The Crossroads of Our Journey

Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV).

New Year’s Eve is always an interesting holiday for me. For many reasons I am not drawn to the big celebrations to watch as the “ball drops.” I am not saying that somehow those celebrations are not good. I am simply not drawn to the crowds, often in the cold and wet conditions of winter. I have found myself most years sitting quietly at home waiting for the clock to chime, watching some of festivities around the world as a new year dawns. I am always a bit nostalgic as I think on the previous year’s experiences and wondering what the new path will bring. Some of the time I can echo the wonderful words of Robert Frost who wrote those famous words: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” I have been writing a short storyline of grace these past few days. I have focused on John Newton and his wonderful old hymn, “Amazing Grace.” The truth I really want you to grasp today as we get ever closer to this New Year is that it must bring new anticipation of new mercies from Christ. That is the very heart of the grace of God. Newton in another letter to a friend, wrote, “With new years, new mercies.” He was so correct. So, this new year is an opportunity to pause on the path and to stand humbly on the hilltop of time to look back on grace received, to cherish the sustaining grace of God upholding us now, and to anticipate future graces yet to come. If you are planning to do something to “look back” so that you may “look forward” in your journey of grace, let me make a few suggestions. First, recognize that every failure of the past has been forgiven and is being used of God for your good (cf. Romans 8:28). Even when those things were simply mistakes of our own making, a poor decision, or a bad choice, God is still the almighty, sovereign God. He has not forsaken you, and all your failures have purpose in His good pleasure toward you. Second, use your thoughts of the future to pray, not fear. I find myself thinking most of my children and grandchildren at this time of the year. Each of them is at their own “crossroads.” How could they not be? They are being led by the same loving Father that I am. They are all at their own places of where a choice is necessary. It would be natural to fear that they may be hurt in some way by a poor choice. That fear is not from my heavenly Father. His word to me is that they will be eternally cared for and blessed with the same eternal life I shall have someday. So, rather than fear, use those thoughts to pray for each of them specifically. I hope you will have a very blessed New Year! Enjoy your celebration! Trust in the Lord as you take your steps along your new path!

Past, Present, and Future Grace

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV).

Today I am returning to the story of John Newton and his most famous hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Our reading today is very clear. The writer of Hebrews compares Jesus to the King/High Priest Melchizedeck and then writes the encouragement to “hold fast.” Sometimes I feel that’s all I can do. I have just enough strength to hold on! In that exercise I find so much more. It is at that moment when I am able to trust God’s grace that I find confidence to “draw near.” Then I am able to find mercy and grace for any moment of difficulty. John Newton knew about this truth. In one letter written to a friend, he explained the discipline of faith in God’s plan and purpose: New Years finds me employed. I compare it to a hill on the road, from the top of which I endeavor to look back on the way that the Lord has led me thus far through the wilderness [past]. I look around to contemplate the difference his goodness has made between my situation, and that of thousands of my fellow creatures [present]. I then look forward, and perceive that I am drawing apace to my journey’s end. I shall soon be at home [future]. At the time he wrote this, John Newton, whose past was awful, had been saved from his sure destruction in the judgment. It was then that he recognized how he was being saved. He knew it was his journey that was designed by God to sanctify him. He would be saved in the end no matter what the present looked lie. Such confidence in grace was synonymous with his confidence in the all-sufficient Christ. So, it was this time of the New Year that reminded him to meditate on the grace of Christ. He learned a wonderful truth that since the Lord is good, he was delivered, he is being delivered, and he would be delivered finally and perfectly. The New Year afforded Newton the reminder to meditate on the grace of Christ. Knowing how Newton processed the New Year, and knowing he wrote “Amazing Grace” for a New Year’s Day service in his church, please take a moment now to read the hymn as it originally appeared. Read it slowly as you reflect on how God has delivered, is delivering, and will finally deliver all his children. If you are having trouble finding all of it you can find it here: https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Amazing_Grace/.

Amazing Grace

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:17-20 ESV).

John Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace” is the most famous New Year’s Day hymn in church history, first unveiled to his rural congregation on January 1, 1773. The entire hymn is closely modeled after 1 Chronicles 17, a chapter that speaks of King David’s past, present, and future. Newton does the same, reflecting on past grace, present grace, and the hope of future grace. It was a fitting way to bring in the New Year, and it was his annual pattern. At the start of every year, Newton set aside a day to reflect on life. He was at one time a hardened sailor in the slave trade. He was broken and humbled and redeemed. And he was aware of the ongoing grace upholding his life. And his future was completely in the hands of God’s mercy, too. Like David, Newton saw grace in the past, present, and future. New Year’s was a special time of reflection and worship, and the practice was embedded into his personal disciplines. It became a hallmark of his pastoral work. He penned new hymns and sermons and personal letters every year to urge his friends to take time at the unveiling of a new year to stop and reflect on grace. He would tell us to do the same at the start of this New Year. Newton’s most famous hymn “Amazing Grace” is the best example of this reflection. The hymn was first unveiled in his church on New Year’s Day (1773), and it’s a reflection on the New Year: a look back on his past deliverances, a look around on his present deliverances, and a look forward to his future deliverances in Christ. As each New Year approached, Newton patterned his thinking along this reflective triplet. Perhaps each of us ought to follow this pattern for the next few days. Use some time each day to journal some thought concerning your “deliverances.” The past is merely a foreshadowing of the future. Project the great grace of God into your present and future. Write these down as you journal your hopes and dreams for yourself, your family, and your friends. As the year unfolds it will amaze you how Jesus will have become so much more than merely a historically unreachable figure.

