“Irenaeus refers to this as recapitulation. British theologian N.T. Wright calls the Lord’s life work in this the reconstitution of Israel. Classic Reformed theology calls it the active obedience of Christ. What it means, simply, is Christ for us. In your salvation, you were not given a fraction of Christ, but rather were given all …
Showing the Way
“He stooped — the ultimate Word became a single cell, and then a cluster of cells, and then visibly a baby, although still less than a pound, and then a child who kicked his mother from inside, delighting her immeasurably. He became a little child, and then, years later, He told us to copy Him …
His Brothers Shall Return
During Advent, I have been preaching through a series of messages on the Lord’s family — Joseph first, then Mary, and then His brothers and sisters. The outline for the sermon yesterday had been done since Wednesday, and in that message I was pointing out how the Lord’s brothers did not believe in Him until …
A Warehouse Full of Guile
The contradictions of the secularist mindset have been exposed numerous times, but it is a rare opportunity when this happens while millions of people staring at it. Put another way, the rhetoric of tolerance and mutual respect as preached by these intoleristas is a sham, a farce, a lie, a trick, a subterfuge, a whopper …
What the Lord’s Brothers and Sisters Knew
Introduction Jesus had four brothers, and at least two sisters (Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55-56). The names of His brothers were James, Joses, Judah, and Simon. James was the author of the book of James, and Judah was the author of the book of Jude (Jude 1:1). With Joseph and Mary having that number of children, …
Seeking the Face of God
One of the ways the Bible describes repentance and true godliness is with some variation on the phrase “seeking God’s face.” We see this in multiple places (1 Chron. 16:11; 2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 24:6; Ps. 27:8; Ps. 105:4). But of course this is a metaphor—God the Father is spirit, and those who worship Him …
Proximity and Communion
There is a crucial distinction to be made between proximity to Jesus and communion with Jesus. We heard in the message today that the Lord’s brothers did not believe in Him, even though they grew up right next to Him. They had proximity. It was not until later that they had faith. As one Puritan …
The Great Stooping
“He, the eternal Word, the one who spoke the galaxies into existence, was willing to become a little baby boy who could do nothing but jabber, and in that jabbering, make glad his mother and earthly father. He, the source of all life and all nourishment for that life, was willing to be breastfed. He, …
L’affaire Robertson
Unaccustomed as I am to writing about current events as they unfold, I can only suggest a few takeaway lessons from the l’affaire Robertson, as he might put it. As I have been able to reconstruct the events, A&E put Phil Robertson on hiatus from the reality show Duck Dynasty for making disparaging comments about …
Attention Shoppers
For those in the Moscow area, the college bookstore at New St. Andrews is throwing a big sale this coming Saturday from 10 to 2, with clearance books and clothes and some great discounts. This includes 50% off clearance clothes, 25% off NSA gear, and buy-one-get-one-50%-off clearance books.