Written by M. R. Conrad |
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Because Jesus rose, those who believe on Him will also rise. Believers today experience the hope of Job and the joy of David because of the promise of God repeated throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus Himself guaranteed: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). The believer’s future resurrection is inevitable.

Jesus’ tomb was empty. But why? How? Who? So many questions filled the mind of Cleopas and his friend as they slowly walked the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. In the aftermath of their Savior’s crucifixion, they could not fathom the inevitability of the resurrection.
Encounter with a Stranger
Just that morning, a normally reliable group women—dedicated followers of Jesus—had reported seeing a vision of angels at the empty tomb (Luke 24:23). They said that the angels asked them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” (Luke 24:5–7).
Neither Cleopas nor his friend knew what to make of the women’s report until they met a stranger on the road to Emmaus. That stranger—Jesus Himself—gently chided them for their unbelief: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25–26). Jesus answered their questions by taking them through the Old Testament Scriptures. Then, He revealed that He was their risen Savior.
Revelation in the Upper Room
Later that evening, after Cleopas and his friend had raced back to Jerusalem, Jesus appeared in the upper room where His followers had gathered. Once again, Jesus emphasized what He had already told them and what the Old Testament had previously revealed: “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44–45).
The Necessity of the Resurrection
Then Jesus spoke these amazing words: “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead” (Luke 24:46–48). Not only did Jesus say He would rise from the dead, but He also echoed the unbreakable words of the Old Testament Scriptures. “Thus it is written.” and so, He must rise. “It was necessary for the Christ . . . to rise,” and so, His resurrection was inevitable.
But what Old Testament passages did Jesus quote foretelling His resurrection? Luke 24 does not reveal those details, but here are four passages Jesus may have referenced as He convinced His disciples of the inevitability of the resurrection.
~2000 B.C.: Job’s Hope
In arguably the first book of the Bible ever written, the prophet Job finds hope in a future resurrection. He writes, “I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25–26). The foundation for Job’s hope of resurrection lies in his Redeemer’s resurrection.
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Written by M. R. Conrad |
Thursday, March 14, 2024
The exclusivity of the gospel is not a new doctrine created by a modern fanatical sect. From the beginning of the church age, Jesus proclaimed that He is the only way to God (John 14:6), and He gave the authority and the command to share this exclusive gospel with every creature of every nation (Mark 16:15).

Have you been there? You’re just trying to obey God and be a good witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). But suddenly, your pleasant conversation turns combative. This was not your intention, but there you are. The friend you care about is upset, and you feel like it is your fault. All you did was share truth from the Bible, but now you are the bad guy. How did this happen?
Now, the tension could be your fault. Your approach could be abrasive, condescending, or even rude. But, then again, the trip line could have been the message itself. Those set on going their own way stumble on the exclusivity of the gospel.
Jesus stated in no uncertain terms that there is only one way to God: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Why does the exclusivity of the gospel often provoke such a vehement response?
Exclusivity Eliminates Your Own Way
If there is only one way to God, then one’s own way is futile. Trusting one’s own good works instead of trusting in Jesus Christ alone is going one’s own way. A life of good deeds done for God and others goes to waste when considered to be merit that earns favor with God. All the credit one labored for a lifetime to accrue ends up like Monopoly money—the amount is high, but the eternal value is nil.
In the minds of those attached to their own way, a loving friend’s words pointing out such truths becomes a personal attack. What is meant in love sounds like judgment. Instead of hearing a plea to come to safety, those set on their own way hear only condemnation that they feel they could not possibly deserve.
Yet, God clearly warns those who cling to their own way: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). That death—eternal death—is not inevitable. The prophet Isaiah explains, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Going one’s own way is sin, but Jesus Christ paid for that sin by dying on the cross. To benefit from His sacrifice, those going their own way must submit to the only way to God by putting their faith in Christ alone (Acts 4:12).
Exclusivity Demands Humility
Few who cling to their record of personal morality view this as insisting on their own way.
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Written by M. R. Conrad |
Monday, December 25, 2023
Ahaz rejected God’s message. He had passed the point of no return.[4] Despite Ahaz’s refusal, God chose to give him a sign anyway. The sign concerned the Davidic line that was under attack but always under God’s protection because of the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Isaiah confronted the wicked king: “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:13–14). The name Immanuel means “God with us.” Ahaz felt he did not need God with him. But he did. The king thought he and his alliance could secure the Davidic line, but they could not.