Grace for the New Year

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 10:9-10 ESV).

The year is winding down and it seems there are competing thoughts. So many people have been so kind in many different ways this past year that it would be difficult to begin to thank each one. Some were generous with their financial support of the ministry which becomes more and more vital as the ministry grows here in Texas as it did in Tennessee. Others have been encouragers with a fit word or a kind expression. These have always come at a time when it was just right as there have been some challenging moments during the year. Whatever the expression, my reflection over the year is like a mosaic of beautiful stained glass with bright sunshine filtering through the colors and bringing delight. It was all God’s grace. Grace is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us. God’s grace was God’s acting in Paul to make Paul work hard: “By the grace of God . . . I worked harder than any of them.” So when Paul says, “Work out your own salvation,” he adds, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us. As I begin to look forward to the New Year about to dawn, I must remember that this grace is past and it is future. It is ever-cascading over the infinitesimal waterfall of the present, from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future, into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past. Throughout the day today, you will receive sustaining grace flowing to you from the future, and you will accumulate another day’s worth of grace in the reservoir of the past. The proper response to the grace you experienced in the past is thankfulness, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of the last year, and we are confident in the future grace for the New Year. In the next few days we’ll look more deeply into this principle. Today, may I encourage you to both give and receive the grace God has given to you? And, may I also inspire you to a deep sense of humility that the power of God has entered into our lives through nothing we have done. Jesus did it all, all to Him I owe!

Better Days Ahead

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:8-10 ESV).

I find old windmills and Texas sunrises especially inspiring! Maybe it’s because the image takes me to a particular thought of encouragement leading to strength for my journey. There are so many different types of windmills along the Texas landscape. Early wind pumps directly operated the pump shaft from a crank attached to the rotor of the windmill; the installation of back gearing between wind rotor and pump crank allowed the pump to function at lower wind speeds. These mills, made by a variety of manufacturers, featured a large number of blades so that they would turn slowly with considerable torque in low winds and be self-regulating in high winds. A tower-top gearbox and crankshaft converted the rotary motion into reciprocating strokes carried downward through a rod to the pump cylinder below. They have nearly disappeared over the years, although rising costs of energy to drive other types of pumps is causing a slight surge back to these old styles of pumps. But, that information is just background for the reason they are inspiration to me. You see, we have a windmill in our front yard. It’s only ten feet tall and merely decorative. Now, it looks exactly like a genuine windmill. The fan is real, the tail works to point the fan in the best direction to catch the wind precisely; however, it is not connected to a water source. For a windmill to really work it must be connected to the water below the ground. It does not produce water; it merely pumps it from the source. This is the point of our reading today. The prophet is reminding his readers that God is their source. They don’t need to do anything more than let the wind blow. They, like us, are already connected irrevocably to the source of Living Water. It is a source that always fills, refreshes, and heals. It can never run dry. It can never be polluted. It is always constant. All we need do is go to the pump! Maybe you need to remember that today. Perhaps you are facing health issues that seem impossible to bear; perhaps it’s a financial challenge that seems overwhelming; or, it could be a relational division with someone you care for deeply. All of these produce a “thirst” that can only be quenched by the cool refreshing water of our Redeemer. Go back to your “well.” The windmill is already pumping it to the surface for you to drink as deeply as you may need!

The Quiet of the Day

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14 ESV).

It’s really early on Christmas day as I listen to some soft, inspirational music and begin to write a few devotionals for the next week. The weather outside is foggy and cool. The house is quiet. No one else is up yet. The coffee is good. And, I am brought to this wonderful thought of the meme I found, the sentiment having been written by Mary Anne Radmacher: Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voce at the end of the day, saying… “I will try again tomorrow.” It is one that I hope you can adopt today. I’ve written devotionals that were theologically instructive. I’ve had lengthy series in exposition of a particular book of the Bible, or topic of the liturgical season. I’ve written serious, thought-provoking pieces. I’ve added inspirational pictures, videos, and music to some of them. I hope no two were redundant, though I’m sure they appear that way from time to time. In all, my prayer and hope is that I may have written some little bit of encouragement for you keep walking your path of this journey we call life. It is different for all of us. Life sometimes appears to be like a vast green meadow, blooming with wildflowers and the sun brightly shining on the horizon; and, sometimes it appears as a dark, foreboding path through the unknown valleys of life. No matter our age, gender, or political disposition, we cannot escape those moments of challenge and trial. As often as not we find failure at the end of the day. So, I simply begin today, like the Apostle Paul praying for you that you will find the end of your day with all endurance and patience with joy (v. 11). You can. As hard as it seems, as incredible is the thought of merely taking a step forward, you can do it. The God of the ages, our Savior, Jesus, has given each of us the means to finish our course. Whatever failure, pain, or challenge you experienced today, there is a day coming when none of that will have mattered. You will have perfect peace and freedom. Read it again: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (v. 14). Find the quiet of this day and remember that!

Little Drummer Boy

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:7-12 ESV).

