It’s about the Son of God, who existed eternally with the Father as “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” taking on human nature and becoming man (Heb. (Mark 10:45)Ĭhristmas is about the coming of Christ into the world. ****DISCLOSURE: This book was provided by Amazon Vine in exchange for an independent and non-biased review.Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. I give this book Five Stars and my Thumbs Up award! I would think the reference to Herod's violence may be a bit much for children under ten, but should be fine for those old enough to understand the story of Herod's baby-boy killing. This book is highly recommended for individual homes and study groups. Not just for the Christmas season, this book would make a wonderful gift of hope for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, and especially a child. Harrington's paintings are lovely! And they bring life to the story, making it even more endearing. Piper brings a visit from the Savior to the Innkeeper of the Inn where He was born.Ī touching poem of loss and grief, and how the Lord will bring a sweet reunion to those who believe with their loved ones. The story actually strikes a discordant tone with its portrayal of dread and horror, but this problem is answered with the sure hope that Jesus brings to those who suffer under the reign of death and evil.īecause of the violent content of the story, it may be best suited to teenagers or mature grade-schoolers.Ĭopyright 1998, 2011 by Desiring God Foundation We expect sentimentality at Christmastime, but his poem has none. Piper draws together the stories of a joy-filled family and a terrible evil.
Jesus grieves with the man and promises that after his crucifixion he will defeat the serpent who has the power of death, and raise this man's family to life again.
He lived on in lonely grief, never understanding why God would allow such evil to happen. His story goes on to dramatically describe Herod's Slaughter of the Innocents (Matthew 2:16-18), in which the innkeeper lost his entire family and his right arm. In this story Jesus, on his way to be crucified, visits the innkeeper and hears his account of the Nativity. But Piper takes a different tack, giving a historically plausible interpretation that Jesus' poverty-stricken parents would have been grateful for a free place in the godly innkeeper's stable, and that the innkeeper and his wife understood that they had housed the Messiah. Most Nativity retellings emphasize the fact that there was "no room in the inn," interpreting this to mean the innkeeper had no eyes to see the meaning of the Nativity. This one tells a fictionalized story of the innkeeper who housed Joseph and Mary.
Every year John Piper writes an Advent poem as a gift for the congregation of Bethlehem Baptist Church.
0 kommentar(er)
