Christmas Day

 

Christmas Day

John 3:16(ESV)

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

Now we have journeyed together through Advent to Christmas day.  It is the climax!  We are excited.  Why are you excited?  Because of the food?  Because of the presents? Because of family?  I must confess that is usually the focus of my excitement,. 

 

I think God wants better from me.  I think He wants me to be excited about what He did for me.  He wants to hear me thank Him.  He wants me to worship and praise Him.  He wants me to show His love to this broken world.  I need to reset my focus and see with eyes of the heart. I need to turn around and get a different view. 

 

Time to step up and do what will please God today.  Time to rejoice.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  Time to take that verse which holds all of the Christmas story to a broken world.  Time to see God at work in this world even today!

 

People of the Advent: Jesus

 

Philippians 2:8(ESV)

⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

There is another person in the advent story.  It is Jesus.  He did not hang on to His rights, but emptied himself and became human.  He left all the glory and status of heaven to become a human being.  He did not become a wealthy human.  He was born into an obscure family of meager means.   He was willing to come as a baby and endure all the humiliation of being a baby.  He had earthly parents to obey and help.  He most likely learned his father Joseph’s trade of carpentry.  People may have bought items he made in that trade.  Handmade by the son of God!  He did that because He loved His Father, God Almighty.  He did it because He was obedient to His heavenly Father.  It was an act of love.  He did it knowing He would have to die in excruciating pain of both body and soul.  He knew His God nature that abhors sin would take the sins of the world upon Himself.  He did that in obedience to His Father.   It was in love for the world.  It was love for you and me.  So sing praises to Jesus our Savior.  He is at the center of the Advent!

God Understands

 

Revelation 21:4(ESV)

⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

I always look forward to Christmas, but some people find the holiday time very difficult.  They perhaps have lost family or close friends and the memories of the holidays rise up in their minds, reminding them of what they have lost.  Or perhaps they are just lonely and seeing people preparing to spend time as families brings them pain.  Whatever the reason I am aware of people who rather than anticipate Christmas, dread its coming.

But because of Christmas there is a glorious day coming when there will be no more death, crying, or pain.  There will be a day when we will be completely healed. However, without Christmas that day could never come.

 

God understands that pain as the first Christmas He had to send his Son to earth to die.  It was to bring us joy and deliverance, but to bring God pain and loss.  God saw the result of Christmas before it ever happened.  He knew the death of Jesus would be excruciating.  He knew it all.  He looked beyond all the pain to the joy of victory over sin and death.  He loved us enough to bear the pain. 

 

Today during this advent season let us look with God’s eyes to see the time of no death, no pain, no tears.  Let that refresh your tired heart.

Joseph, He Was That Kind of Guy

 

Matthew 1:24(ESV)

²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him:

 

 

There is an important person involved in the Advent who really gets little attention.  That person is Joseph.  He kind of comes off as a non-essential.  Well, God put him in the story, so he is essential.  Joseph was godly and kind.  He did not want to hurt Mary when she turned up pregnant.  He saw his dream slipping away, but he determined to be gracious.  He was just that kind of guy.  But then, one night while sleeping the angel of the Lord spoke to him in a dream.  Joseph does not seem to have wasted time deciding if this really was an angel of God.  No!  He woke up and obeyed. He was that kind of guy.  Again after the wise men came the angel spoke to him in dream, and he quickly obeyed.  He did not spend time figuring out how this danger came upon them. He got up and obeyed, and got his family to safety.  He was that kind of guy.  While in Egypt he had another dream with a visiting angel.  It was time to get back to Israel.  What did Joseph do?  He got up and obeyed.  He was that kind of guy.  Yet again he was warned to go to Galilee.  And guess what he did?  Right, he got up and obeyed.  He was just that kind of guy.  I want to be that kind of guy.  I want to jump up and obey.  How about you?