Merry Christmas, y’all! My prayer is that this short devotional finds you enjoying family, friends, and a well deserved respite from the stress and pace of your world. Perhaps you are having a bit of a “white Christmas.” If so, then I am truly envious! Today I have chosen to use an older carol, "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") as a springboard to our reading. This song is a popular song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family Singers, the song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale. It has since been recorded by scores of artists. In the lyrics the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the infant the little drummer boy played his drum with Jesus' mother’s approval; recalling, "I played my best for him" and "He smiled at me." There is a viral challenge that has once again surfaced this year that challenges participants to actively hearing this holiday classic that is as much a part of the fabric of Christmastime as a song can be. However, my challenge is a bit different. I challenge you to listen to the song sung by GENTRI, filmed in an actual children’s hospital ward and not be met with a swell of emotions. Additionally I challenge you to find a way to give gifts to the Christ child this year through giving to others. It may not be a physical gift at all; instead, it may be a warm expression of love and encouragement in their journey. Those are the best anyway! You can find the video at the following address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EaAmXwituc. My Christmas prayer for you: Our Father, great and mighty Creator, Sovereign Lord, I ask your most bountiful blessing on each of those who are touched by these short thoughts each day. Though their journey may be filled with challenge and pain, I pray you would give them hope, peace, and joy. Allow all of us to know the depth of your grace and love, giving it generously to all you bring into our lives.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:13-20 ESV).

“Angels We Have Heard On High,” or as is known in hymnology, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, is an example of the psalmi idiotici ("private psalms", i.e. compositions by individuals in imitation of the biblical Psalter) that were popular in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. In the 4th century it became part of morning prayers, and is still recited in the Byzantine Rite Orthros service. The Latin translation is traditionally attributed to Hilary of Poitiers (circa 300–368), who may have learned it while in the East; as such, it is part of a loose tradition of early Latin translations of the scripture known as the Latin Vulgate. The Latin hymn thus uses the word excelsis to translate the Greek word ὑψίστοις (the highest) in our reading, not the word altissimis, which Jerome preferred for his translation. Spend a few minutes and listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5mdybeyLVc. I have many memories attached to this song, both the English and Latin versions. As an elementary student attending the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Galveston, Texas, we were required to participate in choir. Of course the sacred songs of the season were the traditional mainstay of our repertoire. In later years I often enjoyed both hearing and singing the carols, of which this one remains one of my favorites. Even though my theology differs in some degree with that which I was taught early in my Catholic education, I have found some things which cannot be disputed. These things are the constants through most of Christianity today. I am very grateful for that early education. Perhaps one of those things involves the Incarnation. I absolutely cannot imagine how we might legitimately think of God becoming human is anything short of “Gloria in Excelsis.” God’s love for us is so great that words in any language fail to capture the miracle of that first Christmas. In it we find the Creator, the very Word of God, becoming man that He might redeem us and set us free from sin and death. I’ve received many gifts through the years. I still have some of them. Each holds a special position and is treasured. None of them, however, can be compared to God’s gift of His only begotten Son. Spend a little time today pondering this great miracle of God on your behalf. He is the real Gift of Christmas!

The Advent Wreath

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11 ESV).

Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas. During the four weeks preceding Christmas, an Advent Wreath is traditionally used to represent aspects of spiritual preparation leading up to the birth of Jesus. The wreath itself is typically a circular garland of evergreen branches, though it can be in any configuration. The evergreen sprig is often used as a symbol of eternal life. Typically you will also find five candles arranged on the wreath, and one is lit each of the Sundays prior to Christmas; the final, or fifth candle, is lit on Christmas Day. The three principal colors of Advent are packed with rich meaning. 1. The first candle symbolizes hope and is called the “Prophet’s Candle.” The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival. 2. The second candle represents preparation and is called “Bethlehem’s Candle.” Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is also the birthplace of King David. 3. The third candle represents peace and is called the “Angel’s Candle.” The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace--He came to bring people close to God and to each other again. 4. The fourth candle symbolizes joy and is called the “Shepherd’s Candle.” To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. In liturgy, the color rose signifies joy. Today we would light the Shepherd’s Candle if we were following liturgical tradition. The angels did announce the coming of Jesus with the promise of “great joy.” Of course this truth is found in the purpose of Jesus’ first coming. Christ was the sinless, spotless, perfect sacrifice for our sin. He conquered death and removed the curse from our lives. He was the light come into a dark and dying world. Whether you participate in the lighting of the candles or not, I hope this year is filled with the great joy of the work of Christ in your life. Regardless of the circumstance you may find yourself traveling through, nothing can change this great truth. This is our joy! Celebrate that today!

Almost Christmas

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV).

