What the Incarnation means

So has death been conquered and branded for what it is by the Savior on the cross. It is bound hand and foot, all who are in Christ trample it as they pass and as witnesses to Him deride it, scoffing and saying, "O Death, where is thy victory? O Grave, where is thy sting?"

Athanasius, On the Incarnation

The cute baby Jesus grows up and is the Savior of all mankind. Athanasius so beautifully writes that what else was the Word of God to do? Human beings, whom the Word created, were destroying themselves, the only way to save them/restore them was that the very thing that gave them life in the first place would become one of it, by enjoining Himself to the flesh, to the creation. The Word which gives life in the creation of the universe gives life anew in the restoration of creation.

THAT is what Christmas Season is all about! Blessed Day 3 of Christmas!

Pope Benedict's Christmas Message to the UK

A most appropriate Christmas Message from the Pope to the people of the United Kingdom. The best part may be the (unintended) evangelical proclamation from Richard Dawkins:

Writing for the Guardian Newspaper in protest of the Pope's message being broadcast to the UK he stated,

"Ratzinger has much to confess in his own conduct, as cardinal and pope. But he is also guilty of promoting one of the most repugnant ideas ever to occur to a human mind: "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22)."

Richard Dawkins is obviously looking to point out how foolish and stupid the idea of sacrifice and bloodshed is for a concept of forgiveness. But Dawkins' real problem is his refusal to acknowledge the sin in his own life which needs atoning. He's far from the only one to believe this though, as many people do. But his highlighting of this as "repugnant" ought to bring us to the public square for a profitable conversation.

Read the article yourself and enjoy the Pope's evangelical proclamation this day.

"Let us give thanks to God for his goodness to us, and let us joyfully proclaim to those around us the good news that God offers us freedom from whatever weighs us down; he gives us hope, he brings us life."

The "Christian" Hitler

One of the greatest lies of our time is that Adolf Hitler was a Christian. It is usually perpetuated by those who have such a disdain for religion, and Christianity in particular, that what better way to undermine it further than to align Christianity with the most vilified character in recent history (maybe even of all time).

A book released this past April by Eric Metaxas called, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy takes this, as well as many other things, to task. FoxNews (ahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) has online in PDF format two chapters for free download/reading. One of these chapters, Chapter 11, is called "Nazi Theology." In it he utterly deconstructs the renowned "fact" that Hitler was a Christian.

In fact he leaves you with convincing evidence that Hitler, rather than being a product of some outdated method of weak minded religious foolishness, was a product of Nietzsche and modernity. Oh what an unsettling claim this is. But I posit the evidence is convincing.

See for yourself

Advent/Christmas Music Part 3

O come O come Emmanuel

If there ever was a hymn that connects Israel with the Church, this is the one. Although any chorale worth its salt can sing this beautifully, I liked the stripped down approach version of recording artist Sufjan Stevens.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

The language of "ransom" and "captive" and "exile" cut to the heart of the problem for humanity. We are held ransom by sin, death, and the devil. We are held captive by all the things which sin, death, and the devil employ. There is seemingly no escape. As Israel mourned in exile from the land, so too the Church as Israel mourns in exile from the land until the Son of God appears.

Yet even in the darkness and cold of the season, there is reason to rejoice. Emmanuel, God with us, is coming. Certainly the hymn brings to mind the image of the Christmas Story of when God became man in the form of the baby Jesus. Yet the true message and beauty of the hymn is in its anticipation for the Emmanuel, God with us, to return once and forevermore. And the Church stands as Israel eagerly awaiting not just the celebration of the Christ's first Advent, but ultimately his second Advent, when all things will be made new.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

We are not left in the dark alone. Look! Jesus is coming!

Advent/Christmas Music Part 2

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

This song nearly makes me cry every time I hear it. It somehow doesn't matter what rendition of it I am hearing, but that refrain gets me every single time. I especially enjoy Casting Crowns version from a recent Christmas Album they put out. But keep in mind this is an old time hymn singing an old time message of Christmas.

As to the lyrics, as I said before that refrain gets me every single time. Here it is:

And the bells they're ringing,

Like a choir they're singing,

In my heart I hear them,

Peace on earth, Goodwill to men

And then the words of the verses seamlessly transition:

And in despair I bowed my head,

There is no peace on earth I said,

For hate is strong and mocks the song,

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men

Yet despite this, the bells are ringing...

I think this song really captures the essence of a theology of the cross. There is something awful about what we see around us, even in this message of Christianity, yet therein lies the beauty. Despite the sin of humanity, despite the brokenness, despite the carnage, despite death itself the bells are ringing...

Then ring the bells more loud and deep,

God is not dead nor does he sleep...

That aspect of the verse is the reversal Gospel message telling the hearer that despite what this world looks like, especially in the cold of the season where poverty and sickness and emptiness highlight the predicament of so many, God is not dead nor does he sleep. That is Israel's refrain about Yahweh, and the Church as Israel claims that as its own.

In Psalm 121 the Psalmist writes, Look! He who keeps Israel does not slumber nor does he sleep (Psalm 121:4) Seems easy enough, seems like a nice line, but the context helps us a great deal. The surrounding pagan religions saw their gods as ones that hibernated, especially in the winter. They do slumber, they do sleep. So Israel boldly proclaims, "Yahweh does not slumber, he does not sleep!" And in the face of society today, "God is not dead!"

Yahweh is your Keeper, even in the chill--the cold of the winter. God is not a god who hibernates, but stays actively involved in this world. Even amidst what seems like a complete mockery of "Peace on earth, goodwill to men," Yahweh is there. He is your Keeper. And God proves that by emptying of himself and becoming man.

God as human. Another ridiculous concept and notion to Israel's neighbors. Another ridiculous concept and notion to our neighbors today.

If/when you hear this song or sing this hymn this season, keep that refrain dear to your longing heart. There is peace on earth and goodwill to humans, the Savior has come, and he is here to restore our lives.

Advent/Christmas Music Part 1

I figure to make a break from the mundane, the ordinary, the cold, the schoolwork, I would investigate wonderful theological messages in our Advent and Christmas Hymns and Songs.

The first hymn/song I am looking at in this amateur series is What Hope! An Eden Prophesied! This cool hymn found its way into the Lutheran Service Book of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. Written in 1998 by Stephen P. Starke, it is a hymn that talks about the wonderful life to come prophesied by the great prophet Isaiah, specifically in chapter 11, which was also the Old Testament Lesson for this 2nd Sunday in Advent.

The beautiful first verse reads,

What hope! An Eden prophesied Where tame live with the wild;

The lamb and lion side by side, Led by a little child!

See how this corresponds to the beautiful words of the Prophet Isaiah in today's Old Testament text, Isaiah 11:1-10

This is the hope of what we look forward to this season of Advent. We not only look toward Christmas, Jesus' first advent, but with our eyes fixed on his redemptive work we look toward his second Advent, his final coming, when all things will be restored.