The Bare Necessities
Marketing Luxury Goods in a Bad Economy, by Christine Rosen
Monday, December 22, 2008
Antidote to Extravagance?
Helpful essay by a thoughtful writer:
The Bare Necessities
Marketing Luxury Goods in a Bad Economy, by Christine Rosen
The Bare Necessities
Marketing Luxury Goods in a Bad Economy, by Christine Rosen
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Welcome To Our World!
Fourth Sunday of Advent @ Community of Grace, Hamilton, Ontario
Christmas Flesh: Welcome To Our World
Introduction
Today, our fourth look at a Christmas carol. First, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing. Second, God Keep You Happy, Gentlemen! Last week, Joy To The World.
This fourth lyric was penned in the past decade, by Chris Rice. The musical setting is more lullaby than hymn, so it’s not commonly thought to be a carol.
More than most all the carols, though, this song expresses the dramatic essence of the birth of Jesus in human form, simultaneously describing the purpose of his body.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
I. We cry out for a word from God.
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
a. Tears are falling/Hearts are breaking.
b. We need to hear from God.
c. You’ve been promised.
d. We’ve been waiting.
e. WELCOME!
Scripture:
Psa. 130:5 ¶ I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.
Is. 65:24 “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
EBC,The greatest of all the blessings they will know, however, will be a relationship with God in which there is complete harmony between their prayer and his will, between his desire to provide and their dependence on him to give (v.24). Verse 25, taken almost entirely from 11:6-9, is a reminder that these blessings come only through the Messiah while the words “dust will be the serpent’s food” (alluding to Gen 3:14) remind us that the overthrow of Satan, the great serpent (Rev 20:2), is the result of the work of the woman’s offspring (Gen 3:15).
Rom. 1:1-4 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Implication: The longings of our heart drew God’s response in Jesus; before we asked.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
II. We welcome a Stranger we were not prepared to receive.
Hope that you don't mind our manger How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger Make Yourself at home Please make Yourself at home
Rom. 8:26 ¶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
Rom. 8:27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
Third, Jesus came as the answer to our deepest need.
III. The Stranger finds us full of violence, hungry for meaning, and awaiting word from heaven.
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
a. Your peace/our violence.
b. Your food/our hungry souls.
c. WORD now breaking heaven’s silence.
i. The prophets had not spoken for 400 years!
ii. Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord—Isaiah
Is. 40:3 ¶ A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
iii. Jesus was called THE WORD by John.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
Third, Jesus came as the answer to our deepenst need.
Fourth, Jesus came in a vulnerable body.
IV. The Holy Stranger is a fragile child.
a. Fragile finger—
i. tiny, as every baby’s.
ii. Healing, rather than needing another’s strength.
b. Tender skin—
i. Tender—in need of protection.
ii. Prepared to tear—The skin of this baby would be pierced & torn.
iii. Tiny heart whose blood would save us.
1. Scale—a baby’s little heart seems barely strong enough to pump blood to its body.
2. Jesus’ heart is pumping blood enough for us all.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
Third, Jesus came as the answer to our deepenst need.
Fourth, Jesus came in a vulnerable body.
Fifth, THE CLIMAX; Jesus came to die.
V. The body of this baby is designed to…
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God Welcome to our world!!!!
a. Wrap our injured flesh around you: COVER YOURSELF WITH US/COVER US WITH YOURSELF!!
i. Our injured flesh—symbolic of our suffering & our brokenness.
ii. Around You—vivid description of the Messiah’s burden, our own sin.
…Gregory of Nazianius (329-89 AD.) wrote: ‘If anyone has put his trust in Him as a man without a human mind, he is really bereft of mind, and quite unworthy of salvation. For that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved.
Gregory the Great (540-604), ‘first pope’, bishop of Rome: “…how could a man, himself stained with sin, be an offering for sin? Hence a sinless man must be offered.