Forgive me for having a little “left-over” from our anniversary yesterday; however, it occurs to me there are some things that are similar in the events that immediately followed our wedding day and the trip Joseph and Mary made to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. I am in no way saying that our lives are anything the same as they, not am I say that our lives are in any way as pivotal to the redemption of mankind as was Joseph and Mary. However, there are some things that make me go “hmmm.” After our wedding activities were all completed, vows exchanged, cakes cut, bouquet thrown, we changed into “traveling clothes” and dashed out of the church to the cheers and throwing of rice from family and friends. I know the origins of this wedding tradition, but that’s not the principle I want to emphasize. The contrast in our “send-off” seems to be very different that what Joseph and Mary must have experienced. In fact, when they arrived at their final destination, they didn’t even have a clean room to occupy, ultimately giving birth to their first-born son in a stable. They walked, we rode in our comfortable car; they were shunned, we were welcomed; and, they were alone, while we were surrounded by people celebrating the holiday in San Antonio. There are some other interesting contrasts. We didn’t get to San Antonio right away as we visited some of the area of Mary’s childhood first. When we finally arrived at the St. Anthony Hotel (the best in San Antonio at that time), we settled in and realized that there wasn’t really much to do on Christmas Eve. We walked around a bit. It was cold for Texas and found the only place open was St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. They were celebrating with a solemn High Mass. Mary had never experienced such and we decided to duck in. At least it would be warm and sheltered from the cold winter wind. The incense was burning and the Latin repeated as the worship proceeded. We didn’t stay long, ultimately going back to our room. Sitting down, Mary simply said, “I miss home.” Of course, we called and talked to her parents, wishing them a Merry Christmas and telling them some of travels thus far. Joseph and Mary had no such luxury when they found themselves alone in the stable. They had no one to call and no one to bolster their feelings of loneliness. They had each other and the knowledge that the Lord was with them. Just like it was enough for us, it was enough for them. We have almost arrived at our Christmas this year, 2018. Can I simply encourage you in that you are not alone either? Jesus is with you today just as much as ever!

Happy Anniversary, Mary!

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV).

Forty-nine years ago Mary and I exchanged our vows and were married. We were very young, but being just twenty, waiting was certainly more frightening than not. So, there we were, with family and friends gathered at the First Baptist Church of Bryan, Texas, two students at Texas A&M, about to start what would become a long and eventful adventure. It was really happening. We were committing "till death do us part." The picture I’ve chosen is our exchanging rings. As I have gone through the years that has been one of the most impactful things we did that day. You may have heard the story of how we met. In the summer of 1968, a friend of mine and I were cruising the A&W Drive-in hoping that we might find two girls that would be willing to join us for a burger and some rock and roll music. While that sounds like a fantasy, you must remember that in those days, in College Station, that would have been a great night. Attending A&M with only 300 girls on campus, and 8,000 guys, the odds weren’t in my favor! We did find two girls willing to join us and that night I knew she was the one. In fact, I told her so. The invitation was met with an unenthusiastic and emphatic “no way.” She said, “Marry me? I won’t even date you.” As I persisted over the next few months, slowly I began to go to church and Sunday School with she and her family and in March of 1969, I became a Christian. That changed everything. She confessed that she had loved me from that first encounter. Things moved rapidly from there and we were married in December of 1969. Our 49 years together have been years of both wonder and challenge. We have grown our family and now have three sons, two daughter-in-laws, and five grandchildren. We have experienced a variety of friendships, jobs, and homes. We have enjoyed one another. We have been frustrated with one another. We have agreed. We have disagreed. But through the ups and downs, we have been committed. We have been committed to love, to stay together, to work through conflict, to apologize, and to change as needed. Love never ends! That may not have been your experience. My encouragement is that you trust God in whatever circumstance you find yourself. The key is not in us; it is in the mutual devotional and faith we have in our God. I pray you will find that, too. I look forward to many more years with this little blond-haired girl willing to take a chance on me so many years ago. Happy Anniversary, Mary!

Joy to the World - Pt 23

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6–11 ESV).

The final point we ought to consider is how do we practically receive reconciliation and exult in God? One answer is: do it through Jesus Christ. Which means, at least in part, make the portrait of Jesus in the Bible — the work and the words of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament, the essential content of your exultation over God. Exultation without the content of Christ does not honor Christ. In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul describes conversion two ways. In verse 4, he says it is seeing “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And in verse 6, he says it is seeing “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In either case you see the point. We have Christ, the image of God, and we have God in the face of Christ. Practically, to exult in God, you exult in what you see and know of God in the portrait of Jesus Christ. And this comes to its fullest experience when the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as Romans 5:5 says. So here’s the Christmas point. Not only did God purchase our reconciliation through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 10), and not only did God enable us to receive that reconciliation through the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 11), but even now, verse 11 says, we exult in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus purchased our reconciliation. Jesus enabled us to receive the reconciliation and open the gift. And Jesus himself shines forth from the wrapping—the indescribable gift—as God in the flesh, and stirs up all our exultation in God. Look to Jesus this Christmas. Receive the reconciliation that he bought. Don’t put it on the shelf unopened. And don’t open it and then make it a means to all your other pleasures. Open it and enjoy the gift. Exult in him. Make him your pleasure. Make him your treasure.

