The Incarnation Began Before Christmas
When Jesus Became an Embryo: Celebrating the Microscopic Depths of Gods Love
God didn’t enter into humanity on Christmas morning as a newborn baby. He entered it nine months earlier inside of Mary’s womb. We learn this in Matthew 1:18, which records that before Mary and Joseph came together, she was “found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (ESV). Two verses later, God also tells Joseph “that which... Continue Reading
Advent: One Like a Son of the Gods
Despite worshiping an invisible God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew their Lord had the power to save.
Its foreign to us now, but emperor worship was common in the Ancient Near East. Leaders of empires presented themselves as gods and the people worshiped them as such. Idol worship was accepted, and the concept of an invisible, omnipotent God would have been considered absurd. In contrast with that world-view, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego... Continue Reading
Why Advent is Every Day of the Year
No matter which way we feel about Christmas, as Christians we are looking forward to the arrival of a day and a gift far more wonderful than we can begin to imagine.
The celebration of Advent, from the Latin adventus”a coming, approach, arrival,” has a long and rich history in the church. The four Sundays prior to Christmas are set aside to anticipate and prepare for the celebration of the incarnation and birth of Christ on Christmas day. Perhaps your church or family is doing something special for... Continue Reading
The Gospel & Joy to the World
The ultimate crime for a preacher is to propagate falsehood, but perhaps the penultimate crime is making Christianity [seem] boring.
In 2 Timothy, as Paul faces death, he calls himself apostle of the promise of life (1:1). Death is a terrible foe and the unjust execution that awaited Paul is an especially pernicious way to perish. But for Paul, the “promise of life… in Christ” (1:1) solves the problem of death, as he says a few verses... Continue Reading
The Foundation for the Joy of Christmas
The foundation for the joy of Christmas: The new Adam, our Mediator, has fulfilled the Law perfectly for us and won for us the crown of redemption.
It is important to note that for Christ to be our perfect Mediator, the incarnation was not a union between God and an angel, or between God and a brutish creature such as an elephant or a chimpanzee. The reconciliation that was needed was between God and human beings. In His role as Mediator and... Continue Reading
Enter the Dragon Slayer
How God took Satan’s breath away.
The human Son of the High King had indeed bruised his head, not with power, but with shame. The dragon’s great foolishness was now on open display for the entire host of the High King to see. And every fallen human the King would redeem and restore through the Son’s sacrifice of unsurpassed love would be... Continue Reading
5 Myths About the Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity is the only view of God that makes sense of Christian salvation.
Since God’s triunity is bundled together with the gospel, it is the foundation of the spiritual life of every believer. The more you understand the deep structure of the spiritual reality you experience in Christ and the Spirit, the more you understand and are experiencing the deep things of God for us. If you think... Continue Reading
Christmas is Sacrificial, not Sentimental
Christmas is sacrificial, not sentimental.
While Christmas is certainly not sentimental, it is profoundly joyous. Isn’t this the best news of all, that He came for you? That He gave His life for you? That He knew what He was getting into when He entered into your estate of sin and misery? “All we like sheep have gone astray;... Continue Reading
The Prophets, Eschatology, and Two-Ages (Vos)
Q/A by G. Vos on thinking about Old Testament prophetic literature, eschatology, and the two-ages.
For Isaiah and for Micah the “last days” are the days that precede the end and at the same time precede the coming of the Messiah. The later prophets were granted in the Spirit to see more clearly how there would be a double coming of the Messiah, one for suffering and scorn and one in... Continue Reading
There Is No Such Thing As Worldly Security
The Lord is equally in control in both the times when he provides many material comforts and those when he tells us to make do.
So there is no such thing as worldly security, but nor should we even necessarily expect or presume on material security as a gift from God. While he frequently gives us everything we need physically, there are times when he sees fit not to. What he provides instead is eternal security That’s what my... Continue Reading