Do You Want a Perfect Government?

January 13, 2026January 10, 2026Todd R 1 Comment

Immediately after beginning His public ministry with His baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil three times. One of those temptations went like this:

“And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”” – Luke 4:5-7

As you probably know, Jesus did not succumb to this temptation but suppose Jesus had decided to take authority over all the nations of the world in this way. He would have decisions to make. What form of government would He choose for “all the kingdoms of the world”? There are so many to choose from, and certainly He’d have the wisdom to pick the right one, right?

Here in the United States, technically a federal constitutional republic, people often just call it a democracy. For many, it’s a good form of government, and as Winston Churchill said, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…”. Churchill was saying that no system of government is perfect, but regardless we should choose the best. The best available option is what we should aim for, right?

However, Jesus refused to succumb to the temptation of accepting authority over the imperfect nations from the devil (and under the devil), and we should be very thankful He did. To us, it seemed like a very enticing offer, but from Jesus’ perspective, was it as attractive? Was it attractive at all? How does the Bible describe God’s attitude toward the world’s nations that Jesus was tempted to rule?

In Psalm 2:4, Jesus “laughs” at all the worldly kingdoms and “holds them in derision”. In that Psalm, He sees all of mankind’s attempts to govern themselves as laughable! Isaiah 40:17 perhaps takes this even further:

“All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”

From His perspective, “all the nations” are “less than nothing and emptiness.” Why rule these kingdoms that are laughable and empty? Kingdoms that are infinitely less than perfect? Therefore, Jesus wasn’t overcome by the devil’s temptation because His objective was a perfect kingdom made up of perfect people. Being offered “all the kingdoms of the world” was not at all attractive to Him under those circumstances.

If it wasn’t tempting to Him, why should we be tempted by it? Why is worldly power so attractive to us, and why do we sometimes act like a perfect government can exist in this world?

We might act like this because we believe the perfect system can overcome the imperfections in each person’s heart. Therefore, we focus on the political system; the form of government instead of the nature of its people. However, all the power of earthly kingdoms can’t heal the human heart; only God’s can. Any system made up of imperfect people is inevitably imperfect. Jesus’ mission was to create a new people willing and able to live in a perfect kingdom absolutely ruled by Him. Perfection can be achieved no other way.

Fortunately for us, instead of falling for the devil’s temptation in the desert and forming an imperfect government of imperfect people, Jesus’ response was:

“And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”” – Luke 4:8

Whatever system of government we live under, that government is temporary and will inevitably be abolished by the kingdom of God that already should rule in His people’s hearts. Therefore, “worship the Lord your God” and pray for the culmination of His kingdom, while faithfully loving God and loving our neighbor, regardless of our form of government. God’s rule of love is relevant everywhere and will outlast all the kingdoms of this earth, proving each of them to be “less than nothing and emptiness.”

Jesus knew what He was doing when rejecting the world’s kingdoms and He wants us to follow His example.

When Bad Things Happen to the Greatest Disciples

January 12, 2026January 11, 2026Todd R 2 Comments

“Why do bad things happen to good people?” is a difficult question to answer, and the life and death of John the Baptist is an interesting case, raising another question: did Jesus fail John the Baptist?

John was identified as “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight’”[1] prophesied by Isaiah. John publicly announced the coming of Jesus, and soon baptized Him, then watched the Spirit descend on Him like a dove and heard the voice of the Father declare Jesus as the Son.[2] Was testifying publicly about Jesus and His miracles John’s mission in life? If so, why did John find himself in prison, unable to preach in the open? As Matthew’s Gospel records, Herod Antipas, the Roman ruler of Galilee and Perea, had John arrested for criticizing Herod’s immoral relationship with his brother’s wife.[3] While under arrest, John began to have some doubts about Jesus and sent messengers to Him, saying “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”[4] To John, his circumstances didn’t make sense and he reached out to Jesus for an explanation.

Matthew, in preparing his gospel message, intentionally placed this question from John to Jesus after a long section about followers of Jesus meeting opposition and persecution in the world. If you have time, read Matthew chapters 10 and 11 now, or keep reading here and I’ll quote key verses and ideas as we go, starting with these:

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.” – Matthew 10:24
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” – Matthew 11:11

John’s experience gives us several lessons. First, living like Jesus does not mean Christians will avoid uncomfortable circumstances, including criticism and/or persecution. Circumstances are not always a sign we’ve done something right or wrong. When Jesus said “a disciple is not above his teacher” the context tells us that He meant that His perfect life and obedience led to the cross, and if we are like Him we can’t expect to be treated better than He was. Still, we may be tempted to think that if we live the right life, if we preach the truth of the gospel perfectly, if we do everything we “should”, then we will not be like “sheep in the midst of wolves,”[5] but loved and admired by the world. By moving right to the story of John in the next chapter, and saying “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist,” Matthew is saying that not even the greatest disciple of Jesus who ever lived was exempt from the warnings of chapter 10, including “Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you sin their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” – Matthew 10:17-18

Even the very best lives and preaching meet opposition, perhaps the most devoted bring even more opposition from those who have no interest in the kingdom of God.

