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Happy Sabbath (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION

A common phrase heard in our churches, especially on the Lord’s Day or leading up to it, is “Happy Sabbath.” But what does this mean? What exactly is the Sabbath and what makes it so happy? And are there ways in which, under glad obedience to Christ, we can order our lives to make the most of this great gift from God to His people?

THE TEXT

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him (Lk. 13:10–17 NKJV).

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Ex. 20:8–11 NKJV, see also Deut. 5:12–15).

WORSHIP

The Lord’s Day is first kept holy by the reverent and joyful worship of God. While Sunday mornings are set apart for this public worship, that worship is meant to flow out into the rest of the day in our homes. Likewise, as this Sabbath is now observed on the first day of the week, the following six days of labor is meant to be performed for the glory of God and out of the rest and refreshment we have in Christ.

“Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings” (Lev. 23:3).

REST

The Lord’s Day was given for genuine rest—for the family, the servants, and even the animals. This means that we cease from our normal vocations and routines, not treating Sunday afternoons like any other day. Rather than viewing this as a restrictive burden, this call to lay your usual labor and routines aside is meant to be liberating for God’s people, making the Sabbath a true delight.

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa. 58:13–14 NASB95).

CONCLUSION

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27). The Lord’s Day is not primarily about rules and regulations, do’s and don’ts, but embracing what God has done and is doing for us. The woman with the spirit of infirmity is a daughter of Abraham, a picture of the church. Just as she was “loosed” from her burden and pain on the Sabbath, so are we “loosed” from our burdens and sins in Christ, who is our Sabbath rest (Heb. 4).

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Covenantal Christmas (Advent #4) (CC Troy)

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LUKE 1:39-56

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

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Born to Die (Advent #2) (Christ Church)

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INTRODUCTION

As we continue meditating on the meaning of Advent, we are not really resisting attempts to make Christmas meaningless as we are fighting with alternative meanings. There is no such thing (in the last analysis) as a vacuum holiday, a celebration without a point. Attempts to neutralize Christmas are simply an intermediate step—and the alternative meanings are waiting in the wings.

THE TEXT

“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Simeon was a great man of faith, an Old Testament saint who was waiting faithfully for the consolation of Israel. By the grace of God, he was permitted to live long enough to see the Messiah in His infancy. But he was not just a man of faith; he was given a prophetic word. Among other things, he blessed Joseph and Mary both (v. 34), and then turned to Mary in order to give her a particular word.

The child was destined to be a divider. On the one hand, he would bring about the fall and rising of many in Israel, which was a good thing (v. 34). On the other hand, he would be “for a sign” to be spoken against (v. 34). Not everyone would receive the Messiah with glad shouts of acclaim. Simeon hints that more than just speaking against Him would be involved, because he predicted that a sword would be run through Mary’s soul (v. 35). This is a clear indication that Mary would live to see the crucifixion, which is what did in fact happen (Jn. 19:26-27). The fact that Jesus would for a sign to be spoken against was in order to reveal the condition of many hearts (v. 35). Violence of this sort makes us choose.

ALTERNATIVE MEANINGS

What does it mean to say that alternative or competitive meanings for Christmas are positioning themselves? Usually this comes out when someone points to something that everyone is supposed to acknowledge as problematic, and says something like, “We have to get away from this problem or that one, and get back to the true meaning of Christmas.” The fact that the problems are so obvious is used as a trick to make us think that the proposed meaning must be self-evident also.

What are some of those false solutions to fake problems?

Sentimentalism—a sentimental Christmas is a Christmas without conflict. As my daughter puts it, it the true meaning of Christmas as portrayed in a Hallmark Christmas movie—that meaning being a cup of delicious cocoa. But sin brought conflict and violence into the world, and so in a very real sense, Christians are enemies to the way of death. But note this: death is our enemy. We cannot rid the world of conflict without conflict. But it must be the God-ordained kind of conflict, as Simeon foresaw. The pseudo-problem that such people want to point to is the mere existence of conflict, never mind who is right or wrong.