But what man descending in the ordinary course would be free from sin? Hence, the Son of God must be born of a virgin, and become man for us. He assumed our nature without our corruption. …a victim without sin, and able both to die by virtue of his humanity, and to cleanse the guilty, upon grounds of justice.”
Is. 53:4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Is. 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
Is. 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
b. Breathe and walk as we do.
Jesus also breathed our air and walked the land as we do.
c. Take away our sin.
d. Make us holy. Phil. 1:6—Having begun a good work in you, he will carry it on to completion.
Welcome to our world!!!!
Christmas Flesh: Welcome To Our World
Introduction
Today, our fourth look at a Christmas carol. First, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing. Second, God Keep You Happy, Gentlemen! Last week, Joy To The World.
This fourth lyric was penned in the past decade, by Chris Rice. The musical setting is more lullaby than hymn, so it’s not commonly thought to be a carol.
More than most all the carols, though, this song expresses the dramatic essence of the birth of Jesus in human form, simultaneously describing the purpose of his body.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
I. We cry out for a word from God.
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
a. Tears are falling/Hearts are breaking.
b. We need to hear from God.
c. You’ve been promised.
d. We’ve been waiting.
e. WELCOME!
Scripture:
Psa. 130:5 ¶ I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.
Is. 65:24 “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
EBC,The greatest of all the blessings they will know, however, will be a relationship with God in which there is complete harmony between their prayer and his will, between his desire to provide and their dependence on him to give (v.24). Verse 25, taken almost entirely from 11:6-9, is a reminder that these blessings come only through the Messiah while the words “dust will be the serpent’s food” (alluding to Gen 3:14) remind us that the overthrow of Satan, the great serpent (Rev 20:2), is the result of the work of the woman’s offspring (Gen 3:15).
Rom. 1:1-4 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Implication: The longings of our heart drew God’s response in Jesus; before we asked.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
II. We welcome a Stranger we were not prepared to receive.
Hope that you don't mind our manger How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger Make Yourself at home Please make Yourself at home
Rom. 8:26 ¶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
Rom. 8:27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
Third, Jesus came as the answer to our deepest need.
III. The Stranger finds us full of violence, hungry for meaning, and awaiting word from heaven.
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
a. Your peace/our violence.
b. Your food/our hungry souls.
c. WORD now breaking heaven’s silence.
i. The prophets had not spoken for 400 years!
ii. Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord—Isaiah
Is. 40:3 ¶ A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
iii. Jesus was called THE WORD by John.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
Third, Jesus came as the answer to our deepenst need.
Fourth, Jesus came in a vulnerable body.
IV. The Holy Stranger is a fragile child.
a. Fragile finger—
i. tiny, as every baby’s.
ii. Healing, rather than needing another’s strength.
b. Tender skin—
i. Tender—in need of protection.
ii. Prepared to tear—The skin of this baby would be pierced & torn.
iii. Tiny heart whose blood would save us.
1. Scale—a baby’s little heart seems barely strong enough to pump blood to its body.
2. Jesus’ heart is pumping blood enough for us all.
First, Jesus came as an answer from God.
Second, Jesus arrived unexpectedly.
Third, Jesus came as the answer to our deepenst need.
Fourth, Jesus came in a vulnerable body.
Fifth, THE CLIMAX; Jesus came to die.
V. The body of this baby is designed to…
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God Welcome to our world!!!!
a. Wrap our injured flesh around you: COVER YOURSELF WITH US/COVER US WITH YOURSELF!!
i. Our injured flesh—symbolic of our suffering & our brokenness.
ii. Around You—vivid description of the Messiah’s burden, our own sin.
…Gregory of Nazianius (329-89 AD.) wrote: ‘If anyone has put his trust in Him as a man without a human mind, he is really bereft of mind, and quite unworthy of salvation. For that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved.
Gregory the Great (540-604), ‘first pope’, bishop of Rome: “…how could a man, himself stained with sin, be an offering for sin? Hence a sinless man must be offered.
