Advent 3 year A Sermon
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so the mountains would quake at your presence—Come down…come O come Emmanuel… come down…
and be with us
We begin
today with Isaiah’s mind bending vision...
…the tearing of the very fabric of reality… as we think we know it……….
the breaking in of God to time and space.
…the tearing of the very fabric of reality… as we think we know it……….
the breaking in of God to time and space.
At this
time of year we celebrate the
coming of God’s future toward us…God’s self-revelation… in birth of Jesus…
The season of Advent…is all about what’s coming…
The season of Advent…is all about what’s coming…
And we
listen once again to Isaiah’s powerful plea…
that God, ‘would tear open the heavens and come down…
for the faithful are waiting…’ Reflecting his trust in God’s faithfulness and
in God’s freedom
to act outside the limitations of time and space…
that God, ‘would tear open the heavens and come down…
for the faithful are waiting…’ Reflecting his trust in God’s faithfulness and
in God’s freedom
to act outside the limitations of time and space…
Jesus baptism slide
And our Christian
faith stands fast…doesn’t it…
on the conviction God did act in time and space…
in the conception and birth…and in the life and teaching of Jesus…
the very Word of God…capital W…
chose to be subject to frailty and death…
in solidarity with all creation…
on the conviction God did act in time and space…
in the conception and birth…and in the life and teaching of Jesus…
the very Word of God…capital W…
chose to be subject to frailty and death…
in solidarity with all creation…
Why? Not only to
show us how much we’re loved…
but how to live…for the well-being of all Creation.
but how to live…for the well-being of all Creation.
And our faith
stands fast on the assurance that
Jesus’ death was not the end
of the story…
of the story…
The resurrection…the
appearing of Jesus to many following
the crucifixion…
signals the advent of our future…
signals the advent of our future…
So we can
always view the future in hope… God’s coming
…God’s breaking in…
to time and space…
is the fundamental revelation of the Gospels… [pause]
to time and space…
is the fundamental revelation of the Gospels… [pause]
But when our cynical
non-Christian friends… dismiss Jesus’ story as irrelevant for
today or a myth…how can we be confident in the Gospel record…in Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John…How do we know these writings have any historic
validity…written as they were
almost two thousand years ago…
today or a myth…how can we be confident in the Gospel record…in Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John…How do we know these writings have any historic
validity…written as they were
almost two thousand years ago…
Well, I’m here
to tell you today... we have much to
learn from the Gospel record.
That these ancient biographies …simply can’t be discarded in such an ignorant way.
That these ancient biographies …simply can’t be discarded in such an ignorant way.
For the next two Sunday’s I’m going to explain why we can rationally trust…
in the historicity of these ancient texts. [pause]
in the historicity of these ancient texts. [pause]
Jesus birth slide
The orthodox
Christian view…is that the birth of Jesus…
is the very hinge of history…the before and the after… the division of our calendar…
into BC and AD.
And within this lies a profound claim. But, can it actually be substantiated?
Certainly the secular world doesn’t think so. Even in the church some have abandoned
the idea that God became human… and walked among us.
is the very hinge of history…the before and the after… the division of our calendar…
into BC and AD.
And within this lies a profound claim. But, can it actually be substantiated?
Certainly the secular world doesn’t think so. Even in the church some have abandoned
the idea that God became human… and walked among us.
Yet… there are many…even learned scientists…
who believe there’s enough evidence…
to allow us to put a lot of faith in the Gospel record. Faith to see us right though
Advent and beyond…into 2014…
as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Gospel
in Aotearoa New Zealand.
who believe there’s enough evidence…
to allow us to put a lot of faith in the Gospel record. Faith to see us right though
Advent and beyond…into 2014…
as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Gospel
in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Tallon slide
A friend of mine, Professor Jeff Tallon of
Victoria University was awarded the
Rutherford medal for his work in physics… and this year jointly awarded the
inaugural Prime Minister's Science Prize for outstanding achievement in science.
This companion of the New Zealand
order of merit took over the pulpit in our church on day…to offer his own scientific understanding of the truth of the Gospels.
Rutherford medal for his work in physics… and this year jointly awarded the
inaugural Prime Minister's Science Prize for outstanding achievement in science.
