many. In the church, the Advent season lasts four weeks.  This is a time to remember God’s coming to us and to wait in hopes of His coming again. We must be careful lest our hectic schedules filled with shopping, parties, and other special events leave no time for the purpose of Advent. Advent is not about us filling our time full but rather about taking time to remember how God fills time full: “In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son” (Gal. 4:4). Christmas is important not for economic reasons, but because Jesus ’ birth reveals that the fullness of time has arrived. What does “the fullness of time” mean? Long before Jesus’ birth God was preparing the way. The two genealogies of Jesus recorded in the gospels make us travel back in time either to the beginning of the human...

Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator), a 6th-century encaustic icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai. NB - slightly cut down - for full size see here (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 12:22-23 "All the people were amazed, and said, 'Can this be the Son of David ?'" ( v. 23 ). Jesus warns the people not to spread the news of His healing miracles in order to keep His identity from being disclosed too soon ( Matt. 9:27-31 ; 12:15-16 ), but He does not tell them they are wrong to call Him the son of David - the Messiah . Our Savior does not yet proclaim Himself as the Messiah publicly, but neither does He correct those who see that He is the Christ . Today's passage reveals that Jesus' healings and exorcisms prompt many to see Him as the son of David ( vv. 22-23 ). A study of this title will help us understand why this is the case, and it will give us more insight into Christ's role. David was the greatest king of ancient Israel . Howeve...

The Theotokos of Vladimir, one of the most venerated of Orthodox Christian icons of the Virgin Mary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 1:18–21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus , for he will save his people from their sins” (v. 21). Matthew wishes his Jewish audience to see — through the structure of his geneology — that Jesus is the Messiah. Beginning with Abraham ( Matt. 1:2), two of the three sets of fourteen generations in the list of ancestors find conclusions in David (v. 6) and the exile (v. 11). Of course, Abraham, David, and the deportation of Israel to Assyria and Babylon ( 2 Kings 17:7–23) are pivotal points in the story of God ’s people. David fulfilled, in shadowy form, the Abrahamic promises, but his sons lost the kingdom. Yet Yahweh pledged to send His servant, a greater son of David , to end Israel’s exile (Amos 9:11–15). The placement of Joseph’s family at the end of the third set of ...

Jesus Christ in Capernaum (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 9:27–31 “As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David ’” ( v. 27 ). News of Jesus’ raising of Jairus’ daughter to life spreads quickly throughout the region of Capernaum after Christ touches her hand and performs the miracle ( Matt. 9:25–26 ). Consequently, He is not able to get very far away from the synagogue ruler’s home before some more needy people seek Him out. In today’s passage, two blind men beg the “son of David” for mercy ( v. 27 ). Blindness in Jesus’ day was a common ailment in the Middle East and created all sorts of religious hurdles for its victims. No son of Aaron with a defect in his sight could offer up the bread of God ( Lev. 21:16–21 ). Devotional writings — not Scripture — found among the Dead Sea Scrolls prohibited blind men from entering Jerusalem. Since God sometimes blinded His enemies in the Old Testament ( Gen. 19:1–11 ), many ...

Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator), a 6th-century encaustic icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai. NB - slightly cut down - for full size see here (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 12:22-23 "All the people were amazed, and said, 'Can this be the Son of David ?'" ( v. 23 ). Jesus warns the people not to spread the news of His healing miracles in order to keep His identity from being disclosed too soon ( Matt. 9:27-31 ; 12:15-16 ), but He does not tell them they are wrong to call Him the son of David - the Messiah . Our Savior does not yet proclaim Himself as the Messiah publicly, but neither does He correct those who see that He is the Christ . Today's passage reveals that Jesus' healings and exorcisms prompt many to see Him as the son of David ( vv. 22-23 ). A study of this title will help us understand why this is the case, and it will give us more insight into Christ's role. David was the greatest king of ancient Israel . However,...

Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 9:27-31 "As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David '" ( v. 27 ). News of Jesus' raising of Jairus' daughter to life spreads quickly throughout the region of Capernaum after Christ touches her hand and performs the miracle ( Matt. 9:25-26 ). Consequently, He is not able to get very far away from the synagogue ruler's home before some more needy people seek Him out. In today's passage, two blind men beg the "son of David" for mercy ( v. 27 ). Blindness in Jesus' day was a common ailment in the Middle East and created all sorts of religious hurdles for its victims. No son of Aaron with a defect in his sight could offer up the bread of God ( Lev. 21:16-21 ). Devotional writings - not Scripture - found among the Dead Sea Scrolls prohibited blind men from entering Jerusalem. Since God sometimes blinded His enemies in th...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia The story of David's rise to the throne of Israel is found in 1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 4. In 1 Samuel 16, David is shown to be God 's chosen one and is anointed king by Samuel (1 Sam. 16:1, 12–13). The anointing of David anticipates the founding of the Davidic dynasty , a crucial event in redemptive history. i   The anointing of David is also crucial for understanding the Old Testament concept of the Messiah (Heb.  mashiah ). As Dillard and Longman explain, "The Hebrew term  mashiah  means 'anointed one,' and the idea of a Messiah for Israel grows out of her ideology about a righteous king, one who would be like David." ii   Throughout the books of Samuel, the "Lord's anointed" is a major theme (cf. 1 Sam. 16:3, 6, 12–13; 24:6; 26:9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Sam. 1:14, 16; 3:39; 19:21). The king is God's anointed one, that is, his "messiah." ...