Chapter 1: Jesus Christ, the Seed of the Woman

Here we are! Embarking at a leisurely pace through another Summer Study at DRPC. My prayer is that reading through this summer’s book will create in you a deeper longing to know Jesus Christ and delight in who he is, what he has done, and what he continues to do. Unlike previous studies, this one is fairly short in page number. This has been intentional. As you read through, don’t just read these chapters once. Read them two, three, or four times. With this, spend time examining the various Scriptures referenced by Alistair Begg and Sinclair Ferguson. In other words, dig deeper! Don’t stop with the first scoop of the shovel that has been dug for you – there is so much more!

When I first read Name Above All Names, I was both struck and convicted by the statement in the first chapter,

Being able to think long and lovingly about the Lord Jesus is a dying art. The disciplines required to reflect on him for a prolonged period of time and to be captivated by him have been relegated to a secondary pace in contemporary Christian life. Action, rather than meditation, is the order of the day. Sadly, too often that action is not suffused with the grace and power of Christ.

Did this strike you as it did me? I must confess that I still struggle at times to have Christ be the centerpiece of my thoughts and actions as I go through the day-to-day, trying to balance the various responsibilities and pursuits that are mine. It can be difficult to put aside the immediate desires and needs of family, work, friends, and leisure. The pursuit of contemplating Christ seems all too abstract, slumberingly tedious, and simply impractical.

The truth of it, though, is that contemplating Christ’s person and work is the best use that anyone could make of their time. Whether or not we will admit it, we as human beings are best suited to one thing – reflecting the various “things” around us. These “things” can be people, careers, truths, falsehoods, TV shows, books, traditions, advertisements, feelings, worldviews, joys, discontentments, styles, vocabularies...need I go on? Everything around us influences who we are, how we think, and what we do. Sometimes the effect is small, sometimes it is big.

Have you ever stopped to consider what your life would look like – what the church would look like – if Jesus Christ was the primary factor in all of those things we reflect? Perhaps this will help – make a list of all of those things (similar to the list above, but stick to the main “things”) that influence you in one way or another. If you were to put a percentage on how much time you contemplate those things and compare that with how much you contemplate Christ, where would you land? Would your pie chart have a majority of “work” or “family” or “sports” or “politics” or “golf” or “academics” or “television” or something else along those lines? Or would your pie chart reflect a majority of “Christ”?

Years ago at a previous church a ceremony was held in honor of a man in the church who had served for 20+ years as a leader in the church. Accolades upon accolades, accomplishments and praises were heaped on this man. “He was a wise investor,” “He was a committed servant,” “He was a brilliant diplomat.” Not once did anyone say about him, “He loved Jesus.”

We have all heard the old adage, “You are what you eat.” I would add to that and say that “You reflect what you love.” The things that we love are typically the things we spend the most time contemplating. Are you contemplating Christ? When others speak of you, do they say, “They love Jesus”?

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Is this your desire? Is this your decision? May it be said of all of us one day, “This one loves Jesus.”

Go and think more about Jesus so that we can all reflect him more clearly!

As ever,

Pastor Andrew