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In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on

December 19, 2023

It’s a Christmas Miracle

Christmas is truly one of my favorite times of the year. I love everything about it—the classic music, the festive decorations, the delicious treats, the parties, the presents, and of course, the movies. There are a handful of Christmas movies that really are some of my top movies of all time, but my family refuses to watch anything remotely Christmas-y outside of that month or so between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, so we always have to cram them all in before the holiday season is over.

One reason why I (and probably many others) love Christmas movies is that they feel so comforting and nostalgic to watch, and I think that’s often because they use tropes that we all know and love, like Santa actually being a real person, Christmas being in danger and in need of saving, the importance of family, the grump who has a heart change, and the couple who falls in love over the holidays (even if they hated each other in the beginning). One trope that appears in a lot of Christmas movies is the Christmas Miracle.

The Christmas Miracle trope usually pops up near the end of the movie at a point when everything seems lost, and then by some sudden stroke of Christmas magic, a miracle occurs and all is saved or made right. In Home Alone, Kevin is about to be tortured by Harry and Marv, but then his not-so-scary neighbor rescues him, the cops show up to arrest the Wet Bandits, and Kevin’s mom finally makes it home on Christmas Day. In Elf, Santa and Buddy are about to be caught by the Central Park Rangers, but then Jovie is able to inspire enough people to sing and have Christmas spirit so that Santa’s sleigh can fly. And in your average Hallmark movie, there is always some way for the big city character to save the failing small-town Christmas cookie store, Christmas tree farm, or some other Christmas-themed business.

But I believe the best example of a Christmas miracle is not found in a movie or book but in the small city of Nazareth around two thousand years ago.

Tristany

In Blog, Jesus, Theology on

December 5, 2023

Jesus Came For Everybody

One of my favorite animated movies of all time is the 1959 Disney film, Sleeping Beauty. With its stunning scenery, iconic music, and a princess who dons a pink gown, it’s been a beloved movie of mine since childhood. In the opening scene, royalty, powerful fairies, and other important people in the kingdom are ushered into the palace to celebrate the birth and christening of Princess Aurora. And as we all know, things go awry when an uninvited evil fairy shows up to the celebration.

While Sleeping Beauty is a fictional fairy tale, the pomp and circumstance of this beginning scene is likely what we imagine when a new baby is born to a member of royalty or influence. Sure, we may not necessarily expect waving banners or hailing the new child in song, but we do expect the family to be surrounded by powerful and important friends and allies as they welcome their newborn progeny.

However, when the King of the universe came down to earth and was born in human flesh, there was no pomp and circumstance. Banners weren’t waved, and the newborn Son was not serenaded by a little drummer boy, despite what the song says. The little family was visited by two different groups of people during Jesus’ infanthood, but they were not exactly the types of people you might expect to show up for such an occasion.

Tristany

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In Biblical Theology, Blog, Theology on

October 23, 2023

Pierced for Our Transgressions

Sometimes it’s the smallest of things that hurt the most. Brushing a hand along a page and getting a paper cut, feeling its sting whenever you flex your finger. Grabbing onto a piece of wood only for it to give you a splinter, leaving you sore and swollen with the possibility of infection. Hearing an unkind word from a friend that ruins your day or perhaps even ruins that relationship.

Reaching for a beautiful rose to only be pricked by a thorn.

These are all little things, but they all can leave us in significant pain, whether physical or emotional. When Adam and Eve took a bite of that forbidden fruit in the Garden, it probably seemed like such a small thing to them. After all, it was just a piece of fruit. It appeared to be delicious, something that would appease both their physical hunger and their thirst for knowledge. But their seemingly small act of disobedience brought the Fall, affecting the entire world and everything in it.

Tristany

In Bible Study, Blog, John on

October 10, 2023

The True Vine

The Christian life is hard.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to us. Jesus promised that we would have tribulation in this world (John 16:33), but knowing this doesn’t always make things easier or more bearable. It’s hard to love our neighbors when they have complete disdain for what we believe. It’s hard to count it all joy when our desperate prayers seemingly go unanswered. It’s hard to be slow to speak and slow to anger when people on social media are so hostile to our values. It’s hard to remain steadfast when the world around us appears to be dissolving into chaos and depravity.

But Jesus knew all this. He knew the Christian life would be hard for us. He knew, even two thousand years ago, even before then, what the world would become in 2023. And the wonderful thing is that Jesus did not just leave us to figure out how to live as a Christian in 2023 on our own. Instead, He has promised to be with us (Matthew 28:20b) and to abide with us, for He is the True Vine.

Tristany

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In Blog, Salvation, Theology on

September 25, 2023

The Crucifixion: Substitutionary Atonement or Cosmic Child Abuse?

There are many areas of the Christian life that believers can disagree about in good faith. These secondary and tertiary issues, while certainly being important enough to discuss and debate, do not qualify any Christian to be thought of as a heretic or asked to leave a congregation. Things like modes of baptism, church leadership roles, or styles of worship music are certainly convictions that we can argue over, but at the end of the day, those we disagree with are still our brothers and sisters in Christ.

One example of an issue that Christians today disagree about is the atonement. Now, I do not mean whether atonement occurred as a result of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection (it did indeed, and that would be more of a primary, salvific issue), but rather what the atonement primarily accomplished. There are various theories out there about the purpose of the atonement: the ransom theory, the moral influence theory, Christus victor. Perhaps the most prominent theory today (and the theory I find the most in line with Scripture) is called penal substitutionary atonement, which is essentially the belief that Jesus died on the cross as our substitute, paying the debt of our sins and satisfying the wrath of God so that we may be forgiven of our sin and deemed righteous in the eyes of the Father.

However, there are some who fall in the progressive camp that hold a very different view of the crucifixion. Instead of believing that Jesus’ death on the cross was a ransom payment, a victory against evil, or even a good moral example, these progressive “Christians” argue that the crucifixion was merely an act of “cosmic child abuse.” But when we look to God’s Word, we will find that, unlike the theories listed above, this specific belief about Jesus is heretical.

Tristany