Sermons on Christ's Person
1 Samuel 9:1-27
In 1 Samuel 9:1-27 Saul, the king like the nations, is introduced. He is described as a great man, from a noble family, who is humble, and receives the Word of God. Surely, if having a king like the other nations is going to work it will with Saul. His reign, however, will be disastrous. The example of Saul teaches us not to look on outward appearance but to trust in God who sees the heart. Such is the contrast…
Matthew 14:13-21
In Matthew 14:13-21 Matthew records the very familiar miracle of Christ feeding the 5,000. What does this teach us about Christ? That he is the better Elijah who feeds more with less, the better Moses who provides manna in the wilderness, the Messiah who sets before His people a glorious feast, and ultimately, the one who is Himself the bread of life who satisfies His people.
Proverbs 8:22-31
In Proverbs 8:22-31 Solomon continues his description of Wisdom. Here we see Wisdom’s relationship to creation. Amazingly, Wisdom is described as being prior to creation and related to God as one begotten of him. This passage has been extraordinarily important in the history of the church, particularly during the Arian controversy. The passage shows that Wisdom is a person, the Son of God, equal with the Father, existing before creation as the eternal God. This is the one who calls…
Proverbs 8:12-21
When considering a person’s exhortation to follow them, one of the most important considerations is the nature of the person making the call. After describing the call of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:1-11, Solomon now describes who Wisdom is and how she operates in the world. Wisdom is righteous and good, possessing wisdom herself. She is the one by whom kings rule and the one who rewards those who love her with blessings. Such is the glory of the one making…
Proverbs 8:1-11
In Proverbs 8:1-11 Solomon records the call of Wisdom, the eternal Son of God, which is contrasted with the call of the adulteress in the previous chapter. This call has gone out to all the earth in the preaching of the gospel. The words of Christ are pure, true, and righteous, and those who are wise find them to be so. Do not neglect Wisdom’s call.
Hebrews 1-13
The genre of the book of Hebrews is self described as a “word of exhortation”, which was a phrase used in the ancient church to describe a sermon. Therefore, it is good to consider the letter as a whole. Pastor Grasso reads the letter as a sermon.
1 Timothy 2:13-15
Though Eve was deceived first, yet salvation would come through her ability to bear children. The biblical theological theme of childbearing tells the story of salvation. Christian women, therefore, ought not to be fooled by the deception of feminism which seeks to take women out of the home. Though it is difficult work, it is in bearing and rearing children that the kingdom of God advances. Salvation is through childbearing.
Luke 1:26-38
Genesis 3:15, the miraculous births of the Old Testament, and the predictions about Zion all culminate in the birth of Christ through the virgin Mary. Salvation has come through the birth of a child, a child who was and is the eternal Son of God. This birth is the culmination of that which was spoken by the prophets. Salvation has come through childbearing.
Micah 4:8-5:5
One of the ways the prophets develop the promise that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent is by describing salvation as Zion giving birth. Zion, the recipient of the promises, the city of God, will give birth to the Messiah. Not only that, but all Christians have Zion as their mother. Salvation is childbearing. The pains of exile were but the pains of labor which culminate in the salvation through a birth, the birth…
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Throughout the Old Testament there are miraculous births that are recorded: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Hannah and Elkanah. These miraculous births show forth God’s power and show that He will always be faithful to His promise to bring one from the seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent. Ultimately, these miraculous births point to the greatest of all births: Christ through the virgin Mary.
Proverbs 1:20-33
In Proverbs 1:20-33, Solomon describes the call of the enigmatic figure, Wisdom. Who is this Wisdom who appears again in chapters 8 and 9? In this text we learn that Wisdom will pour out the Spirit and make the one who heeds her know the Word. These are the actions of God, making Wisdom equal to God and, as is clear from the passage in chapter 8, the Son of God. Solomon makes it clear that attaining to Wisdom means…
Hebrews 10:1-10
In Hebrews 10:1-10 the author contrasts the efficacy of the blood of bulls and goats to that of Christ. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, but Christ, as the Son of God who became man, is able to cleanse all those who come to Him from their sins. Pastor Grasso highlights in this way the significance of the incarnation for atonement.