Christmas- John 1:14

The Feast of Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ commemorates an event and also proclaims a key theological concept- the Incarnation. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Of course, we celebrate the birth of a great person in human history, but as Christians, we celebrate much more; we celebrate the transcendent and eternal God coming in human flesh. If we can focus on that reality, then we will raise the level of our own observances beyond a simple birthday party. We will move into the realm of mystery, awe, thanksgiving, and faith. And with a better appreciation of the mystery of the Incarnation,  maybe we will become better witnesses to a world in desperate need of the good news of God in Christ.

Uniqueness of Christ's Sacrifice

As I was reflecting on Christ's Passion this week, I thought about the Reformation emphasis on the uniqueness of Christ's sacrifice. We always need to stress this point. Of course, Christians are called to present themselves as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1). We are also called to offer sacrifices of praise (Hebrews 13:15). Thus, our worship and our efforts to do good can be viewed as sacrificial. In this sense, even the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist can be seen as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

However, we must beware. Our sacrifices are merely thankful human responses to what God has done in Christ. Our sacrifices are not atoning. They can never set us right with God. Only Christ's self-offering throughout His life on earth and especially on the Cross can overcome our sin and restore us to fellowship with God.

The New Testament stresses the unique and final nature of Christ's sacrifice in various ways in many places (such as the Passion narratives, Romans, Hebrews). Unfortunately, there is a perennial human tendency to over-value what we do. Thus, during the Middle Ages, the unique value of Christ's sacrifice was undermined through misinterpretation of the role of the saints, exaggeration of the importance of the church hierarchy, and the spread of common errors about the mass. The Reformation was a scripturally based reaction that sought to restore a proper emphasis on the uniqueness of Christ's unrepeatable atoning work. We must never soften this point in misguided efforts to be more acceptable to the secular world or to other Christian bodies.

Lent 1 (year B)- Mark 1: 9-15

Many churches and church members take observances such as Lent for granted. Many others ignore Lent and other church seasons. In both cases, they don't always know what they are doing and why. Whether we observe a traditional church calendar or not, we should be aware of what it is and why some Christians observe it. 

Although Lent is certainly not commanded in Scripture, I have found that there are some good biblical reasons for having the season of Lent. There are various references in the Bible to forty, including the forty years Israel spent in the wilderness, the forty days Elijah fasted as he journeyed to Sinai (I Kings 19:8), and especially the forty days Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Mark 1:12-15). There is also a human tendency to forget about the biblical disciplines of prayer and fasting unless there is a time of emphasis, such as Lent.

So, for the First Sunday in Lent, I would emphasize that there is a biblical basis for setting aside a season of fasting, abstinence, repentance, prayer, and special devotion. Lent is rooted in what Jesus did at the beginning of His public ministry. As the Gospel for the day from St. Mark 1 shows, Jesus set aside a special time for prayer and fasting to consider His Father's will. This period included temptation, but by rejecting the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, the nature of Christ's vocation became clearer and stronger. In our limited human ways, we can use the days of Lent to follow Christ's example, to be more open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to draw closer to our heavenly Father and His will for our lives.