Tag: faith

  • The Royal Portrait. Matthew Part 1 of 7

    The Royal Portrait. Matthew Part 1 of 7

    Welcome to the first part of my new series, The King, and His Kingdom: A 7-Part Journey into the Heart of the Gospel. Over the next seven posts, we will walk through the Gospel of Matthew, exploring its central, breathtaking theme: the identity of Jesus as the true King and the nature of His heavenly kingdom. There is no more fundamental question a person can ask than, “Who is Jesus?” Our culture offers many answers: a good teacher, a moral example, a prophet, a revolutionary. But the author Matthew, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has a singular, unambiguous purpose. He presents us with a royal portrait, meticulously crafted to demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth is none other than the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, the rightful King with all authority over heaven and earth.

    For those of you who are exploring Christianity, this post seeks to answer that foundational question directly from the historical record. For those who are already followers of Christ, this is a call to return to the heart of our faith—to stand in awe once more and to worship Jesus not just as Saviour, but as the reigning King of every aspect of our lives. Let us begin this journey by looking at the very first strokes of Matthew’s masterpiece.

    The King’s Royal Lineage.

    Matthew does not begin his account with a miracle or a sermon. He begins with a list of names, a genealogy. He opens with these momentous words: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). In these first few words, Matthew lays his royal cards on the table. The title “son of David” is not merely a statement of ancestry; it is a profound theological and royal claim. It was to King David that God had made an everlasting promise of a descendant who would sit on his throne forever. For centuries, Israel had waited for this promised King, this Messiah who would restore all things. By starting here, Matthew is declaring from the outset that the wait is over. Jesus is not an unexpected character in history; He is the culmination of it, the legal heir to the throne of Israel. This is His birthright.

    The King’s Royal Birth.

    A king’s arrival is never an ordinary event, and the birth of Jesus was prophesied and heralded in a way that confirms His unique royal status. Matthew draws our attention to the ancient prophecy of Isaiah, stating, “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:23). Consider the weight of this title. This child would not just be a great human king; He would be the very presence of God dwelling among His people. He is a King of an entirely different order. His authority is not derived from human power but from His divine nature. He is God, come to rule and to save.

    This royal identity was not only understood through prophecy but was also recognized by those seeking Him. Shortly after His birth, wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem with a startling question: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). It is a remarkable scene. These Gentile scholars, outsiders to the covenant promises of Israel, were guided by the heavens themselves to find and worship a newborn King. They did not come to see a baby, but to pay homage to royalty. Their quest, their gifts, and their worship all serve as a powerful testimony. From the moment of His birth, the identity of Jesus as King was being declared, not in a palace, but in a humble stable, recognized by seekers from afar.

    The King’s Royal Identity Confessed.

    As Jesus began His public ministry, the evidence of His authority became undeniable, leading those around Him to moments of stunning recognition. After witnessing Jesus walk on the turbulent sea and calm the storm with a word, His disciples, battered by the wind and waves, fell before Him in reverence. Their response was not one of mere amazement but of worship. They declared, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). They saw in that moment an authority that did not belong to a mere man. They saw a power over creation itself, a power that belongs only to the Creator, the King of all. Their fear was transformed into awe as they realized they were in the presence of divine royalty.

    This private recognition culminates in the most pivotal confession in Matthew’s Gospel. When Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was, it was Peter who gave the definitive answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). The title “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” which means “Anointed One.” In ancient Israel, priests, prophets, and especially kings were anointed with oil as a sign of being set apart and empowered by God for their task. Peter’s declaration was a thunderclap. He was saying, “You are the one. You are the long-prophesied, God-anointed King.” This was the secret now being revealed, the truth upon which Christ would build His entire church. It is the core confession of a believer: Jesus is the rightful, anointed King.

    The King’s Royal Presence and Proclamation.

    The kingship of Jesus is not a distant, abstract concept. It is a present reality. He Himself promised an intimacy unknown with earthly rulers: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). The King is present with His people. He presides over every gathering, no matter how small. His authority and presence are not confined to a temple or a throne room; they are accessible to all who come together under His name. This is the nature of His rule—it is personal, relational, and ever-present.

    Finally, near the end of His earthly ministry, the King who was declared at birth and confessed in private receives His public welcome into the royal city, Jerusalem. This event, known as the Triumphal Entry, was a direct and deliberate fulfilment of prophecy. Matthew records, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’” (Matthew 21:5). He does not come on a warhorse as a worldly conqueror, but in humility on a donkey, a symbol of peace. And the people understand. They lay their cloaks and branches on the road, a traditional welcome for a king, and they cry out with the royal psalm: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). “Hosanna” is a plea, “Save us now!” and they direct it to the “Son of David,” the royal heir. In this moment, all the threads of Matthew’s portrait come together in a public proclamation. The King has come to His city.

