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Retelling the Story #1
The Advent of the Lamb of God
"A page in history was about to turn. Though Israel's world was in the throes of upheaval, it was only a matter of time before the sun of righteousness would rise. These people needed rescue, but they weren't waiting for the stars to align or for the political climate to change. They were waiting for God. They were on his timetable. He was sending his Messiah—Immanuel, God with us."
For centuries God's people awaited the coming of a Savior. In the midst of a world of trouble, they hoped for one who would deliver them from evil and restore them to true life. Would God be faithful to his promises?
Pastor Russ Ramsey narrates anew the greatest story ever told—the true tall tale of the coming of the Christ. It's more than the story of a baby born in Bethlehem; the story encompasses the whole of the Old Testament and all of human history, unveiling God's longsuffering, loving pursuit of his people. Rediscover how the purposes of God culminated in the coming of Jesus, in twenty-five readings ideal for Christmas or any season of meeting the Savior.
Also including The Passion of the King of Glory and The Mission of the Body of Christ, the Retelling the Story series explores the narrative arc of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in compelling language that is faithful to the text of Scripture. The stories are told afresh to help readers hide God's word in their hearts by way of their imaginations.
For centuries God's people awaited the coming of a Savior. In the midst of a world of trouble, they hoped for one who would deliver them from evil and restore them to true life. Would God be faithful to his promises?
Pastor Russ Ramsey narrates anew the greatest story ever told—the true tall tale of the coming of the Christ. It's more than the story of a baby born in Bethlehem; the story encompasses the whole of the Old Testament and all of human history, unveiling God's longsuffering, loving pursuit of his people. Rediscover how the purposes of God culminated in the coming of Jesus, in twenty-five readings ideal for Christmas or any season of meeting the Savior.
Also including The Passion of the King of Glory and The Mission of the Body of Christ, the Retelling the Story series explores the narrative arc of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in compelling language that is faithful to the text of Scripture. The stories are told afresh to help readers hide God's word in their hearts by way of their imaginations.
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2011
220 people are currently reading
1609 people want to read
About the author
Russ Ramsey
15 books225 followersRuss Ramsey and his wife and four children make their home in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church and the author of Struck: One Christian’s Reflections on Encountering Death (IVP, 2017), Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative, and Behold the King of Glory: A Narrative of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is a graduate of Taylor University (1991) and Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv, 2000; ThM, 2003). Follow Russ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
December 23, 2014
As someone who grew up knowing the Christmas story inside and out it's hard to present it to me in a fresh way, but Russ Ramsey did just that. His beautiful, thoughtful narrative tied together the thread of the story from Genesis to Jesus, and opened my eyes to things I had long since overlooked. It is a tremendous book, not just for Christmas but for anyone looking to understand the storyline of the Bible better.
December 26, 2018
This is beautiful book for the Advent season. Russ has a way of writing and storytelling that makes scripture come alive. Absolutely engaging.
December 21, 2024
A beautiful, lively and fresh, reflective retelling of the overarching story of the coming of Christ, journeying along this red line with a rich immeresion in each of the selected stories of the Story of Scripture. Apart from the thoughtful and beautifully crafted writing, I enjoyed his moving narration (I have listen to the book read by the author), one can feel the emotion in every word. I loved it!
This dense passage sums it up gloriously:
"He is the descendant from Eve sent to crush the head of the deceiver (Genesis 3:15). He is Isaac’s ram caught in the thicket, God’s perfectly timed provision of a substitute (Genesis 22:13). He is the heir of Abraham’s line - through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed - born by a miracle and filling the world with laughter (Genesis 22:18).
He wrestled with Israel and wouldn’t let go, giving Jacob the gracious gift of a limp to remind him of his weakness (Genesis 32:25). He is the new Joseph, the forgotten brother, unrecognizable in a foreign land (Genesis 42:8, John 1:11), though He alone possesses the resources needed to satisfy the hunger of his people in their spiritual famine.
He is our new Moses, sent by God to deliver us from the land of our slavery into our promised inheritance (Exodus 3:7–10). He doesn’t just deliver God’s Law to us (Exodus 34:29), He fulfills it on our behalf—perfectly (Matthew 5:17).
He is the faultless judge who rescues His people from our own waywardness (Judges 2:17, 2 Corinthians 3:4–6). He does what no other judge is able to do—He takes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19).
He is the King the Lord promised to David, a ruler from his own body whose Kingdom the Lord would establish forever, ancient and strong (2 Samuel 7:12). He has courage deeper than David (Luke 6:1–5), wisdom greater than Solomon (Luke 11:31), and faith firmer than Elijah (Matthew 4:1–11). He is the remnant growing beneath the smoldering ruins of Judah, the Son to be given, the child to be born (Isaiah 9:6).
He is Immanuel—God with His people (Isaiah 6:13).
Where there is despair, He brings hope. Where there is brokenness, He brings healing. Where there is sadness, He brings joy. Where there is bondage, He sets people free.
[...]