But what man descending in the ordinary course would be free from sin? Hence, the Son of God must be born of a virgin, and become man for us. He assumed our nature without our corruption. …a victim without sin, and able both to die by virtue of his humanity, and to cleanse the guilty, upon grounds of justice.”
Is. 53:4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
Is. 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
Is. 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
b. Breathe and walk as we do.
Jesus also breathed our air and walked the land as we do.
c. Take away our sin.
d. Make us holy. Phil. 1:6—Having begun a good work in you, he will carry it on to completion.
Welcome to our world!!!!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Joy To The World!
Advent, 3rd Sunday
Joy To The World!
INTRODUCTION
I. Background to the Christmas Carol
a. Isaac Watts, Reformed kid
b. Hymn-writer as a challenge by his father.
i. Bored with the Psalter-based singing
Mark Roberts: …many of the Psalms were not easily sung in their existing form. The meter just wasn’t right.
ii. Challenged by his father to write his own hymns.
Mark Roberts: Watts’s early efforts, however, were more in keeping with his Reformed background. In 1719 he published The Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. In this collection of hymns, Watts used the biblical Psalms for his foundation. Then he rewrote the words, both so that the final result could be easily sung in English, and so that it reflected the reality of Christ.
iii. Isaac did: some 750 hymns!
1. Penned poems that restated, summarized Scripture, rewriting the Psalms as if David had known all that we know of Christ.
2. * Come ye that love the Lord
3. * Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
4. * O God, Our Help in Ages Past
5. * When I survey the wondrous cross
6. * Alas! and did my Saviour bleed
c. Wrote JOY TO THE WORLD as a translation of Psalm 98.
Mark Roberts: One of these reframed psalms provides the text for our carol “Joy to the World.” This was not meant to be a Christmas carol at all. In fact, apart from the fact that “the Lord is come” and the overall sense of joy, there isn’t anything “Christmassy” about “Joy to the World.”
d. NOT a Christmas hymn! Based on a melody by Handel.
Psa. 98:1 O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
Psa. 98:2 The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
Psa. 98:3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psa. 98:4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Psa. 98:5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
Psa. 98:6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Psa. 98:7 Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Psa. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Psa. 98:9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.
II. Psalm 98 is a Psalm of God’s rule over the earth.
a. Each of the psalms 93-100 expresses wonder and celebration of God’s present reign and impending rule over the earth.
b. God created the earth, and rules the earth.
III. Joy To The World rewrites Psalm 98.
a. Compare the two in Mark Robert’s table.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room;
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing.
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing. 4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ.
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy 2 The LORD hath made known his salvation (KJV)
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth.
No more let sin and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found. Here Watts strays farthest from the words of Psalm 98.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness.
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (KJV)
9 . . .for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
b. See the structure of the psalm.
i. 98:1-3 God’s deliverance in the past.
ii. 98:4-6 Worship of the Great King.
iii. 98:7-9 Anticipation of God’s Coming
EBC, Willem A. VanGemeren
Nature echoes and reverberates the joy of God’s people as they anticipate the coming of the Great King (cf. Isa 55:12). The rejoicing of animal and plant life in the sea and on earth (v.7) constitutes the totality of all of created life (cf. 24:1; 96:11), as does the contrastive pair “rivers” and “mountains” (v.8). The “groaning” of nature (Rom 8:19-21) will give way to rejoicing at his coming.
c. The Lord has come: the first time in Jesus to Bethlehem.
WBC, Marvin Tate
He has ‘remembered’ his commitments and obligations to Israel (v 3); that is, he has been actively involved in the implementation of his commitments …
d. The Lord has come: looking back from the visible rule of God upon the earth.
i. Let earth receive her king…
1. Acknowledge him as king.
2. Receive/Embrace him as king.
3. Prepare room for his rule in each heart.
a. Just as NO ROOM WAS FOUND THEN.
b. Room in each heart now,
c. Room in every heart then.
ii. Even heaven and earth will sing his praise.