People of the Advent: Mary

 

Luke 1:38(ESV)

³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

 

Another important person in the Advent story is Mary.  She was a young girl, and she was in the line of David.  She was minding her own business when an angel appeared before her.  She must have been astounded. She must have thought she was dreaming, maybe had fallen asleep during the day, in the middle of her work. 

 

True to form the angel started out his talk with the words, “do not be afraid.”  Angels almost always had to say that, because no one ever expected to be confronted by an angel.  He called her favored by God. Then told her God was with her.  His next tidbit was very puzzling.  He told her she was going to have a baby and He would be Jesus, the Son of God.  Here she was a single girl betrothed to Joseph.  And now she is told she was about to be pregnant with the Son of God.  Mary asked him, “How can this be?  I am not married or intimate with a guy.”  But the angel had a ready answer.  It would be the work of the Holy Spirit.  It would be a miracle, and speaking of miracles, your relative Elizabeth is six months pregnant with a son.  Mary, God can and does do the impossible.

 

Mary’s response is a model for all of us.  “I am God’s servant, so bring it on.  I accept the challenge.”

 

Are you willing to accept the challenge and take the consequences?  That is what God wants us to do!

People of the Advent: Angels (not really people are they?)

 

Luke 1:26 (ESV)

Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

What amazing creatures angels are.  They are seen in Scripture as messengers for God.  They come bringing news, warnings, and help.  Almost always they terrify those who receive them.  They are always saying, “Now, don’t be afraid.  It is just me coming to give you a direct communique from the God of the Universe.  Do not be scared!  Get up and listen!”

The dazed recipient is not sure what to expect, but knows this is not run of the mill news.  It is news with impact.  Zechariah got news that kept him speechless. Mary received amazing news, as well as the shepherds.  The news was life changing and exciting.  It seems the angels knew how to deliver this news with class.  Wow!

 

The angels had great news to tell at Advent.  News of the King.  News of Redemption!  News of Immanuel.  It was joyous news, sometimes accompanied by lots of riotous noise.  Let’s not be afraid of this news.  Let’s embrace it and rejoice.  Immanuel is come.  He lives on today and forever.

Rejoice

 

Luke 1:47(ESV)

⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

 

So, are you ready for Christmas?  I do not mean “Have you baked all your cookies?”  Not “Have you made a Christmas cake?  Christmas is not about baking or cooking at all.

No, it is not about your decorations either. Though they make the atmosphere seem more like Christmas, those decorations are not the essence of Christmas.  It sure is not about buying all your presents.  Or even making them.

So what is it about?

 

Have you come face to face with your sin?  Have you seen you can never repair your relationship with God? Christmas is about repentance, and taking Jesus into your heart if you have not.  It is about telling the world about what Christmas really means.

 

Go back to the stable.  A rough smelly place with no sparkle or garlands, or colored lights.  A rough, dirty, smelly stable where Jesus was born.  Where stinky shepherds came in wonder to see their Savior!  Where Mary lay exhausted.  Where Joseph stood guard and probably prayed for help.  Where a new bright star marked the place.  Capture the wonder of a God who loved you so much He sent His son to die in your place.  Then stand up and rejoice!  God loves you!  Accept that and rejoice!”

People of the Advent: Wise Men

 

　

　

Matthew 2:1

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

 

In Matthew we read the fascinating account of the wise men.  They came from afar looking for the new king.  They had seen His star and followed it, stopping off in Jerusalem to get precise directions.  They did not know much about this new king but assumed Herod would know.  This got Herod in a tizzy.  A new king of the Jews surely meant trouble for him.  The Jerusalem leaders were so far removed from the Scripture, they had to search out where the Messiah was to be born.  It was a remote occurrence relegated far into the future away from the now. 

 

The wise men took the knowledge that Bethlehem was the spot and carried on following that star until they got to Jesus.  God had provided that star for them, but they thought it might be faster, or more efficient to pinpoint the place by more traditional methods.  But guess what?  That did not really help.  By following the amazing non-traditional directions God gave they arrived exactly at the spot where Jesus was. 