Jesus was the priest who became the sacrifice, the king who took on the form of a servant, the prophet who himself was the Word of God. He was Immanuel, God with us –Son of God, Son of Man."
This dense passage sums it up gloriously:
"He is the descendant from Eve sent to crush the head of the deceiver (Genesis 3:15). He is Isaac’s ram caught in the thicket, God’s perfectly timed provision of a substitute (Genesis 22:13). He is the heir of Abraham’s line - through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed - born by a miracle and filling the world with laughter (Genesis 22:18).
He wrestled with Israel and wouldn’t let go, giving Jacob the gracious gift of a limp to remind him of his weakness (Genesis 32:25). He is the new Joseph, the forgotten brother, unrecognizable in a foreign land (Genesis 42:8, John 1:11), though He alone possesses the resources needed to satisfy the hunger of his people in their spiritual famine.
He is our new Moses, sent by God to deliver us from the land of our slavery into our promised inheritance (Exodus 3:7–10). He doesn’t just deliver God’s Law to us (Exodus 34:29), He fulfills it on our behalf—perfectly (Matthew 5:17).
He is the faultless judge who rescues His people from our own waywardness (Judges 2:17, 2 Corinthians 3:4–6). He does what no other judge is able to do—He takes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19).
He is the King the Lord promised to David, a ruler from his own body whose Kingdom the Lord would establish forever, ancient and strong (2 Samuel 7:12). He has courage deeper than David (Luke 6:1–5), wisdom greater than Solomon (Luke 11:31), and faith firmer than Elijah (Matthew 4:1–11). He is the remnant growing beneath the smoldering ruins of Judah, the Son to be given, the child to be born (Isaiah 9:6).
He is Immanuel—God with His people (Isaiah 6:13).
Where there is despair, He brings hope. Where there is brokenness, He brings healing. Where there is sadness, He brings joy. Where there is bondage, He sets people free.
[...]
Jesus was the priest who became the sacrifice, the king who took on the form of a servant, the prophet who himself was the Word of God. He was Immanuel, God with us –Son of God, Son of Man."
December 26, 2024
A beautiful version of the advent story, going from the start of time to the promise of its eternal flow. Will be picking this up as a yearly journey through advent.
July 17, 2018
Summary: A retelling of the story of the coming of Jesus, who would be God's ultimate lamb, tracing from the Fall through Israel's history to Christ's advent, God's relentless yet loving pursuit of his people.
Christians are story-shaped people. For anyone who would suggest that the Bible is God's rule book, I would propose rather that the Bible tells us the story of God's pursuit of a lost humanity and how we might be found by Him and live within that story. The older I get the more I'm persuaded that we often don't really know the story we live within, and are sometimes shaped by stories that really aren't our story.
What I so love about this book, and the series of three of which it is a part, is that Russ Ramsey uses three great seasons of the church's life: Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, and Pentecost to help us discover (or re-discover) our story. Through 25 brief reflections, he traces Israel's longing for the Promised One, the Messiah, and then his coming in Jesus, Immanuel. Ramsey's spare prose sketches out the main contours of the biblical narrative from the fall, through the coming of the Messiah, and briefly his baptism, and ministry, death, and resurrection, that fulfilled the longings of generations of Israel.
We're reminded of the one who would come to crush the head of Eve's deceiver, the one who would be sacrificed on Moriah instead of Isaac, the one who wrestled with Jacob, who was the new Moses, the faultless judge, the King promised to David. It is a narrative that stresses how Israel relentlessly tries to shake God's grasp, and a God who refuses to let go of them because of his intention to bless them, and through them the nations. Ramsey writes:
Though they would wrestle with God, and though the Lord would hobble them, stripping them of their leverage, it would be because God was fighting for them even when they were fighting against him, even when they forgot the covenant the Lord himself swore to uphold. (p. 51)
He explores how God fulfilled his covenant promise through a silenced priest, an aged wife, a young girl, and a bewildered but obedient husband, all of them living under the thumb of the Roman empire, and their power hungry surrogate, Herod the Great. We are reminded of the real agonies the young maiden endured among the stabled animals, the wondrous birth, the angels with the shepherds, the flight to Egypt with the Magi's gifts, and the joyful declaration and sober warnings in the words of aged Simeon of a sword that would pierce Mary's heart.
This is not a tightly focused treatment of the birth narratives alone but connects them to what has gone before in Israel's history. These are not disparate narratives but one narrative, in which the birth is a kind of culmination of what has gone before. Yet Ramsey accomplishes this by focusing on the main contours of the story, and by prose that is both imaginative and yet disciplined.
You may wonder about reviewing an Advent book in July. Yet Christian educators and worship leaders are anticipating the Advent season even now. This might be a great Advent devotional to be used, perhaps as an adjunct to adult education or a preaching series. It is a wonderful resource for young believers, as well as those of longer years who, immersed in theological argument, how-to-ism, or approaches that set the Bible at war with itself, might discover again for the first time this wondrous story. Ramsey's book is no substitute for the Bible, or "Cliff's Notes" for scripture, but rather an invitation to discover our story and immerse ourselves in it, allowing it to shape our lives.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Christians are story-shaped people. For anyone who would suggest that the Bible is God's rule book, I would propose rather that the Bible tells us the story of God's pursuit of a lost humanity and how we might be found by Him and live within that story. The older I get the more I'm persuaded that we often don't really know the story we live within, and are sometimes shaped by stories that really aren't our story.