Second, by placing these stories side-by-side, Matthew shows that John the Baptist is an example for us when we have doubts[6]. In prison, John had doubts, but did not give up on Jesus. If Jesus was who he said He was, then not only the warnings of chapter 10 apply to John and us, but also the assurances and instructions:

“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.” – Matthew 10:19
“What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops” – Matthew 10:27
“Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven” – Matthew 10:31

John sent disciples to Jesus not to ask for rescue or to complain, but to confirm whether He really was the Messiah. When we have doubts, we can also seek and find comfort.

Third, there is always more God is doing than we are aware of. Instead of commenting directly on John’s prison situation to John’s messengers, “Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”[7] In other words, Jesus was doing everything the Messiah should be doing, and even with John sidelined from public ministry, the kingdom of God was advancing spectacularly. John had the information needed to believe and should not be “offended” by his unexpected circumstances. God remained in control of the situation.

Lastly, the circumstances of our lives may be what inspire others to better follow Christ, although it may be invisible to us. Therefore, our patience and faithfulness in those times, or even the way we express and deal with doubt, can be a powerful witness. As “The voice of one crying in the wilderness,” John saw his audience as those coming out to see Him and be baptized. From this perspective, being in prison made John feel useless or like a failure to his calling. What had he and/or Jesus done wrong? But God, through Matthew’s Gospel, saw John’s audience as all future generations, who could be encouraged that even the “great” John the Baptist faced criticism, persecution, and doubt. John may have thought his purpose was to keep preaching publicly, but instead his example benefits believers in ways that his freedom couldn’t.

Faith Over Circumstance
Don’t let circumstances determine your faith and willingness to serve Christ. In Matthew 10, Jesus said political and religious leaders, and even our own families, will resist Christ in us. Often, they will appear to succeed. Also, some will tell us that when things aren’t going our way, we need to “have more faith”, “pray harder”, “go to church more”, and convince God to improve our situation. They argue we need to fix something we’re doing and our circumstances will improve. But this is not the message of John’s story, and Matthew made sure of that by the way he wrote it. There is no record of Jesus or Matthew telling John the Baptist why he was suffering and in prison, or that he could do anything about it. Jesus only asked him to trust. However, when John was ultimately beheaded[8], he met Jesus face-to face again, but fully glorified, and I believe John understood. There is always more to our circumstances than we can see or comprehend, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”[9]

If even John the Baptist was not exempt from the warnings of Matthew 10, neither are we. But also, if John could trust his Lord and Savior to love and provide for him, we can too.

“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it…And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”” – Matthew 10:38-39, 42

[1] Isaiah 40:3, quoted in Matthew 4:3.
[2] Matthew 3:16-17
[3] Matthew 14:3
[4] Matthew 11:3
[5] Matthew 10:16
[6] Also, I recently posted an example from the life of Jeremiah the prophet.
[7] Matthew 11:4-6
[8] Matthew 14:10
[9] Romans 8:28

To Us a Child is Born

January 10, 2026Todd R 1 Comment

In response to a reader suggestion, I’ve figured out what Bible verses are quoted the most here and am writing a series about those verses. Today’s post is #2 of the series, covering the verse quoted the 2nd least out of the 10 most quoted, Isaiah 9:6.

“For to us a child is born,
            to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
            and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
            Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

This verse makes the most-quoted list because I of a Christmas series about it inspired by James Boice, who compared the 4 names Christ is called in this verse to Christmas gifts we can all have. “Four gifts for Christmas. They are the greatest gifts that anybody can give or we can have, and they are all in Jesus. They are for us. They are for you, if you will have them.”

Boice speculated that if we took a poll (and people were honest), we could find out that people’s deepest needs are wisdom, the power to do what is right, satisfying relationships, and reconciliation with God and others through forgiveness. Then we’d realize that the 4 aspects of Christ from Isaiah 9:6 would meet those deepest, most significant needs, like this:

            As Wonderful Counselor, He is our source of wisdom;
            As Mighty God, He will empower us to live as He did;
            As Everlasting Father, He invites us with unconditional love into His family;
            As Prince of Peace, He buys peace between us and Him, and between us and others.

Because Jesus came and lived and died for us, we can have all of these things because He offers them to us as a free gift to those who accept Him. So, Christmas may have already passed, but Jesus still lives and is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy:

Regardless of the season, we can be thankful for all that God has given us in Christ.