1. Much is made in Scripture of nature celebrating God.
Psa. 47:1 ¶ O clap your hands, all peoples;
Shout to God with the voice of joy.
Psa. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Is. 55:12 “For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
2. Robert Alter:
There is a concordance between the human orchestra—in all likelihood, an actual orchestra accompanying the singing of this psalm—with its lutes and rams’ horns, and the orchestra of nature, both groups providing a grand fanfare for God the king.
The thundering of the sea is a percussion section, joined by the clapping hands of the rivers, then the chorus of the mountains.
…the Israelites chanting the poem’s words of exaltation, to the accompaniment of musical instruments, are invited to imagine their musical rite as part of a cosmic performance.
e. Prepare yourself now for the glorious return of our Lord.
i. Enjoy the first arrival, which we celebrate this season.
ii. Anticipate the second arrival,
EBC, Willem A. VanGemeren
They who welcome their Great King need not fear, because they are the recipients of his victories. He has gone to great length to save them.
Psa. 98:9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.
Joy To The World!
INTRODUCTION
I. Background to the Christmas Carol
a. Isaac Watts, Reformed kid
b. Hymn-writer as a challenge by his father.
i. Bored with the Psalter-based singing
Mark Roberts: …many of the Psalms were not easily sung in their existing form. The meter just wasn’t right.
ii. Challenged by his father to write his own hymns.
Mark Roberts: Watts’s early efforts, however, were more in keeping with his Reformed background. In 1719 he published The Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. In this collection of hymns, Watts used the biblical Psalms for his foundation. Then he rewrote the words, both so that the final result could be easily sung in English, and so that it reflected the reality of Christ.
iii. Isaac did: some 750 hymns!
1. Penned poems that restated, summarized Scripture, rewriting the Psalms as if David had known all that we know of Christ.
2. * Come ye that love the Lord
3. * Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
4. * O God, Our Help in Ages Past
5. * When I survey the wondrous cross
6. * Alas! and did my Saviour bleed
c. Wrote JOY TO THE WORLD as a translation of Psalm 98.
Mark Roberts: One of these reframed psalms provides the text for our carol “Joy to the World.” This was not meant to be a Christmas carol at all. In fact, apart from the fact that “the Lord is come” and the overall sense of joy, there isn’t anything “Christmassy” about “Joy to the World.”
d. NOT a Christmas hymn! Based on a melody by Handel.
Psa. 98:1 O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
Psa. 98:2 The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
Psa. 98:3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psa. 98:4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Psa. 98:5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
Psa. 98:6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Psa. 98:7 Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Psa. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Psa. 98:9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.
II. Psalm 98 is a Psalm of God’s rule over the earth.
a. Each of the psalms 93-100 expresses wonder and celebration of God’s present reign and impending rule over the earth.
b. God created the earth, and rules the earth.
III. Joy To The World rewrites Psalm 98.
a. Compare the two in Mark Robert’s table.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room;
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing.
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing. 4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ.
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy 2 The LORD hath made known his salvation (KJV)
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth.
No more let sin and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found. Here Watts strays farthest from the words of Psalm 98.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness.
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (KJV)
9 . . .for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
b. See the structure of the psalm.
i. 98:1-3 God’s deliverance in the past.
ii. 98:4-6 Worship of the Great King.
iii. 98:7-9 Anticipation of God’s Coming
EBC, Willem A. VanGemeren
Nature echoes and reverberates the joy of God’s people as they anticipate the coming of the Great King (cf. Isa 55:12). The rejoicing of animal and plant life in the sea and on earth (v.7) constitutes the totality of all of created life (cf. 24:1; 96:11), as does the contrastive pair “rivers” and “mountains” (v.8). The “groaning” of nature (Rom 8:19-21) will give way to rejoicing at his coming.
c. The Lord has come: the first time in Jesus to Bethlehem.