What I so love about this book, and the series of three of which it is a part, is that Russ Ramsey uses three great seasons of the church's life: Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, and Pentecost to help us discover (or re-discover) our story. Through 25 brief reflections, he traces Israel's longing for the Promised One, the Messiah, and then his coming in Jesus, Immanuel. Ramsey's spare prose sketches out the main contours of the biblical narrative from the fall, through the coming of the Messiah, and briefly his baptism, and ministry, death, and resurrection, that fulfilled the longings of generations of Israel.
We're reminded of the one who would come to crush the head of Eve's deceiver, the one who would be sacrificed on Moriah instead of Isaac, the one who wrestled with Jacob, who was the new Moses, the faultless judge, the King promised to David. It is a narrative that stresses how Israel relentlessly tries to shake God's grasp, and a God who refuses to let go of them because of his intention to bless them, and through them the nations. Ramsey writes:
Though they would wrestle with God, and though the Lord would hobble them, stripping them of their leverage, it would be because God was fighting for them even when they were fighting against him, even when they forgot the covenant the Lord himself swore to uphold. (p. 51)
He explores how God fulfilled his covenant promise through a silenced priest, an aged wife, a young girl, and a bewildered but obedient husband, all of them living under the thumb of the Roman empire, and their power hungry surrogate, Herod the Great. We are reminded of the real agonies the young maiden endured among the stabled animals, the wondrous birth, the angels with the shepherds, the flight to Egypt with the Magi's gifts, and the joyful declaration and sober warnings in the words of aged Simeon of a sword that would pierce Mary's heart.
This is not a tightly focused treatment of the birth narratives alone but connects them to what has gone before in Israel's history. These are not disparate narratives but one narrative, in which the birth is a kind of culmination of what has gone before. Yet Ramsey accomplishes this by focusing on the main contours of the story, and by prose that is both imaginative and yet disciplined.
You may wonder about reviewing an Advent book in July. Yet Christian educators and worship leaders are anticipating the Advent season even now. This might be a great Advent devotional to be used, perhaps as an adjunct to adult education or a preaching series. It is a wonderful resource for young believers, as well as those of longer years who, immersed in theological argument, how-to-ism, or approaches that set the Bible at war with itself, might discover again for the first time this wondrous story. Ramsey's book is no substitute for the Bible, or "Cliff's Notes" for scripture, but rather an invitation to discover our story and immerse ourselves in it, allowing it to shape our lives.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
December 26, 2020
So good. The entire narrative of scripture was surveyed in preparation for the arrival of Israel's better prophet, better priest, better king, the good Shepherd. We had the pleasure of reading a good chunk of this book with my Grandma, who remarked on several occasions, "you can just see that thin red line through scripture of Christ." Thanks to all who were apart of this book, (mirroring one of our favorite albums). A true treasure and we will be returning to it for future advent seasons.
December 25, 2019
Second reading: Advent 2019- I still agree with my review from last year.
Gorgeous book. I learned to look at key stories and people in certain narratives in a new perspective.
Gorgeous book. I learned to look at key stories and people in certain narratives in a new perspective.
December 24, 2024
As someone who has been in the church all my life, I often pray that the gospel would be good *news* *to* *me* because it unfortunately very easily loses its profundity, and wonder. Crazy miracles and glorious narratives can simply seem “normal” to me.
Advent and lent simultaneously remind me of this issue more than any other times and help me to re-immerse myself in the bigger and better Story. This book was an incredible resource in storying myself, realigning my mind and heart with the reality of God’s dramatic love. Russ Ramsey’s imagination and faithfulness are such gifts to the church! Would highly recommend!
Advent and lent simultaneously remind me of this issue more than any other times and help me to re-immerse myself in the bigger and better Story. This book was an incredible resource in storying myself, realigning my mind and heart with the reality of God’s dramatic love. Russ Ramsey’s imagination and faithfulness are such gifts to the church! Would highly recommend!
December 26, 2024
I read this book as part of my Advent celebration every year. It’s a wonderful reminder that the Bible isn’t just stories, but actual events in time. Looking at the overall Biblical narrative as it relates to the birth of Christ is good for my soul.
January 17, 2019
I was torn between giving this book a two or a four, and there is a simple reason for that. This book does a great job of paraphrasing the old testament. So, if The Message just seems like too much work, this would be the Cliff Notes version. For readers who grew up going to Sunday School every week like I did, this book was very boring. It did not give me anything new regarding Scripture.
However, for a person who has never been exposed to the Old Testament and the road to the cross, this would be a good place to start. I do have a slight problem when Ramsey begins to "imagine" things that are not in Scripture. Also, he includes historical details without footnotes. Does he just know these things, or is he guessing?