Joy to the World - Pt 22

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31

It is interesting to me that so many people who have grown up in church and who can recite the great doctrines of their faith in their sleep and who yawn through the Apostles Creed, that something must be done to help them once more feel the awe, the fear, the astonishment, the wonder of the Son of God, begotten by the Father from all eternity, reflecting all the glory of God, being the very image of his person, through whom all things were created, upholding the universe by the word of his power. It is incredible that we can read every fairy tale that was ever written, every mystery thriller, every ghost story, and still never find anything so shocking, so strange, so weird and so spellbinding as the story of the incarnation of the Son of God. Religion has increased, and with it, so has the deadness of the faith of so many. It has led to a callous and unfeeling existence in relation to His glory and His story! There have been those occasions when I have I had to repent and say, “God, I am sorry that the stories men have made up stir my emotions, my awe and wonder and admiration and joy, more than your own true story.” When Jesus said, “For this I have come into the world,” he said something as crazy and weird and strange and eerie as any statement in science fiction that you have ever read (v. 37). My real hope is that the Holy Spirit would break on us this Christmas. We should be terrified to a point where we would be awakened to the unimaginable reality of God. After all, one of these days lightning is going to fill the sky from the rising of the sun to its setting, and there is going to appear in the clouds one like a son of man with his mighty angels in flaming fire. And we will see him clearly. And whether from terror or sheer excitement, we will tremble and we will wonder how, how we ever lived so long with such a domesticated, harmless Christ. These things are written that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into the world. Really believe. When that happens our lives are transformed, our attention is redirected, and our priorities in life are renewed. This is a busy time of the year with many things vying for our attention. Somehow we must recognize that nothing is as important as Jesus in our Christmas celebration!

Joy to the World - Pt 21

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” (John 18:33-38 ESV).

Our reading today is a great Christmas text even though it comes from the end of Jesus’ life on earth, not the beginning. The uniqueness of his birth is that he did not originate at his birth. He existed before he was born in a manger. The personhood, the character, the personality of Jesus of Nazareth existed before the man Jesus of Nazareth was born. The theological word to describe this mystery is not creation, but incarnation. The person, not the body, but the essential personhood of Jesus existed before he was born as man. His birth was not a coming into being of a new person, but a coming into the world of an infinitely old person. I know that sounds as if I am “splitting hairs”; however, it is a very important distinction to make. The prophet Micah puts it like this: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2). This prophecy was delivered 700 years before Jesus was born. The mystery of the birth of Jesus is not merely that he was born of a virgin. That miracle was intended by God to witness to an even greater one, namely, that the child born at Christmas was a person who existed “from of old, from ancient days.” That Christ existed before his incarnation, and even before the foundation of the world, is finally a function of his divinity. He is first and last, Alpha and Omega (cf. Revelation 1:8), because he is God. Jesus is before, and he is better than, anything in the created world. Christmas is far more than the celebration of a great man’s birth. God himself, in the second person of the Godhead, entered into our space, and into our frail humanity, surrounded by our sin, to rescue us. He came. He became one of us. God sent God. The Father gave his own Son for us and for our salvation! Joy to the world!

Joy to the World - Pt 20

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV).

Jesus became man because what was needed was the death of a man who was more than man. The incarnation was God’s locking himself into death row. Christ did not risk death. He embraced it. That is precisely why he was born in Bethlehem: not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many (cf. Mark 10:45). This is the foundation of the joy found in Christmas. Because he came we have nothing to fear. All our enemies and dread have been banished through the cross. Death may now be embraced as merely the beginning of a great eternity living in perfect harmony and peace. No wonder Satan tried to turn Jesus from the cross! The cross was Satan’s destruction. How did Jesus destroy him? The “power of death” is the ability to make death fearful. The “power of death” is the power that holds men in bondage through fear of death. It is the power to keep men in sin, so that death comes as a horrid thing. But Jesus stripped Satan of this power. He disarmed him. He molded a breastplate of righteousness for us that makes us immune to the devil’s condemnation. By his death, Jesus wiped away all our sins. And a person without sin puts Satan out of business. His treason is aborted. His cosmic treachery is foiled. “His rage we can endure, for, lo, his doom is sure.” The cross has run him through. And he will gasp his last before long. Christmas is for freedom, freedom from the fear of death. Jesus took our nature in Bethlehem, to die our death in Jerusalem, that we might be fearless in our city. Yes, fearless. Because if the biggest threat to my joy is gone, then why should I fret over the little ones? How can you say, “Well, I’m not afraid to die but I’m afraid to lose my job”? If death, real cessation of life as we know it on this earth, if death is no longer a fear, we’re free, really free. Free to take any risk under the sun for Christ and for love. No more bondage to anxiety. If the Son has set you free, you shall be free, indeed! Now we can sing this new song… Joy to the world, the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Let every heart prepare Him room

Joy to the World - Pt 19

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV).

God is just and holy and separated from sinners like us. This is our main problem at Christmas, as well as every other season. How shall we get right with a just and holy God? Nevertheless, God is merciful just as our reading today shows. This was written five hundred years before Christ; it was clearly a promise that someday he would do something new. He would replace shadows with the reality of the Messiah. And he would powerfully move into our lives and write his will on our hearts so that we are not constrained from outside but are willing from inside to love him and trust him and follow him. That would be the greatest salvation imaginable. If God should offer us the greatest reality in the universe to enjoy and then move in us to see to it that we could enjoy it with the greatest freedom and joy possible, then that would be a Christmas gift worth singing about to be sure! And, that is, in fact, what he promised. But there was a huge obstacle. It is our sin. We are forever separated from God because of our unrighteousness. How could a holy and just God treat us sinners with so much kindness as to give us the greatest reality in the universe (his Son) to enjoy with the greatest joy possible? The answer is that God put our sins on his Son, and judged them there, so that he could put them out of his mind, and deal with us mercifully and remain just and holy at the same time. Hebrews 9:28 says, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” Christ took our judgment. He canceled our guilt. And that means the sins are gone. They do not remain in God’s mind as a basis for condemnation. In that sense, he “forgets” them. They are consumed in the death of Christ, which means that God is now free, in his justice, to lavish us with the new covenant. And, he writes his own will—his own heart—on our hearts so that we can love Christ and trust Christ and follow Christ from the inside out, with freedom and joy!

