The Miracle of the Virgin Birth
"You will hear people say, 'The early Christians believed that Christ was the son of a virgin, but we know that this is a scientific impossibility'.
‘The thing is scientifically impossible’, he would have said the same: the thing always was, and was always known to be, impossible unless the regular processes of nature were, in this particular case, being over-ruled or supplemented by something from beyond nature. When St Joseph finally accepted the view that his fiancée’s pregnancy was due not to... Continue Reading
The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas
Jesus did not come to be a sweet child but as the Word made flesh, the bruised and broken sacrifice, the conqueror of death by death, and the ascended Lord at the right hand of the Father.
Sadly, when artists record popular versions of carols or when publishers add Christmas songs to hymnals and songbooks, too often they excise the core gospel message in exchange for sentimentalism. As the radio plays Christmas music 24 hours a day, it is not unusual for us to hear altered lyrics or simply the first verse... Continue Reading
He Held the Stars in Place
“Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation.”
We might get a sentimental feeling when we hear “voices singing ‘Let’s be jolly!’” but nothing will comfort and encourage us more than singing about the Word-made-flesh. It’s a reality we will never fully plumb, not even in a million carols. Words fail us. The mystery is too great. No Christmas story will ever... Continue Reading
The Incarnation of Truth and Love
The opening of the gospel of St. John deliberately parallels that of the opening of the book of Genesis.
Christians are still familiar with the doctrine of creation. Creation from Nothing. But the question of why God would create is still one that gets raised time and again. John’s gospel, then, also gives an answer to the question of creation and, in so doing, gives the template for man’s glorious destiny. “In the... Continue Reading
“Fear Not, Then,” Said the Angel, “Let Nothing You Affright…”
God does not want us to live in fear; indeed this is part of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
“Fear not.” It’s a refrain that echoes over and over again in the pages of Scripture, a command given by God to His people. He said it to Abram when Abram wondered when he would see his promised heir. He said it to His people as they looked at the odds stacked against them in... Continue Reading
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