Exploring Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Advent Message: Understanding Christ's Coming

What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the importance of maintaining balance in the Christian life?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, maintaining balance is of utmost importance in the Christian life. He states, "There is nothing that is more important in the Christian life... than that we should keep a balance." He explains that by nature and as a result of sin, humans are "inevitably creatures of extremes" who "tend to go from one extreme to the other." We find it difficult to maintain balance and see the relationship of things to one another. Lloyd-Jones notes that the "greatest glory of the scripture" is that it always maintains this balance, showing the wholeness of God's plan while allowing us to examine particular aspects without losing sight of their connection to the whole.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the significance of the word "nevertheless" in Isaiah's prophecy?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes "nevertheless" as the critical word that characterizes the gospel message. He says, "The gospel is always an announcement and a message of hope... introduced here in a very dramatic manner by this word 'nevertheless.'" This word represents how the gospel "breaks in" upon our world of darkness, coming as "a surprise" and "a kind of protestation" but "above all, a great announcement." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christians are the people who listen to the world's problems and then respond with "nevertheless," indicating that we have "something additional" and "know things that nobody else knows." He calls it "the saving word" that represents God's intervention and hope when human resources have reached their end, noting that "man's extremity is God's opportunity."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the state of the world into which Christ came?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the world into which Christ came as one of complete darkness. He explains that this darkness is "the darkness of ignorance" about the most essential things to human well-being - ignorance about God, about oneself, about how to live, and about death. This ignorance leads to "trouble, confusion, restlessness, uncertainty" with "no real comfort" and "no real hope." He describes people as "dwelling in the shadow of death," an expression indicating "utter darkness, impenetrable darkness, intense darkness." This hopelessness causes people to turn to desperate measures like spiritism, astrology, and magic. Lloyd-Jones states that the world today remains in this same condition of "trouble and anguish, strife, valley of the shadow of death, darkness, despair, hopelessness, inability, defeat."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the significance of Christ being born in Galilee?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Christ came to "Galilee of the nations, Galilee of the Gentiles beyond Jordan," which was significant because Galilee was "the most despised part of the land of Palestine" and "furthest away of all from Jerusalem." It was considered a backwater place bordering Gentile lands, and was utterly despised. He notes the saying, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" to illustrate this point. Lloyd-Jones sees profound meaning in this, saying God "generally chooses the unexpected" and "the least likely" places and people to send His message. This demonstrates that "there is nothing and no one which is finally hopeless in this world." The fact that Christ came from such a despised place contradicts human wisdom and expectations, showing how "God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world."

What are the key outcomes of Christ's coming into the world, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ's coming brought several key outcomes:

1. Light - "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." Christ is "the light of the world" bringing illumination about God, humanity, life, death, and eternity.

2. Deliverance - "Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor." Christ came "to set the captives free, to deliver us from all our enemies."

3. Increase - "Thou hast multiplied the nation." This represents growth "not merely in numbers, but still more in spiritual benefits and blessings."

4. Joy - "Thou hast multiplied the nation and increased the joy." This joy exceeds even "the joy of harvest" or victory in battle, representing "the joy of salvation, the joy of the Lord."

5. Divine government - "The government shall be upon his shoulder." Christ is "big enough and strong enough and great enough" to carry the government of the universe, ensuring that God's purposes "shall every one of them be brought to pass."