Joy to the World - Pt 18

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV).

Christmas was God’s most successful setback. He has always delighted to show his power through apparent defeat. He makes tactical retreats in order to win strategic victories. Joseph was promised glory and power in his dream (cf. Genesis 37:5–11). But to achieve that victory he had to become a slave in Egypt. And as if that were not enough, when his conditions improved because of his integrity, he was made worse than a slave — a prisoner. But it was all planned. For there in prison he met Pharaoh’s butler, who eventually brought him to Pharaoh who put him over Egypt. What an unlikely route to glory! But that is God’s way, even for his Son. He emptied himself and took the form of a slave. It was worse than a slave. He became a prisoner and was executed. But like Joseph, he kept his integrity. The Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (vv. 9–10). And this is God’s way for us too. We are promised glory, when we suffer with him (cf. Romans 8:17). Isn’t it crazy that the way up is down? The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always look and feel like failure. However, if Joseph and Jesus teach us anything this Christmas it is this: “God meant it for good!” (Genesis 50:20). Perhaps one of the most profound contemporary quotes emphasizing this truth comes from Craig D. Lounsbrough: “When surrounded by the ashes of all that I once cherished, despite my best efforts I can find no room to be thankful. But standing there amidst endless ash I must remember that although the ashes surround me, God surrounds the ashes. And once that realization settles upon me, I am what I thought I could never be ... I am thankful for ashes.” Jesus understood that from the beginning. He calls us to have that kind of faith. It will be rewarded!

Joy to the World - Pt 17

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:7-14 ESV).

I was struck with the incredible emotional display surrounding the memorial for President G. H. W. Bush last week as I prepared this devotional for publication. His family and friends all echoed a message of both loss and gain in their remarks. While I was unable to watch all of the services live, I did watch later through the various media outlets carrying them. I was particularly moved to see the respect and honor given him in College Station. I was both proud and deeply aware of the part the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M played in the processional and honor guard. It reminded me of how many of you may feel your loss this Christmas more pointedly than before. Some do their best to block it out. My counsel is to simply let it come as it inevitably will. After all, what is love for, if not to intensify our affections, both in life and death? My great caution is to avoid becoming bitter. It is tragically self-destructive to be bitter. Christmas ought to be a time when we are reminded that Jesus came that we might have eternal life. Our reading is one of those clear passages where Jesus helps us understand that truth. There is no doubt that President Bush and his wife, Barbara, who preceded him in death earlier this year, had discussed where they would call home in their final years. It is also clear that they understood the finality of that decision would only be achieved when they died and arrived at their eternal home being then joined with their daughter, Robin. To be honest it made me feel a bit restless for my final home. I have family coming home for the holidays. I think the bottom line, however, is that I know we are all destined to be truly at home someday. All other homecomings are foretastes. And foretastes are good, unless they become substitutes. Let every loss and every delight send your hearts thinking about you real home in heaven. That the joy Jesus brings to the world!

Joy to the World - Pt 16

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV).

In light of the recent effort of the principal of Omaha-area Manchester Elementary School, Jennifer Sinclair, to ban all use of any Christmas symbols that might point to Jesus, I thought an explanation of the candy cane’s origin might be instructive. According to the legend of the candy cane, the story says that a choirmaster, in 1670, was worried about the children sitting quietly all through the long Christmas nativity service. So he gave them something to eat to keep them quiet. As he wanted to remind them of Christmas, he made candy sticks into a ‘J’ shape like a shepherd’s crook, to remind them of the shepherds that visited the baby Jesus at the first Christmas. Sometime around 1900 the red stripes were added and they were flavored with peppermint or wintergreen. Sometimes other Christian meanings are giving to the parts of the canes. The ‘J’ can also mean Jesus. The white of the cane can represent the purity of Jesus Christ and the red stripes are for the blood he shed when he died on the cross. The peppermint flavor can represent the hyssop plant that was used for purifying in the Bible. Around 1920, Bob McCormack, from Georgia, started making canes for his family and friends. They became more and more popular and he started his own business called Bob’s Candies. Bob McCormack’s brother-in-law, Gregory Harding Keller, who was a Catholic priest, invented the Keller Machine that made turning straight candy sticks into curved candy canes automatic. In 2005, Bob’s Candies was bought by Farley and Sathers and they still make candy canes today. Christmas may be many things to many people, however, for the believer it must be the beginning of the atoning work of Jesus. It is through his blood that he becomes the Mediator of a new covenant. The candy cane really is a good symbolic representation of that truth. The new covenant is purchased by the blood of Christ, affected by the Spirit of Christ, and appropriated by faith in Christ. Our reading today speaks to that truth. So the meaning of Christmas is not only that God replaces shadows with Reality, but also that he takes the reality and makes it real to his people. He writes it on our hearts. He does not lay his Christmas gift of salvation and transformation down for you to pick up in your own strength. He picks it up and puts in your heart and in your mind, and seals to you that you are a child of God. The principal who tried to deny the use of candy canes and other symbols for Christmas decorations was not successful. We ought to be reminded of the necessity of keeping the message clear, especially at this time of the year.

Joy to the World - Pt 15

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. (Hebrews 8:1-2 ESV).

