Thursday, December 07, 2017

Athanasius (On the Incarnation)

ON THE INCARNATION (Athanasius)

The Word of the Father is Himself divine. This was established in my earlier writings. We must now go 1 step further. The Word has been made flesh. This truth makes the blood of the unbelieving Jew boil (even though the birth, death, and resurrection of the Messiah was prophesied in their own Scriptures). It causes the unbelieving Gentiles to roll their eyes and laugh (even though incarnation is a reasonable rescue plan). But the incarnation is the heart and soul of Christianity.

The Word became flesh out of love to save us. Humanity was in desperate need of saving. Our world was not a chance creation (as the Epicureans suggest). Nor had matter always existed (as Plato suggests). Furthermore, there was no ‘other’ or lesser god who mistakenly created the world (as Gnostics suggest). God created a good world. We were made in the Likeness of God, but became corrupt through sin. This corruption provoked and necessitated the incarnation.

God’s Word, in order to rescue humanity from corruption while simultaneously taking the curse of death seriously, entered the world created through Him. He was born to die (death was otherwise impossible for Him). But through His union with us, re-union with God became possible. Because of His identity as God-man, the law of death was broken and resurrection became reality.

We were made for union with God. We were made like God (in God’s image) so that we could love God. But the image was stained by our sin. What was God to do? The only hope was the coming of the Image Himself! Only the perfect Image of the Father (Jesus) could renew the Image in humanity. Jesus got down on our level to raise us up to His level. In doing so, though, He did not cease to be divine. His body was not a limitation, but an instrument used to save us.

The events surrounding Jesus’ death speak to its importance. The sun went dark. The earth shook. The people were in awe. He publicly died at the hands of His enemies (human and demonic) so that the message of His resurrection would be unmistakable.

What’s more, the continuance of His life is unmistakable. Jesus is alive and active in the world! Think how large the body of believers has grown, each one responding to a living Lord. Think how small the attendance at pagan temples has become. Jesus is proving victorious more and more each day. In light of this, does it make any sense whatsoever to call Jesus dead? It makes more sense to call death dead.  


Jesus put on a body so that in the body He might find death and overpower it. And He did overpower death and more. The world has changed drastically since His victory. The gods have been dethroned. Magic has disappeared. Worldly wisdom is now recognized as foolish. Lives are being changed and enemies are becoming friends. It is clearly Christ who is accomplishing these things. By lowering Himself He has raised the whole world up!

Friday, December 01, 2017

Where is our hope?

Where Should we Place our Hope?
(A non-rhyming poetic answer)
In America, many people put their hope in politics
"If MY SIDE of the aisle were in power...
Things would be better"
But that hope is fading
Both sides have been in power
And many things have gotten worse
More and more, people are seeing
We can't put our hope in the elephants
We can't put our hope in the donkeys
They vote yes to themselves
They only see sin on the other side
They don't see the sin in their own seats
So what?
Do we turn back to religion?
Our old saviors?
But we left them for a reason
We left because of their own violence
Their own scandals. Their own greed.
We left them not only for a reason
But for reason
Should we turn back to that?
Science can't let us down? Can it?
1+1=2. I can trust that.
But can I HOPE in that?
Should we place our hope in numbers?
Meaningless numbers? Without interpretation?
In science, which gives both balm and bomb?
Truth is, we abandoned science with WWI
Because as we won our hope in it was lost
We realized its winning was our failing
So we grow hard
We trust no other
We turn to self
I can trust myself... right?
No! I know myself too well
To trust myself too much
Where is our hope?
If not politics or religion?
If not science or self?
Until we are hopeless
We are hopeless
Let go of your allegiances
Lose your religion
Let numbers be numbers
Look yourself in the mirror
Look up to the heavens
Look down at the manger
Look long at the cross
See Pilate & Herod
See Caiaphas
See the science of torture
See yourself among the scoffers
Lose all hope
Look into the tomb
Last place you'd expect to find hope
And see it empty
Find the King of kings
Find the end of all sacrifices
Search the evidence
See for yourself
Hope springs eternal
In the God-man's breast