To be fair. I went back and read the introduction and he was very clear about what the book is and what the book is not. I guess I was just looking for some new insights, or at the very least, to be inspired. Instead, I was frustrated at the liberty Ramsey takes with some of the Biblical text in his retelling of the story.
This would be a great read for someone who has never heard those old testament stories, but for people who have grown up with those stories, Ramsey has nothing to add.
However, for a person who has never been exposed to the Old Testament and the road to the cross, this would be a good place to start. I do have a slight problem when Ramsey begins to "imagine" things that are not in Scripture. Also, he includes historical details without footnotes. Does he just know these things, or is he guessing?
To be fair. I went back and read the introduction and he was very clear about what the book is and what the book is not. I guess I was just looking for some new insights, or at the very least, to be inspired. Instead, I was frustrated at the liberty Ramsey takes with some of the Biblical text in his retelling of the story.
This would be a great read for someone who has never heard those old testament stories, but for people who have grown up with those stories, Ramsey has nothing to add.
January 5, 2019
He has this wonderful mix of beautiful prose and creativity in bringing to life the details of well known Bible stories while also remaining true to Scripture and not indulging in too much speculation. What I love most about it is that he brings every story back to Jesus. Not in a cheesy, overly preachy way but in a fresh, encouraging, triumphant story. He showed me the big picture of God's redemptive plan in a new and beautiful way.
EDIT: Even better the second time. He keeps the big picture, the overall story in focus through all the individual characters and smaller stories. It's a beautiful tapestry. I can't recommend it enough.
EDIT: Even better the second time. He keeps the big picture, the overall story in focus through all the individual characters and smaller stories. It's a beautiful tapestry. I can't recommend it enough.
January 3, 2021
This is one of the better advent devotionals I've read. Each daily reading is on the long side, so reading it together as a family almost precludes reading Scripture as well. But the book is full of Scripture, beginning with creation in Genesis and following the main themes and events in the Bible that tell of why Jesus had to be born of Mary.
I think I would generally prefer a short, daily advent reading, but for what this is, it is one of the better ones.
I think I would generally prefer a short, daily advent reading, but for what this is, it is one of the better ones.
December 25, 2018
4.5. Russ Ramsey is a gift. This narrative retelling of the Old Testament story (and Jesus’s birth narratives) is beautifully written and faithfully told.
December 16, 2021
Firmly rooted in Scripture and written in a most engaging style, this is the finest Advent book that I have ever read.
October 16, 2021
First sentence: He did not have a home. People said he survived on little more than wild honey and locusts, and by the look of him, it couldn't have been much more. He wore a coat of camel hair he cinched together with a leather belt, just like the prophet Elijah had done.
Behold the Lamb of God is an advent devotional. But it is more than "just" an advent devotional. I think it could be read ANY time of year. Perhaps many times throughout the year. Yes, you can read the same book more than once a year.
I think it would be the perfect read aloud for FAMILIES. But I also think that adults could greatly enjoy this one as well. It is in some ways a perfect Bible story book--minus the illustrations we've all come to expect. Every single story POINTS to Jesus Christ. Every single story is about the long-expected promised one who is coming. (Over half of the book are stories from the Old Testament.)
My hope is that reading this devotional will encourage you--inspire you--to pick up the Word of God and read it with new passion, new devotion, new longing to TASTE AND SEE spiritual things.
Quotes:
God’s promised Messiah was a merciful gift of love to a people who needed both mercy and love. He would come to them in all their pain, brokenness, and struggle, and make everything new.
They were to worship the Lord, and they were to understand why they should. The call to worship wasn’t a detached decree to render affection to an unknown deity—the God who called them was anything but detached. This command was a call to remember. They were to rehearse in their minds and hearts and homes this story—their story—the story of how the Maker of heaven and earth had called their people to himself and bound himself to them as their God. In their creativity and in their learning, in their working and in their resting, in their building up and in their tearing down, they were to love him. They were to love him as whole people, in all their weakness and in all their strength. On their best days and on their worst, in the darkest hours of their loneliest nights, and at the tables of their most abundant feasts, they were to love him. This was the heart of Israel’s religion: love. Only divine love made sense of the world. This love went beyond a mere feeling. This love was doctrine. Israel’s story was a story of being kept, and the only reasonable response was to love the Keeper.
They were never to depart from this harmony of story and statute. It was to be their life. They were to teach it to their families. They were to recount the wondrous deeds of their almighty God, never stopping until the story was so ingrained in their children that those little ones not only understood that this story was, in fact, their story, but also that they would be able to tell it well when they had children of their own.
It was a religion of relationship, but this relational response of love to a singular, omnipotent God was so gloriously uncommon in those days that it must have sounded to many like a tall tale. And it is. But a true one.
