QUOTES FOR REFLECTION

“The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became man. If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the world.”

~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) in Miracles

“…a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.”

~C.S. Lewis in The Last Battle

“It’s a startling idea, of course. My guess is that the whole story — that a virgin was selected by God to bear His Son as a way of showing His love and concern for man — is not an idea that has been popular with theologians. It’s a somewhat illogical idea, and theologians like logic almost as much as they like God. It’s so revolutionary a thought that it probably could only come from a God that is beyond logic.”

~Harry Reasoner (1923-1991), journalist known for his work on “60 Minutes”

“The dignity of human nature, fashioned in the divine image, is such that God can take it for himself—and keep it.”

~Dr. Nigel Cameron, bioethicist and writer

“For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is— limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine…. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience…. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.”

~Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957), English writer and poet

“He is a king of the most unparalleled…grace…. He is exceedingly gracious in the manner of his ruling his people by sweetly and powerfully influencing their hearts by his grace: not governing them against their wills, but powerfully inclining their wills.”

~Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), New England pastor and theologian

“Christ refuses no one because of their weakness and accepts no one because of their greatness.”

~paraphrased from Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) in The Bruised Reed

SERMON PASSAGE

Isaiah 9:1-7 (ESV)

Isaiah 9

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

3 You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

4 For the yoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 10

20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.