REVrant 32. 5 - Archbishop of Canterbury Struggles With Nativity

Archbishop's interview with Simon Mayo - Telegraph.

You can read it for yourself – I’ve attached an interview with a BBC reporter and the Archbishop of Canterbury.  What seems clear to me is that the respected Archbishop is heading down the same path that many within the emergent movement in the US are taking.

Do we really need the virgin birth?  Who really thinks that Magi came to see Jesus?  Nice legends though.  You can’t be serious about a star over Bethlehem!  It didn’t really happen the way most people think.

While I agree that the chronology of the shepherds and wise men would not have allowed for them to be there at the same time, I get a little nervous over deconstructionist trends among church leaders in our time.  They insinuate – “you have it all wrong.”  And along with their corrections, there is this air of superiority and sophistication that is gradually eroding the core of the Gospel message.

The Archbishop’s final quote in the interview is revealing – “That makes sense to me.”  Ahem…ah, my dear Archbishop, I think you’ve just identified the crux of many people’s problem when it comes to responding to Christ’s claims – they only believe what makes sense to them.

I don’t believe in Jesus because the whole story makes sense to me – but because it’s true!  God becoming a man?  A baby born of a virgin?  A young guy – Joseph – accepts his girlfriend’s pregnancy as Holy Spirit authored?  Jesus the boy is “The Christ?”  Angels announce his coming to lowly shepherds?  Star-gazers from the east come to worship Him as King?  He eventually dies for the sins of the world?  And He rises from the dead on the third day?  And He’s now sitting on the right hand of God in heaven?  Does this make sense?  Not really.  But I believe it all!

Comments

[betsyb]

"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age?"...But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." I Cor 1:20, 27.

Praise God that in these seemingly foolish things, or incomprehensible things, that, through the birth, death, and resurrection of His Son ("in lowly estate") He has saved us! Merry, Merry Christmas!!

[frog]

Morning to you both - so surprised that these headlines made it to the US as well. Our newspapers went with 'wise men - a legend'... I think he was more moderated than that, but alarmingly said he thought the virgin birth was not such a big deal -that he didn't used to believe in it, but does now. Oh Well.

Well, Bill and Jan, have a wonderful Christmas, with much love, Frog, Amy and the boys.