Christ

How Christ Is the Centre of Scripture

January 17, 2020 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Christians often practice a Christ-centred reading of Scripture. Yet this approach can sound like a pop-a-mole game where Christ just springs up everywhere in Scripture. I do not think that is the case here, but I can understand the concern.

One way to understand the Christ-centered nature of Scripture is to use two key metaphors. That is what I do here before making some conclusions on Christ in the Old Testament. [Read more…] about How Christ Is the Centre of Scripture

Why Did Jesus Live (and not just Die on the Cross)?

February 20, 2018 by wagraham Leave a Comment

Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death atones for our sins; his resurrection raises us to new life. In Christ, we’ve come from sin and death to righteousness and glory. And yet: in this paradigm, it almost seems as if Christ’s life (the years that he lived) only prepared him to die.

So, why didn’t he just come into the world and die? Why live for 33 years? Here’s why. [Read more…] about Why Did Jesus Live (and not just Die on the Cross)?

Idolatry, the Image of God, and the Image of Christ

January 26, 2017 by wagraham 2 Comments

Christianity forbids the use of idols, or objects that represent God as a form of worship. Probably the most famous place where Idolatry is forbidden is in Ten Commandments:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exod 20:4–6)

God commands his people not to make images (even of the true God!) and worship them, because God is a jealous God. Probably the jealousy of God here refers to his exclusive desire to be worshipped. The simple truth here is that God prohibits idolatry because he alone ought to be worshipped, but Exodus 20 does not fill in the blanks as to why God forbids it as such.

The ideas of idolatry and image-bearing in the Bible, however, provide one helpful insight into why God forbids making images and worshipping them. By identifying how image bearing relates to idolatry, we are actually freed up to understand our life’s purpose with sharper focus.