Christmas, Theology, Advent, Church, Hospitality
John Beeson
The Faithfulness of God of the Manger

Recently we had someone over and as the night came to a close Angel warmly offered, “Let’s do this again soon!” I wilted as I processed just how many things were on our calendar in the coming month. Just like Angel did, I wanted to be with them again and soon, but her invitation made me flinch.

 

My wife Angel and I are very different people. Angel brings light and life everywhere. People are drawn to her, and she is drawn to people. One of the many things I love about Angel is how she gets caught up in a moment with people. In that space, it’s not unusual that she shares hopes with those we are with of spending more time together. And she means it: there is no doubt of her genuineness.

The Faithfulness of God of the Manger
Advent, Christmas, Theology
John Beeson
A Humble God?

“I don’t compare myself with anybody, but nobody is better.” Michael Jordan

“They say the sky’s the limit, but I think my potential is beyond it.” Jay-Z

“I won’t be happy until I’m as famous as God” Madonna

“I won’t be a rock star. I will be a legend.” Freddie Mercury

“We’re more popular than Jesus now.” John Lennon

We tend to expect that greatest among us are also some of the most arrogant. And why wouldn’t they be? For many who make it to the top of their field, we can see how that arrogance can be a driving force for their greatness.

A Humble God?
Christmas, Forgiveness, Theology
John Beeson
The Just and the Justifier

God became flesh.

Let that sink in. Christianity asserts that God—sovereign, immutable, omnipotent, other—the eternal God who has no beginning and end—became a human being.

 Because many of us have had exposure to Christianity from our early years, it is easy to miss how massive the theological implications of the incarnation are. The incarnation lays the groundwork for a God who chooses to participate in his creation. The incarnation denies the existence of an abstract and distant God, unmuddied by his handiwork.

The Just and the Justifier
Advent, Christmas, Theology
John Beeson
The Theology of the Manger

“God did not, as the Bible says, create man in his own image; on the contrary, man created God in his own image.” Ludwig Feuerbach dropped this theological bombshell three years before Friedrich Nietzsche’s birth. Feuerbach, a name forgotten by most, but who influenced Nietzsche, wrote these words in his book, The Essence of Christianity (1841). He argued that human beings project their own attributes and desires onto an imagined deity, creating God in their own image. This for Feuerbach, is the essence of Christianity (and indeed all religions), the deification of our human ideals. “What man wishes to be, he makes his God… God is the outward projection of a man’s inward nature.”

The Theology of the Manger
Death, Gratitude, Prayer, Suffering
John Beeson
Go To a Funeral

We Westerners avoid death.

 

When was the last time you walked through a cemetery? When was the last funeral you went to? Our churches no longer have cemeteries, those who are older head to retirement communities and then to head to long-term care or assisted care facilities. The number of funerals held in churches has diminished. Death has become professionalized, antisepticised, and remote.

Go To a Funeral

Biblical Studies

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Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: the Magi

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Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: the Magi

God is the best author. He loves writing stories. One of God’s authorial devices is foreshadowing. He loves dropping clues about what will happen at the end of the narrative. If you have the eyes to see, you can see clues scattered about Jesus’ final days in his early days.

The intersection of the Magi and Jesus was years in the making. The backstory of the Magi is shrouded in mystery. By digging up clues from the text and what we know of Persian culture, we can piece together who these men must have been.

Searching Priests

The Magi were likely Zoroastrian priests, educated in astronomy, astrology, and theology. Like Jews, Zoroastrians were monotheists. Their god was Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrians believed that the forces of good and evil were in an eternal struggle. Unlike Jews, their god was limited by evil forces, which were led by Angra Mainyu, the angry spirit.

Zoroastrians were taught to pursue the truth's path and build their lives on good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Like Jews, Zoroastrians also believed in a Messiah.

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And Heaven and Nature Sing! How Jesus' Birth Foretells His Death

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And Heaven and Nature Sing! How Jesus' Birth Foretells His Death

Merry Christmas! As we enter into a day of worship today, Scripture reminds us that God made his creation to worship himself.

Jesus’ birth was ushered in by nature. Jesus was welcomed into death by nature as well. Jesus’ birth foreshadows his death.

A star declared to those who had eyes to see that the King of the Jews had arrived.