 

This is a lesson for me to seek God and His guidance, even when it seems odd or certainly not the best approach.  Because in the end God’s provision is always best!

The People of the Advent: Shepherds

 

Luke 2:8-20

Luke 2:11(ESV)

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 

 

Bethlehem was full of people doing their job just like always on that day Jesus was born.  There were shepherds who were outside tending sheep in a sheepfold of some sort on the hills around the town.  Some were most likely dozing; others may have been chatting, or star gazing.  Whatever they were doing that night they had the most extraordinary experience of their life.  The sky was suddenly filled with angels giving a live newscast.  “Wake up guys!  Here is amazing good news.  God is sending you a Savior.  He is being born this very night in a stable of all places.  Now we are going to praise God for this great event.  We will just do it here in front of you.  Join in if you can.”

Those shepherds were watching for intruders on the ground.  How shocking to be invaded from the sky.

The shepherds were low class on the social ladder.  They were distained by higher strata of society.  They were smelly because they were with sheep all the time.  They were not showering every day.  Yet God chose to reveal His Great Plan to the shepherds.  Yeah God!  He chose the low class shepherds, the ones society distained, to be in the know.  It was a great present for the world, and the shepherds were in the forefront.  The Lord cares about the distained.  He loves us and reveals His love to even the outcasts.  I find this encouraging because as an intellectually disabled person, we are outcasts also.  Yet the Savior is for us, too.  And this same Savior is for you!  He is for all peoples! Absolutely all.

 

 

 

 

People of the Advent: Inn Keeper

 

Luke 2:7(ESV)

⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

 

In the story of Christmas we often hear about the inn keeper who had to turn Mary and Joseph away.  In Christmas pageants he is portrayed as shaking his head and pointing them out of the way.  He is either seen as not so nice, or as feeling helpless.  Joseph is seen pleading with him for room.  He is seen stubbornly shaking his head. 

 

Looking to Scripture to see what it said about him, I do not find him.  All it says is that “there was no room for them at the inn.”  Obviously someone had to tell them the inn was full.  Perhaps there were a series of inn keepers delivering the same message, but I only read that there was no room in the inn.  Sounds to me like one inn completely full.  One inn keeper who was really busy.  Somehow they ended up in the livestock shed delivering a baby.  Most likely guided there by the inn keeper. 

 

This inn keeper had no idea the Savior of the world was being born this night in his stable.  Just another baby.  If he had known could he have done any different?  Probably not.  He may have had no idea they were stopping in the stable, or that the fullness of time had come.  Perhaps afterward he realized something extraordinary had happened.  Maybe not. 

 

This Advent season let’s keep our hearts and minds alert to what God is doing so we can respond with willing, eager hearts to the work. 

The People of the Advent: Herod

 

Matthew 2:2-3(ESV)

² saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

 

Herod was the Roman appointed king of Judea.  He was comfortable with his power and jealous about it.  He sure was not ready for any competition to that power.  I think he got scared when the wise men came and asked where is the baby who is born to be king of the Jews.  He knew it was not his child.  Oh, no! What was going to happen?  Would it be a coup?  He did know that Christ was to be born at some time to be “King of the Jews”, but he was certainly not anticipating this in his life time.  He, like so many others, imagined a king who would be an earthly king and get them out from Roman rule.  Herod was part of the Roman set up, so he was not interested in getting rid of Rome.  He smelled trouble.  He had his plan for life and it did not include Jesus.

 

I think we cannot be too hard on Herod.  He is not much different than most of us.  We want God to only intervene in our lives when it enhances our pre-made plan.  The plan is more sacred to us than Jesus and God’s plan.  I challenge you to reflect on the question: Am I ready for Jesus?  Be honest!  Then get ready!

