We want always to remember and commemorate our holidays like Christians. We must never attempt to recover the “meaning of Christmas” through some Reader’s Digest approach to inspirational stories. The meaning of Christmas is not found in a rejection of rank commercialism, but is rather the meaning of the whole Bible—sin, promise, redemption, faith and …
A Decree Went Out From Caesar
As we come to a robust celebration of Christmas, we want to maintain the biblical antithesis. This cannot be done on the basis of genial Unitarian platitudes, egg nog, gentle snow fall, or anything else like these things. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, …
His Name Shall Be Called . . .
Isaiah is very concerned with the importance of names; he named his two sons with the future of Israel in mind, and they were both types of Immanuel. And Matthew tells that the Messiah was named Jesus because He was named Immanuel. And now we come to a glorious pinnacle of naming. For unto us …
Christmas and Sentimentalism
This is the second Lord’s Day of Advent, the year of our Lord, 2005. We must never forget that an essential part of the Christmas story is the stark reality of sin. We have already noted that our culture’s instinct of marking this holiday by giving gifts, giving lots of stuff, is an instinct that …
The Holiday of Stuff
This is the first Lord’s Day of Advent, the year of our Lord, 2005. This is the beginning of the church year, marking annually, as we do, the beginning of our salvation in the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary. We are marking our days, building up to one …
Several Boxes
Thanksgivng, year of our Lord 2005 I live in part of the country that has four seasons, and we have now entered into the foggy and rainy portion. What a glorious thing fog is! We are fast approaching the time when this fog will freeze to the trees, and we will have our hoarfrost, and …
THE PROBLEM OF WINESKINS/PENTECOST 2005
Introduction: Pentecost is not only an important event in the history of the Church, but is also one of the key events in the history of the world. Pentecost celebrates something that has happened to the world, and the Scriptures teach that nothing can be done to reverse this. THE TEXTS: “Then came to him …
The Resurrection of All Things/Easter Sunday 2005
INTRODUCTION: The resurrection of the Lord Jesus was no isolated event. His return from the dead entailed with it the resurrection of all things from the dead. The power of death, which had held the entire world in thrall, was reversed at that point, two millennia ago, and the power of His new life has …
Good Friday Homily 2005
This is the day in our calendar when we commemorate the time when the mangled body of our Lord Jesus was nailed to a cross of wood. Not only do we commemorate this, we exult in it. In this divine humiliation, we have learned to see the beauty of the Lord, the wisdom of God, …
Even the Stones Know
The Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem in great triumph. His majesty and rightful claim to the throne of David were manifest . . . to His disciples. But the established powers in Jerusalem refused to know what they had a responsibility to know. And in this, the very rocks were more spiritually astute than the Pharisees. …