This companion of the New Zealand
order of merit took over the pulpit in our church on day…to offer his own scientific understanding of the truth of the Gospels.
Jeff expresses great sadness over media coverage
given to skeptics when Christians
are about the celebrate the birth of Jesus …particularly people who claim Christmas
was founded on a pagan feast…and that there were no Magi,
that there was no slaughter of infants…and Jesus never born Bethlehem.
was founded on a pagan feast…and that there were no Magi,
that there was no slaughter of infants…and Jesus never born Bethlehem.
It disturbs
him the public is constantly told…stories
of Jesus birth are historically
inconsistent fables…just myths…
that developed among early believers… years after the events happened.
As a scientist…Jeff’s sadness comes from a very real conviction that everything he’s studied…of the events around Jesus birth… confirms an underlying objective reality…
and fills him the deepest sense of the sacred and Divine.
In fact…what Jeff and other scientist have discovered …
is that the skeptics view…is the one rooted in ignorance and mis-information.
That’s a strong claim isn’t it?
But I find Professor Tallon’s evidence… not only fascinating but reassuring…
that we we must always approach the Gospel stories with an open mind…
because our understanding…
can only ever be… partial and incomplete.
Today technological advances can help resolve apparent difficulties…
so even the most hardened skeptics
have to wonder…just who was the child Jesus,
born at Bethlehem in Judea?
inconsistent fables…just myths…
that developed among early believers… years after the events happened.
As a scientist…Jeff’s sadness comes from a very real conviction that everything he’s studied…of the events around Jesus birth… confirms an underlying objective reality…
and fills him the deepest sense of the sacred and Divine.
In fact…what Jeff and other scientist have discovered …
is that the skeptics view…is the one rooted in ignorance and mis-information.
That’s a strong claim isn’t it?
But I find Professor Tallon’s evidence… not only fascinating but reassuring…
that we we must always approach the Gospel stories with an open mind…
because our understanding…
can only ever be… partial and incomplete.
Today technological advances can help resolve apparent difficulties…
so even the most hardened skeptics
have to wonder…just who was the child Jesus,
born at Bethlehem in Judea?
Today with Jeff’s permission…I’m going to present what we now know from
historic
research and the science of astronomy …wonderful information… to share with your
skeptical
and cynical friends… and even to strengthen your own faith.
research and the science of astronomy …wonderful information… to share with your
skeptical
and cynical friends… and even to strengthen your own faith.
First… all that Pagan Feast stuff…is rubbish.
Modern astronomy slide
Why? Because today through the science
of astronomy…
we can actually reproduce… where the stars and constellations were…
at any given time in history…
we can actually reproduce… where the stars and constellations were…
at any given time in history…
electronically…
When scientist’s like Jeffrey Tallon search for the most likely contender for the Bethlehem star…they actually do find a star… that ‘stood over Bethlehem’… when viewed
from Jerusalem looking south… just as Matthew’s gospel tells it.
A star… astronomers say…that reached its zenith and the full extent of its
retrograde motion…precisely on the 25th
of December. And what’s even more exciting is…
in that very year…the Jewish feast of Hanukkah
also fell on twenty five December. So, the actual date
we celebrate Christmas has nothing to do with a pagan feast
When scientist’s like Jeffrey Tallon search for the most likely contender for the Bethlehem star…they actually do find a star… that ‘stood over Bethlehem’… when viewed
from Jerusalem looking south… just as Matthew’s gospel tells it.
A star… astronomers say…that reached its zenith and the full extent of its
retrograde motion…precisely on the 25th
of December. And what’s even more exciting is…
in that very year…the Jewish feast of Hanukkah
also fell on twenty five December. So, the actual date
we celebrate Christmas has nothing to do with a pagan feast
Dessert slide
It’s more
likely to be… the day the Magi arrived…
having crossed the vast desert to the east…to visit the new Jewish King the stars had predicted…and they found Jesus …not in the stable where he was born…but just
as the Gospel of Matthew describes…at the family home…fifteen months or so
after Jesus’ birth …
when Jesus was a toddler…a child…as Matthew says.
having crossed the vast desert to the east…to visit the new Jewish King the stars had predicted…and they found Jesus …not in the stable where he was born…but just
as the Gospel of Matthew describes…at the family home…fifteen months or so
after Jesus’ birth …
when Jesus was a toddler…a child…as Matthew says.
