Christ Church

Covenantal Christmas (Advent #4) (CC Troy)
Christ Church on January 10, 2025
Read Full Article

Lessons from Joseph (Advent #3) (CC Troy)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION- THE PROMISED SEED

As foretold, the promised seed did not come without conflict. Throughout redemptive history, Satan has tried to thwart God’s plan through violent means. We see this when Pharaoh orders all of the Hebrew baby boys to be slaughtered on the birthstool. Centuries later, Haman the Agagite sought not only to destroy Mordecai but to annihilate all Jews, jeopardizing the Messianic line again. The same tactic is tried a third time by Herod the Great, when he implemented the massacre of the innocents, a command to kill all the male children two years old and under. Yet in each case, God’s providence ensured the survival of the seed, as evidenced in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew begins, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” He sections off the generations into three groups of fourteen. The list of names is not merely informational; it is a testimony to Jesus’s candidacy for Messiahship. Not only can he be traced back to Abraham, the first Jew, but also to King David, fulfilling God’s covenant, that his throne would be established forever. Jeremiah 23 prophesies about this righteous branch of David, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

I. THE CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSE TO BEING WRONGED 

The context of the passage is a woman wronging her betrothed. The engagement period, known as the “erusin” or “kiddushin” was a formal and legally binding commitment. In our culture, an engagement can simply be called off, but in the jewish culture, a formal divorce process was required. Only death or a decision on the part of the groom’s father could dissolve the arrangement. The betrothal period lasted a year and the couple was to be regarded as married in a legal sense even though they did not live together. The bride continued to live in her father’s house, while the groom spent the year on a construction project. He would build an addition onto his father’s house, preparing a home for his bride. Once the father signed off on the work, then he gave permission to the son to go and retrieve his bride.

Before the ceremony, there were a few contractual elements that needed to be in place. First, the Ketubah was drawn up, which means “formal courtship.” The groom would give the bride a valuable object, usually a ring and the bride price would be paid. By the first century this usually was a symbolic gesture and not a large sum of money.

II. THE REWARD FOR FAITHFULNESS

God saw his servant Joseph in turmoil. He knew that he loved Mary and God was pleased to see Joseph behaving with self-control despite his suffering. Because of this faithfulness, the Lord sends Joseph a reward: a reassuring, informative dream. Mary did not cheat on him and the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. What a relief that must’ve been.

In that moment, Joseph’s anguish turned to clarity, and his faith was strengthened. God was in control. I wonder how many gifts from God we forfeit because of our unbelief. One of the constant refrains we hear from Jesus in the gospels is, One of the constant refrains we hear from Jesus in the Gospels is, “O you of little faith,” “Why did you doubt?” and, “Unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” God is looking even for the tiniest amount of faith. The disciples said to Jesus, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” It’s as if the Father is seated at the edge of his throne with a treasury of encouragements, eagerly awaiting the next display of faith that he might reaffirm that believer. The Lord saw the heart of Joseph and was delighted to encourage him in faith by sending the angel in a dream.

III. WHEN GOD COMMANDS, WE ARE TO OBEY

God places Christians into a cycle, and this cycle is the chief method God uses to sanctify us. The Christian has faith, that faith is reinforced by God, the Christian obeys, the Christian is tested, which is another opportunity to exercise faith and the cycle repeats. Central to this is the concept of obedience. The Lord told Joseph, “Take your pregnant fiance and marry her,” and he did. He said, “Flee to Egypt,” and he went. He said, “Go back to Israel,” and he returned. He said, “Settle in Nazareth,” and he obeyed.

Mary was tested too. How did she act when Joseph said, “I had another dream. I know you just had a baby, but we have to escape to Egypt”? Did she respond in faith? Was she submissive? Mary doesn’t get enough credit for how tough and rugged she was. We forget that when she traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, she was probably 8 months pregnant. She walks 90 miles, gives birth to Jesus then has to turn around and walk another 300 miles after having just given birth. To put it in perspective, that’s like walking from here to Seattle. It was a huge test of faith. The text doesn’t tell us, but their stay in Egypt could’ve lasted years. And if that’s the case, Joseph must’ve had some means of providing for the family. Maybe he started a carpentry business. Maybe Mary started making friends with other moms. And right when they’re starting to feel settled, Joseph says, “Mary, we have to go back to Israel.”

CONCLUSION- THE SHIFT

In closing, let’s review Luke chapter 2:41-52. This is the last time we see Joseph in the gospel narrative. He is mentioned in other places, but this is the last place that he shows up as a character in the story. Jesus was now 12 years old and he’s going up to Jerusalem with the family for the feast of Passover. Joseph had faithfully protected, guided, and provided for Jesus. And he raised him in the traditions of the law. Yet this passage reveals a shift. The caravan for home starts to leave, but Jesus stayed behind unbeknownst to Mary and Joseph. Once they realize that Jesus is not with them, they rush back to Jerusalem and search for 3 days. Finally, they find him in the temple, amazing everyone with his knowledge of the law. Mary says, “Why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Read Full Article

The Necessity, Mystery and Hope of the Incarnation (Advent #2) (CC Troy)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

So, as we continue in our Advent series, we are in week 2 of 4, we will focus on Jesus’ incarnation. This will include reviewing the actuality of the incarnation, the necessity of the incarnation and some thoughts about how we may view the reality of the incarnation as Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father until all enemies are made His footstool and all the nations are given to Jesus as an inheritance that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus in Lord.