Amen.

The Many Names of Jesus

December 27, 2025Todd R 1 Comment

Often in the Bible, a person’s name tells us more than just what they are called – it tells us something about their character or history. Also, a name describes the authority and honor due to someone, like when we do something in someone’s name, we claim their authority to do it. There are many names for our Lord Jesus, describing His character and authority, and a great summary of these is the worship song, “Jesus, Name Above All Names.” It has two main verses, listing many of Christ’s names, as follows:

Verse 1
Jesus, name above all names
Beautiful Savior glorious Lord
Emmanuel God is with us
Blessed Redeemer living Word

Verse 2
Jesus, loving Shepherd
Vine of the branches Son of God
Prince of Peace Wonderful Counselor
Lord of the universe Light of the world

There are many truths about Jesus we can know, and much meaning is contained in the names from this song, but as infinite God, we cannot understand every truth about Him. A verse that reminds us of this is Revelation 19:12 – “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.”

We know Jesus by many names, but He has at least one that only He knows. We know many of His names, but none of them can fully describe Him. Likewise, He has many crowns (“diadems”), but none of them can fully describe His power, authority, and honor.

But it was because of our Lord’s humility, taking on the form of man and voluntarily suffering death on the cross for His people, that Philippians 2:9-11 declares: “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

He alone has the name that deserves all of our devotion and respect. While we cannot fully understand Him, we can seek to fully trust Him.

Soli Deo Gloria

My Favorite Christmas Song

December 25, 2025December 23, 2025Todd R 6 Comments

People have strong opinions about Christmas music, like when is the right time to begin listening to it. Personally, I like to have a long Christmas season but also don’t want to distract from other good holidays like Thanksgiving, so for me the right time is once Thanksgiving is done. I have a Christmas playlist on my phone of my favorites and its playing regularly when I drive around or while I’m wrapping presents or putting up the tree.

People also care a lot about which songs to listen to, sometimes in strange ways. A tradition we have every year (mainly because of my kids) is called “Whamaggedon.” What’s that? It’s a contest to see how long you can go without hearing “Last Christmas” by Wham. Apparently, lots and lots of people play this and the winner(s) is the one who gets to Christmas without hearing it. Not that it’s a bad song, but it’s just a fun thing to do in the holiday season.

There are a lot of things to like about Christmas music, even if it’s enjoying goofy songs like Frosty the Snowman or watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special on TV. But when it comes to genuine Christmas carols, we all have our favorites. Mine is a beautiful, simple song with a great theme of humility, a trait we can all appreciate during Christmas.

This carol imagines that, in addition to the 3 Magi, the baby Jesus also had other visitors who came to worship Him, including a “Little Drummer Boy.” You can read the lyrics here, or watch the video below, a version performed by for KING and COUNTRY. Generally, the simpler the version of the song, the better in my opinion.

Why do I like this carol so much?

Most of us aren’t like the Magi who travelled far and gave expensive gifts to the baby Christ. We don’t have much gold, and we probably don’t keep frankincense and myrrh laying around. If the Magi were recognized for bringing these lavish gifts in eternal Scripture, how can we measure up? Is their example too hard for us to follow? How can we adequately worship Jesus? Little Drummer Boy answers these questions.

We can all identify with the boy because what he has to offer Jesus is something we can all offer: whatever we happen to have. The Little Drummer Boy gives us assurance that if we offer what we have, whatever we have, to our King Jesus, He will accept it. In the song, when Jesus smiles at the boy at the end of the song, we are all reminded that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

The Little Drummer Boy shows us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). Humility doesn’t mean thinking of oneself as worthless or inferior to others. Humility means thinking of yourself in the proper place, a miserable sinner who is nonetheless loved by God and who God will use for His glory and will bring to perfection in eternity. As the great Lion Aslan said in C.S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian, “You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve. And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth.” Humility involves having the proper balance between shame and grace, with grace ultimately victorious.

This is why I wrote earlier that the simpler the version of this song, the better. Just about anyone can tap out “rum pa pum pum” on a drum and identify with the little boy, but not everyone can perform the more elaborate cover versions of the song and to me that dilutes the beautifully simple lesson of the song: whatever you have, however little of it you have, offer it to Jesus and He will smile at you. He will accept your worship, no matter how imperfect. To Jesus, it’s not what you have that matters, but what you do with it. You can be a beggar or an emperor, but with the right attitude toward Jesus our King, anyone can experience salvation and eternal life, gifts infinitely greater than anything on this earth and therefore infinitely greater than anything we have to offer Him.

So, whatever your particular “drum” is, pay Jesus a visit and play it for Him this Christmas and in the coming year! Offer to Him whatever you have and see what happens!