So when we approach Jesus birth as an historical event…
when we overcome our concern…about the so-called mythology
surrounding it…
we discover the world has a lot to learn…
we discover the world has a lot to learn…
Another uninformed criticism… of the historic
reliability of the Gospels…
is that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John didn’t try to keep the eyewitness stories
of Jesus’ life in the order they happened…Chronological consistency has always
been an important criteria
for determining the reliability of scripture.
But if the Gospel accounts are consistent
with independent scientific observation
of what occurred…we can be more confident in the gospel record…
and strengthen our faith as well. [pause]
is that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John didn’t try to keep the eyewitness stories
of Jesus’ life in the order they happened…Chronological consistency has always
been an important criteria
for determining the reliability of scripture.
But if the Gospel accounts are consistent
with independent scientific observation
of what occurred…we can be more confident in the gospel record…
and strengthen our faith as well. [pause]
Because they followed the movement of the stars…
the Magi were obviously astronomers and astrologists… … and it was their science…
that led them to an encounter with Jesus…and our science of astronomy points to the
visit of the Magi… exactly when we celebrate Christmas.
Crucifixion slide
And Professor Tallon adds…there’s another fascinating way to check the
accuracy of the biblical record…
and that’s to work backwards to the date of Jesus’ birth…
from Jesus crucifixion.
We can do this…by putting three events together
recorded independently of the Gospel witness…
by Roman and Jewish historians living in the first century.
the Magi were obviously astronomers and astrologists… … and it was their science…
that led them to an encounter with Jesus…and our science of astronomy points to the
visit of the Magi… exactly when we celebrate Christmas.
Crucifixion slide
And Professor Tallon adds…there’s another fascinating way to check the
accuracy of the biblical record…
and that’s to work backwards to the date of Jesus’ birth…
from Jesus crucifixion.
We can do this…by putting three events together
recorded independently of the Gospel witness…
by Roman and Jewish historians living in the first century.
The first event is Pilate’s Procuratorship of Judea…
between 26 and 36 AD. We know John began baptizing during Pilate’s time in office…
so that narrows the beginning of Jesus’ ministry down to 29 or 30 AD.
And we know the trial of Jesus had to be
after 31 AD…
because that’s when Pilate executed
his anti-Semitic mentor, Sejanus, to appease the Jews…
because that’s when Pilate executed
his anti-Semitic mentor, Sejanus, to appease the Jews…
And we know Jesus death… had to be before 34
AD
because that’s the latest possible date for Paul’s conversion.
How do we know this about Paul’s conversion?
Well, the book of Acts tells us… after 18 months in Corinth, Paul was
indicted under Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia.
because that’s the latest possible date for Paul’s conversion.
How do we know this about Paul’s conversion?
Well, the book of Acts tells us… after 18 months in Corinth, Paul was
indicted under Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia.
An existing archeological inscription…says Gallio
was proconsul only between January
and August 52 AD. So, Paul had to leave for Corinth no later than 50AD. And Paul’s letter
to the Galatians tells us…this was seventeen years after his conversion…and that brings
us right back to…
wait for it…late 33 or early 34 AD…a year after Jesus’ trial.
and August 52 AD. So, Paul had to leave for Corinth no later than 50AD. And Paul’s letter
to the Galatians tells us…this was seventeen years after his conversion…and that brings
us right back to…
wait for it…late 33 or early 34 AD…a year after Jesus’ trial.
So all these independent events… help us
verify the time of Jesus’ trial… and all
those
events recorded in Roman and Jewish records… can be found in Luke’s gospel too…
events recorded in Roman and Jewish records… can be found in Luke’s gospel too…
Moon slide
Finally we return to our modern science
of astronomy
to settle the date with certainty.
Celestial bodies…sometimes come in very handy.
Did you know the Jewish Passover always occurs
on the full moon closest to the spring equinox? And since Jesus was crucified…
on the day the Passover meal began… we know there will have been…
a full moon rising.
to settle the date with certainty.
Celestial bodies…sometimes come in very handy.
Did you know the Jewish Passover always occurs
on the full moon closest to the spring equinox? And since Jesus was crucified…
on the day the Passover meal began… we know there will have been…
a full moon rising.
