Category Archives: Jesus Christ

Theological Hair-Splitting

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B.B. Warfield put it well, I think:-

‘Gibbon…made himself merry, or made himself miserable, as the case may have been, over the spectacle of Christianity split to its foundations in violent dispute over a mere diphthong – whether Christ should be said to be homo-ousios or only homoi-ousios with God: whether that is, he should be conceived as all that God is, or only in some greater or less degree, more or less like God.  The whole substance of Christianity was involved, however, in this controversy; the issue was nothing less than whether the world should be Christian or heathen. …

Christ’s primeval glory

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Here’s a second instalment from John Flavel’s The Fountain of Life (subtitled, ‘Presenting Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory’).  Chapter 2 is based on Proverbs 8:30: ‘Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence.’  What follows is a summary.

This verse speaks of the eternal delights that Jesus Christ, the wisdom of the Father, had with his Father before his assumption of our nature. …

Mk 9:2-13 – The Transfiguration – sermon notes

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The Transfiguration is one of the strangest, and one of the most dramatic, events in the whole of the Bible. A mountain-top experience that tops the lot. My own feelings in approaching this passage are not so very different from Peter’s, who, as we read in v6, ‘did not know what to say’.

But even though we can scarcely scratch the surface in trying understand this extraordinary gathering, we would not want to ignore it. Just take a look at the guest list.…

Heb 13:8 – Yesterday, today and for ever – sermon notes

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‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and for ever’

At first sight, this chapter looks like a collection of assortments.  However, it answers one main question: “How can we serve God?”  Answer: by loving each other as brothers; by entertaining strangers; by remembering the imprisoned and the ill-treated; by upholding marriage and sexual purity; by keeping free from the love of money and being content with what we have.  According to these verses, Christians are expected to be loving, pure, contented, loyal, bold and worshipful.…

Christ the theme of Scripture

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“Keep still Jesus Christ in your eye, in the perusal of the Scriptures, as the end, scope and substance thereof: what are the whole Scriptures, but as it were the spiritual swaddling clothes of the holy child Jesus?”  So wrote Isaac Andrews many years ago.  He goes on to outline various ways in which Christ is the key-note of all Scripture:-

  1. Christ is the truth and substance of all the types and shadows.
  2. Christ is the substance and matter of the Covenant of Grace, and all administrations thereof; under the Old Testament Christ is veiled, under the New Covenant revealed.
…

Quotes on the Incarnation

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When Jesus came to earth he did not cease to be God; when he returned to heaven he did not cease to be man. (John Blanchard)

Jesus Christ is God in the form of man; as completely God as if he were not man; as completely man as if he were not God.  (A.J.F. Behrends)

Jesus Christ, the condescension of divinity, and the exaltation of humanity.  (Phillips Brooks)

Christ uncrowned himself to crown us, and put off his robes to put on our rags, and came down from heaven to keep us out of hell. …

Lk 19:11-27 – The parable of the ten minas – sermon notes

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It shouldn’t be too difficult for us to unlock the meaning of this parable: the key is hanging at the door.  V11: ‘…because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom was going to appear at once’

Luke’s record of this journey to Jerusalem began at ch. 9:51 – ‘As the time came for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem’

Jesus had spoken repeatedly about what was going to happen to him when he got to Jerusalem, but his listeners had not been able, or had not wanted, to understand. …

If Jesus is the answer, what is the question?

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I suppose that in apologetics and evangelism it is possible to place too much stress on ‘beginning where people are’, and in addressing felt needs.  Nevertheless, it would be foolish to ignore the questions and concerns that are expressed by those to whom we would commend Christ.

With that thought in mind, it is interesting to look at the results of a small survey of people without any religious affiliation.  The survey was carried out as part of Coventry Diocese’s ‘Beyond the Fringe’ research project back in 2003.…

The excellency of knowing Christ crucified

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John Flavel’s work entitled The Fountain of Life (subtitled, ‘Presenting Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory’) is an absolute treasure.  The first chapter is based on 1 Corinthians 2:2 (‘I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified’).  What follows is a summary.

I resolved – this is his settled, considered, conviction, reached after due consideration of the pros and cons, arguments and counter-arguments.

To know nothing – he does not mean that he despised all other knowledge, but only so far as it stood in opposition to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. …

John 20:24-31 – Doubting Thomas, believing Thomas – sermon notes

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Text: Jn 20:24-31

On the evening of the first Easter Sunday, the disciples of Jesus huddled together in a locked room.  They were in utter despair: they had left everything to follow Jesus, but now he was dead.  They were frightened: the same people who had killed their Master would surely come looking for them.  They were confused: where would they go now?  what would they do?  Into that despairing, frightened, confused company steps Jesus.  The grave could not hold him back; neither can a locked door. …