The magi ask Herod, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matt 2:2). They then depart from Herod, “And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matt 2:9-10).

What was this star? We don’t know for sure. I find the explanation that the star was Jupiter's unique conjunctions with Saturn and Mars to be the most persuasive. These conjunctions occurred in the constellation of Pisces (the astrological sign of the Jews).

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How Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: Simeon and Anna

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How Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: Simeon and Anna

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, may God give us eyes to see the beauty of the Christmas story in a fresh way. Every figure we meet at Jesus’ birth points to someone who will be present at Jesus’ death.

Today, we consider Simeon and Anna, who met Jesus at his circumcision and dedication at the temple. Luke shares of their encounter of the infant-Messiah in Luke 2:

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

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How Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: the Shepherds

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How Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: the Shepherds

Jesus’ story begins with shepherds coming to him, the lamb of God. It ends with the Shepherd being struck down and the sheep scattering. And then there is a final twist.

The story begins with sheep being drawn to the lamb:

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. [Luke 2:8-20]

God loves shepherds. Abel, Moses, David, and Amos are all shepherds. In Psalm 23, God refers to himself as a shepherd. It’s no surprise that God would allow these nameless shepherds to be the first witnesses of the birth of Emmanuel.

To top it off, God promised that the Messiah would be a Shepherd-King.[i]

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How Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: Herod

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How Jesus’ Birth Foretells His Death: Herod

The end of Jesus’ story is found in the beginning. Every detail of God-made-flesh in the manger points to the crucified Savior on the cross.

Today, we consider Herod and Pontius Pilate, two heads whose rule was threatened by the coming King: Jesus. Their political savvy could neither outmatch nor outmaneuver the true King of the Jews.

Herod the Great was raised as a Jew with ties to the Roman government. Herod’s father, Antipater, was entrusted by Julius Cesar to care for the public affairs of Judea. Familial relationships with Rome already established, Herod rose to power by cozying up to Sextus Caesar, the acting Roman governor of Syria.

The Rise of Herod

In his twenties, Herod established himself as a darling of Rome by turning Galilee into a cash cow for Rome with his successful procurement of taxes. That led to Herod’s promotion to tetrarch by Mark Antony. But all was not well. A challenger Antigonus took the throne by force and Herod was forced to flee to Rome to plea for intervention. Herod utilized every ounce of his political skill to garner the Senate’s support.

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How Jesus' Birth Foretells His Death: Mary

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How Jesus' Birth Foretells His Death: Mary

A great author tells the beginning of the story to prepare the hearer for the end of the story. Charles Dickens famously starts A Tale of Two Cities with the line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The reader knows that the saga that follows will entwine the strands of joy and sorrow, of righteousness and evil.

We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that God foreshadows the end of the gospel accounts at the beginning. As we examine the beginning of Jesus’ life closely, we beginning to see the end of his life as well.

In the coming weeks of Advent, let’s look together for crucified Emmanuel in the créche.

Today, we start with Mary.

Gabriel and Mary

“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[i] Gabriel says to the young betrothed woman. Mary responds appropriately to the heavenly creature: with fear. Gabriel explains, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”[ii]

Mary asks the reasonable question, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”[iii]

Gabriel answers, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”[iv]

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A New-Old Way to Say Hello

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A New-Old Way to Say Hello

What’s your go-to greeting? “Good morning!” “Hey!” “How are you doing?”

“Grace and peace to you” was likely the most frequently used greeting offered by the leaders of the early church.

Because our greetings tend to be tired and worn thin, it’s unsurprising that we skip over these greetings. Let’s slow down and look at those five words and consider why they would be used so frequently.

What does “grace and peace” mean? How can we offer grace and peace?

17x “Grace and Peace”

Let’s first take a look at the seventeen times that it is used in the New Testament:

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This Week's Recommendations

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This Week's Recommendations

1. You are What You Sweep: Andrew Wilson with an insightful post on the power that we are made from dust. "The language of dust also highlights our supernatural, God-breathed origins. In some of the Egyptian and Akkadian creation stories, humans are described as being made out of clay, which you can kind of imagine. Most of us, with a bit of practice, could form clay into something resembling a person. But you could never do that with dust. The most complex shape I could make out of dust would be a pile, and even then a gust of wind would instantly scatter it."

