Saturday, December 29, 2007
Remembering Christ!
Central to the Christian message is the cross of Calvary. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross provides the power to the Gospel message. The death and resurrection of Jesus distinguishes Christianity from all other religions and philosophies.
Just prior to the crucifixion, Jesus provided the symbols of his covenant, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” At the last supper He shared bread and the fruit of the vine with His disciples and gave new significance to their meaning. “This is my body which was broken, my blood shed for you.” It was a pictorial illustration, a graphic demonstration of the substitutionary death of Christ. From that time forward each time the communion was observed there would be a visual reminder of His sacrifice.
When Paul instructed the Corinthians concerning the observance of the Lord’s Supper, he stated, “As often as you do it, you show the Lord’s death until He comes.” In this statement he indicated the need to continually be reminded of the Lord’s sacrifice until the advent of His second coming. Never forget it. Always remember His giving and His suffering.
Not only is communion a memorial of His death, but also a celebration of His resurrection and life. One cannot talk of His sacrifice and dying without acknowledging His resurrection and return. The Last Supper remembered is a prophetic reminder of the marriage supper in the future. “I will not drink until I join with you in the Kingdom.” Jesus himself will celebrate communion again with us in the millennial kingdom when we gather with Him. It will be the culmination of the covenant, the fulfillment of the symbolism, the completion of the communion.
Until He comes we will celebrate His covenant; we will remember His death and rejoice in the new life He brings!
Just prior to the crucifixion, Jesus provided the symbols of his covenant, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” At the last supper He shared bread and the fruit of the vine with His disciples and gave new significance to their meaning. “This is my body which was broken, my blood shed for you.” It was a pictorial illustration, a graphic demonstration of the substitutionary death of Christ. From that time forward each time the communion was observed there would be a visual reminder of His sacrifice.
When Paul instructed the Corinthians concerning the observance of the Lord’s Supper, he stated, “As often as you do it, you show the Lord’s death until He comes.” In this statement he indicated the need to continually be reminded of the Lord’s sacrifice until the advent of His second coming. Never forget it. Always remember His giving and His suffering.
Not only is communion a memorial of His death, but also a celebration of His resurrection and life. One cannot talk of His sacrifice and dying without acknowledging His resurrection and return. The Last Supper remembered is a prophetic reminder of the marriage supper in the future. “I will not drink until I join with you in the Kingdom.” Jesus himself will celebrate communion again with us in the millennial kingdom when we gather with Him. It will be the culmination of the covenant, the fulfillment of the symbolism, the completion of the communion.
Until He comes we will celebrate His covenant; we will remember His death and rejoice in the new life He brings!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Sign of a Promise
“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12).
From the words of the ancient prophets it seemed reasonable to conclude that the coming Messiah would be a warring champion, a military leader executing justice and ushering in a powerful kingdom. The underdog nation of Israel could rally around the idea of a conquering king bringing them to prominence and respectability after years of domination by foreign forces. Not since King David had they felt that they were a force to be reckoned with among their neighboring nations. Surely the Son of David would bring them back to power!
Modern zealots saw the promise of Messiah as the catalyst of political anarchy. Surely he would come and lead them to victory by overthrowing the Romans and again establishing the nation of Israel. They longed for the day!
When the prophetic star shone brightly over the transients in Bethlehem it was the sign for some that the time had come. Truly something of momentous importance was happening here in their time. Rather than the arrival of a powerful king, they witnessed the weakness of a newborn child. It was hardly the military leader they expected.
There was no gleaming armor, no great armies with pointed spears, no banners or fanfare, just hay and cattle and quiet peace surrounding the poor parents and infant newborn. Shepherds came and worshiped, still in awe over the heavenly visitation. “This will be the sign to you,” the angel had told them. “Look for a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” It was a sign of the promise. The deliverer is born. The power and prominence are yet to come.
He came in an out-of-the-way place and in a humble setting. Wise men came and adored the child and wondered at the prophecies. Herod feared the rumors of a new born king and plotted his destruction. Yet nothing could stop the promise. The sign was born, the promise had come, the King will be seen in His time!
We rejoice in the sign. We experience His peace. We believe in the hope!
From the words of the ancient prophets it seemed reasonable to conclude that the coming Messiah would be a warring champion, a military leader executing justice and ushering in a powerful kingdom. The underdog nation of Israel could rally around the idea of a conquering king bringing them to prominence and respectability after years of domination by foreign forces. Not since King David had they felt that they were a force to be reckoned with among their neighboring nations. Surely the Son of David would bring them back to power!
Modern zealots saw the promise of Messiah as the catalyst of political anarchy. Surely he would come and lead them to victory by overthrowing the Romans and again establishing the nation of Israel. They longed for the day!
