December 25, 2024

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, NLT)

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My mind and heart can’t shake the oft-sung carol of Christmas, “O Holy Night.” Here’s my favorite stanza . . .

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth;

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

’Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.*

What strikes me most about that stanza is the phrase, “the weary world rejoices.” If anything is true, we live in a weary world—weary of conflict, weary of war, weary of turmoil, and weary of the brokenness that humans experience.

In our centennial year at Dallas Theological Seminary, we have highlighted our thankfulness for God’s faithfulness in the past, our gratitude for His provision today, and our hope for a bright and fruitful future. That hope flows directly from the unlimited fountainhead of grace poured out on the world at Christ’s birth.

The Bible reminds us that no one escapes the penalty of sin’s condemnation, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet, the message of Christ is a message of hope—a hope that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, came to set us free from sin. That message of hope fuels everything we do at DTS. The message of Christmas rings with the hope of forgiveness.

Because of Christ’s finished work of redemption on the cross, the weary world can rejoice! You and I rejoice this Christmas, alongside countless millions of believers around the world, because in Jesus our Savior, our sins have been forgiven.

Let’s do as the hymn writer declares and fall on our knees in hope-filled worship of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. And join us this season in sharing this message, won’t you? May a weary world rejoice anew in the hope of Christmas: Jesus!

 

Dr. Mark M. Yarbrough
President
Professor of Bible Exposition

*Excerpted from “O Holy Night.” Hymns and Carols of Christmas, edited by Douglas D. Anderson, 1996.

 

December 24, 2024

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, NASB)

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In December of 1993, I visited Germany for the first time, stepping from my comfortable American surroundings into an unfamiliar European culture. During the Christmas season, the already charming country of Germany transforms into an enchanting wonderland. I had never experienced such magical sights, sounds, and scents as I did in that strange new world.

Or maybe I should say strange old world, because the German Christmas traditions I regarded as “new” went back centuries: real candles burning on real trees, vibrant Christmas markets peddling candied almonds and sugared stollen, a chorus of trumpets echoing through the vale, and a real goose for Christmas dinner. My German friends thought these traditions were normal. I thought they were strange. How could I enjoy Christmas without Charlie Brown, Frosty, and Rudolph? Where was Santa Claus with his flying sleigh? What about the inflatable snowmen, plastic nativities, and Christmas lights dancing to “Jingle Bell Rock”? Germany was doing Christmas completely wrong, and they didn’t even know it!

But on Christmas Eve, when I stepped out of the bustling market into a dimly lit church that had stood in that same place for six hundred years, my disorientation dissolved like melting snow. We sang “Silent Night” in its original German. The pastor read the real Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. And I heard, loudly and clearly, the unchanging truth of the Incarnation—when God the Son stepped out of the comfort of His heavenly home into our own strange, old world. For that hour, gone were the tinny twangs of unfamiliar carols, the sweet scent of spiced wine, and the light of candles flickering through frosted windows.

There was Jesus—God in the flesh—the Savior from another world who had come to save ours. Though the montage of Christmas traditions may change from country to country and from age to age, the story of the Savior remains the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

 

Dr. Michael J. Svigel
Chair and Professor of Theological Studies

December 23, 2024

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4–6, NASB)

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At its best, Christmas is a celebration full of family gatherings and giving. Because of our obligations, the Burnses rarely assembled from distant places to express our mutual love. However, Christmastime was “required attendance” for everyone. My father reminded us constantly of how wonderful those memories were.

In the “fullness of time,” the Father so loved the world that He sent His Son to gather His family of believers in the Spirit. Galatians tells us that our faith in the incarnate Son gives us the highest privilege of membership in His family with an intimate “Abba, Father” relationship and shared inheritance (Galatians 4:6; see also Romans 8:14–17). The Son was sent from the Father as a coequal and coeternal member of the Trinity. He was “born of a woman,” the fully human “seed” of God’s promise to overcome sin and its curse (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:13, 19). The promise continued through the chosen offspring of Abraham, the “man of faith” (Galatians 3:10, 16). And the Son was born “under the Law,” which had been a tutor and guardian that pointed to Him as the One who would redeem us from the curse by becoming a curse in our place (Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 2:16–17). Before the Son’s incarnation, Old Testament believers were in “slavery” under the care of God’s Word as they anticipated their Messiah. In the fullness of history, the Father placed His most precious gift in a human womb. The Father decreed the coming of His Son, so that by faith we can be adopted into His family, becoming full members of the family and its inheritance, and indwelt by the “DNA” of His Spirit.

Christmas celebrates the greatest gift ever given to believers, so our joyous family celebrations should remind us of joy in God’s family. We as children should unceasingly praise our Father for His graciousness to us. “Joy to the world,” we annually sing, “for the Lord is come … let every heart prepare Him room.”