Woven throughout the story are all of humanity’s wrath and greed and lust and gluttony and sloth and envy and pride—together in force with all of their consequences. But through that darkness shine the bright rays of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22) It is the story of evil against good, of darkness locked in an epic struggle to snuff out the light forever. Will the darkness prevail in the end, or will the light overcome the darkness? (Jn 1:5)
This, ultimately, is what the story is about. It is a tale filled with people in trouble, all living somewhere between wandering and homecoming, between devastation and restoration, between transgression and grace. Every mortal character in the story needs rescue, but they have all turned aside, and together they have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:3)
Since the beginning, this story has had an end—a glorious end. God’s call on the lives of his people, ultimately, is to himself—though it would come at a greater cost than anyone could imagine. The story ends with the maker and lover of the souls of men drawing his people to himself—purchasing their redemption through the lifeblood of his own Son. God did not spare his Son but gave him for us all. And if this is true, how will he not also, through his son, graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:32) The tale is a tall one, but it’s true.
There lay a chasm between God and his people that ran as deep as the sin in the hearts of men. It was one thing if their holy God deigned to grace them with his presence, but it was another thing entirely for one of his people to presume that they held the right to ascend to his holy throne. Saul thought he could bend the providence of God around the persuasion of his sacrifices, even though he had never been anointed to act as his people’s priest. Saul’s presumption was a foreshadowing of how he would become everything the Lord warned his people about. Any king who thinks he commands the God who appointed him to rule will come to regard himself as the Lord over his people, as though they belong to him.
The great king was a great sinner, but God would never leave him. As it had been since the days of Adam, God’s promises didn’t depend on anyone but himself to keep them.
So tell them, Isaiah. Even as the sparks of Assyrian exile are fanning into flame, tell them God will send his Messiah. Tell them he hasn’t forgotten his promise to Abraham, that he hasn’t forgotten them. Tell those living under the blood red sky of the purifying fires that a new light is about to dawn. (Isa 9:2) Tell them that God’s rescue is coming. Isaiah did. But from as far back as anyone could remember, there remained this irrefutable fact: God cannot be hurried. To be helped by God, it seemed, was to wait on him. With Assyria poised to have their way, the people of Judah didn’t think they had the luxury of time. They needed to be rescued, redeemed, saved.
What else could they do? They could pray. They could pray with all their hearts. Come. Messiah, come! And they could fast so that their thoughts and consciences might be clear. Come. Messiah, come! They could study God’s word so that their lives might better prepare a place for him, that they might usher in his advent. They could sing songs in the night over their children and over their beloved spouses. Come. Messiah, come! They could bid him come in the midst of their mourning, even with their cheeks still wet with the grief of death. Come. Messiah, come! Oh, that their Redeemer would come! But how, Isaiah wondered, could this be? How would his people even know the Messiah if they saw him? What glorious implications! God was at work in his world, responding perfectly in the fullness of time to every need, every wound, and every desire. Someday, in a stable outside of Bethlehem, a child would be born. A son would be given. He would be wounded for his people’s transgressions. He would be crushed for their iniquities. Upon him would be the chastisement that would bring them peace, and with his stripes we would be healed.
To worship God is to dwell on who he is, to consider his handiwork. (Job 37:14) Often worship requires stillness. Stillness allows a mind to hold complicated thoughts without losing them. Silence was a gift God gave to Zechariah, and the old man put it to work.
The old priest would be among the last of his kind. When the Lord loosed Zechariah’s tongue, everyone present felt the weight of John’s divine purpose. What would this child become? This question gave rise to so many others. “If the Messiah is coming and his people are called to bear witness to him, what then will our lives be? What will our sons’ lives be? What will our daughters’ lives be?”
Zechariah understood that though his life’s work as a priest was insufficient and thus unending, if God were to preside as the priest over his people, and if he were to select the atoning sacrifice his people needed, that sacrifice would be sufficient. It would be perfect. And the river of blood would cease to flow from the heart of the Holy Place where God’s presence dwelt.
Behold the Lamb of God is an advent devotional. But it is more than "just" an advent devotional. I think it could be read ANY time of year. Perhaps many times throughout the year. Yes, you can read the same book more than once a year.
I think it would be the perfect read aloud for FAMILIES. But I also think that adults could greatly enjoy this one as well. It is in some ways a perfect Bible story book--minus the illustrations we've all come to expect. Every single story POINTS to Jesus Christ. Every single story is about the long-expected promised one who is coming. (Over half of the book are stories from the Old Testament.)
My hope is that reading this devotional will encourage you--inspire you--to pick up the Word of God and read it with new passion, new devotion, new longing to TASTE AND SEE spiritual things.
Quotes:
God’s promised Messiah was a merciful gift of love to a people who needed both mercy and love. He would come to them in all their pain, brokenness, and struggle, and make everything new.