Josephus…the 1st century Jewish historian…
recorded that Jesus was crucified on fourteen Nisan
in the Hebrew calendar.
John’s gospel tells us it was a Friday.
And we know 14 Nisan only fell on a Friday…
in the year 33 AD.
in the Hebrew calendar.
John’s gospel tells us it was a Friday.
And we know 14 Nisan only fell on a Friday…
in the year 33 AD.
Professor Tallon’s final blow to the skeptics…
relates to Peter’s speech at Pentecost only seven weeks after the Resurrection…
Recalling the crucifixion…
Peter quotes the prophet Joel…
relates to Peter’s speech at Pentecost only seven weeks after the Resurrection…
Recalling the crucifixion…
Peter quotes the prophet Joel…
Moon slide with words
‘The sun shall be turned to darkness and the
moon into blood before
the day of the Lord comes.’ [pause]
the day of the Lord comes.’ [pause]
On the evening Jesus was crucified…
to begin the Passover meal…the head of every Jewish household…
would have looked toward the rising moon. And what they saw that day on 14 Nisan…
what the science of astronomy tells us they saw
was the moon…rising in eclipse…
lying fully in the Earth’s shadow… and blood red…
for half an hour. [pause]
to begin the Passover meal…the head of every Jewish household…
would have looked toward the rising moon. And what they saw that day on 14 Nisan…
what the science of astronomy tells us they saw
was the moon…rising in eclipse…
lying fully in the Earth’s shadow… and blood red…
for half an hour. [pause]
Blank moon slide
Earlier at mid-day…for around three hours…
the sun… was darkened.
the sun… was darkened.
Joel’s prophetic vision…was given substance
on the very day of Jesus’ crucifixion…14 Nisan
in the Hebrew calendar…our April 3rd…33 AD. [pause]
So… we’ve established a reasonable and rational
time frame for Jesus’ public
ministry and execution…
ministry and execution…
Working backwards
from this…we can look again
at the accuracy of gospel stories of Jesus birth …
at the accuracy of gospel stories of Jesus birth …
Take for example… Matthew’s record of Herod’s slaughter of infants…
to prevent a threat to his throne.
to prevent a threat to his throne.
Well… Josephus records… that right before Herod
died …
he had two Rabbi’s burned alive… and on ‘that same night … there was
an eclipse of the moon’.
Today we know on the 9th of January 1 BC
the moon was in total eclipse…and eighteen days later Herod died…
poised to perpetrate another massacre… of infants
he had two Rabbi’s burned alive… and on ‘that same night … there was
an eclipse of the moon’.
Today we know on the 9th of January 1 BC
the moon was in total eclipse…and eighteen days later Herod died…
poised to perpetrate another massacre… of infants
Josephus compares it to the slaughter in Bethlehem. Herod’s motive…
so ‘there would be weeping in Israel when he died’
Only a month before Herod died…the Magi had said good-by to him from
his palace in Jerusalem…
where he’d pointed them toward Bethlehem…under the star that had
reached the zenith of its retrograde motion.
so ‘there would be weeping in Israel when he died’
Only a month before Herod died…the Magi had said good-by to him from
his palace in Jerusalem…
where he’d pointed them toward Bethlehem…under the star that had
reached the zenith of its retrograde motion.
just as Matthew’s gospel says,
And remember that day was the beginning of Hanukkah…
the Jewish holiday when gifts are always exchanged.
[pause]
Next week we’ll explore just what the night sky
looked like that year as the
Magi traveled to meet the new born king of the Jews… they read about…in the stars.
Magi traveled to meet the new born king of the Jews… they read about…in the stars.
Tallon slide
Professor Tallon is always keen reminds us that
in the end
we come to God through faith…not logic.
And I heard his voice break as he came to the end of his talk saying
And in faith before this Jesus…
I surrender all my intellectual pride
and bow the knees of my heart and my mind
to him in worship…’
we come to God through faith…not logic.
And I heard his voice break as he came to the end of his talk saying
And in faith before this Jesus…
I surrender all my intellectual pride
and bow the knees of my heart and my mind
to him in worship…’
Let us do the same as we approach the table of
our Lord.
