Christmas for Modern People
Miracles are no less shocking to the ancient world than to us today.
‘But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”’ (Matthew 1:20).
The incarnation of Jesus is a miracle that profoundly impacted the ancient world. However, its shocking nature wasn’t due to the naivety of ancient people. A recent Advent sermon by Sam Allberry brought to mind this excerpt from C.S. Lewis —
When St Joseph discovered that his fiancée was going to have a baby, he not unnaturally decided to repudiate her. Why? Because he knew just as well as any modern gynecologist that in the ordinary course of nature women do not have babies unless they have lain with men. No doubt the modern gynecologist knows several things about birth and begetting which St Joseph did not know. But those things do not concern the main point-that a virgin birth is contrary to the course of nature. And St Joseph obviously knew that. In any sense in which it is true to say now, “The thing is scientifically impossible,” he would have said the same: the thing always was, and was always known to be, impossible unless the regular processes of nature were, in this particular case, being overruled or supplemented by something from beyond nature.When St Joseph finally accepted the view that his fiancée's pregnancy was due not to unchastity but to a miracle, he accepted the miracle as something contrary to the known order of nature. All records of miracles teach the same thing. In such stories the miracles excite fear and wonder (that is what the very word miracle implies) among the spectators, and are taken as evidence of supernatural power. If they were not known to be contrary to the laws of nature how could they suggest the presence of the supernatural? How could they be surprising unless they were seen to be exceptions to the rules? And how can anything be seen to be an exception till the rules are known? If there ever were men who did not know the laws of nature at all, they would have no idea of a miracle and feel no particular interest in one if it were performed before them.Nothing can seem extraordinary until you have discovered what is ordinary. Belief in miracles, far from depending on an ignorance of the laws of nature, is only possible insofar as those laws are known. We have already seen that if you begin by ruling out the supernatural you will perceive no miracles. We must now add that you will equally perceive no miracles until you believe that nature works according to regular laws. If you have not yet noticed that the sun always rises in the East you will see nothing miraculous about his rising one morning in the West.
— C.S. Lewis, Miracles
This Sunday At Immanuel
Sunday Morning…
SUNDAY WORSHIP: Join us for our 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. services as Pastor TJ continues our Advent series. All are welcome!
SADLER AUDITORIUM COFFEE HOUR 🎉 Immanuel Nashville is the new owner of 4301 Charlotte Avenue! 🎉
We invite you to join us every Sunday in December for coffee, sweets, and fellowship in the Sadler Auditorium from 10:00 am - 10:45 am!
The Sadler Auditorium is the building on our campus with the large stairs directly off 44th Avenue. If you need wheelchair accessibility, you can come up the ramp on the side of the Sadler Auditorium. We invite everyone else to come up the steps. Let’s celebrate what the Lord is doing at Immanuel!
Sunday Seminars…
No Student Seminar in December - Student Serve Month
9 AM:Last Word: The Gospel of Christ in the Book of Revelation,led by Dr. Russell Moore in the cafe(No class this Sunday, on Christmas break!)9 AM: Studying the Bible Together, led by Dr. Tom Cox, studying the book of Romans in the staff lounge
10:45 AM:How to Share Your Faith,led byDr. Gavin Ortlund in the cafe(No class this Sunday, on Christmas break!)
ON THE HORIZON
Christmas Eve Holy Communion: Immanuel warmly invites you to celebrate Christmas Eve together on Tuesday, December 24th! This year we have two services:
4:00pm: First service (Children’s classes available for ages 3 and under)
5:30pm: Second service (No children’s classes)
Let’s mark this Christmas with a hopeful reminder of Christ and his accomplishments for us!