There is no better way to kick off the new year than to study the life of our Lord. The Roman emperor who reigned when Christ was born, Caesar Augustus, was hailed as the “son of god,” and the “Great Heavenly Savior.” Of course, this flatly contradicts the Bible. But in today’s age of bespoke spirituality and customized beliefs (metamodernism), it’s somehow possible to hail both the Caesar of today (whoever or whatever that is) and King Jesus at the same time even though it’s incoherent or contradictory. Thankfully though, Mark offers a powerful and refreshing response by uncompromisingly presenting Jesus, not Caesar, as the gospel, as the Savior of the world. Mark proclaims Jesus as the authoritative yet suffering Son of God, to whom we need to respond with repentance and belief.

Trouble in our lives make it difficult for us to see how God can possibly be good. Trouble takes many forms: illness, anxiety, depression, conflict, antagonism, or loneliness just to name some. It’s difficult to believe in the goodness of God when we experience such trouble. How can we trust God to be good when we experience trouble in our lives?

The last words of Jacob were words of blessing to his twelve sons. It’s true that some of these blessings read more like curses, but, in the end, it’s a blessing to be included at all. In spite of their checkered past, each brother will still populate the Twelve Tribes and receive a share of the Promised Land. Jacob’s final blessings contain important lessons on sin, grace, and our ultimate hope.

Hebrews 11’s Hall of Faith recounts those key moments in the stories of the OT saints where they exercised great faith. But notably, the Hall of Faith only mentions Jacob’s final act of blessing the sons of Joseph. Let’s delve into the significance of his actions in Genesis 48 and explore why it’s regarded as Jacob’s greatest act of faith.

By Genesis 47, the main plot points of the narrative have been resolved. Joseph has ascended to power, the brothers are reconciled, and God's people have been preserved. While the remaining chapters may seem less important, when you read Genesis as the first of the five Books of Moses (Pentateuch), it becomes evident that these final chapters are preparing us for Exodus and the broader biblical story of redemption. When you pull back the lens, each movement in this chapter reveals a larger theological point.

In today’s text, Jacob makes his journey from Canaan into Egypt. It is a land of sojourn where his family will eventually grow into the nation of Israel to be led one day back to their true home in Canaan. We too are in a land of sojourn while on this earth, for our true home is in heaven. But, we often find such sojourning a hard and fearful experience, and we can grow strongly attached to this world. Yet, working backwards through this episode of Jacob’s life, we learn what it means to be a sojourner led and assured by God. We need not be afraid while we are sojourners in this life because like Jacob, we belong to God as his people, and he is our God who preserves us and keeps his promises.

The moment of truth has arrived in Joseph’s story. As he reveals himself to his estranged brothers, they react in horror, fearing the worst. But instead of wrath in Joseph’s eyes, they see tears. This beautiful picture of reconciliation in Genesis 45 is meant to inspire us to pursue the same in our broken relationships.

In this chapter, we come to the end of the second test from Joseph. How will they respond? What does God want to do with them through these tests? What do these tests reveal about God’s grace in their lives? How has God changed them? In what ways are we changed by God’s grace and work in our lives?

When we fail God, we feel defeated. We fail to avert our eyes from a forbidden image. We fail to refrain from office gossip. We fail to reign in our spending habits and buy another set of golf clubs. Failing God causes us to feel ashamed and dejected. What does God do when we fail him? Does he cast us aside?

The first run in between Joseph and his older brothers, after twenty years of estrangement, results in an awkward encounter filled with harsh accusations, guilty consciences, and an intricate test of integrity. But as the story unfolds, it’s apparent that Joseph’s actions are a severe mercy designed to expose the true character of his brothers. That’s what biblical tests are meant to do. They reveal the true nature of person – the true state of our soul.

So far in the life and trials of Joseph, we have seen him repeatedly betrayed and suffer injustices; yet God was faithful and caused him to be fruitful even in jail. Now in chapter 41, we come to an inflection point where God orchestrates his remarkable, meteoric rise to power from prison to Pharaoh’s palace, from prisoner to prime minister over all of Egypt. This rise though came about through his afflictions. Today’s text then teaches us this precious truth: God is faithful in our sufferings and helps us be fruitful through them. Whether feast or famine, God is faithful and fruitful for our flourishing.

The experience of delay is a common occurrence in the life of faith. Many biblical figures are characterized by a posture of waiting. Joseph waited thirteen years before his dreams started coming true. And that’s a short interval compared to others. But regardless of the duration of delay, the eyes of faith recognize that the LORD has not forgotten and will fulfill his promises at the right time.

Genesis 39 is often read as an example of how to resist sexual sins. Which it is. But there is a bigger theological message being conveyed about the LORD’s presence and steadfast love being with you – even in the lowest points and darkest times in life. For God’s people, unrelenting temptations, untrue accusations, and unjust treatment are not evidence of his anger or abandonment. They’re steps in his unfolding redemptive plan for our lives.

Genesis 38 is a microcosm of the book at large. Every story presents raw and honest portrayals of these biblical characters, highlighting God’s grace when they fall. In Judah’s case, his story arc swiftly descends into a sordid mess of sin and shame. But, by the end, he confesses and undergoes a transformation that explains the profound change in him when he reappears later in the narrative.

The life of Joseph is full of highs and lows. Before we get to the highs, the story of Joseph begins at a real low point in his life. There’s not a lot of good happening to Joseph in Genesis 37. His situation seems to get worse and worse, and finally, he finds himself at one of his lowest points in life, a slave at the bottom of a pit. Although the life of Joseph can seem very bleak at this point, we can find comfort knowing how God works this difficult time in his life. We will focus on three truths as we begin to dive into the life of Joseph.

Hebrews is self-described as a “word of exhortation.” Which means it’s more like a sermon than a typical New Testament letter. And like any good sermon, Hebrews concludes with illustrations and applications for how believers can live out its main point. Which can be summarized like this: Do not neglect the great salvation we have in Jesus, but instead, hold fast our confession and persevere in the faith. This ancient sermon ends with three practical ways to persevere.

Many things in life sap our desire to pursue holiness. We experience relational conflict with others. We experience bouts of loneliness. We feel overloaded by work. If we continue to focus on our difficult circumstances, pursuing holiness becomes increasingly challenging. Instead of focusing on our situation, then what should we do when we find ourselves tired of pursuing holiness?

Hebrews 11 is known as the Bible’s Hall of Faith. In it, you’ll meet various Old Testament heroes. By faith, they persevered and finished their races. They now surround us like a great cloud of witnesses, cheering believers on and reminding us that we share the same faith in the same Christ.

Evangelism and missions are related but distinct tasks. In evangelism, the focus is on winning as many souls as possible for Christ. But the focus in missions is on reaching all people groups for Christ. The missionary’s task is unfinished and ongoing, and it calls for participation by all believers in the church.

Because Jesus died for our sins, he is the foundation of our faith. We trust in his power to cleanse us, not in our own efforts, allowing us to let go of the shame that prevents us from drawing near to God. In response to Christ's sacrifice, we live in a way that honors him and reflects the freedom he provided at high cost to himself.