As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“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
“He became flesh to die for you and me. Hebrews 10:5–10 reminds us of these truths.” - 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 sermon preached at Calvary Baptist Church in Simpsonville, SC in 2016.
Imagine with me that on Christmas morning, one of the gifts you receive is a small box. You hold it in your hands, and it isn’t very heavy. You shake it and it rattles a little. You know that good gifts come in small packages, so you tear off the paper with anticipation. Inside you find a key. Would you be excited?
“when you don’t grind or dig out a stump, sometimes there’s still life left in it, and these little shoots grow up, and they look like branches with leaves. That’s Isaiah’s image when he speaks of “a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots.” - Theology in 3D
“Scripture highlights the fact that God loves His people. It was love that drew God from heaven to earth in the incarnation. In Christ, God becomes like us in order to dwell with us––and all because He has loved us. This is the wonder of the Immanuel promise (Is. 7:14).” - Feeding On Christ
“Christ rescues us from our ability to only see our own culture and moment, and pulls us into a new metaphysical reality….Instead of crafting a Christ exactly like me, the Incarnation makes a way for us to become like Him.” - Mere Orthodoxy
This week, the Western world pauses to remember the birth of the One who divided time, and all of history, by His first coming—our Savior and the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ.
As we stop and worship this baby in Bethlehem’s manger once again, let us remember that He, eternal God, came to Earth to become a man, to die for our sins and to rise again. The events of Christmas were an essential step in that process but, of course, they do not tell the full story.
“On the Incarnation is a beautiful exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It explains why and how he came to save us. The incarnation is the beating heart of orthodoxy, the story at the center of our faith.” - TGC
Discussion