Dr. J. Lanier Burns
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology
Research Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies

December 22, 2024

“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. . . . I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:4, 14–15, NKJV)

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Growing up on a small farm in rural Canada, I recall watching my grandfather tend to the growing flock of sheep that was closely huddled together in the six-generation-old barn for winter.

There was tenderness and warmth in his calloused hands that radiated nothing less than an abiding love. Each day he would feed his sheep grain and hay. He doctored the sick with penicillin. He often woke up in the early hours to ensure a safe delivery of a newborn lamb. If the pipes that lined the sheep’s manger froze during a bone-chilling snowstorm, he would be the first to hand-deliver a kettle of hot water, pouring it along the rubbery, iced pipes.

All of us who worked alongside Grandpa knew of his love for the flock. But it was those simple sheep that knew his love most.

“Come Nannie! Come Nannie!” Grandpa would call in a firm but gentle tone. The sheep were never startled or panicked by his beckon. They yearned for his voice of loving leadership. They followed him as he would feed and lead them each day.

How could they not trust such a good shepherd?

It brings comfort to know that, like my grandfather, Jesus is a good shepherd. He knows us by name.

Our Good Shepherd laid down His life for us—humbled Himself as a babe in a manger and though innocent, died on a cross for our sin.

Whatever you are facing today, will you trust Jesus, the Messiah, as your Good Shepherd?

 

Dr. D. Scott Barfoot
Director of Doctor of Ministry Studies

December 21, 2024

“This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12, NASB)

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Steve Brown tells a story about the ugliest car he had ever seen. It had a large gash down one side; one of the doors was barely hanging on with bailing wire; large patches of metal were rusted out. The muffler was dangling down to street level. The car had been painted over so many times with so many colors it was impossible to tell the original color. But the most fascinating thing about the car was the bumper sticker. It read “This is not an abandoned car.”

We live in a rusty world. It can be ugly and depressing. Hurt and heartache abound. A new shot of paint here and there can make things looks brighter temporarily, but the daily Niagara of bad news jolts us back to reality. On top of that, our own personal sorrows and sin can sometimes leave us feeling guilty, isolated, and fearful. At times we can wonder if God really cares. But a long time ago, a baby was born and laid in a manger. He was born for us. He was a sign to us. His sign read “This is not an abandoned world.”

When God visited our planet in human flesh, He gave us the assurance that He had not abandoned us or our world. What the angel said to the shepherds is the same thing God is saying to us today—a Savior has come. Even though we’re often shocked and saddened by events in our world or our own lives, we can know that He has not abandoned us. God cares, and God is in control. You have not been deserted or forsaken. The best news is that someday Jesus will come again, and all the ugliness of sin will be removed forever. He will make all things new. His coming again will be His final sign to us that “This is not an abandoned world.”

 

Dr. Mark Hitchcock
Research Professor of Bible Exposition

December 20, 2024

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8, NIV)

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First John 3:8 doesn’t sound like a verse for a Christmas meditation! There’s no Christmas carol I know that exalts destroying the devil’s work as a key contribution of Jesus’s Incarnation, but this is a liberating and wonderful fact for those who have been living in darkness. Paul tells the Colossians that through the Father’s intervention, they have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought “into the kingdom of the Son He loves” (Colossians 1:12–13). Unsaved people in Jesus’s time and today are living in darkness, a darkness that is not simply human ignorance or their own failure to respond to God’s grace and the gospel, but rather a darkness that epitomizes Satan’s control. As John also says: “The whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

Jesus, the Son of God, was manifest to rescue all who would believe in Him from the control of Satan and from their own sin. He did this by destroying Satan’s principal strength, and that apparently was his ability to destroy people by blinding their eyes so that they would not see or understand the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). But Jesus, the Son of God and Light of the World, did appear and provides deliverance by His life and death on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus commissioned His disciples to take that Good News to the whole world. So perhaps we can count the Christmas carol “O Holy Night” as one that does carry the thought of our key verse.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
’Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Yes, it’s true and wonderful! This is the reason the Son of God appeared: to destroy the devil’s work!

 

Dr. Michael Pocock
Senior Professor Emeritus of World Missions and Intercultural Studies

December 19, 2024

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart. (Psalm 138:1, ESV)

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When David gave thanks, he used everything in him: “I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart” (Psalm 138:1). David’s life exemplified exuberant praise and worship of the LORD. Psalm 138 gives us a glimpse into why David was so exuberant about the LORD. He excitedly praised God because “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased” (138:3). David’s fellowship with God was so intimate, God knew that the moment He answered David’s prayer, David would give Him praise.

The first Christmas was a time of many answered prayers. Just imagine how many people—Simeon, Zechariah, Anna, Elizabeth, Mary, and countless others—had prayed for the coming of the Messiah, saying “next year in Jerusalem,” “maybe this year will be the year?” Now their prayers were answered.