    From the first verse to this climactic entry, Matthew’s purpose is clear: to present Jesus as the King. His lineage gives Him the legal right, His birth marks Him as divine, His followers confess Him as the Anointed One, and the crowds welcome Him as their prophesied ruler. The evidence is laid before us. The question that remains is not about His identity, but about our response. Will we, like the wise men, seek Him and worship Him? Will we, like Peter, confess Him as the King, the Christ? Will we make Him the King, not just in theory, but of our very lives? This is the invitation of Matthew’s royal portrait.

    Coming soon.

    Part 2: The Story That Never Ended.

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  • Can We Know God Exists-Part 1 — The Question Every Worldview Must Answer

    Can We Know God Exists-Part 1 — The Question Every Worldview Must Answer

    Introduction.

    Questions everyone wants answered. Where did I come from? What is the meaning of life? How can I know right from wrong? What will happen to me after I die? Does God exist? These questions are embedded within each one of us.
    Trending generational differences may have shifted the emphasis, and the growing dominance of a secular outlook has attempted to override them. Yet these primal concerns are still shared by everyone on the planet.

    How Our Beliefs Have Shifted

    In the past few decades, it has been fashionable to categorize how Americans think by analysing the beliefs and attitudes of the generations in which they were born. As with any such categorization, there are differing opinions about how to sort the generations, and there will always be exceptions and overlap between groupings. Still, a brief overview can provide a point of reference for understanding how our values and beliefs have changed over time.

    Let us start with the Silent Generation, born during the Great Depression and World War II. Members of this group are typically conservative, religious, and financially secure. Next are the baby boomers, born after the war, many of whom rebelled against social norms and instigated the countercultural protests of the 1960s.

    Members of Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, tend to be resistant to government and have liberal views on social issues. Millennials, born in 1981 and later, are usually better educated and more tech-savvy than earlier generations, but less likely to endorse the norms of religion, race, sexuality, and politics of their predecessors. Members of Generation Z, which began with the year 1997, are commonly considered more independent, less social, but more socially conscious, more inward-turned, and more technologically dependent.

    I do not doubt that these characterizations of the general mindsets of the generations carry considerable weight. The trend has been away from traditional values, religious belief, and social responsibility and has moved toward hedonism, materialism, secularism, and self-sufficiency. Yet those troublesome questions about origins, meaning, morality, eternity, and God’s existence remain.

    A Journey to Find Answers

    You may be reading this blog because you have reached a place in your life where these questions have risen up to confront you. You may have begun to feel that the faith you embraced in the past no longer has the answers you need. Perhaps the answers offered by secular culture seem as if they might better fit the realities you encounter.

    If this describes you, or if you are concerned about someone who is facing these questions, I urge you to accompany me on a journey to discover the answers. This is no mere excursion into trivialities dressed in platitudes written in typical religious blog jargon. I will lead you to solid answers that I will demonstrate to be firmly rooted in reality. I will show you that truth is a firm reality you can know with certainty and that meaning is possible when you align yourself with that truth.

    I will begin our journey in this first blog in the series by exploring the misconceptions inherent in secularism that have blocked off the light of truth from modern culture.

    A Roadmap for This Series

    Part One: The Bedrock of Truth
    We will consider how to find and rely on the bedrock truths that have underscored successful and satisfying lives throughout the past 20 centuries. I will show that God is no fantasy and demonstrate undeniable steps of reason that can lead you to certainty that He is real.


    Part 2: Addressing Secularism
    We will examine the weaknesses of several secular and naturalistic props to atheism, especially those explaining ultimate origins. I will demonstrate through reason, scientific evidence, and the writings of prominent scientists how secular origin theories often contradict science, reason, and observable reality.


    Note: When I use the terms naturalism or naturalistic, I mean the philosophy that asserts that nature is all that exists, that there is no supernatural realm, and that there is no transcendent God who exists outside or above nature. There may be shades of difference between naturalism, materialism, secularism, and atheism, but I will use naturalism as a convenient term to encompass these and similar beliefs that exclude God.


    Part 3: Finding Meaning
    We will turn a corner and focus on how belief in God provides the only viable foundation for meaning and embodies the truth that bathes the world in beauty and joy.

    Our Approach to Finding the Truth.

    Lest you fear that I am about to bombard you with Bible verses and Scripture proof texts to support my claims, I assure you that I will not. In fact, you may find this to be one of the strangest Christian blogs you have ever read. Nowhere in this blog do I support my arguments with biblical references. I realize that biblical proofs would be meaningless if you are sceptical of religion.
    Instead, I will make every attempt to rely solely on reason, observation, evidence, and common sense in supporting my propositions and reaching my conclusions.
    This blog began as an update of a previous idea for a blog series I wrote in August 2025. Perceiving a rising need to address the secular mindset that now dominates Western culture, I essentially ended up with an altogether different blog. As we tackle head-on the questions that people of all generations are beginning to ask, I trust that it will help you find stability in a society rapidly descending into chaos. More importantly, I believe that it will reassure you that God does indeed exist.