Every Bible-savvy Christian knows the prophecy of Immanuel. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “’Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). We all understand that the virgin was Mary, and the Son was Jesus. But few know the dramatic backstory to this descriptive name of our Savior—Immanuel.
The Predicament
King Ahaz of Judah surveyed the aqueduct just outside of Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:3). The war that had pummeled Judah during his father’s reign dragged into his own, exacting heavy losses (2 Kings 15:37; 2 Chronicles 28:5–8). Now, Ahaz checked the water supply as he prepared the city for yet another attack.
King Rezin of Syria[1] and King Pekah of Israel had tried to draw Ahaz into an alliance against the mighty Assyrian empire. In the 730s B.C., the Assyrians had swallowed up kings and nations. Their armies were poised to devour everything along the trade routes south to Egypt. Ahaz felt that even if he combined Judah’s armies with the forces of Syria, and Israel, they would lose to Assyria. So, Ahaz spurned the overtures of his northern neighbors.
In response, Syria and Israel amassed their armies to depose Ahaz, install their own man on the Davidic throne, and force Judah to ally with them against Assyria (Isaiah 7:6). As the two armies approached, Ahaz’s heart trembled (Isaiah 7:2). He could not go on like this! Driven to desperation, Ahaz considered an alliance—not with the neighboring kingdoms trying to force his hand but with King Tiglath-Pileser III and the Assyrian empire itself.
The Offer
As Ahaz stood beside the reservoir, the prophet Isaiah and his son, Shear-Jashub, approached him.[2] Isaiah boldly delivered God’s message: “Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah [Pekah of Israel]” (Isaiah 7:4).[3] God urged Ahaz to trust Him, not Assyria. The two attacking nations would flame out and would soon cease to be a threat. God warned that if Ahaz did not trust Him, his throne would never be secure (Isaiah 7:9).
The Second Chance
Ignoring Isaiah’s message, Ahaz furthered his plans to ally with Assyria instead of trusting God (2 Kings 16:7). So, God sent the prophet with another message for the king: “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above” (Isaiah 7:11).
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Written by M.R. Conrad |
Saturday, December 23, 2023
In these short stanzas, Wesley teaches rich truths about the person of Christ (Christology) and salvation (soteriology). The composition of this hymn follows the inspired guidelines of Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” With so many quotes and allusions to Scripture, the word of Christ dwells richly in “Hark the Herald.” 

Across the world, Christmas carols carry deep doctrinal truths where few other witnesses would be allowed. These carols ring out from apostate cathedrals of Europe, through pop music artists online, and even in glitzy Asian malls.
In particular, Charles Wesley’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” proclaims bold truths about the person and work of Christ that most carolers do not even realize as they sing the familiar lines. Let’s walk through the lyrics of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and discover what doctrines and Scripture passages Charles Wesley (and later editor George Whitefield) reference throughout this beloved Christmas carol.
1. Jesus is Savior, King, and Messiah.
(1) Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King;Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
The hymnwriter, Charles Wesley, launches directly into the Christmas account, paraphrasing lines from Luke 2:9–15. He focuses on Jesus’ titles of king, savior, and messiah. As king, Jesus brings peace. As Savior, He reconciles man to God. Finally, as messiah, He fulfills the prophet’s words in Micah 5:2 as a ruler born in Bethlehem. Wesley tucks all these doctrinal truths into one stanza and hides them in plain sight in the words of the angels on Christmas morning.
2. Jesus is Fully God and Fully Man.
(2) Christ, by highest Heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord;Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb.Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity,Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.
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