And, just like David in Psalm 138, they gave exuberant praise to God. It was almost beyond description as Mary recited her Magnificat (Luke 1:46–56), Zechariah prophesied (1:67–79), Simeon gave his praise (2:29–32), and the very angels cried out saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (2:14). Not only was God faithful but, imagine, “God was pleased!” The people had been praying for this very event for thousands of years. Wonder, amazement, and awe are words that cannot fully express the coming of the Messiah. But if we didn’t try to use words to describe it, the very rocks would cry out (19:40).

This Christmas, what answers to prayer have you had that lead you to praise God with exuberance the way David did in Psalm 138? Not only did God keep His word in the first coming, but He is coming again to take us to heaven where there will be no more tears, pain, sickness, cancer, or depression, and we will see our loved ones again. To quote a hymn from the past, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”

 

Dr. Rodney H. Orr
Dean of DTS-DC, Professor of Missiology and Intercultural Ministries

December 18, 2024

The star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. (Matthew 2:9, NASB)

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What was the star that led the wise men to Jesus? Since Matthew didn’t say, Christians have speculated. Some believe it was one particular star that God illuminated in a unique way. Others believe the Christmas star was what we now refer to as a planet or perhaps a conjunction of two or more planets. Perhaps it was a special light that God created for this special purpose, or it may have been a manifestation of the presence of God Himself—the Shekinah. Another possibility is that it was an angel (compare Job 38:7).

The Greek word angelos (“angel”) means “messenger.” Certainly the Christmas star was a messenger from God that led the wise men to Jesus, regardless of whether or not the star was an angel. And because of this, we can identify with the Christmas star.

Every Christian has come to Jesus because of a messenger whom God sent to provide guidance. In my case, it was a gentleman named Mr. Mount who filled the pulpit in my home church as a visiting preacher one Sunday and, in his message, pointed me to Jesus. Who, like the Christmas star, captured your attention and led you to Jesus?

Having found the Babe of Bethlehem to be the King of kings, we have the privilege of playing the role of the Christmas star to others. We, too, can capture the attention of those whom God has called to “come worship the King.” We, too, should stand over where the Christ Child is so that others can find Him. We can be true angels, messengers from God, to those who presently sit in darkness. May we, whom God has called to be lights in the world, be Christmas stars to many who are seeking Jesus this holiday season.

 

Dr. Thomas L. Constable
Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition

December 17, 2024

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12, NIV)

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Without ever being told, “Go find the baby Jesus,” the shepherds just knew they had to find Him. In their minds there could be little doubt that they must locate this newborn Messiah. But where? How would they find a tiny baby in the hustle and bustle of overcrowded Bethlehem?

Would He be found in a palace, being admired by kings, governors, and princes? Or maybe they would find Him in a synagogue, attended by priests, prophets, and even angels. How would they find the baby?

The answer was so surprising! After being startled by the voice of an angel and struck by the glory of the Lord, these shepherds heard that the glorious Messiah would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger! The shepherds could not have expected to find their Savior sheltered in a barn and lying in a feeding trough for animals. Yet in just such a humble place they would find Jesus.

This year our Christmas lights and glorious anthems will again arrest our attention as the angelic voices did for the shepherds so long ago. We expect to find Jesus in the bright lights of the Christmas trees and in the pageantry of our celebrations.

Yet we will find Jesus not in these fireworks, but in humble acts of service and in times of quiet meditation. We find Him in the pages of our Bibles and in the folds of our heart. We find Him on our knees and in giving to a needy person who cannot give back to us. He is found, most surprisingly, in the humblest of places. Seek Him there!

 

Dr. Victor D. Anderson
Director of PhD Studies, Interim Chair and Professor of Pastoral Ministries

December 16, 2024

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him . . . all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. (Colossians 1:15–17, NET)

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Of all the wonders and mysteries of the Christmas story, none exceeds this: the child born and laid in a manger was the creator of heaven and earth. He was not only the One who spoke all creation into existence, but His powerful word continues to sustain it. Apart from Him there is nothing. Apart from His continual work of preservation, there would be nothing.

In Jesus, the creator became a creature. The transcendent fully divine One became immanent in the created order as full humanity. The One who is the source of all created things submitted Himself to His creation and became a human, a helpless and dependent infant. The creator of Mary submitted to her. The creator of the raw materials of the manger rested on the result of human craftsmanship. As He grew and developed, He would learn to eat, talk, walk, read, and everything else He would need to know to live as a human. The One in whom all things are held together became dependent on His creation for His needs to be met. He submitted to these creatures in order to grow up to die for them and to be raised from the dead to bring life into a world that is decaying and dying because of these creatures’ sin.

He is the image of the invisible God—in order to become visible He must condescend to submit Himself to His creation. He must take on the limitations of creation itself. In so doing, He reveals to us a God who so wants to be known by His creation that He humbles Himself to make Himself visible. In this manner, He reveals humility to be an attribute of deity.

 

Dr. Glenn R. Kreider
Professor of Theological Studies
Editor in Chief, Bibliotheca Sacra