By Alistair Begg, Magnolia Tribune The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. – Matthew 1:1 The beginning of the New Testament may not immediately strike us as inspiring. In fact, if someone were reading through the Bible for the very first time and reached the end of Malachi, which points forward with anticipation, their excitement might falter when the next book begins with… a genealogy. They (and we!) might even be tempted to skip Matthew and begin...

By Alistair Begg, Magnolia Tribune This is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. – 2 John 1:6 Genuine Christian love involves much more than warm feelings, affectionate hugs, and tender affection. While love may very well include emotions and stir our feelings, the love that the Bible calls us to is first and foremost an act of the will. When the apostle John exhorted his readers to...

By Alistair Begg, Magnolia Tribune The people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” – Luke 23:35–38 In Roman-occupied Judea, it was customary for an executed individual to have a sign...