1. ACTUALITY OF THE INCARNATION 

Luke 1:26-27, 31-38

Matthew 1:22-23

Luke 2:40, 49-52

1 John 1:1

2. NECESSITY OF THE INCARNATION

Hebrews 9:22-26

Hebrews 2:17-18

Revelation 5:8-13

3. REALITY OF THE INCARNATION 

Romans 6:3-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-3, 20-26

1 John 3:1-3

Read Full Article

What is a Mediator (Advent #4) (CC Downtown)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

Last week we saw that the very fact of creation is indicative that the world is covenantal and that covenant is, by nature, a gracious one. God made the world with no external obligation, but He obligated Himself to it. Due to Adam’s sin, something dreadful took place. The marriage of heaven and earth was broken. How would God reconcile Himself to man, and man with the creation he had brought down into a ruinous curse? God wrote the code upon which this world was to run, sin introduced a corrupted file that if left to run on its own would disable the entire system. Christmas is the entrance of God Himself into the story, and His purpose was nothing other than to take the curse upon Himself, and restore the whole system.

THE TEXT

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.    ~Isaiah 11:1-10

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Isaiah foresaw the restoration of all things, and speaks of the new creation in terms of the resurrection of David’s kingdom. A Righteous Branch would sprout from the stump of Jesse (v1). The Lord’s Spirit would rest upon this Branch, endowing Him with all that is needful for righteous rule over the earth (vv2-3). His rule shall raise up the poor and meek, while dashing the wicked to bits (v4). His regal robes will be righteousness, and faithfulness will be the sword at His side (v5).

His rule will not be confined, but will have application in all directions. Beasts will be tamed and do violence to one another no more; furthermore, man will no longer be in an adversarial relationship with the beasts (vv6-8). The curse shall be so entirely reversed that even serpents, once counted as wretched for their association with Satan, will be the play thing of infants. Destruction and death, sorrow and sighing, war and wasting will be ended; the dark years shall fade, and in its place the bright and warm light of the knowledge of Lord shall fill the entire earth, as waters cover the sea (v9). This Mediator, springing from the massacred stump of Jesse, would rule in such a way that not Israel only, but even the Gentiles would clamor to rest under the victory banner of His kingdom (v10).

FOUR THINGS NEEDFUL

As we reflect on who could fulfill such a task, it is important that we ascertain what is required of this mediator. The mediator of such a covenant between God and man must have four attributes. He must be a man (Gen. 3:15). However, he must also be a righteous man (Ps. 24:3-4). Further, he must be true God (Is. 9:6). Fourth, he must be both God and man (Is. 7:14).

In order to crush the serpents head, it was required that He be a true man. Since it was human nature “in which the disobedience had been committed” the Son assumed our nature “in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death (BCF Art. 20).”  But in order for Him to please the covenant law of creation He must be holy, righteous, without flaw. He made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf.

But as the Belgic Confession so wonderfully puts it, His divinity never ceased to be in Him: “So then, what he committed to his Father when he died was a real human spirit which left his body. But meanwhile, his divine nature remained united with his human nature even when he was lying in the grave; and his deity never ceased to be in him, just as it was in him when he was a little child, though for a while it did not so reveal itself. These are the reasons why we confess him to be true God and truly human—true God in order to conquer death by his power, and truly human that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh (BCF Art. 19).”

Furthermore, in order to accomplish our redemption, and to satisfy God’s righteous requirements, the Mediator must be have these four attributes. Additionally, in His role as the Mediator of this covenant of grace, He would fulfill that mediatorial role in a number of ways; here is how the WCF describes it: “It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of His Church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world; unto whom He did from all eternity give a people, to be His seed, and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified (WCF Ch. VIII, Sec. 1).” Notice that the doctrine of Christ as our Mediator, and all the glorious attributes of that role, leads to what theologians call the ordo salutis. The person of Christ is inextricably tied to the redemption of His people.

WHAT THE MEDIATOR BRINGS TOGETHER

Returning to our text we see that the “one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5),” brings about a restoration in all directions. Between God and man. Between heaven and earth. Between man and beast (Hos. 2:8-12). Between man and man. To quote one theologian, “No realm can be withheld from Christ’s reign. The covenant is a total treaty.”

He does so by becoming the curse for us, and being righteous for us, for judging sin, and receiving sin’s judgement, by dying for us, raising human nature out of the dust and breathing His everlasting Spirit into us. He truly holds all things together. And it is not sappy sentimentalism to say that the reason He did all this was because of His great love wherewith He loved us: “So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life (BGC Art 20).”