Moralism—a moralistic Christmas is a Christmas without sin. People are changed (if they need to be changed) the way Scrooge is transformed in A Christmas Carol. They are changed by simply changing their minds, or through giving somebody a goose or something festive. This kind of Pelagianism is not what we are commemorating. Simeon’s prophecy takes real sin into account. Note his prophetic language of judgment—falling and rising, a sign that is hated, a sword piercing the soul of a godly woman, and the revelation of many hearts. The pseudo-problem that is raised here is the problem of “negativity.” But when Christ was born, our world really was cold and black.

Spiritualism—a spiritualistic Christmas is a Christmas without matter. But when Simeon blesses Joseph and Mary, he is doing so because they are there in the Temple with a baby in their arms. The Lord was taken up in Simeon’s arms (v. 28). Jesus was a baby, a material gift. We do not celebrate Christmas by trying to back-pedal away from the world of material things. The pseudo-problem here is the warning against “materialism,” as though matter were somehow inherently a problem. Idolatry is a problem, but that can occur with thoughts and virtual reality as easily as with fudge and presents. Remember that it was Judas who wondered why the precious ointment was poured on Christ’s feet instead of being given to the poor. Another manifestation of this problem is the idea that Christ’s advent was somehow apolitical. But Herod didn’t make that mistake.

A SWORD TO PIERCE THE SOUL

We have noted before that the weeping of Rachel for her children is part of the Christmas story. Nativity sets should have models of Herod’s soldiers in them, and nativity sets ought not to have little drummer boys. The killing of the boys was part of the story. But we should note also that Simeon included the violence that would be directed against Christ, and which Mary would feel in her soul, and he included this in the story from the very beginning. Earlier in that chapter, we read that Mary treasured up in her heart what the shepherds had said, and it says that she pondered them (v. 19). Luke tells us at the beginning of his gospel that he gathered his account of these things from eyewitnesses (1:2). Clearly, one of his chief sources was Mary.  From whom could he have found out about Simeon? Again, when Luke was writing, Mary was the only eyewitness of that event. And she clearly remembered what Simeon had told her. She was preparing herself for the crucifixion, in some measure, from the infancy of Jesus on. She was braced for the hard words to come to pass . . . but she also knew that this prophetic word came to her in the context of a blessing.

BLESSINGS HAVE A STORY ARC

Simeon said that there would be falling and rising. Blessings are not static. When Simeon told Mary about the pain that was coming, he had already said that the baby in his arms was the Lord’s “salvation” (v. 30). Mary knew, from Simeon’s mouth, that Jesus was the Christ (v. 26). Mary knew that this was a story that could not end in disaster. It would have a disaster in it, but not in the final chapter, not on the final page. The gospels are not tragedies in any sense. They are not comedies either, if we take comedy as referring to anything like a sitcom. But they are comedies in a much deeper and more profound sense than this. Christ was born to die, but He died so that He could be the first born from among the dead (Col. 1:18).

THE FULL GOSPEL

If we tell the Christmas story carefully, taking note of all the things that the writers of the scriptural accounts include, we find ourselves telling the entire story of salvation. The story includes the world, and everything in it. When Jesus came, He came to pick up the world. That world was very dirty, and so did this make His hands dirty? No, but it did make them bloody, and that in its turn is the salvation of this sorry planet. He came to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found.

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What is Covenant? (Advent #3) (CC Downtown)

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INTRODUCTION

In selecting your gifts, one motivation you’ve probably found is the joy of giving a gift that is entirely unforgettable. Various holiday traditions are all aimed at creating joyful memories. You aim to make the sort of memories that will be recalled for years to come. Done rightly, these recollections reinforce the ties of loyalty within a family. In this expression of covenant love, we see a faint echo of the steadfast love of God for His people.

THE TEXT

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.    ~Luke 1:67-75

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Having been struck dumb due to his unbelief, Zacharias’ breaks forth in a prophetic hymn of praise (v67). He blesses God for visiting and redeeming His people (v68). The word visited is misleading to English ears, because it makes us think of an informal meeting. But biblical usage marks a more formal accounting or reckoning. God comes to gather up His wandering flock, and not leave one behind. When God visits His people, He does so for their redemption (examples). This redemption comes through raising up the Davidic horn (v69). This salvation was prophesied from the beginning by the holy prophets (v70-71). Furthermore, this deliverance from evil is only part of the splendor which this visitation of Jehovah’s Davidic horn of Salvation would bring about. The coming of the Messiah was also how God would make good on His ancient promise of mercy to His people, and how He would fulfill all of covenantal duties He had bound Himself to perform (v72). As he beholds the great drama unfolding around him, Zacharias declares it to be the fulfillment of God’s oath to Abraham (v73).