2. 6 Steps to Become an Effective Witness for Jesus: Ashley Unzicker’s post is both simple and profound. She says, “A common theory is more training is necessary to help boost our evangelistic efforts. Is the problem in our techniques? Maybe. Could it be simpler than that? I think so.”

3. 5 Things People Blame the Church for...but Shouldn't: Carey Niewhof begins with the fact that, "The church didn't stop you from growing spiritually." And he finishes his list with, "The church didn't make you lose your faith."

4. Never Read a Bible Verse: Tim Challies begins provocatively, "Greg Koukl often passes along a cheeky little tip related to reading and understanding the Bible. 'If there was one bit of wisdom, one rule of thumb, one single skill I could impart, one useful tip I could leave that would serve you well the rest of your life, what would it be? What is the single most important practical skill I’ve ever learned as a Christian? Here it is: Never read a Bible verse.'" He goes on to explain why that doesn't mean what you think.

5. What's Your Treasure? Three Questions to Ask Yourself: Cindy Matson's article certainly convicted me. Maybe it will help you uproot some sin in your heart. She shares, "God designed us to be active worshipers, and treasure is simply shorthand for the object of our worship. Since our hearts are always actively worshiping something, they’re not neutral; nor do they accidentally stumble into worship. They choose it."

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This Week's Recommendations

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This Week's Recommendations

1. Kids Spending 500% More Time in Front of Screens During Quarantine: James Lang suggests that, “The trouble with excessive screen time is that it eclipses healthy behaviors that all children need.”

2. Will Hell Really Last Forever? This is a thoughtful and thorough response by Greg Morse. I find this part of his argument most persuasive: "The answer is clear enough in Revelation 16:8–11, where people under God’s judgment 'gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.'”

3. 4 Disturbing Trends in Global Persecution: Please pray for Christ's church. The fourth in Aaron Earls's report is, "Christianity is on the verge of disappearing in Iraq and Syria. The presence of terrorist groups and conflicts in both Middle Eastern countries have led to the rapid decline of the Christian populations. Before the extended conflicts began, Iraq and Syria had 3.7 million Christians. Now that has dropped to around 946,000, according to Open Doors."

4. Here come the Skinny Cows: Mark Deymaz and Harry Li with a disturbing forecast of dramatically decreased giving to churches in the coming years. They explain four factors that might lead to a decline of up to 30% drop in giving. One of the four factors is a decrease in giving to religious institutions, "Individual giving in general is trending down, the report said, but religious giving is being hit by other factors like the growing disaffiliation of Americans with religious groups."

5. 4 Principles for Talking to Your Kids About Sex: Julie Lowe’s short article is on point. Her final point is, “Fourth, talk soon. Be the one who shapes your child’s view on sex and sexuality. It is far better to proactively inform your child’s view on a subject, than to have to go back and debunk an inaccurate view.”

6. Hawaii's Forest Eater: Stunning up close footage of the devastating 2018 volcano in Hawaii.

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This Week's Recommendations

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This Week's Recommendations

1. 11 Things You Might Think are in the Bible, But Really Aren’t: #11 is particularly insidious.

2. Bible Reading and Church Attendance Drops During COVID-19: Barna just released a report that confirms what I’ve been hearing anecdotally: many are spiritually floundering during this season. The reality is that 2020 has just sped up the decline in basic spiritual disciplines.

3. Let Bible Reading Get Back to Basics: To that end, Jen Wilkin suggests five basic tools that can assist your Bible reading. I particularly appreciate her suggestion to keep a Bible timeline.

4. Christian, You Are Able Not to Sin: Zach Howard turns to Augustine for advice when we enter this familiar place, “Sinning as a saint can cause two opposite (and equally) wrong reactions. On the one hand, we can respond with prideful presumption in our power to overcome sin. On the other hand, we can react with helpless despair in the face of our persistent sin.”

5. Were the Gospels Meant to be Taken as Historical Narrative? Do the gospels fail the test of providing historical attestation? Timothy Paul Jones responds to to Reza Aslan's accusation that the gospels, "are not, nor were they ever meant to be, a historical documentation of Jesus’s life. They are testimonies of faith composed by communities of faith and written many years after the events they describe."

6. Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice: Who wants to take a trip with me?!

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