People of the Advent: Zacharias

 

Psalm 46:10(ESV)

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”

 

Zacharias was a devout, righteous man.  He wanted to do what was right.  He believed God and His promises.  He was a faithful priest.  Yet when an angel appeared to him in the course of his temple duties, he was afraid.  After hearing what the angel foretold, he could not grasp it.  He did not believe it.  He did not see how it could be.  He wanted more information before he believed it.  He wanted to know more first.  Gabriel fired back at him with his credentials, and basically said, “Who are you to question me?”  Zacharias had to become mute for a time.  He had to be still to know God.  He had to quit talking, quit asking questions, and know God more.  Rather than knowing more information, he had to know more of God.  Are you ready to be still and know more of God?  Try that and see how much sweeter your Christmas is.

 

People of the Advent: Elizabeth

 

Luke 1:6(ESV)

⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

 Luke 1:5-24

Ah, Elizabeth.  She is said to be a righteous woman. It says she kept God’s statutes.  Wow!  She must have been amazing!  Yet she was barren.  She longed to be a mother, but she had no children.  That apparently carried a stigma in her culture.  She may have felt she was a failure.  She felt she did not quite measure up.  Yet God was preparing her to have a very special child.  God was in charge of the timing.  See, He had a big plan!  She was part of the big plan! 

 

She conceived and was so glad.  The stigma was abolished.  Somehow she now measured up in the eyes of society.

 

She was righteous and God rewarded that.  She understood Mary’s situation. When Mary came to her house, she rejoiced, even though others looked askance at Mary.  Elizabeth continued to learn God’s ways in her old age.  She obeyed and stood up to well-meaning friends who rejected the name John.  She obeyed, no matter what.  What a lady! 

 

I want to be righteous and obey no matter what!

Looking forward

 

Romans 5:8 (ESV)

⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Do you look forward to Christmas?  I sure do! I love the family gatherings.  I love the decorations that make our house sparkle.  I love giving presents and receiving them.  But I am reflecting today on why we need Christmas in the first place.

 

We need Christmas because we are totally sinful.  There is nothing good in me or you.  We are riddled with sin.  We are born into sin.  We have a sin nature.  Holy God cannot abide sin, but He loves us.  Do you get it?  While we were dead in our sin, Christ came and died for us to give us life.  And not just any life!  It is life abundant.  We celebrate Christmas because it is the birth of the promise of redemption.  It celebrates the “fullness of time” when the plan became reality.  God loved.  Jesus came as a human baby.  Jesus lived a sinless life.  Jesus died for our sins, not His own.  And we get eternal life.  This is why I look forward to Christmas, and celebrate it.  It is God loving me and providing for my redemption which I am powerless to do.  So celebrate it now!

Simeon

 

Luke 2:25

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

 

Simeon was an old guy. He was in Jerusalem and was waiting for the Messiah.  He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen with his own eyes the Christ.  He was old, and tired and ready to die and could not till he saw Jesus.  He was looking out for Jesus.  When I am waiting for someone to come, I keep peeking out the window.  Simeon kept peeking in the temple. 

 

 Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord, a custom of the day.  And here came old Simeon, looking for the Christ.  Simeon was not shy!  He took Jesus in his arms and praised God.  He was so excited he said a poem blessing over Jesus.  He was inspired!  He also had hard words for Mary about what Jesus would become.  Simeon had the long view in mind.  He did not just see a cute, squirming baby.  He saw the Savior of the world.  He saw Emmanuel. So this advent when we see pictures of baby Jesus, see the long view. God in man’s body.  God with us! Emmanuel!

Gift Giving

 

Romans 6:23(ESV)

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We all like to receive gifts from those we love.  I love to give gifts, but buying them makes me crazy.  I want that gift to convey all the love in my heart. The trouble is I never find a gift that does that.  It has to be special, but all the gifts I see to buy fall far short.  My family is so precious to me, but I am always at a loss to find a gift to signify that feeling.

