Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 259)

 Isaiah 42:5-9 “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” vss. 6b-7 Jesus adopted these words from Isaiah as a messianic job description and used them as a guide for his words and actions during his ministry. Wherever he went people felt the presence of God and found relief from…

 Isaiah 42:1-4 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” vs. 1 Living in exile, hundreds of miles from his homeland, the prophet believed that Israel was the much-loved servant of God and that, empowered by the spirit of God, Israel would bring justice to the nations. It was an amazing vision for a leaderless people with a history…

Matthew 2:19-23 “Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.” vs. 21 According to Matthew’s gospel, after a brief sojourn in Egypt, Joseph takes his family to Nazareth in Galilee, a safe place where he could find work and provide for his wife and child. After life in Bethlehem this would be a new beginning with fresh opportunities. And that’s exactly what today represents to many of us! It’s the first…