Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’
In Christ Alone
Music video by Keith & Kristyn Getty
The God in the Cave
This sketch of the human story began in a cave; the cave which popular science associates with the cave-man and in which practical discovery has really found archaic drawings of animals. The second half of human history, which was like a new creation of the world, also begins in a cave. There is even a shadow of such a fancy in the fact that animals were again present; for it was a cave used as a stable by the mountaineers of the uplands about Bethlehem; who still drive their cattle into such holes and caverns at night. It was here that a homeless couple had crept underground with the cattle when the doors of the crowded caravanserai had been shut in their faces; and it was here beneath the very feet of the passers-by, in a cellar under the very floor of the world, that Jesus Christ was born. But in that second creation there was indeed something symbolical in the roots of the primeval rock or the horns of the prehistoric herd. God also was a Cave-Man, and had also traced strange shapes of creatures, curiously coloured, upon the wall of the world; but the pictures that he made had come to life.
A mass of legend and literature, which increases and will never end, has repeated and rung the changes on that single paradox; that the hands that had made the sun and stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle. Upon this paradox, we might almost say upon this jest, all the literature of our faith is founded. It is at least like a jest in this, that it is something which the scientific critic cannot see. He laboriously explains the difficulty which we have always defiantly and almost derisively exaggerated; and mildly condemns as improbable something that we have almost madly exalted as incredible; as something that would be much too good to be true, except that it is true. …
What Child Is This
Music video by Vanessa Lynn Williams
An Inversion
God’s invasion of the world has wrought an inversion: God has reversed the positions of insiders and outsiders. Those who are in positions of authority and privilege reject Jesus and the message; even Jesus’ own disciples are slow to understand his teaching. Others, however—people of low or despised position in the social world of first-century Jewish culture—receive the gospel gladly. The lepers, the demon-possessed, the woman with a hemorrhage, the Syrophonecian woman, the little children, blind Bartimaeus, the nameless woman who anoints Jesus at Bethany for burial, the Gentile centurion at the cross—these are examples put forth by Mark of faithful response to Jesus. “Many who are the first will be the last, and the last will be first.” Those of us who are familiar with the story should not underestimate the shock of this inversion.
By Richard Hays, as quoted in the worship program (in pdf) at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 9
To Be Remembered By A Meal
Of all the means by which Jesus could have chosen to be remembered, he chose to be remembered by a meal…. The meal, one of humankind’s most basic and common practices, was transformed by Jesus into an occasion of divine encounter. It was in the sharing of food and drink that he invited his companions to share in the grace of God.
By C.T. McMahon, as quoted in the worship program (in pdf) at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 2
The Unforgiving Servant
Inspired by this morning’s service at Redeemer, I searched WordPress blogs for Miroslav Volf and came across a sermon (posted in September) by Dave Faulkner, a Methodist minister in the UK.
Mr. Faulkner’s sermon looks at Matthew 18:21-35 (The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant) to discuss what and why of forgiveness. Below are couple of quotes from his post.
What is forgiveness?
Miroslav Volf is a Croatian theologian who has written much on forgiveness and reconciliation, especially in the light of his experiences through the wars in the Balkans after the collapse of communism. One of his books, ‘Free Of Charge‘, was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book in 2006. In it, he says that forgiveness means we blame but do not punish. We do not pretend about the offence. It is real. But we choose not to punish, or press for punishment.
That is rather like God’s treatment of us with regard to our own sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so that we might repent and follow Jesus. The Spirit of God never pretends that the sin was a fiction. Otherwise, we could never repent and walk in the ways of God’s kingdom. But having convicted us, there is no sentence and we are treated as if we had never sinned, even though we have. If this is how God treats us, then it is also the goal we seek in our journey of forgiveness.
The Fellowship of Grace: To Be Called Your Son
Below are my notes from the Sunday service on October 19 at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The title of the sermon is To Be Called Your Son.
Scripture Reading – Luke 15:11-24 (ESV)
Notes on the Sermon by Rev. Timothy Keller
In The Parable of the Prodigal Son, the theme of sonship is important to understand. First, the father proclaims that “this son of mine was dead and is alive again” (verse 24). What does he mean by that declaration when the son had not physically died. Second, the main topic the younger son talks about after his repentance is the fact that he is “no longer worthy to be called your son” (verses 19 and 21). Therefore, Rev. Keller explores the following four aspects of the meaning of sonship in the ancient culture and the Bible.
- The character of sonship
- The practice of sonship
- The community that results from sonship
- The true sonship of Jesus
The Fellowship of Grace: Give Me Mine
Below are my notes from the Sunday service on October 5 at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. The current series is examining how the Gospel creates a new kind of community. This sermon introduces the Parable of the Prodigal Son which will be discussed over the next six weeks.
Scripture Reading – Luke 15:11-32 (ESV)
Luke 15:11-32 (ESV), courtesy of http://wordle.net/
Notes on the Sermon by Rev. Timothy Keller
Rev. Keller asks us to think about this familiar parable in a slightly different way. He summarizes the story as a picture of an assault on the community, because of idolatry, which is only overcome by agony. He then touched on the following topics.
- What is happening in the story? There is a two-front assault on the integrity of the family.
- What is the underlying cause of this assault? An idolatry.
- What is the source of this sin of idolatry tearing up the community? A disordered love.
- What is the ultimate meaning of life for Christians? Loving relationship enjoyed by the triune God.
- There is nothing more beautiful than an infinitely powerful and perfectly happy God who is willing to suffer for our sins.
The Fellowship of Grace: He Welcomes Sinners
Beginning with this post, I am starting a new project to summarize teachings at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on a regular basis. Below are my notes from the Sunday service on September 28.
Scripture Reading – Luke 15:1-10 (ESV)
Luke 15:1-10 (ESV), courtesy of http://wordle.net
Notes on the Sermon by Rev. Timothy Keller
The “muttering” [Luke 15:2, NIV] from the Pharisees and the scribes triggers Jesus to deliver three parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal Son. Conventional interpretations of these parables typically discuss how the Grace of God changes us as individuals.
In this 7-week series entitled the Fellowship of Grace, however, Rev. Keller wants to discuss them in a different light, exploring how these parables illustrate that the Grace of God, not only changes us individually, but also transforms us into a unique kind of group—a distinctive Gospel community.
Focusing on the parable of the Lost Sheep in particular, Rev. Keller asks the following three questions.
- What does the lost sheep teach us?
- What does the search itself teach us?
- What does the shepherd teach us?
Regeneration
I began my spiritual journey after I studied these mysterious words of utmost importance from Yeshua which stumped even well-trained Nicodemus.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8)
I am thankful for the Lord’s merciful grace in opening my heart and mind to receive His message with joyful submission, as Paul reminds me in his letter to TItus.
