Sermon 1026, delivered on Lord’s-Day morning, December 24th,1871 by C. H. Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” — Luke 2:10-12.

“Christ is born, glorify Him. Christ from heaven, go out to meet Him. Christ on earth, be exalted. Sing to the Lord, all the whole earth; and that I may join both in one word, let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, for Him who is of heaven and then of earth.” - C.Leaders

“In simplest terms, divine impassibility means that God does not suffer…. God cannot be acted upon from without, neither can His inner state change for better or for worse.” - Kevin DeYoung

“Russia’s Soviet-style peace propaganda has both practical and moral dimensions. Proposals to end the war on Russia’s terms are paired up with threats of nuclear annihilation, as in Soviet psychological warfare, when both fear and moral posturing informed the largely leftist Cold War peace movement’s ‘better red than dead’ credo.” - Providence

“the journalistic voice and sensibility that one once found in newspapaers and small magazines is increasingly difficult to find today because the jobs that sustained them are largely disappearing.” - Mere Orthodoxy

“Violent clashes have broken out between groups of Methodists in Nigeria and Liberia as a divide over the ordination of LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage has split the United Methodist Church.” - RNS

Jonathan Edwards was famous for his “resolved” statements. But, on the “vow” end of things, Solomon warns us about making vows we don’t keep: “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:5, ESV).

James 4:13-15 admonishes us:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 1yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

“In 2000, there were 31 school shooting events nationwide—which was a fairly average year for the time period. In 2020, there were 116– In 2021, 257—in 2022, 308—in 2023, 349—and so far in 2024 there have been 325 shooting incidents in elementary, junior high, and high schools across our nation.” - P&D

Also: Why We Shouldn’t Just ‘Do Something’ - Breakpoint

In a previous article, I suggested that the ruling descendants of David had migrated from Babylon to Nazareth. It is also possible that some of the descendants of David first moved to Bethlehem—David’s original home town—and then later migrated to Nazareth, perhaps joining other family members who had come from Babylon. Or perhaps they had all come, more recently, from Bethlehem.

When Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem for a census (Luke 2:1), it is unlikely that they returned to Bethlehem simply because David had been born there a full thousand years earlier. Luke’s brief summary for the reason of their journey to Bethlehem is just that: a brief summary of what might otherwise be an involved (and tedious) explanation.

Mark Ward discusses KJV “false friend” #95 (Lev 12:7, Matt 9:20, etc.) - YouTube

“He became flesh to die for you and me. Hebrews 10:5–10 reminds us of these truths.” - P&D

“ABC News’ Steve Osunsami reports on how churches faced with empty pews are fighting to keep their doors open, while former houses of worship are being converted into bars, clubs and luxury condos.” - YouTube

“While some have found a pattern or habit they love and will never deviate from, others like to look for new ways to read, digest, and apply the Word. For those who may be interested in trying something new, here are a few ideas that may be worth considering.” - Challies

“I am hopeful for the church in Germany. This hope is based both on my knowledge of God and on what I see happening in our own church and in other places around the country.” - Desiring God

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).

In between, He is “the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5; see 12:46). As such, He is “the light of men” (John 1:4), and “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:9).

“The questions raised by these passages are important and require answers. At worst, a misunderstanding can engender an obsessive or fearful introspection that risks damaging our relationship with our heavenly Father.” - TGC

“We asked pastors around the world a simple question: what books did you read in 2024 that helped you be a better pastor? We’ve curated their responses below.” - 9 Marks

Was Peter “the rock, in this act of confessing Christ” vs. having a special leadership role? Gavin Ortlund thinks so (Augustine seems to back.)

“Depth in this context means that the church is rooted in the truth of Scripture, not swayed by the latest trends or popular opinions…. While depth is critical, a church that is only deep but not wide may fail to engage with the world around it.” - Brian Cederquist

“A report by Pew Research Center on international religious freedom named Egypt, Syria, Pakistan and Iraq as the countries where both government restrictions and social hostility most limit the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith.” - RNS

My first draft of this rejoinder mysteriously disappeared. Given our times, I should say the Woke Left did it, and if Trump had been put in office sooner, I’d still have my file.

No, let’s just go with, “the dog ate my homework.” So I am cranking out a new post. Apologies for the length. I won’t have time to edit it down.

My thoughts here are only partly in response to Pastor Barkman’s article yesterday. These are essentially the same things I’ve been saying since 2016. But sometimes it can be helpful to say the same thing in a little bit different way, as all pastors and teachers (and probably all parents) know.

“The hatred of others implied in Lewis’s account of Hell is something with us today as well. Indeed, recent events have surfaced that hatred in particularly dark and ugly ways. Consider the appalling reaction to the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson… with figures on both the left and right offering various versions of ‘I’m not condoning murder, but.’” - Mere Orthodoxy

“Of course, the effects of the fall on creation, people, and nations will never be wholly erased until Christ’s return. Until then, as Ecclesiastes observed, there is indeed a time to kill.” - Breakpoint

“Most of the information we have about Nicholas of Myra comes from a history of his life written 500 years after his death. However, this history claims to be based upon much earlier sources that are now lost.” - P&D

“Section 18 of Handel’s Messiah opens with a command to ‘rejoice!’ This joy springs forth from the coming of the King, a savior. The term messiah means ‘anointed one’ and is tied to promises of David’s offspring who will sit on his father’s kingly throne forever” - Christ Over All

“…a cursory reading of the Bible will quickly turn up what appear to be contradictions…. But those who wrote the Bible were no fools. They knew what God had said in the past and, guided by the Holy Spirit, made no mistakes, messed up no details, and introduced no conflicts.” - Challies

What a stem winder! Who expected the 2024 elections to turn out this way, but here we are, four weeks later, wondering what happened, why it happened and what it means for the future? Everyone has his own opinions, and mine are no better than yours, but perhaps I may be allowed to express a few thoughts on the matter. I avoided public endorsements before the election, but now that it’s over, I believe it is appropriate to express a few personal observations.

“The result further sets the U.S. apart from other wealthy nations, where a majority, on average, still expresses trust in an institution that relies largely on the public’s confidence to protect its authority and independence.” - Gallup

“… the idea of total in total depravity doesn’t mean that all human beings are as wicked as they can possibly be. It means that the fall was so serious that it affects the whole person.” - Ligonier

“One day after a 15-year-old student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, investigators are working Tuesday to identify a motive in the shooting that killed a student and a teacher and left two others in critical condition.” - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel