Tag Archives: angels

From the Archives: Christmas

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Here are a few articles on Christmas from years past that might be worth another look:

Rethinking the Angelic Choir examines the words of scripture carefully and challenges our notion of the angels that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds.  The first thing angels always say when they appear in full glory to human beings is “Do not be afraid.”  If they were beautiful women in choir robes, why would people tremble in fear?

Santa Claus Has Not Sold Out suggests that Santa has not become commercialized, but rather our American image of Santa is the product of commercialism.  He wears a red and white suit because of those early 20th century Coca-Cola ads, and comes down the chimney because of department store Santas standing on the roof.

Christmas Card Theology is from last year, and begs the question what do we learn from the pictures on the Christmas cards we send? There are several things besides the fact that angels are beautiful women with long blonde hair.

All of the posts for Christmas and Advent are listed under the tag in the categories list, but these are a few of my favorites.

Christmas Card Theology

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What if everything we knew about Christmas came from studying the pictures on our Christmas cards?  Even if you never pick up a Bible, there’s a lot to learn from the cards we send around each year.  Here’s a list of some that I’ve noticed:

  • Mary and Jesus are both white.  I’ve even seen Jesus with red hair, and lots of it.  Way too much for a newborn.
  • Angels are beautiful women.  They basically look like super models in choir robes.  OR
  • Angels are 6 year old children.  They’re cute, and plump, and sometimes play musical instruments.
  • There were 3 wise men.  There were exactly 3 wise men, no more, no less.  Two of them were white, one was black.  AND THEY WERE AT THE MANGER.
  • The manger was in a shelter made of wood with a straw roof.  There were no other buildings of any sort for several miles in any direction.

These are a few of the things we learn when we get our theology from Christmas card images.  Assuming of course that your cards have anything about Jesus on them at all.  I’m going to leave it at this.  Check out the first couple chapters of Matthew and Luke before asking stupid any questions.

4th Sunday in Advent – Peace

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advent-wreathToday is the 4th Sunday of Advent.  Let’s begin with a review.  The first Sunday of the Advent season was Hope, and we lit the candle of Prophecy.  The second Sunday was Faith, and we lit the Bethlehem candle.  The third Sunday was Joy, and we lit the Shepherd’s candle.  Today is the Sunday of Peace, and we will light the Angel’s candle.

Luke chapter 2  tells the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds as they watched their flock.  On the third Sunday we focus on the joy the shepherds experience as they hear the good news and then find the baby lying in a manger.  On this day, our focus is on the angels themselves, and their delivering the message of peace; specifically “peace on earth, good will toward men.”  If you read Rethinking the Angelic Choir, it’s ironic that the angels singing about peace and were probably all holding swords.  There are plenty of anti-war demonstratorsthat will quickly tell you peace cannot be brought with a gun; that peace is not brought with violence.  In Scripture, however, peace is brought with violence.  There cannot be peace as long as Satan is deceiving the nations.  He and his demonic forces are the enemies of peace.  God will cast Satan and all his followers, human and angelic, into the lake of fire.  After His righteous judgement, death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire, and then Jesus will rule the nations… with peace.  Recall the prophecy of Isaiah:

To us a child is born, to us a son is given; the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighy God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end…   -Isaiah 9:6-7

At his first appearing (or advent) Jesus did not come to bring peace.  He came to offer himself as a sacrifice, in order to reconcile us to God.  Read Ephesians 2:13-22, which I saw tonight in a whole new light.  This may be the best one paragraph summation of the Gospel anywhere in scripture.  It explains the sacrificial work done by Jesus Christ and his relationship to the Father and Spirit perhaps better than any other single text.  At his next appearing, however, Jesus will not come as a baby in a manger.  He will be riding a white horse and wielding a sword.  He came before to be our sacrificial lamb; He will back as a concurring king.  At his first appearing, he became the savior to all nations; at his next, he will judge the nations. 

Even as we celebrate the Advent of Jesus Christ, let us be found spreading the Gospel message and preparing for his second appearing.  That is our hope of peace.

Wacky questions, episode 2

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question_mark_3dWacky questions.  You know, like if I say to my history class “Lincoln was shot at the Ford Theater,” and a student asks “What movie was he watching?”  This is my second installment of wacky theological questions and/or search engine terms.  Today’s example is of the latter.

This phrase, typed into a search engine, brought 3 people to my blog today:

“photo of angels and shepherds.”

 

If you don’t get why that’s funny, go back and watch Gone with the Wind.  That’s the movie Lincoln was watching the day he was shot.

Rethinking the Wise Men

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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:1-2

nativity

Take a good look at this nativity scene.  Study it for a moment.  It should look similar to every other nativity you’ve ever seen before.  Jesus is lying in a manger filled with hay; the major characters are in or around a stable of some sort; the star would be shining above; the shepherds came from the field, where they had been watching their flocks; and the 3 wise men came bringing gifts.  It’s a nice picture, and we think “That seems about right.”  But it’s not.  One of the things on my list, according to scripture at least,  doesn’t belong. Continue reading →

Rethinking the Angelic Choir

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the-angels-song-and-the-shepherds-visitAnd in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babywrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”(Luke 2:8-14, ESV)

When we read any type of narrative, it is normal to picture how we think the scene might have looked in the mind’s eye.  There are numerous portraits of Jesus, the Apostles, Joseph and Mary, Old Testament characters, and so forth, but the only thing we know for certain is that we do not know what any of these people looked like.  Some things we do know; Jesus did not have blue eyes.  When artists of the Renaissance created Biblical portraits, they unashamedly made the characters look like twelfth century Europeans.  We can accurately predict Jesus would have been short, dark skinned, dark eyed, and looked very Hebrew.  Scripture teaches he looked pretty much the same as every other adult Jewish male of his time.  Just like there are certain things we know are not exactly right about the most popular images of Jesus, we can safely say that certain artistic liberties have been taken with the portrayal of angels. Continue reading →