The use of shadow in photography can be incredibly unusual and surprising as the picture I’ve chosen today illustrates. Often the shadow is not at all like the real thing. This is something of what the writer of Hebrews is communicating on our reading today. Yesterday I introduced the incredible truth that Jesus is God’s replacement of “shadows” with the real thing; the Law was never intended to be all there was for our redemption. The system of sacrifices of the Old Testament was merely a shadow of the final sacrifice. Our reading from yesterday’s devotional cannot be left with the brevity of that one devotional. It is a summary statement that bears more time and space. The point is that the one priest who goes between us and God, and makes us right with God, and prays for us to God, is not an ordinary, weak, sinful, dying, priest like in the Old Testament days. He is the Son of God—strong, sinless, with an indestructible life. Not only that, he is not ministering in an earthly tabernacle with all its limitations of place and size and wearing out and being moth-eaten and being soaked and burned and torn and stolen. Christ is ministering for us in a “true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.” This is the real thing in heaven. This is what cast on Mount Sinai a shadow that Moses copied. Another great thing about the reality which is greater than the shadow is that our High Priest is seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. No Old Testament priest could ever say that. Jesus deals directly with God the Father. He has a place of honor beside God. He is loved and respected infinitely by God. He is constantly with God. This is not shadow reality like curtains and bowls and tables and candles and robes and tassels and sheep and goats and pigeons. This is final, ultimate reality: God and his Son interacting in love and holiness for our eternal salvation. Ultimate reality is the persons of the Godhead in relationship, dealing with each other concerning how their majesty and holiness and love and justice and goodness and truth shall be manifest in a redeemed people. This is the birth we celebrate at Christmas! Now we do not need to rely on a “shadow.” The real thing has come to us. The Gospel is that story of grace coming to mankind. Advent is celebrated because the end has been revealed. What God began so many millennia ago has been finished in Jesus!

Joy to the World - Pt 14

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. (Hebrews 8:1-7 ESV).

Some of the pictures coming from friends living in North Carolina are as spectacular as the sunset I’ve chosen for today’s devotional. We lived in that area for nearly six years and saw one snow like they have had over the weekend. Since we were not needed in our jobs during the few days it made travel a safety hazard, it was beautiful to just witness. Having been raised in Galveston, Texas, snow has always been an elusive attraction to me. Over the years I’ve been able to go to various places where the snow was no more than a draw for the tourists and a serious inconvenience for the natives. We’ve been to the Rockies and skied the slopes where the snow was often ten feet deep. I’ve traveled to Alaska and flown in a small plane across the Great Alaskan Range to the tundra on the coast of the Bearing Sea. These and other places have not diminished my fascination with a blanketed landscape of white snow. That being said, I still have one experience I have not been able to cross off my list. I have never been hunting in the snow. Some would say I haven’t missed anything at all! Yet, I think it would be exciting to actually walk through the woods when the ground was covered in snow. Some would warn me that it would only make it easier for me to get lost in the woods! I have been “lost” in the woods before. It isn’t a very pleasant experience. Walking in a direction you think is correct, only doubting the truth of that path the further you seem to trek deeper into the woods. It is quite a relief to get to a point when you seem to hear or see some familiar point in the distance. Then breaking through the think cover of the woods, when you actually know for sure you are safe is quite the relief. This is the point of the book of Hebrews in our reading today. Jesus has not just come to fit into the earthly system of priestly ministry as the best and final human priest, but he has come to fulfill and put an end to that system and to orient all our attention on himself ministering for us in heaven. The Old Testament tabernacle and priests and sacrifices were shadows. We were lost in those shadows, disoriented and unable to be sure of our direction. Now the reality has come, and the shadows pass away. That’s the way it is when Jesus comes to be our High Priest. That’s what Christmas is. Christmas is the replacement of shadows with the real thing!

Joy to the World - Pt 13

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV).

Our reading today really requires much more than the brevity of this devotional. These verses connect the beginning and the end of Jesus’ earthly life. They make clear why he came. This passage is one of the simplest and clearest explanations of what God did in sending Jesus to be a man. It is a wonderful tool to use with an unbelieving friend or family member to take them step by step through the Christian view of Christmas. The term “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah (cf. Isaiah 8:18; 53:10). These are also the “children of God.” In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his “children” especially in view. It is true that “God so loved the world, that he sent [Jesus] (John 3:16).” But it is also true that God was especially “gathering the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:52). God’s design was to offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his “children” (cf. 1 Timothy 4:10). You may experience adoption by receiving Christ (John 1:12). Christ existed before the incarnation. He was spirit. He was the eternal Word. He was with God and was God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). But he took on flesh and blood and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God. It is a great mystery in many ways; but, it is at the heart of our faith and is what the Bible teaches. The reason Jesus became man was to die. As God, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the reason for Christmas. This is what needs to be said today about the meaning of Christmas. In dying, Christ defeated death and the devil forever. By covering all our sin Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God (cf. Romans 8:33). All of this is accomplished through the blood of Jesus (cf. Romans 5:9). Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon of the devil is taken out of his hand. He cannot make a case for our death, because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of his Son! So we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the now. If we do not need to fear our last and greatest enemy, death, then we do not need to fear anything. We can be free: free for joy, free for others. What a great Christmas present from God to us! And from us to the world!

Joy to the World - Pt 12

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:9-12 ESV).

