As we begin this Advent season preparing for Christmas, the plan is to look at five Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ.

This week we look at Jacob’s blessing of his son Judah (sometime around 2000 B.C.), foretelling that God would raise up kings in the tribe of Judah, until all people have been gathered before one king of Judah.

The Text: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:8-12).

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingscrossmoscow.

In the first century just after Jesus ascended into heaven, the unbelieving Jews murdered Stephen, and Saul of Tarsus was breathing threats against the Christians in every city. The temptation to go dark was great. The Christians were hated, lied about, and mistreated. It would have felt very justified to bitterly hate those Jewish zealots (and their Roman collaborators), and to have done so would be to join their carnal, devilish ways.

But God has determined to conquer this dark world with His grace. That means mercy for the wicked. God justifies the ungodly. God’s plan was to save the leader of that violence and evil. True grace has a backbone, but it is a radical, humiliating grace. This is the wisdom of God and the ground of all Christian gratitude.

The Text: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain…” (Js. 4:1-10)

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingscrossmoscow.

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingscrossmoscow.