As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Christmas is so familiar that it is easy to miss how utterly unlike every other religious claim it truly is. The story is renowned throughout the world: a child in a manger, angels, shepherds, and songs of peace…. Christianity does not begin with human beings reaching upward toward the divine. It starts with God coming down” - CPost
VOLUME I, CHAPTER 3: THE PURPOSES OF THE INCARNATION.
BY REV. G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, D. D., PASTOR OF WESTMINSTER CHAPEL, LONDON, ENGLAND.
The title of this meditation marks its limitation, and indicates its scope.
Here is no attempt at defense of the statement of the New Testament that “the Word was made flesh.” That is taken for granted as true.
Jesus ascended back to heaven 40 days after his resurrection. We know this because Luke tells us (Acts 1:3). It’s a very important event, and Luke is the guy who wrote both accounts of it. One is shorter (Lk 24:50-53), and the other is a bit longer (Acts 1:10). Other New Testament writers constantly reference it, too.
One big reason is that the Christian story makes no sense without it.
“Most American Christians think of Easter as only a day and of Ascension Day as barely a blip on the calendar. However, in different times and places, Christians put a high priority on the Ascension. In the first few centuries of the Church, it was celebrated, along with Pentecost, as part of the Easter season.” - Breakpoint
The virgin birth of Christ has always been proclaimed as a doctrine to be believed by the church. It is heralded as a historical event which must be accepted as a fundamental or core truth of the Christian faith. For example, The Apostles’ Creed states:
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary…
Similar statements appear in The Nicene Creed, The Chalcedonian Creed, and The Athanasian Creed.
Christians around the world will remember and celebrate the essence of the gospel during this week ahead — “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
We believe that the Apostle Paul’s inspired summary statement is true, and we are certain that these events actually happened in real history, providing the basis of our salvation.
This post comes in response to a brother in the Middle East who seems to be combating false teaching in this area. I hope that this helps. I have not included the apposite sections within the major Systematic Theologies, nor have I included the important critical studies of Dunn or Pannenberg (which are both worth reading). These books furnish a well-rounded portrait of the Jesus of the Bible and His identity as the God-Man.
“In one sense, talking about Jesus is easy. He’s our Savior and our redeemer. He’s the atoning sacrifice for sinners…. In another sense, talking about Jesus is dangerous, and sometimes people veer into heretical waters.” - Word by Word
“He became flesh to die for you and me. Hebrews 10:5–10 reminds us of these truths.” - P&D
Read Part 3.
Light is essential for life, and light is a central subject in the Bible. It literally bookends the storyline, from its creation (Gen. 1:3-4) to the point where it becomes obsolete—aside from the light that emanates from the Son of God Himself (Isa. 60:19-20; Rev. 21:23).
Discussion