WBC, Marvin Tate
He has ‘remembered’ his commitments and obligations to Israel (v 3); that is, he has been actively involved in the implementation of his commitments …
d. The Lord has come: looking back from the visible rule of God upon the earth.
i. Let earth receive her king…
1. Acknowledge him as king.
2. Receive/Embrace him as king.
3. Prepare room for his rule in each heart.
a. Just as NO ROOM WAS FOUND THEN.
b. Room in each heart now,
c. Room in every heart then.
ii. Even heaven and earth will sing his praise.
1. Much is made in Scripture of nature celebrating God.
Psa. 47:1 ¶ O clap your hands, all peoples;
Shout to God with the voice of joy.
Psa. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Is. 55:12 “For you will go out with joy
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
2. Robert Alter:
There is a concordance between the human orchestra—in all likelihood, an actual orchestra accompanying the singing of this psalm—with its lutes and rams’ horns, and the orchestra of nature, both groups providing a grand fanfare for God the king.
The thundering of the sea is a percussion section, joined by the clapping hands of the rivers, then the chorus of the mountains.
…the Israelites chanting the poem’s words of exaltation, to the accompaniment of musical instruments, are invited to imagine their musical rite as part of a cosmic performance.
e. Prepare yourself now for the glorious return of our Lord.
i. Enjoy the first arrival, which we celebrate this season.
ii. Anticipate the second arrival,
EBC, Willem A. VanGemeren
They who welcome their Great King need not fear, because they are the recipients of his victories. He has gone to great length to save them.
Psa. 98:9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!
Advent, Week Two
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!
INTRODUCTION
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
• Centuries old, anonymous authorship
• At least eight musical settings.
• Many English villages had their own versions of the lyric.
• Many parodies, notably by G.K. Chesterton
• Used by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, so it became even more important
• Long the most popular Christmas carol in the UK.
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen too tipsy from partying?
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Mark Roberts: “To rest someone merry” meant “to keep someone happy.”
In other words, this wasn’t a wish for happy people to rest, but for people to be and to keep on being happy because Christ is born.
DISMAY: The language is quite old and obscure.
What does it mean?
Dismay: consternation and distress, …caused by something unexpected
We live in a world that dismays us…
• …the challenge of Christmas shopping in a mad rush, seeking gifts that no one needs.
• …the frightening images we see on-screen each week, highlighting the awful status of life under an oppressive government, without its necessities.
• …frustrating scenes provided daily by those who would govern us, warring parties each punishing one another, while all insist that it’s being done for our good.
Yes, this Christmas season, there is much to be dismayed about.
CENTRAL IDEA: The birth of Jesus is the antidote to dismay.
This familiar Carol of Christmas reminds us that our consternation and frustration can be resolved.
How does the birth of Jesus provide relief from our dismay?
1. The birth of Jesus provided TRUE RELIEF
a. for the shepherds.
i. These may have been very special shepherds, just outside Jerusalem; many have speculated that these were the sheep and lambs prepared for the Temple sacrifices in the city.
ii. These shepherds, as Israel, found comfort in the promise that their lambs offered as Temple sacrifices would give them opportunity to worship God with a clear conscience.
b. for us… to “save us all from Satan’s power.”
I’m especially concerned about the evil I see demonstrated against the weak and the broken. That is truly dismaying, shocking.
i. Satan’s power is manifest in the wanton destruction of life, the expression of cruel might against the helpless of the earth.
The lyric reminds me that my concern about evil should include my OWN tendencies.
ii. Satan’s power is manifest in our own lives, “when we were gone astray.”
iii. We share in the problem, evil has infected our souls as well as the world’s major perpetrators.
1. Hannah Arendt: The Human Condition, “the banality of evil”
…the great evils in history generally, and the Holocaust in particular, were not executed by fanatics or sociopaths but rather by ordinary people who accepted the premises of their state and therefore participated with the view that their actions were normal.