NEW CREATION

The nativity of Christ Jesus really is the beginning of the New Creation. In His mediatorial office He not only reconciles us to God, but He renews and remakes all things. So it is fitting to bring trees into our homes, ornamented with symbolic fruit, surrounded by gifts made of plastic and pearls, wool and wood. It is right to spread a great feast, inviting as many people as will fit around the rearranged living room furniture. Christ Jesus ushered in a new creation in Himself. He is the nexus of history. He is the new man. He is the true God and our eternal life. He is the ladder which bridges the glory of heaven with the bounty of earth. He is our Mediator which rules over this world with everlasting truth and grace. Indeed, joy to the world, for the Branch of Jesse has come.

Read Full Article

The Wise Men & the Nations (Advent #4) (Christ Church)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

This part of the Christmas story is not a stand-alone story. In the narrative, we find a type of how all the rulers of this world will eventually come to kiss the Son.

THE TEXT

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. . . When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped

him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way” (Matt. 2:1-3, 9-12).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, certain wise men from the east appeared in Jerusalem (v. 1), and they were looking for Him (v. 2). The one they were looking for was King of the Jews because they had seen His star in the east, and intended to worship Him (v. 2). Herod heard about this and he was troubled, along with all Jerusalem (v. 3). After Herod gets some information from his rabbis, he deceitfully sends the wise men on their way. After they left Herod’s presence, the star they had seen back home led them to the right house in Bethlehem (v. 9). Seeing the star gave them great joy (v. 10). They came to the house (not the stable) where they saw the young Jesus along with Mary, His

mother (v. 11). From the age of the boys murdered by Herod, we can infer that the wise men arrived sometime within two years of Christ’s birth. They fell down and worshiped Him, and presented their famous and costly gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh. We don’t know for a fact there were three wise men, this being simply an inference from these three gifts. God warned the wise men in a dream, and so they went home by another route (v. 12).

WE THREE KINGS

Now these men are not described as kings, but there are good reasons for treating them as members of the ruling aristocracy, as men who could decide to just go visit a king. First, in the Old Testament, this kind of person was frequently found at court (magi, wise men). Second, these men were dignitaries of sufficient rank to have their questions attract the attention of a king, and to be summoned to his court. Third, their gifts to the young Christ were kingly gifts—the kind of gift that kings would receive from princes. Fourth, the text draws attention to a comparison between their eagerness to worship Christ, and Herod’s false willingness to do so. Fifth, not only did God want the reader of Matthew to know that a king was born in Bethlehem, God wanted Herod to know that a king had been born there. And He wanted him to know it on the kind of authority that he would accept.

FORESHADOWING 

So what is this story doing here? The clear intent is to show us that Christ is a king, and He is the kind of king who receives legitimate worship from nobles. This is a proleptic story, meaning that it is prophetic. If the toddler Jesus receives this kind of honor, what will He receive later? He receives hostility at the beginning (from Herod) and He receives prostrate worship from Gentile noblemen at the beginning. This is an a fortiori situation, and so which one will win out?

HONOR AND GLORY

Paul says that God wants all kinds of men to saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). This “all kinds of” includes kings and those in authority (1 Tim. 2:2). In this matter, Paul practiced what he preached. It was part of his original commission. When God was reassuring Ananias about going to see Paul, God said, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Notice the inclusion of “and kings.” Whenever he had opportunity to present the gospel to kings and rulers, he would do so (Acts 26:28). Kings are told to kiss the Son, lest He be angry (Ps. 2:12). While we are to fear both God and the king (Prov. 24:21), the king is supposed to fear God particularly (Dt. 17:18).

But sin being what it is, this is not something that kings like to do. The gospel being as powerful as it is, however, means that the kings of the earth will in fact come. They all will bring their honor and glory into the Church (Rev. 21:24, 26). They do become nursing fathers to the Church (Is. 49:23), submitting themselves to the Church, and being discipled by the Church. That phrase “nursing fathers” can be misleading, making us think the Church is somehow subordinate to the State—which is actually the opposite of what the passage says. In the restoration of Israel’s fortunes that is the Church, what does it say?

“And kings shall be thy nursing fathers [lit. nourishers], and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” The leaves on the tree of life are for the healing of the nations, and they cannot be applied without the nations actually getting better (Rev. 22:2).

TRIBUTE AND AUTHORITY

There are two ways to give. One is an act of authority and the other is an act of submission. There are also two ways to receive—and not surprisingly, one is an act of authority and the other is an act of submission. Telling the two of them apart is perfectly clear for the humble, and opaque to the proud. Were the wise men placing Jesus and Mary in their debt with these very expensive gifts? Or were they showing their indebtedness? When our federal government today cuts a check, are they seeking to exercise authority or showing submission? This is not a hard question.

So this story right at the beginning of Christ’s life shows us the pattern that we should expect and require. Christ will not receive (and His Church must not think about receiving) any largesse whatever from the state unless it is accompanied by their prior prostration before Christ and true worship of Him. And to test the sincerity of it all, we should probably give it a minute. Like 500 years or so.

Read Full Article