When the prophetic star shone brightly over the transients in Bethlehem it was the sign for some that the time had come. Truly something of momentous importance was happening here in their time. Rather than the arrival of a powerful king, they witnessed the weakness of a newborn child. It was hardly the military leader they expected.
There was no gleaming armor, no great armies with pointed spears, no banners or fanfare, just hay and cattle and quiet peace surrounding the poor parents and infant newborn. Shepherds came and worshiped, still in awe over the heavenly visitation. “This will be the sign to you,” the angel had told them. “Look for a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” It was a sign of the promise. The deliverer is born. The power and prominence are yet to come.
He came in an out-of-the-way place and in a humble setting. Wise men came and adored the child and wondered at the prophecies. Herod feared the rumors of a new born king and plotted his destruction. Yet nothing could stop the promise. The sign was born, the promise had come, the King will be seen in His time!
We rejoice in the sign. We experience His peace. We believe in the hope!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christ has Come!
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:13-14).
Secular society pretends to ignore the impact of Christ on time and history, but even the testament of our calendar recognizes the birth of Christ. For two millenniums we have marked time from Christ’s birth in the earth; 2,007 years according to our record keeping. We gauge time before the advent of his birth as B.C., before Christ, and after his coming as A.D. from the Latin anno Domini, which means the year of our Lord! More modern scholars have revised our marking of time as B.C.E., before the Common Era, and C.E. or the Common Era to eliminate the references to Christ. What they have been unable to change is the historical event that marked the difference in the two eras.
Christmas is a holiday season that brings the focus of the world on the event that occurred one starlit night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Through the clutter of commercialism that threatens to crowd out the true significance of the season, the real story of Christmas always seems to get through. Sometimes it is through the efforts of those who try to rid their towns of a nativity scene, or the use of the word Christmas, or even the Christmas star or angels on the tree. Somehow, through all the publicity, there are those who have to explain what is so offensive about the Christ, and the story is told again!
It seems that the more people try to marginalize the impact of the life of Jesus, the more mainstream it becomes. The more the agnostic attempts to suppress the truth, the more pronounced the truth is expressed. The reality of Christ, his birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection, all proclaim the significance of the Gospel. It is indeed good news to the world!
Let us rejoice in the telling of the miraculous birth of Jesus, the supernatural events that announced his arrival, and the good news of this blessed advent, “Christ is born! Peace on earth and good will to all mankind!”
Secular society pretends to ignore the impact of Christ on time and history, but even the testament of our calendar recognizes the birth of Christ. For two millenniums we have marked time from Christ’s birth in the earth; 2,007 years according to our record keeping. We gauge time before the advent of his birth as B.C., before Christ, and after his coming as A.D. from the Latin anno Domini, which means the year of our Lord! More modern scholars have revised our marking of time as B.C.E., before the Common Era, and C.E. or the Common Era to eliminate the references to Christ. What they have been unable to change is the historical event that marked the difference in the two eras.
Christmas is a holiday season that brings the focus of the world on the event that occurred one starlit night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Through the clutter of commercialism that threatens to crowd out the true significance of the season, the real story of Christmas always seems to get through. Sometimes it is through the efforts of those who try to rid their towns of a nativity scene, or the use of the word Christmas, or even the Christmas star or angels on the tree. Somehow, through all the publicity, there are those who have to explain what is so offensive about the Christ, and the story is told again!
It seems that the more people try to marginalize the impact of the life of Jesus, the more mainstream it becomes. The more the agnostic attempts to suppress the truth, the more pronounced the truth is expressed. The reality of Christ, his birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection, all proclaim the significance of the Gospel. It is indeed good news to the world!
Let us rejoice in the telling of the miraculous birth of Jesus, the supernatural events that announced his arrival, and the good news of this blessed advent, “Christ is born! Peace on earth and good will to all mankind!”
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Miracle Births!
Two women, one very young, the other very old, are both surprised with news of their impending motherhood. One was barren, advanced in years and had given up the hope of bearing children. The other was a virtuous young girl who was only recently engaged to be married. Within six months of each other both were found to be expecting a child.
Both infants were announced and named by the angel Gabriel. Both were given a prophetic destiny. The first, born to Elizabeth, would be named John. He would cause many in Israel to repent and prepare them for the coming of the Lord. The second child, born to a virgin named Mary, would be called Jesus. His destiny was to be the savior of all mankind, the Son of the Highest, and to reign over the house of Jacob without end.
When God moves to enact his purpose He does so with dramatic power and in surprising ways. He specializes in impossibilities. Elizabeth was barren and old, yet God caused her to be fertile in her late life. Mary was a virgin and knew conception was impossible, but the Spirit overshadowed her womb and she was pregnant with a child. Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth, was left speechless until John was born and named by the writing of his hand. Joseph, the fiancé of Mary, was troubled by the apparent infidelity of his intended bride until he too was visited by an angel in a dream assuring him this was the work of God.