They were to worship the Lord, and they were to understand why they should. The call to worship wasn’t a detached decree to render affection to an unknown deity—the God who called them was anything but detached. This command was a call to remember. They were to rehearse in their minds and hearts and homes this story—their story—the story of how the Maker of heaven and earth had called their people to himself and bound himself to them as their God. In their creativity and in their learning, in their working and in their resting, in their building up and in their tearing down, they were to love him. They were to love him as whole people, in all their weakness and in all their strength. On their best days and on their worst, in the darkest hours of their loneliest nights, and at the tables of their most abundant feasts, they were to love him. This was the heart of Israel’s religion: love. Only divine love made sense of the world. This love went beyond a mere feeling. This love was doctrine. Israel’s story was a story of being kept, and the only reasonable response was to love the Keeper.
They were never to depart from this harmony of story and statute. It was to be their life. They were to teach it to their families. They were to recount the wondrous deeds of their almighty God, never stopping until the story was so ingrained in their children that those little ones not only understood that this story was, in fact, their story, but also that they would be able to tell it well when they had children of their own.
It was a religion of relationship, but this relational response of love to a singular, omnipotent God was so gloriously uncommon in those days that it must have sounded to many like a tall tale. And it is. But a true one.
Woven throughout the story are all of humanity’s wrath and greed and lust and gluttony and sloth and envy and pride—together in force with all of their consequences. But through that darkness shine the bright rays of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22) It is the story of evil against good, of darkness locked in an epic struggle to snuff out the light forever. Will the darkness prevail in the end, or will the light overcome the darkness? (Jn 1:5)
This, ultimately, is what the story is about. It is a tale filled with people in trouble, all living somewhere between wandering and homecoming, between devastation and restoration, between transgression and grace. Every mortal character in the story needs rescue, but they have all turned aside, and together they have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:3)
Since the beginning, this story has had an end—a glorious end. God’s call on the lives of his people, ultimately, is to himself—though it would come at a greater cost than anyone could imagine. The story ends with the maker and lover of the souls of men drawing his people to himself—purchasing their redemption through the lifeblood of his own Son. God did not spare his Son but gave him for us all. And if this is true, how will he not also, through his son, graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:32) The tale is a tall one, but it’s true.
There lay a chasm between God and his people that ran as deep as the sin in the hearts of men. It was one thing if their holy God deigned to grace them with his presence, but it was another thing entirely for one of his people to presume that they held the right to ascend to his holy throne. Saul thought he could bend the providence of God around the persuasion of his sacrifices, even though he had never been anointed to act as his people’s priest. Saul’s presumption was a foreshadowing of how he would become everything the Lord warned his people about. Any king who thinks he commands the God who appointed him to rule will come to regard himself as the Lord over his people, as though they belong to him.
The great king was a great sinner, but God would never leave him. As it had been since the days of Adam, God’s promises didn’t depend on anyone but himself to keep them.
So tell them, Isaiah. Even as the sparks of Assyrian exile are fanning into flame, tell them God will send his Messiah. Tell them he hasn’t forgotten his promise to Abraham, that he hasn’t forgotten them. Tell those living under the blood red sky of the purifying fires that a new light is about to dawn. (Isa 9:2) Tell them that God’s rescue is coming. Isaiah did. But from as far back as anyone could remember, there remained this irrefutable fact: God cannot be hurried. To be helped by God, it seemed, was to wait on him. With Assyria poised to have their way, the people of Judah didn’t think they had the luxury of time. They needed to be rescued, redeemed, saved.
What else could they do? They could pray. They could pray with all their hearts. Come. Messiah, come! And they could fast so that their thoughts and consciences might be clear. Come. Messiah, come! They could study God’s word so that their lives might better prepare a place for him, that they might usher in his advent. They could sing songs in the night over their children and over their beloved spouses. Come. Messiah, come! They could bid him come in the midst of their mourning, even with their cheeks still wet with the grief of death. Come. Messiah, come! Oh, that their Redeemer would come! But how, Isaiah wondered, could this be? How would his people even know the Messiah if they saw him? What glorious implications! God was at work in his world, responding perfectly in the fullness of time to every need, every wound, and every desire. Someday, in a stable outside of Bethlehem, a child would be born. A son would be given. He would be wounded for his people’s transgressions. He would be crushed for their iniquities. Upon him would be the chastisement that would bring them peace, and with his stripes we would be healed.
To worship God is to dwell on who he is, to consider his handiwork. (Job 37:14) Often worship requires stillness. Stillness allows a mind to hold complicated thoughts without losing them. Silence was a gift God gave to Zechariah, and the old man put it to work.
The old priest would be among the last of his kind. When the Lord loosed Zechariah’s tongue, everyone present felt the weight of John’s divine purpose. What would this child become? This question gave rise to so many others. “If the Messiah is coming and his people are called to bear witness to him, what then will our lives be? What will our sons’ lives be? What will our daughters’ lives be?”
Zechariah understood that though his life’s work as a priest was insufficient and thus unending, if God were to preside as the priest over his people, and if he were to select the atoning sacrifice his people needed, that sacrifice would be sufficient. It would be perfect. And the river of blood would cease to flow from the heart of the Holy Place where God’s presence dwelt.
December 5, 2021
A satisfying rendition of Advent.
December 27, 2024
Just beautiful!
