I want to tell you two stories today. They are both true, factual, and happened in time and space.
First, I recently listened to a sermon which I consider among the top ten worst, most horrid, most theologically inept sermons I’ve ever run across in my life.
The pastor mentioned the advent of the Son of God, Jesus, who is the Christ, once or twice, and then quickly pivoted to the second coming, the thing we truly are here to celebrate, and His reign of peace on earth, lasting 1000 years, in which He will be the supreme political ruler, issuing edicts that everyone will obey. As I said, he mentioned the advent of Christ only in passing to set up his favorite topic, the eschaton according the dispensationalist, premillennial theology.
As I said, I consider it to be one of the worst sermons I’ve ever witnessed, mostly because considered topically, it completely missed the whole point and the reason we were gather together to celebrate Christmas. I wish I hadn’t heard this sermon. It was just that bad.
No, no, no, no, no, no, and a thousand times no! The advent isn’t about the second coming, stupid pastors notwithstanding.
Now to the second story. It occurred in time and space, some 2000 years ago, and it is true and factual. Gab sent out a post on the miracle of Christ’s birth, stating that it is “arguably the single most important event in human history.” No, there is no argument. It is without a single doubt the most significant event in history, human history and redemptive history. My former professor, Dr. C. Gregg Singer, taught repeatedly that in order to understand history, one has to understand the history of the church. Not the institutional church, but the body of believers through history.
Before the idiot pagan historians tried to change it (to BCE and CE), history is dated as BC and AD (Before Christ and Anno Domini), history was seen as revolving around, based on, and centered about one event in history, i.e., the advent of our Lord. Years decreased as the time got closer, and years increased after that momentous event, as if a funnel through which God poured out His blessing.
The Pharisees expected that their savior would come as a king and political appointee, bash the ruling Roman empire, and set himself up on a throne and once again make the Jewish nation grand. Jesus disappointed those expectations. He was born in a stable (literally, a cave), because there wasn’t a home to which He could go to be born. To keep Him from freezing to death, Mary had to wrap him in the rags used to clean the feed troughs and clean the shit out of stalls. The picture of Jesus wrapped in clean, white clothing is a sanitized lie. He was chased literally from the day He was born by wicked rulers who wanted to kill Him.
He was God come in the flesh, abominable to the mind of the Pharisees. The whole thing was a scandal. A miracle yes, but a scandal. This was the beginning of what theologians call the “Humiliation of Christ.” His birth was among common men, his life was one of the carpenter, making things with his hands, He had no respect for the religious leaders, He didn’t come up through their “pipeline,” He carried His cross, and He perished over crimes He didn’t commit (but because He took the since of His people with Him to the cross).
Scandalous. Not robed on gaudy tapestry, not hobnobbing with the religious leaders, but hanging with tax collectors and whores. Scandal. But it was He who would sacrifice His own life to appease the wrath of the Father.
21 She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
In addition to saving His people, that is, all who believe in Him, the point of His birth of lowly means was to demonstrate to the religious leaders of the day that they didn’t understand sin and the fallen nature of man, the law of God, their need for a savior, or the nature of His kingdom.
His kingdom, you see, is in the hearts of men with whom He is well pleased (Luke 2:12-14). The dispensational premillennialists make the same mistake the Pharisees made. They think that God is going to make it all happen in an instant for us all, ruling on a political throne, with us as the bystanders. You are aware, no doubt, that the dispensationalists, heavily Zionistic in emphasis, see this period of history as the great “uh oh” by God. His original plan was to do just that, set up a political throne. When He was rejected by the Jews, God had to revert to another plan (quite the inept God, yes?).
That second plan was to focus on the church, which they name the “Parenthesis.” You and I are living in the “parenthesis” period of history according to them, where God gets a mulligan, a do-over because His first plan screwed up.
In reality, God became man living among us, died for His people, and commissioned them to go about making disciples and taking dominion for His glory. Yes, I am a Christian reconstructionist, and always will be (viz. R. J. Rushdoony). You see, God hasn’t told us He is going to snap His fingers and do this for us. He sent His Holy Spirit as a helper and He has given us all the tools necessary for victory, and even ordained and decreed our eventual victory. But He will watch with joy as His children are gathered to Himself and the world is taken for His glory.
This is no parenthesis in history. It is history, His Story. Everything is as intended, and there are no surprises to Him. He had decreed it all, and it will all redound to the glory of His Son, fully God and fully man. This is the advent, the most important and monumental occurrence in all of history. The angels sang great songs to His praise upon His birth. The heavens couldn’t keep silent. The shock and glory and wonder of the sovereign of the universe taking on bodily form to save His people was too awesome for them. Wise men came and worshipped Him. Rulers wanted Him dead because of the threat He posed.
It was revealed to Simeon that he would not pass until he had seen the advent of the Lord’s Christ. He did so, and could then pass away a joyful man (Luke 2:25f). Celebrate this momentous event with your heart and soul. This isn’t about Santa Claus. This isn’t about the second coming. This is about the most important event in all of history. God is with us.
Enjoy this by Diane Bish and The King’s Brass. Little known to most people, I once played trombone on an amateur basis, and got a chance to play along with The King’s Brass when they rolled through my city.
5 months, 3 weeks ago