The miracles at the advent of Christ bring an awareness of destiny to the season. We are not left alone, adrift in time without reason. A divine plan is yet unfolding to fulfill God’s glorious purpose in mankind and prepare believers for its continuation in eternity. Jesus is still “God with us” and his plan is still to “save His people from their sins.”
The miracles of Christmas did not cease with Christ’s conception and birth. They continue today fulfilling God’s plan in you and me. Another miracle occurs every time another one is born again of the water and the Spirit!
Both infants were announced and named by the angel Gabriel. Both were given a prophetic destiny. The first, born to Elizabeth, would be named John. He would cause many in Israel to repent and prepare them for the coming of the Lord. The second child, born to a virgin named Mary, would be called Jesus. His destiny was to be the savior of all mankind, the Son of the Highest, and to reign over the house of Jacob without end.
When God moves to enact his purpose He does so with dramatic power and in surprising ways. He specializes in impossibilities. Elizabeth was barren and old, yet God caused her to be fertile in her late life. Mary was a virgin and knew conception was impossible, but the Spirit overshadowed her womb and she was pregnant with a child. Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth, was left speechless until John was born and named by the writing of his hand. Joseph, the fiancé of Mary, was troubled by the apparent infidelity of his intended bride until he too was visited by an angel in a dream assuring him this was the work of God.
The miracles at the advent of Christ bring an awareness of destiny to the season. We are not left alone, adrift in time without reason. A divine plan is yet unfolding to fulfill God’s glorious purpose in mankind and prepare believers for its continuation in eternity. Jesus is still “God with us” and his plan is still to “save His people from their sins.”
The miracles of Christmas did not cease with Christ’s conception and birth. They continue today fulfilling God’s plan in you and me. Another miracle occurs every time another one is born again of the water and the Spirit!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Share the Good News!
“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10-11).
In the next few weeks there will be countless children’s dramas and special Christmas presentations in churches and Christian schools around the globe. Among them will be darling kids (and a few mischievous ones!) who will be dressed like angels and animals to act out the story of Christmas and the events of the nativity. Among the menagerie there will be shepherds tending sheep who will stand amazed as angels appear with their glorious message, “I bring you good tidings of great joy. A Savior is born, Christ the Lord!”
While the truth of the message may be lost in the amusing presentation and the unpredictable elements of the youthful production, the power of the Gospel transcends the amateur efforts to tell the tale. The “good news” was not wasted on the shepherds and neither is it wasted in the retelling. Glad tidings continue to be spread from the night of nativity to the present day. You can’t keep it to yourself. When you hear good news you have to share it. That is the power of proclamation in this Gospel. What God has done is too good to keep to ourselves; it must be repeated again and again.
The curious shepherds were compelled to leave their flocks in the field while they pursued the subject of this announcement. They hurried to the place of birth and discovered Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. Note the sequence of events: they heard the good news, they came to see it for themselves, and then they shared it everywhere! Luke wrote, “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (Luke 2:17).
Christmas is still about Christ and still about the sharing. Regardless of the abundance of commercial reinterpretation of the holiday, the inescapable reality is that the event is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Without Christ there would be no Christmas. Had he not come there would have been no hope for “peace on the earth and good will to men.”
Because he came we have cause for celebration and a reason to hope. The glad tidings proclaimed by angels at the advent is the core of the commission. Share the good news this season. Jesus has come!
In the next few weeks there will be countless children’s dramas and special Christmas presentations in churches and Christian schools around the globe. Among them will be darling kids (and a few mischievous ones!) who will be dressed like angels and animals to act out the story of Christmas and the events of the nativity. Among the menagerie there will be shepherds tending sheep who will stand amazed as angels appear with their glorious message, “I bring you good tidings of great joy. A Savior is born, Christ the Lord!”
While the truth of the message may be lost in the amusing presentation and the unpredictable elements of the youthful production, the power of the Gospel transcends the amateur efforts to tell the tale. The “good news” was not wasted on the shepherds and neither is it wasted in the retelling. Glad tidings continue to be spread from the night of nativity to the present day. You can’t keep it to yourself. When you hear good news you have to share it. That is the power of proclamation in this Gospel. What God has done is too good to keep to ourselves; it must be repeated again and again.
The curious shepherds were compelled to leave their flocks in the field while they pursued the subject of this announcement. They hurried to the place of birth and discovered Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. Note the sequence of events: they heard the good news, they came to see it for themselves, and then they shared it everywhere! Luke wrote, “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (Luke 2:17).
Christmas is still about Christ and still about the sharing. Regardless of the abundance of commercial reinterpretation of the holiday, the inescapable reality is that the event is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Without Christ there would be no Christmas. Had he not come there would have been no hope for “peace on the earth and good will to men.”
Because he came we have cause for celebration and a reason to hope. The glad tidings proclaimed by angels at the advent is the core of the commission. Share the good news this season. Jesus has come!
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