January 10, 2025
Better late than never. Honestly, still great reading in the non-advent season. Highly recommend for any time of the year
December 26, 2019
In his book “The Advent of the Lamb of God,” Russ Ramsey tells us the story of redemptive history in Scripture, to inspire us and remind us of God’s plan for His creation.
This story is written in 25 chapters, perfect as an advent devotional. It can also be read in a few sittings for those who want to read through the whole story and be filled with the wonder and awe, as it unfolds.
He takes us back to the garden, where God’s creativity first burst forth; where the question was first asked, ‘Is God really being as good as he can be?’ He takes us through to the covenant cut with Abraham, a promise he would not see fulfilled. He tells us about a nation enslaved, but rescued miraculously, as they became established as a people, Israel, with tablets of stone to instruct them in right worship.
We read about the weakness and failures of that nation, who received the promised land, only to squander it in sin, resulting in exile to a foreign country. Then, as captives in a strange land, they wait on the fulfilment of the prophets’ foretelling, the Messiah who would come to their rescue.
He sets the scene for the Savior’s arrival, and tells of Mary & Joseph, Elizabeth & Zechariah, the shepherds, and the magi. He crafts the story with historical insight to help us hear and understand the story that is central to our faith.
In isolation, the Christmas story tells of Jesus’ virgin birth. But as he tells this story, we are reminded that God’s plan was from the beginning, to usher in a Redeemer to rescue us. Through the history of Israel and the prophets, we see in Jesus’ birth, God’s faithfulness to His promises and His sovereignty in establishing His will.
I really enjoyed this retelling, and recommend it, especially if you are looking for a family devotional or reading for the Christmas season.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
First published on In The Vine at https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/th...
This story is written in 25 chapters, perfect as an advent devotional. It can also be read in a few sittings for those who want to read through the whole story and be filled with the wonder and awe, as it unfolds.
He takes us back to the garden, where God’s creativity first burst forth; where the question was first asked, ‘Is God really being as good as he can be?’ He takes us through to the covenant cut with Abraham, a promise he would not see fulfilled. He tells us about a nation enslaved, but rescued miraculously, as they became established as a people, Israel, with tablets of stone to instruct them in right worship.
We read about the weakness and failures of that nation, who received the promised land, only to squander it in sin, resulting in exile to a foreign country. Then, as captives in a strange land, they wait on the fulfilment of the prophets’ foretelling, the Messiah who would come to their rescue.
He sets the scene for the Savior’s arrival, and tells of Mary & Joseph, Elizabeth & Zechariah, the shepherds, and the magi. He crafts the story with historical insight to help us hear and understand the story that is central to our faith.
In isolation, the Christmas story tells of Jesus’ virgin birth. But as he tells this story, we are reminded that God’s plan was from the beginning, to usher in a Redeemer to rescue us. Through the history of Israel and the prophets, we see in Jesus’ birth, God’s faithfulness to His promises and His sovereignty in establishing His will.
I really enjoyed this retelling, and recommend it, especially if you are looking for a family devotional or reading for the Christmas season.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
First published on In The Vine at https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/th...
December 29, 2011
This book was a goodreads.com first read contest win.
Wow. I will admit that sometimes (ok usually) I will judge a book by it's cover and the title of the book. For some strange reason I was not wrong with this one. Behold The Lamb of God is such a book that will inspire a reader to become better than what they are. It will inspire the reader to think about the reason behind the season. This is such a book that will allow a reader to remember, wonder, and wish that we could all just look over our shoulder and see God there. Well is people would stop look and listen he is always there is is just whether we want to see and listen to Him. That is our problem as humans. When we want something we want it now not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. We want it now. We as humans need to stop and think that everything and yes I mean everything will only happen in God's time not our time. Then sometimes we never get what we want. But then that is because God has deemed that we do not need it. This book is such a book that will allow the reader to stop and think and remember that we need to be patient and wait for God.
Please understand this is my opinion about the book and how I understood it. Also please remember that the book is based on the author's opinion on how he interprets the bible. Everyone interprets the bible a little differently. No one will truly understand everything there is to understand in and about the bible and God until God see fit to end the world.
Wow. I will admit that sometimes (ok usually) I will judge a book by it's cover and the title of the book. For some strange reason I was not wrong with this one. Behold The Lamb of God is such a book that will inspire a reader to become better than what they are. It will inspire the reader to think about the reason behind the season. This is such a book that will allow a reader to remember, wonder, and wish that we could all just look over our shoulder and see God there. Well is people would stop look and listen he is always there is is just whether we want to see and listen to Him. That is our problem as humans. When we want something we want it now not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. We want it now. We as humans need to stop and think that everything and yes I mean everything will only happen in God's time not our time. Then sometimes we never get what we want. But then that is because God has deemed that we do not need it. This book is such a book that will allow the reader to stop and think and remember that we need to be patient and wait for God.
Please understand this is my opinion about the book and how I understood it. Also please remember that the book is based on the author's opinion on how he interprets the bible. Everyone interprets the bible a little differently. No one will truly understand everything there is to understand in and about the bible and God until God see fit to end the world.
