Christianity In A Nutshell: December 25

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:8-11NIV

Tim Keller is one of my favorite authors/pastors - he has a way with meeting questions (and doubts) about Christianity that is patient, clear, concise, and most of all, loving and respectful.  Two of his books have been greatly influential in my faith and theology:  "The Reason For God" and "The Prodigal God."  I highly recommend these to you.

In a 1993 sermon, Keller sums up Christianity:

Christianity is a way that says if you come to Jesus Christ, even if you aren’t good and decent, even if you aren’t wonderful, and even if you don’t have a good record, anybody through Christ can find God. 

Somebody says, ‘How can that be?’ Let me just put the gospel in a nutshell: because Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and died a perfect death, now God treats you, when you believe in Christ, as if you have done everything Jesus has done and you have suffered everything Jesus has suffered. God treats believing sinners as if they had done everything Jesus has done and suffered everything Jesus has suffered.

That means when you believe in Christ you’re adopted not on the basis of your record, but on his record. 

You’re adopted into the family and treated as if you’d accomplished everything he’s accomplished. That’s the gospel. 

Somebody says, ‘It’s too easy.’ I don’t know how many times people have said, ‘That’s just too easy. You mean you just receive it?’ Yeah, but you have to receive it through repentance, and that’s what’s not easy at all. 

The only way to get to that peace is through paying the pain of repentance. In other words, all you need is nothing, but most people don’t have that.

(Tim Keller, 1993)

Celebrating Advent: December 24

John 1:14 

So the Word became human and made his home among us. 

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. 

And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Celebrating Advent: December 23

Matthew 2:9-12 


After this interview the wise men went their way.  And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem.  It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!  They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Celebrating Advent: December 22

December 22 is the 4th Sunday of Advent

Matthew 2:7-8 


Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.  Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

Celebrating Advent: December 21

Matthew 2: 3-6 


King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.  He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, 
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
 who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

Celebrating Advent: December 20

Matthew 2: 1-2 


Visitors from the East

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.  About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,  “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”