This oath of God promised two things. First, deliverance from evil. Secondly, true service unto God. Service with fearless faces. Service that is done in true holiness and righteousness. Service unto God for all our days (vv74-75). The Advent of Christ is described as God’s remembrance of His oath to not only rescue His people like a sheep out of the lion’s jaw, but to restore them to the glory of true servants of the Living God.

THE PROBLEM CHRISTMAS SOLVES

Christmas answers an ancient problem. How can the divine deal with the material world?  Do the deities even want to have anything to do with us mere mortals? Is this physical world, as many of the ancient pagans surmised, the junk drawer of the cosmos, while the deities reside in a spiritual realm untainted and unchained by the mortal bodies?

These words of Zacharias resound with a clear answer: the Almighty God was not impersonal. The old priest of Israel declares that God remembered. In these events, God was visiting His people. But His coming was not like the Arabic jinns, or Nordic fairies, or Greek godlings; merely to cause some mischief, or indulge in carnal amusements, or to knock some fear into those uppity mortals. He was not sitting in some upper sphere of the cosmos, simply contemplating ways to cause mischief for mortals in order to amuse Himself. He was not bored by the plight of humans. He was not indifferent. No. The God of Israel had come to visit Israel because He had bound Himself in covenant to Israel. It is described as a remembrance of His covenant duty.

WHEN GOD REMEMBERS

The heavens and earth were framed by the will and Word of God. He took the dark nothing and cut it apart with the brilliant glory of His Word of light. He laid hold of a watery world, and cut it into land and sea and sky. He grasped that glory light in His hand and formed sun, moon, and stars to rule over and provide instruction to the earthly inhabitants. Eventually, He took dust and breathed life into it, turning it into an image of Himself. That man was placed in a garden to rule over and provide instruction to all his descendants and the creatures under him.

God is not one amidst all the many creatures and beings within the Cosmos. He is the Being from which all other being comes from. Therefore, the fact of creation is a fact of God’s graciousness. But how can this Being who is thrice holy, who is unlike His Creation, make Himself intelligible to His creation? We can comprehend contracts and oaths between relative equals. But can seraphim strike up a business deal with amoebas? But seraphim are more akin to amoebas than they are to Jehovah. Solomon asked, “Would God, whom the heavens cannot contain, be pleased to dwell in a temple which the calloused hands of finite humans built?”

Contrary to both ancient and modern pagan thinking, God is not a mere life-force of the universe. He is Personal. He exists in triune delight between Father, Son, and Spirit. He is distinct from that which His hand has made, but He is not disinterested in it. The way which the wisdom of God ordained to bring about this fellowship between Himself and His creation was through covenant.

This was no covenant, however, between relative equals. The chasm between God and man, Creator and creature, is so vast that the only way for it to be crossed is if God does by means of a gracious covenant. The story of the OT is that of God cutting a covenant with man, man wandering from the duties of that covenant, but God remembering and renewing His covenant with man over and over again. So, Zacharias frames the Advent events rightly. Christ’s advent is God remembering. The covenant people had forgotten and perceived that God had forgotten, but God cannot lie.

GOD WHO CANNOT LIE

As the book of Hebrews tells us: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us (Heb 6:17-18).” God had promised Adam that the entire earth would be his, incumbent on His obedience to the terms of the covenant (Cf. WCF Chapter VII)

Due to his sin, Adam was told he would return to the dust in death. Rather than ruling over the earth, man’s doom was descent into the earth’s dust. Here then is the glory of Christmas. Christ became the first human born who would not return into dust. Rather, He would live, die, rise again, and go on to rule over the earth for everlasting days. In all of this He is now able to fulfill the Father’s promises to bless the meek with an inheritance of the earth itself (Ps. 37:11).

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On the Incarnation (Advent #1) (CC Downtown)

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BIRTH OF JESUS FORETOLD

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

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