January 1, 2025
This was such a beautiful narrative run through the story of God's people, leading from Genesis all the way through to Jesus' birth and tying it all together to show God's overarching plan. So many 'wow' moments of realising the symbolism and significance of stories I thought I knew so well, and it brought things alive in an amazing way that helped me understand the heart of the stories and of God's character. It made me curious to go back and read things for myself in the Bible, and to marvel at and thank God for the incredible story of redemption he's written that I get to be part of.
I didn't end up reading it advent devotional style as it was intended, but it's honestly a great read at any time of year. I will definitely be recommending this to friends, rereading it in future, and trying out the other books in the series!
I didn't end up reading it advent devotional style as it was intended, but it's honestly a great read at any time of year. I will definitely be recommending this to friends, rereading it in future, and trying out the other books in the series!
December 25, 2020
This was a great Advent read! It really highlighted the waiting/expectation of this season by starting at the beginning of the Bible, and tracing the awaiting of the Messiah through the Old Testament covenants, and then showing the fulfillment of the promises.
This book has an interesting style, "Retelling the Story" is a really appropriate name for the series. It takes the Biblical stories, and retells them by providing not only historical context, but also personal context - imagining what people might have thought and felt in those situations. This makes the well known content truly come alive. I really enjoyed it, and will be reading this again. Also plan on getting the other books in the series.
This book has an interesting style, "Retelling the Story" is a really appropriate name for the series. It takes the Biblical stories, and retells them by providing not only historical context, but also personal context - imagining what people might have thought and felt in those situations. This makes the well known content truly come alive. I really enjoyed it, and will be reading this again. Also plan on getting the other books in the series.
May 4, 2019
Although this book was not what I expected it to be, it was still an enjoyable and worshipful read.
I would have appreciated more analysis of the biblical stories retold in the chapters since the content was mostly paraphrases of already familiar biblical narratives. Also, I was sometimes distracted by the frequent insertion of direct quotes from Andrew Peterson songs. But occasional sentences or phrases in the re-telling stood out to me, illuminating biblical history in a way I hadn't seen before.
This advent reading helped open my eyes to new ways in which the Old Testament and its characters foreshadow Christ.
I would have appreciated more analysis of the biblical stories retold in the chapters since the content was mostly paraphrases of already familiar biblical narratives. Also, I was sometimes distracted by the frequent insertion of direct quotes from Andrew Peterson songs. But occasional sentences or phrases in the re-telling stood out to me, illuminating biblical history in a way I hadn't seen before.
This advent reading helped open my eyes to new ways in which the Old Testament and its characters foreshadow Christ.
December 30, 2023
What really stood out about this Advent book was the dramatic way the author told the story, beginning with John the Baptist as the forerunner for Jesus and then pulling back to Genesis and tracing Jesus throughout the arc of the Bible up until His birth. It really made me see those key moments through the Bible in light of Jesus having been pre-existent and foretold, and leading up to His birth and His baptism by none other than...John the Baptist - perfect circling around.
I'm not sure this is the type of Advent book I would return to again and again (like a devotional) but I was so blessed by it this year!
I'm not sure this is the type of Advent book I would return to again and again (like a devotional) but I was so blessed by it this year!
January 9, 2023
What a fantastic book! I’m glad I picked it back up. It does a beautiful job narrating the biblical account of Christianity and why Jesus came. I know this story well being a believer for 20 years, but this presents it in a beautiful and fresh way. I love how it tells the story of God’s people, while weaving in the center piece of his story, his son, Jesus Christ! Great book. Perfect for Christmas, but really it’s a book you could read any time of the year!
December 28, 2019
This is a good devotional about church history and summarizing various things about the first coming of Jesus. However, it truly didn't feel very "adventy". I would rate it as 4/5 stars for a devotional generally, but only 3/5 as an advent devotional. Some of the embellishments to the actual text somehow didn't ring exactly correctly to me. Recommended, but not for Advent.
May 20, 2016
Great book for Advent
This book is an excellent Advent reading. The author ties in Scripture in a beautiful way. He goes through the whole Bible storyline leading up to the birth of Jesus and fills in some thought-provoking historical details along the way.
This book is an excellent Advent reading. The author ties in Scripture in a beautiful way. He goes through the whole Bible storyline leading up to the birth of Jesus and fills in some thought-provoking historical details along the way.
January 3, 2020
My wife and I read this together for Advent. We got behind, but it was an excellent book. It tells the Christmas story starting in Genesis and points to how Christ is the fulfillment of the OT. Since he relays it in story format it is very readable and understandable.
April 23, 2019
Really enjoyed this Advent reader. It takes the reader from Adam to Jesus visiting many of the well known Old Testament characters along the way..
Highly recommended.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.
Highly recommended.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.
December 25, 2019
I love Russ Ramsey’s ability to engage my imagination with Bible stories I’ve known for so long. This book was so life giving for me as I read through it this month. What a gift that Emmanuel truly is.
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