Advent 2015
Christmas according to Matthew
December 13, 2015 • Matthew 1—2
Advent is the celebration of the first coming of Jesus Christ and the anticipation of his second coming. I think our culture has over-sentimentalized Christmas. Yes, the Christmas story is a sweet story in some respects: there's a cute baby, farm animals, shepherds, wise-men, gifts, angels singing. Nice. However, there's also lots of heartache, shock, anxiety, pain, and suffering, and blood-shed. And God comes right into the middle of that whole mess. This season is the perfect time to reassess where we are in our relationship with God and be reminded of the fact that our God is with us. This is a fact. The Christmas story isn't just a nice, sappy, moral parable. The Christmas story is Good News. Good reportage. What makes the Christmas story so amazing, isn't that it's a story, but that it's history. To remind us of the facts, we're going to look at the four authorized biographies of Jesus Christ: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Join us tomorrow as we look at Matthew's account of the 1st Advent of Jesus Christ.
Christmas according to Mark
December 20, 2015 • Mark 1:1–15
This Advent season we're looking at the four Authorized Biographies of Jesus Christ to inform our understanding of the first coming of Christ, and prepare for his second coming. Last week we looked at "Christmas according to the Gospel of Matthew." Today, we're looking at "Christmas according to the Gospel of Mark." At this point, you should be asking, what in the world did Mark say about Christmas? At first glance, it appears that he doesn't say much. But you definitely have to join us tomorrow as we see that Mark has plenty to say about the first Advent of Jesus, and even more about the second coming. Mark describes the incarnation of Jesus Christ with the phrase, "The Heavens were torn open," meaning the ideal has become real, the metaphysical has become physical, the immortal has become mortal, the transcendent has become immanent and the unapproachable is someone you can embrace and by whom you can be embraced. Join us tomorrow as we look at Mark's account of the both Advents of Jesus Christ in Mark chapters 1 and 13.
Christmas according to John
December 27, 2015 • John 1:1–18
This Advent season we're looking at the four Authorized Biographies of Jesus Christ to inform our understanding of the first coming of Christ, and prepare for his second coming. Today, we look at Christmas according to the Gospel of John, from John 1:1-18, one of the most theologically and philosophically rich texts ever written. In preparation for our time together, be sure to spend some time today meditating and reflecting on the text. The key verse in this text, regarding the 1st Advent of Christ, is verse 14: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." What an incredible God we serve, who willingly humbled himself, and became flesh and lived with us. The God who spoke the universe into existence, became a fertilized egg, an embryo, a fetus. He entered the world as a baby. The infinite became an infant. God learned to crawl, stand, walk. The Alpha and Omega learned his ABC's (so to speak). God experienced childhood. God experienced puberty. That last one right there proves that God loves us. God experienced hunger, thirst, pain, sickness, loneliness, heartache, tears, as well as happiness. God laughed, and ate and drank and went fishing with friends. We worship a God who doesn't just know about what we're going through. He knows experientially everything you're going through. Join us today as we look at John's account of the Advent of Jesus Christ.