2. Isaiah 53:6
Is. 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
Then Paul adds another Isaiah passage to several Psalms…
iv. Romans
Rom. 3:15 “Their Feet Are Swift To Shed Blood,
Rom. 3:16 Destruction And Misery Are In Their Paths,
Rom. 3:17 And The Path Of Peace They Have Not Known.”
Which leads ME to an essential insight…
v. My life is in need of radical transformation, as well as the lives of those whom I fear and am dismayed by.
So what’s the solution to spiritual DISMAY?
2. My dismay is aptly treated with “TIDINGS OF…
a. Comfort—treatment for dismay.
Hebrew-- delight, comfort, delight, enjoyment,
to find consolation, regret;
My dismay is aptly treated with “TIDINGS OF…
b. Joy—antidote to dismay.
Comfort & Joy: a baby cries out of boredom, then quiets when a jangling toy is dangled within reach; comfort then transforms into joy.
A mother receives a false report of the death of a son, then is transformed when the boy walks in the front door.
A secretary types out a memo ordering layoffs for all employees, then discovers that she will be retained for the duration. COMFORT & JOY
So, where do I find both comfort and joy in the Story?
Comfort—for Israel, as in Handel’s Messiah, “Comfort ye, my people, for your warfare is past, accomplished, your iniquity is pardoned. Isaiah 40
Comfort—for these particular shepherds in Israel…
Their need for sacrifice was about to be forever fulfilled.
Comfort—at the foot of the Cross, Jesus said to his mother, one of three Mary’s there.
John 19:25 …But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
John 19:27 Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
Jesus gave COMFORT at the most unexpected moment.
Comfort for all—Matt. 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
IF JESUS USED SUCH AN AWFUL MOMENT IN HIS LIFE TO GIVE COMFORT TO HIS MOTHER AND HIS DISCIPLE, THEN HE WILL NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMFORT TO YOU.
But the lyric highlights JOY as well…
Joy—at the gravesite, after discovering the tomb was empty, and the ‘gardener’ nearby.
John 20:16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
John 20:17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
Jesus gave JOY at the most unexpected event, his appearance after death.
CONCLUSION:
1. Jesus gives comfort today. He gives comfort to all who come to him:
Matt. 11:29-30 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You Will Find Rest For Your Souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Our rest, our merriment, our happiness is deeply rooted in the work that Jesus did for us, beginning with his humble birth, involving his life of teaching, healing, and concluding with his death for us all.
The resurrection of Jesus means that our happiness, is guaranteed for all time and eternity.
2. Jesus gives joy today.
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
How might Jesus give you comfort today?
Dismayed about the pressures of this season?
About a disappointment in someone? In yourself?
Jesus gives comfort and joy; He is able to keep someone happy.
Come to the Cross!
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!
INTRODUCTION
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day.
• Centuries old, anonymous authorship
• At least eight musical settings.
• Many English villages had their own versions of the lyric.
• Many parodies, notably by G.K. Chesterton
• Used by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, so it became even more important
• Long the most popular Christmas carol in the UK.
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen too tipsy from partying?
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Mark Roberts: “To rest someone merry” meant “to keep someone happy.”
In other words, this wasn’t a wish for happy people to rest, but for people to be and to keep on being happy because Christ is born.
DISMAY: The language is quite old and obscure.
What does it mean?
Dismay: consternation and distress, …caused by something unexpected
We live in a world that dismays us…
• …the challenge of Christmas shopping in a mad rush, seeking gifts that no one needs.
• …the frightening images we see on-screen each week, highlighting the awful status of life under an oppressive government, without its necessities.
• …frustrating scenes provided daily by those who would govern us, warring parties each punishing one another, while all insist that it’s being done for our good.
Yes, this Christmas season, there is much to be dismayed about.
CENTRAL IDEA: The birth of Jesus is the antidote to dismay.
This familiar Carol of Christmas reminds us that our consternation and frustration can be resolved.
