We are told in Scripture, in numerous places, that the death of Jesus was a death for sin. It is therefore not possible to meditate responsibly on the crucifixion of Jesus without reckoning with the fact and reality of sin. If Jesus was a dragon-slayer in His passion, and He was, then we must understand …
A Lenten Meditation for Meat Lovers
Just as Christmas time has its carols, so also penitential seasons must need have their doggerel from Douglas. To wit, and without further ado . . . Sing if you can the affair of the sausages, Brave Zwingli taking on Lenten observances. Honor then Wittenberg’s 95 theses, But Zurich was first with a meat reformation. …
Welcome the Child
One of the more notable features of the life of our Lord, as recorded in Scripture, is the fact that references to the outside world are overwhelmingly political. When Jesus was born, Augustus was Caesar (Luke 2:1) and Quirinius was governor of Syria (Luke 2:2). Herod the Great was ruler in Judea (Luke 1:5), and …
Getting Dressed for Christmas
Introduction: Holidays are frequently times when people get trapped by the expectations game. Because everyone around you assumes that the day is going to be “really good,” “special,” or “fantastic,” and is constantly telling you to have a “merry” one, it is easy to assume that having a merry Christmas is an actual possession of …
The Meaning of Gift
Introduction: In one sense, the meaning of Christmas is about much more than “presents” or “gifts.” But in another sense, this is the only thing that Christmas means. Many Christians think they are on safe spiritual ground in sneering at all the “consumerism,” but even here, especially here, it is too easy to strain out …
Joy to the World
Introduction: A few years ago I preached an annotated version of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, showing how saturated in Scripture that Christmas carol was. Well, it is not the only one, and so I thought to do the same thing with Joy to the World. While Hark was assembled out of many passages, Joy …
If the Season is Penitential, You Are Doing It Wrong
“Traditionally, both Lent and Advent are penitential seasons — not times of overflowing celebrations. This is not something we have sought to cultivate at all, even though we do observe a basic church calendar, made up of what the Reformers called the five evangelical feast days. Our reluctance to adopt this kind of penitential approach …
The Judaizers and Silver Bells
Introduction: The Christmas story is in the Bible, but there is no command given to us to make it a holiday. But now that we have made it a holiday, we have plenty of material to work with because the birth of Jesus is described in such great detail in both Matthew and Luke. But …
Thanksgiving 2015
Thanksgiving is a holiday with a beautiful orientation. Scripture tells us that we are to give thanks at all times (1 Thess. 5:17-18) and for all things (Eph. 5:20), and so this day should not be a day to set aside a year-long disobedience of ingratitude. Rather it should serve as a capstone of our …
Pentecostal Boldness
Introduction: On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God was poured out in abundance. That initial baptism of the Holy Spirit was followed, throughout the book of Acts, and throughout church history, with repeated fillings of the Spirit. When the Spirit fills a man already Spirit-baptized, the result is power, authority, logic on fire, …