I intended to reflect today on the ?other' relationship behind preaching. John Koessler's comment to my previous post even set the table for it! John wrote that preaching "is also a conversation with God's people that is grounded in my relationship with them." I have some definite thoughts on building relationships with the people to whom we preach. But I'll hold these for another time (ah, the beauty of blogging!). For today, I'd like to reflect on the stunning diversity in Jesus. A sermon I read this morning prompted this.
I listen to more sermons than I read, but I holed up this morning in a library (see my previous post) and read "The Excellency of Christ" by Jonathan Edwards. What a feast for the soul! Edwards prefixed this sermon and four others to a 1738 edition of his "Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God" ? the account of a 1735 revival in Northampton, Massachusetts where he pastored.
Preaching from Revelation 5 (particularly verse 6), Edwards' big idea was: There is an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies in Jesus Christ. He picked up on Christ being called both "Lion" and "Lamb." According to Edwards, we would never expect to find such a variety of amazing qualities in one individual. In fact, some of these qualities (what he labels "diverse excellencies") seem to be incompatible. But when we see them in Christ, we can do no less than accept him as our Savior and choose him for our friend and portion! These qualities flow from Jesus' existence as the God-man.
I'd encourage you to read the sermon for yourself. I read it in my copy of Banner of Truth's "micro-print" edition (volume 2, pages 680-689). But if you run a "Google" search, you can find it on several on-line sites. Here are some of the diverse excellencies found in Jesus Christ.
? Jesus is both the Lion and Lamb.
? In Jesus we find infinite highness and infinite condescension.
? Infinite justice and infinite grace meet in Jesus.
? Infinite glory and the lowest humility unite in Jesus.
? In Jesus we encounter majesty and meekness.
? Christ possesses equality with God yet displays reverence towards God.
? Jesus possesses self-sufficiency as God yet exercises trust in God.
? Jesus achieves victory over his enemies by being over-powered by his enemies!
I needed this sermon. As I think back on my week, I've been impressed by I-Pod technology, ?wowed' by some of the contestants on American Idol, and captivated by Chicago at night as I flew into O'Hare. But I needed the reminder that nobody is as stunning as Jesus! Nothing compares to his excellency! Take that with you as you wrap up your sermon preparation and prepare to preach this weekend. Lord Jesus, You are truly my soul's glory, joy, and crown!
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 2:46 PM on February 23, 2007
