Semper Reformanda

“the Son of Man” | The Advent of Christ | 9/25

And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. John 1:51 (KJV)

The ‘Son of man’ is a peculiar and an interesting title that Christ so often uses to refer to Himself. There is a rich history of its usage throughout the Old Testament. It seems to reflect Jesus’ humanity and his messianic role between God and man. But more than this, the preference for the title seems to be grounded on something much more spiritually intimate. Piper refers to it as the ‘language of kinship, glory and sovereignty.’[1] It is an identity revealed only to the elect of God; revealed only through the familial bond of being born of Christ. The revelation is a gift; to be able to see the Son of Man in all his heavenly Glory. The son of man was merely a man to the Jewish leaders, but to those called to be His family, He was Christ. What ‘son of man’ do we celebrate this season? Is your humanity tied to the revelation of Christ?

[1] Piper, J. (2014). The Dawning of Indestructible Joy

“… foretold of these days” | The Advent of Christ | 8/25

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Acts 3:22-26 (KJV)

The truthfulness of God is the only constant in the flux of our existence. Israel of the Old Testament had traversed vast experiences; and amidst this rich history, the promise of a Saviour had been a constant. YHWH demonstrates it through various intervention. But ultimately the coming of Christ marks the fulness of the promise. I absolutely love the way Piper puts it.[1] He writes “The point is that when Jesus comes, he conﬁrms the truth of all these promises. He shows that God is trustworthy; he keeps his word. Christ came to prove that God tells the truth, that God keeps his promises. Christmas means that God can be trusted.” This advent, let’s share the truthfulness of God to others. Testify how God has been steadfast and merciful in our lives. This is the gift we have received. Let us extend further. Blessings flow outward. Rationing it ruins it, like mana in the desert. Extend the love.

[1] Piper, J. (2014). The Dawning of Indestructible Joy

“God… raised up his Son Jesus… to bless you” | The Advent of Christ | 7/25

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Acts 3:26 (KJV)

In Acts 3:22-26, we find Peter preaching to the Jewish crowd. He has just healed a lame man. He quickly diverts the attention drawn by the miracle towards God; stating it as proof of Christ’ resurrection. He ends his speech by citing the Old Testament. He brings the crowd’s attention as to how the advent of Christ was foretold; He was the ‘fullness of time’ and prophecy. In other words, the miracle that they just witnessed was not an arbitrary magical act. Rather, Peter seems to make the Jewish crowd understand that redemption is the destiny. Christ came and died to offer more than just physical healing, but eternal life. The message was simple. Peter said ‘Jesus was sent to bless you.’ The message remains the same. The advent is a wonderful time to remind ourselves to submit to the Sovereign the Will of the Father who had purposefully sent His only Son to bless you and me.