Happy Incarnation-Fest

Dear Christmas Preachers, Did you know that Christmas is about the incarnation?  No, but seriously, did you?  Cos I aint hearing much theology of incarnation.  Which is odd, don’t you think? Visiting the worthy sermon repositories in England and the US, I’ve listened to dozens of “Christmas sermons” over advent.   Yet I’ve found that, [...]

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A portrait of incarnation

Jesus went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.  During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake… Jesus said [...]

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The Little LORD Jesus

Just did a crib service meditating on the littleness of the little LORD Jesus.  Most of the congregation were not regular church goers.  And so as I spoke there was another voice in my head. It was the voice of a hundred other Christmas sermons I’ve heard.  You know the part where you’re meant to [...]

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Santa is anti-Christ

From my sermon this morning (Isaiah 9:2-7). Audio here. Don’t have the spirit of Scrooge. Don’t have the spirit of Winterfest. Don’t have the spirit of Santa. Look again to the manger. Text below…

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Creation and Salvation – Irenaeus and Athanasius 6

…continued from here… Is salvation achieved merely by the incarnation? Both Irenaeus and Athanasius are commonly accused of making the ‘bare fact’ of incarnation the sum total of Christ’s saving work.  Yet this is unfair. For Irenaeus, Christ’s filling out of Adam’s distorted image means necessarily a “filling up [of] the times of his disobedience” [...]

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Incarnation and Creation [Thawed out Thursday]

This post first appeared last year in a series of three on the incarnation.  The other two are: Incarnation and trinity and Incarnation and salvation. . Christ is “The Beginning”, “The Alpha”, “The First”.  His Person is itself the basis for creation.  He is the One who is eternally Other from the Father and the foundation [...]

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Mike Reeves on the incarnation

The verse the early post-apostolic church probably turned to most to guide their understanding was Hebrews 2:14, ‘Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil’. In other words, [...]

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Now Jimmy, don’t make Daddy look bad, He’s counting on you

I’m not sure I like this from John Piper.  Not sure I like it at all.  It’s an illustration directed at kids in a 1999 sermon, recently quoted by Justin Taylor. Your daddy is standing in a swimming pool out a little bit from the edge. You are, let’s say, three years old and standing [...]

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Incarnation and salvation

ok the Christmas clock is against me. So let me just say that for all the talk about incarnation manifesting the triune glory and incarnation giving coherence and consummation to creation, the biblical emphasis falls overwhelmingly on salvation as the reason for incarnation.  (Though of course the interconnectedness of God’s outgoing being, creation and salvation [...]

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Incarnation and Creation

Yesterday we looked at incarnation and trinity.  Today I’ll just make some observations about incarnation and creation. Christ is “The Beginning”, “The Alpha”, “The First”.  His Person is itself the basis for creation.  He is the One who is eternally Other from the Father and the foundation for all else that is other than Him.  Because [...]

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Incarnation and trinity

Here’s the first of three sketches of posts: Incarnation and trinity Incarnation and creation Incarnation and salvation. I’ll try to be brief. Have you ever heard the history of trinitarian thought taught like this: Once upon a time everyone was a strict monotheist.  And then the incarnation happened.  And it messed with our heads for the [...]

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All Age Carols Talk

Preached this last night at Carols by Candlelight.  (audio here) Lots of kids (there was a nativity).  Readings were Matthew 2:1-12 (the Magi) and Philippians 2:5-11. I think I managed to say at one point “There was never a time when Jesus and His Father existed.”  Be assured I’m not a oneness Pentecostal.  I meant [...]

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Veiled in flesh?

What’s your least favourite Christmas Carol line? “The little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes” gives me heartburn. But ironically my least favourite line comes from my favourite carol – Hark the Herald: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see.” Doesn’t this communicate the terrible error that ‘becoming flesh’ obscures the divine glory rather than expresses [...]

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What if God got His hands on you?

What would happen if God really laid hold of you?  How do you respond to that prospect? Do you fear the idea - worried about how He will treat you up close and personal?  Do you long for it – maybe then you’d break free from the ruts you’ve been stuck in? Well Christmas means that [...]

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