God loved us so much He wanted to show that love with an extraordinary gift.  He was not perplexed about what to give.  He knew exactly what we needed.  He knew the gift that would meet every one of our needs and beyond.  The gift was salvation!  It came in the form of Jesus.  It cost God everything and me nothing.  It takes my breath away.  Now that was one special gift!  Thank you, Lord, for giving me You!

God the Father

 

John 3:16 (ESV)

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

 

Underlying the entire advent is God the Father.  Sin had spoiled and tarnished God’s creation.  He had known man would sin before it happened, and He was ready with a perfect plan.  That plan was absolutely perfect but it caused great pain for the Father.  His only Son, Jesus, the Messiah had to come to earth to make a permanent bridge between man and God.  The pain came from God in sending Jesus to a sinful world with the purpose of dying on a cross to pay the penalty of sin in a once for all event.  The perfect took the fall for the guilty.  God had to see this.  It was great pain!  But God still was in control.  Yes, Jesus died, but that was not the end.  He conquered sin.  And He conquered death.  He was resurrected never to die again.  We through faith in Jesus also partake in this victory over death.  God suffered great pain so we could live in eternal life.  For God so loved the world, He did this for me and for you.  Shout hallelujah right now!

Light Up the Dark Places

 

Isaiah 49:6(ESV)

⁶ he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

 

Praise the Lord Jesus did not come just to restore the relationship between Israel and God.  He came to be light to all nations.  His salvation reaches to the end of the earth.  No nation is beyond God’s love, nor His judgment.  Salvation is for you and all who live in your nation.  It does not stop there.  It is for the nations around you.  It is for the nations far from you.  It is for all.  It is for the nations that are receptive to the gospel, but it is also for those who seem closed to the gospel.  It is for those who persecute the believers and kill them.  It is for all!  This advent join me in praying for those nations that are hostile to Jesus.  Pray the leaders and people in those nations come to salvation.  Pray that the Light of the world will shine brightly in those dark places.

Be Like Jesus

 

John 1:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son^[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus took on flesh and lived with us in all the pain of this world. He did that so some would believe.  He knew not everyone would believe, but He did it so some could come into relationship with God.  He became like us so we could relate to Him. 

God calls us to be out and about in this world relating to those in darkness so they can believe.  Do you do that?

Our family volunteers at a facility for the intellectually disabled.  Many have difficulty with communication.  One young man in particular often hides in the corner.  Well, my mom made him a special project.  She maintained a proper distance, but prayed for a break through.  One day she went into the facility and twirled in circles, avoided eye contact all the time chatting to this guy.  She kind of looked autistic.  The staff giggled, but she did not care about that.  Week after week she persisted.  That guy began to gradually thaw.  Most weeks he was sitting at the table waiting for her performance.  It kept up. He was thawing for sure.  Then one day Mom saw him outside waiting for his ride when we went home.  She started in twirling and shared the Gospel.  By the end she was not twirling, but looking him in the eye, telling him about Jesus.  One other guy was out there listening, too.  We do not know for sure if they believed, but we all saw a change in those two.

 

That was Mom being like Jesus.  Now I challenge you to find a way to be like Jesus this advent season and share the Gospel. God will work, I am sure.

Isaiah

 

Isaiah 9:6(ESV)

⁶ For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

The advent would not be complete without Isaiah. He was a prophet who foretold the coming of the Messiah.  I often wonder how much he understood of prophesy.  Looking back always seems easier than looking forward to understand.  Isaiah wrote about so many aspects of Jesus’ life.  Did he know how it would all play out?  Of course he did not.  That would be impossible for mere man to grasp all God meant.  Yet he faithfully gave forth the message and trusted God for the mechanics as it were.  He had to believe God knew what He was talking about.  He did not stop his job of prophesying because he did not understand.  He gave it forth in faith believing.  

 

I am certain God expects us to live each day in faith believing His promises, even when they do not make sense or seem possible.  This is where in faith believing I must trust God, and obey!  I must know God and cling to what I know of Him and believe.  One thing Isaiah knew and I know this too, God knows it all!  Hallelujah!