Christ the Lord

“And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” ESV Luke 2:10-11

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote: “We are faced, then, with a frightening alternative. This man [Jesus] we are talking about either was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic, or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form.”

The Gospel of Matthew announced that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).” God has indeed “landed on this enemy-occupied world.” So, let us consider from Scripture whose birth we are celebrating.

God of Gods; God of Glory; God in Heaven Above and on Earth Beneath; Invisible God; Blessed God; Majestic Glory; Majesty in the Heavens; He Who is to be feared; Everlasting God; Eternal God; Ancient of Days; I Am; Alpha and Omega; The Beginning and the End; The Holy One; Holy God; Jealous God; God of Justice; Righteous God; Righteous Judge; Creator; Architect and Builder; Possessor of Heaven and Earth; Potter; Mighty One; God of all Flesh; God of all the Earth; God of all the Kingdoms of the Earth; Mighty God; Great and Awesome God; Great, Mighty, and Awesome God; Great God and King Above all Gods; Great King over all the Earth; Living God and Everlasting King; King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible; Helper; King from Old; King of all the Earth; King of the Nations; King of Heaven; King of Kings; Lord of Heaven; Lord of the Whole Earth; Lord of Heaven and Earth; Lord of Kings; Lord of Lords; Lord of the Harvest; Blessed and only Sovereign; Lawgiver; Judge of all the Earth; Jealous God; Consuming Fire; Jealous and Avenging God; God of Recompense; Watcher of Men; Judge of all the Earth; Righteous Judge; True God; Faithful Creator; Maker; Father; Holy Father; Righteous Father; Father of Mercies; Father of Lights; Father of Glory; Heavenly Father; Father of Spirits; Abba Father; Husband; God of Truth; Faithful God; Compassionate God; Gracious and Compassionate God; Forgiving God; God of all Grace; God of Peace; God of Love and Peace; God of all Comfort; Lawgiver; Redeemer; Horn of my Salvation; Deliverer; Salvation; Savior; Strength of my Salvation; Rock; Everlasting Rock; Rock of our Salvation; Rock of Strength; Fortress; Stronghold; Tower of Strength; Sanctuary; Refuge; Hiding Place; Shade from the Heat; Defense of my Life; Shield; Very Present Help in Trouble; Warrior; Man of War; Dread Champion; Sword of our Majesty; Consuming Fire; Lion; Fountain of Living Waters; Everlasting Light; Shepherd; Good Shepherd; Vinedresser; Keeper; Inheritance; the list goes on…(Research courtesy of a book I own titled The One True God.)

May God bless you and may you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

-Ken Askew

God is Light

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” ESV 1 John 1:5

I am admittedly on a soap box at present. My protest is against the all too common greeting: Happy Holidays. I know that it is innocent enough. I know that it is meant to encompass Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s greetings. But I also know that nobody is going to wake up at my house Christmas morning and shout Happy Holidays! Nobody is going to count down to midnight the following week and scream Happy Holidays either.

Now, if you were to send me a card that said Happy Holidays, I would be appreciative of your thoughtfulness; I know how difficult it is to find a card with Merry Christmas embossed on the front these days. But you must admit that the Happy Holidays greeting seems to divert attention from the true meaning of the season which is the celebration of Christ’s birth.

I’ve been watching the Religion section of one of our regional newspapers the last couple of weeks. Do you know what the lead articles have been as we head into one of the most sacred and celebrated Christian holidays? I found articles about Buddhism, a family tragedy, the B’nai faith, toys for needy children and an inquisition about the intricate nuances of Mike Huckabee’s theology. Notice anything odd; anything missing? Christ. Christ is what’s missing here as we prepare to celebrate his birth. I submit to you that it is no accident that Christ has been missing in those pages. He’s missing because it’s not politically correct to speak forthrightly about Christianity these days.

It’s no accident either that The Golden Compass was released on the big screen on December 7; just in time for Christmas. The writer behind the tale is an accomplished author named Philip Pullman who certainly sounds as if he has an anti-Christian agenda. He is reported to have said in an Australian newspaper that “My books are about killing God.” That’s enough to keep me from watching it. Does the timing of the release seem coincidental to you?

And it is no accident that you have trouble finding cards with Merry Christmas embossed on the front. There just aren’t many manufacturers willing to print them. The very term Merry Christmas is politically incorrect because it has a reference to Christ.

So, what’s this got to do with our verse from 1John? Well, John had to deal with skeptics and those who would undermine Christian doctrine in his day too. He specifically had to deal with a group known as Gnostics who denied the resurrection among other things. Suffice it to say that agendas against Christianity are nothing new. In some sense, I suppose Christianity has never been politically correct.

Anyway, John points out very vividly and pointedly that God is not hidden. Regardless of our actions as a society that are sometimes meant to undermine, hide, ignore or divert attention from God, He is not hidden. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Humor me for a moment by briefly closing your eyes. What happened? Darkness pervaded didn’t it? When you willfully shut out the light, darkness pervaded didn’t it? I submit to you that the same is true in the spiritual sense. Ignore God or willfully shut Him out and darkness will pervade. Instead, open your spiritual eyes and glory in the fact that God is not hidden and that He invaded His creation in the form of a babe; as Christ.

Here’s a challenge for you this week: For the glory of God, greet someone with a hearty Merry Christmas!

-Ken Askew

Living Hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” ESV 1 Peter 1:3

This past week I had an opportunity to visit Nashville with a tour group. I think there were 52 of us on a chartered bus with tickets in hand to see an ice sculpting display and a Christmas show at the Grand Ole Opry. The bus thing was a bit different for me though I found it very similar to plane travel except that I didn’t have to remove my shoes or check my luggage prior to boarding. There was only one departure delay; 51 other folks beat me back to the bus. But they patiently waited; a courtesy the airlines have never extended to me. Anyway, we had a great time.

Part of the show included an aside of sorts in order to tell the Christmas Story. The props and costumes were great (lots of glitter) and they even had live camels and sheep for added effect. The music set a soothing, reverent tone and the announcer’s voice was the deep, smooth tone of a seasoned radio personality. Overall, it was a very stimulating setup both visually and audibly.

But I began to notice gaps that my mind was being forced to fill in. Could it be true? Did he really just gloss over the resurrection? Yes. The story of Jesus had been sanitized, presumably to prevent offending anyone. Well guess what? I was offended.

As the story was presented that day in Nashville, Jesus was a fine young man who helped his dad in the family business for 30 years before entering the ministry for 3 years. He died at a young age and was placed in a borrowed tomb. Since then the world has never been the same.

Conveniently absent from the story was the fact that God had burst onto His creation as a man. Conveniently absent from the story was the fact that He died a criminal’s death on the cross. Conveniently missing from the story was the fact that He rose from the dead three days later! That would explain the borrowed tomb wouldn’t it? Why purchase one if you’d only need it for three days…

Here’s my point. God has dwelt among us; we called Him Jesus. Jesus lived a sinless life in a sin filled world. Jesus died a criminal’s death on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus was victorious over death and rose from the grave. Folks, when you ignore or whitewash these facts you are not telling the story of Christmas.

Will the full story offend some people? Absolutely; Christianity is offensive. There is only one God. There is only one way to heaven. There is only one Savior. And all three are wrapped up in Christ. Some people find that disagreeable. But political correctness cannot dictate truth.

At Christmas, we don’t celebrate the birth of a “good” man. We celebrate the birth of the Lamb of God who conquered even death; He lives still. He, the Christ child, is the reason Peter says Christians have been “born again to a living hope.”

-Ken Askew