"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given!" (Isaiah 9:6)

 

Beloved, may the blessings of Christ dwell richly upon you and your families this holy season.  The LORD has graciously allowed me to complete my first semester (part time) at The Expositors Seminary, and it appears I passed both my classes successfully! Please continue to lift me in prayer, as next semester I'll be adding a third class and a second morning to the schedule. 

 

I was also able to preach at the Palm Beach Marathon a few weeks ago, where my bride Wendy ran her first half-marathon in a very satisfactory time! I was positioned along Flagler Drive where two thousand runners passed me going north, than returned going south a short time later. As I preached from the gospel of John, many runners thanked me or gave a thumbs up; the weather was perfect and they were grateful to the Creator for such a glorious morning to run. One lady, however, was panting heavily as she passed, but managed to yell at me to shut up and preach somewhere else! I suggested she might want to save her breath, because she looked like she was going to need every bit of it in a few miles... This brought a few smiles from some other runners. You've got to have a good attitude to run and/or preach! 

 

Let me share again a newsletter I did last year about preaching from the Christmas carols. This is my favorite time of the year to share the gospel and I pray this newsletter will be a blessing to you as you contemplate the glorious truth of the Incarnation of our Savior. 

 

"Hark! The herald angels sing! Glory to the newborn King!"

 

This beautiful hymn was written by Charles Wesley in 1739. The original version was a solemn tune, reflective of Wesley's somber nature.  The popular version we have today was the result of small alterations by George Whitefield, the prodigious gospel preacher, and co-laborer with Charles and John Wesley.

 

 

"Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"

 

During the Advent season, these beloved carols are sung by millions; our churches swell to double and triple size during Christmas Eve services, filled with "CEOs" (Christmas and Easter Only), who sing them alongside devoted Christians, nominal believers, and even pagans and unbelievers brought to church at the request of family members, or by some latent sense of obligation.

 

"Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord."

 

These old carols are filled with gospel truth! Although most commemorate the incarnation of the Christ child, they still contain solid gospel theology of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, born under the law, to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law.

 

"Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel!"

 

"Christ put on our nature, without putting off His own. Humanity is united to the Godhead, but the Godhead is not disassociated from itself. He is both God and man, yet but one Christ; not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person."  (- S. Duytsch)  "For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell." (Colossians 1:19)

 

"Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die; born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth."

 

"Though He was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant... and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8) Christ set aside His unspeakable glory, His absolute right as the infinite God, and fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law. Then, He died an excruciating death as a criminal, though He was innocent of any offense. As our substitute, Christ died in the place of sinners, you and me, and bore the punishment you and I deserve, the full and fierce wrath and anger of an infinite God against sin.  In that death, we receive the forgiveness of our sins, and by His glorious resurrection, we receive by faith in Him and His sacrifice on our behalf, the gift of the "second birth," the adoption as sons of God, the right to become children of God, by believing in His name. (John 1:12)

 

As I have preached the gospel in the carols these past few weeks (at the suggestion of my brother and sister in Christ, Paul LaTour and his precious bride Kim Kuster Noel), I am reminded of the power of God in the word of God, by proclaiming the birth, life, death, and glorious resurrection of the omnipotent Creator of all things, seen and unseen, through these familiar and beloved hymns. Join me in the evangelistic mission of the Body of Christ, by singing with robust joy to all the peoples, that "unto you this day in the city of David is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!"

 

May our LORD richly bless each of you and your families. I am honored to partner with you in the gospel of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

Soli Deo Gloria! No king but Christ.