Justin Taylor's Blog, page 253

The Innkeeper

John Piper's moving poem The Innkeeper has recently been reissued in a new book with new paintings by Glenn Harrington. If you are unfamiliar with it, I would recommend listening to and reading it online first. Piper's poetry, as he says, is meant to heard before read.

Here's a description:

Only two weeks from his crucifixion, Jesus has stopped in Bethlehem. He has returned to visit someone important—the innkeeper who made a place for Mary and Joseph the night he was born. But his greater purpose in coming is to pay a debt. What did it cost to house the Son of God?

John Piper shares a tale of what might have been through the story-poem of an innkeeper whose life was forever altered by the arrival of the Son of God. Ponder the sacrifice that was made that night. Celebrate Jesus's birth and the power of his resurrection. And encounter the hope his life gives you for today—and for eternity.

When Was Jesus Born?

For those interested in the chronology of Jesus' life–especially when he was born–this study by Paul Maier is one of the most helpful things I've come across. Thanks to Professor Andreas Kostenberger for posting it to his website.

After surveying all the relevant evidence in and outside of the New Testament, Dr. Maier argues that the most probable date of the Nativity is November of 5 B.C. (though he thinks December is possible).

The Escapism of Bad Christian Art and the Beauty of the Cross

A TGC roundtable with Scotty Smith of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN; Greg Thornbury, dean of the school of theology and missions at Union University; and Mike Cosper, pastor of worship and arts at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY:

Marilynne Robinson's Next Book

A description of Marilynne Robinson's next book, coming Spring 2012, entitled When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays:

Since the 1981 publication of Marilynne Robinson's novel, Housekeeping—a stunning debut that was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize—she has built a sterling reputation not only as a writer of sharp, subtly moving prose, but also as a rigorous thinker and incisive essayist. Her compelling and demanding collection The Death of Adam—in which she reflected on her Presbyterian upbringing, investigated the roots of Midwestern abolitionism, and mounted a memorable defense of Calvinism—is respected as a classic of the genre, praised by Doris Lessing as "a useful antidote to the increasingly crude and slogan-loving culture we inhabit."

In this new collection she returns to the themes which have preoccupied her work: the role of faith in modern life, the inadequacy of fact, the contradictions inherent in human nature. Clear-eyed and forceful as ever, Robinson demonstrates once again why she is regarded as a modern rhetorical master.

Why Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Matters

John Piper talks with Darrin Patrick–one of the speakers at the DG Pastors Conference (early-bird registration expires December 30, 2011)–about the road to discovering the beautiful biblical vision of complementarianism:

The Incarnation (Spoken Word)

From Odd Thomas:

God in a Manger

David Mathis's three part series is a great refresher course on Christology (the doctrine of Christ). He writes:

Advent is my yearly reminder to brush up on Christology, the doctrine of the person of Christ. I've found it helpful to approach the subject under three headings: Jesus as Lord (fully divine), Jesus as Savior (fully human), and Jesus as Treasure (one person).

God in a Manger, Part 1: Jesus Is Lord

In this Christological triad (Lord-Savior-Treasure), Jesus' Lordship is tied to his divinity. He is rightly called Yahweh, the name surpassingly more excellent than the angels (Hebrews 1:4), the name above every name (Philippians 2:9). Here's the connection between Lordship and the divine name.

God in a Manger, Part 2: Jesus Is Savior

Not only did he remain fully divine when he took humanity to himself, but the humanity that he took was full humanity. And so Jesus has a fully human body, emotions, mind, and will — and this in no way compromises his deity.

God in a Manger, Part 3: Jesus Is Treasure

God was glorious long before he became man in Jesus. But we are human, and unincarnate deity doesn't connect with us in the same way as the God who became human. The conception of a god who never became man will not satisfy the human soul like the God who did.

The Real Christmas

The First Hobbit Trailer

The first official trailer for the first Hobbit movie ("The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"), scheduled to hit theaters one year from now (December 2012):

For those who want to read the book in advance, here's the nice illustrated hardcover version we used in our family.

HT: @MikeCosper

The Biblical Roots of Western Liberal Education

Brad Green: "I think this essay by David Lyle Jeffrey is one of the best things in print on the nature of learning. It is titled, 'The Pearl of Great Wisdom: The Deep and Abiding Biblical Roots of Western Liberal Education.' I use it often when I teach, and have re-read it numerous times. Jeffrey is arguing that in the western tradition after the first centurty (particularly in its pre-modern form), learning was often a means to wisdom, and a wisdom centered on the reading and interpretation of Scripture."

You can also watch below Dr. Jeffrey lecture at the Houston Baptist University Dunham Bible Museum Lecture Series on "The Bible and Higher Education":