How does the birth of Jesus provide relief from our dismay?
1. The birth of Jesus provided TRUE RELIEF
a. for the shepherds.
i. These may have been very special shepherds, just outside Jerusalem; many have speculated that these were the sheep and lambs prepared for the Temple sacrifices in the city.
ii. These shepherds, as Israel, found comfort in the promise that their lambs offered as Temple sacrifices would give them opportunity to worship God with a clear conscience.
b. for us… to “save us all from Satan’s power.”
I’m especially concerned about the evil I see demonstrated against the weak and the broken. That is truly dismaying, shocking.
i. Satan’s power is manifest in the wanton destruction of life, the expression of cruel might against the helpless of the earth.
The lyric reminds me that my concern about evil should include my OWN tendencies.
ii. Satan’s power is manifest in our own lives, “when we were gone astray.”
iii. We share in the problem, evil has infected our souls as well as the world’s major perpetrators.
1. Hannah Arendt: The Human Condition, “the banality of evil”
…the great evils in history generally, and the Holocaust in particular, were not executed by fanatics or sociopaths but rather by ordinary people who accepted the premises of their state and therefore participated with the view that their actions were normal.
2. Isaiah 53:6
Is. 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
Then Paul adds another Isaiah passage to several Psalms…
iv. Romans
Rom. 3:15 “Their Feet Are Swift To Shed Blood,
Rom. 3:16 Destruction And Misery Are In Their Paths,
Rom. 3:17 And The Path Of Peace They Have Not Known.”
Which leads ME to an essential insight…
v. My life is in need of radical transformation, as well as the lives of those whom I fear and am dismayed by.
So what’s the solution to spiritual DISMAY?
2. My dismay is aptly treated with “TIDINGS OF…
a. Comfort—treatment for dismay.
Hebrew-- delight, comfort, delight, enjoyment,
to find consolation, regret;
My dismay is aptly treated with “TIDINGS OF…
b. Joy—antidote to dismay.
Comfort & Joy: a baby cries out of boredom, then quiets when a jangling toy is dangled within reach; comfort then transforms into joy.
A mother receives a false report of the death of a son, then is transformed when the boy walks in the front door.
A secretary types out a memo ordering layoffs for all employees, then discovers that she will be retained for the duration. COMFORT & JOY
So, where do I find both comfort and joy in the Story?
Comfort—for Israel, as in Handel’s Messiah, “Comfort ye, my people, for your warfare is past, accomplished, your iniquity is pardoned. Isaiah 40
Comfort—for these particular shepherds in Israel…
Their need for sacrifice was about to be forever fulfilled.
Comfort—at the foot of the Cross, Jesus said to his mother, one of three Mary’s there.
John 19:25 …But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
John 19:27 Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
Jesus gave COMFORT at the most unexpected moment.
Comfort for all—Matt. 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
IF JESUS USED SUCH AN AWFUL MOMENT IN HIS LIFE TO GIVE COMFORT TO HIS MOTHER AND HIS DISCIPLE, THEN HE WILL NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMFORT TO YOU.
But the lyric highlights JOY as well…
Joy—at the gravesite, after discovering the tomb was empty, and the ‘gardener’ nearby.
John 20:16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
John 20:17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
Jesus gave JOY at the most unexpected event, his appearance after death.
CONCLUSION:
1. Jesus gives comfort today. He gives comfort to all who come to him:
Matt. 11:29-30 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You Will Find Rest For Your Souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Our rest, our merriment, our happiness is deeply rooted in the work that Jesus did for us, beginning with his humble birth, involving his life of teaching, healing, and concluding with his death for us all.
The resurrection of Jesus means that our happiness, is guaranteed for all time and eternity.
2. Jesus gives joy today.
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
How might Jesus give you comfort today?
Dismayed about the pressures of this season?
About a disappointment in someone? In yourself?
Jesus gives comfort and joy; He is able to keep someone happy.
Come to the Cross!
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