Luke writes, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). The gifts of the magi were not given by way of assistance or to meet some need of the Christ-child. After all, what can anyone possibly give to One who doesn’t need anything simply because he either owns or creates all! It would dishonor a monarch if foreign visitors came with royal care-packages. Neither were these gifts meant to be bribes of some sort. God cannot be coerced or bribed (cf. Deuteronomy 10:17). So, we simply come to this description with a legitimate curiosity of what they intended in bringing these specific gifts? How is it that these are their method of worship? The gifts are intensifiers of desire for Christ himself in much the same way that fasting is. When you give a gift to Christ like this, it’s a way of saying, “The joy that I pursue (v. 10) is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things, but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things, in the hope of enjoying you more, not things. By giving to you what you do not need, and what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, ‘You are my treasure, not these things.’” I think that’s what it means to worship God with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I hope God will take the truth of this text and encourage us to have a desire for Christ himself. I know how busy and complex Christmas can become. Take a moment or two each day and reflect on who Jesus really is to you. Use the words and concepts you imagine when you think of Jesus as a basis for your daily meditation. All of us have “window time” (that time when we simply don’t need to be doing anything specific other than gazing out the window). Don’t waste it. Use it to meditate. You will see God revela himself in some of the most incredible ways!

Joy to the World - Pt 11

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, 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.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. (Matthew 2:1-4 ESV).

It is always surprising to me when just one word carries so much meaning in the Bible. In our reading today, Matthew records that Herod was “troubled” when he heard the news of the star and its portent of the birth of the Messiah, the new king of Israel. At first glance it would seem that this word was just a simple description of his anxiety. I suppose you might think that he could have been disturbed for perfectly legitimate reasons. After all, if a new king was born from the will of God, shouldn’t he make preparation to transfer leadership and welcome him with open arms? The interesting thing in this passage is that Herod’s trouble was much different than that. No wonder “all of Jerusalem was troubled with him” (v. 3). We must recognize that Jesus is troubling to people, especially for those who do not want to worship him. In fact, he brings out opposition for those who are “troubles.” Of course this is not the primary message of Matthew, but it is inescapable as the story unfolds. We see the development of two kinds of people who do not want to worship Jesus, the Messiah. The first kind is the people who simply do nothing about Jesus. He is a nonentity in their lives. This group is represented by the chief priests and scribes. Well, they told him, and that was that: back to business as usual. The sheer silence and inactivity of the leaders is overwhelming in view of the magnitude of what was happening. The inactivity on the part of chief priests is staggering. Why not go with the magi? They are not interested. They do not want to worship the true God. The second kind of people who do not want to worship Jesus is the kind who is deeply threatened by him. That is Herod in this story. He is really afraid. So much so that he schemes and lies and then commits mass murder just to get rid of Jesus. It is the same today. These two kinds of opposition will come against Christ and his followers everyday: indifference and hostility. Perhaps you are not in one of those groups; however, there are those you may know who are. As we reconsider the Messiah and ponder what it is to worship him, make this season a time when you actively engage others in thinking about who Jesus really is and what he has come to accomplish in each of us.

Joy to the World - Pt 10

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, 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.” (Matthew 2:1-2 ESV).

There are so many events in the Bible that challenge our experience and logic. The star at Bethlehem is merely one of these. We may ask how the star got the wise men, as the Bible says it never moved. It only says they “saw a star in the east” (v 2), and came to Jerusalem. Even then, how did they get from Jerusalem to Bethlehem? And, how did the star stand “over the place where the Child was”? We simply don’t know. There are numerous efforts to explain it in terms of conjunctions of planets or comets or supernovas or miraculous lights. We just don’t know. And, I want to encourage you not to become preoccupied with developing theories that are only tentative in the end and have very little spiritual significance. In general, people who are overly preoccupied with such things as how the star worked, or how the Red Sea split, or how the manna fell, or even how Jonah survived the fish have what I call a “mentality for the marginal.” You do not see in them a deep cherishing of the great central things of the gospel. They find it difficult to really appreciate the holiness of God, the ugliness of sin, the helplessness of man, the death of Christ, justification by faith alone, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the glory of Christ’s return and the final judgment. They always seem to be taking you down a sidetrack with a new article or book. There is little centered rejoicing. Now, what we can be certain about is that the star is doing something that it cannot do on its own. It is guiding them to Jesus to worship him. There is only one Person in biblical thinking that can be behind that intentionality, and that is God himself. God is guiding foreigners to Christ to worship him. Luke shows God influencing the entire Roman Empire so that the census comes at the exact time to get a virgin to Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy with her delivery. Matthew shows God influencing the stars in the sky to get foreign wise men to Bethlehem so that they can worship him. This is God’s design. He did it then. He is still doing it now. We cannot miss the truth that at the beginning of Matthew we still have a “come-see” pattern. But at the end the pattern is “go-tell.” The magi came and saw. We are to go and tell. What is not different is that the purpose of God is the ingathering of the nations to worship his Son. The magnifying of Christ in the white-hot worship of all nations is the reason the world exists.

Joy to the World - Pt 9

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, 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.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:1–6 ESV).

There are so many stories that have grown from the visit of the “wise men” in our reading today. It is of interest that, unlike Luke, Matthew does not tell us about the shepherds coming to visit Jesus in the stable. His focus is immediately on foreigners coming from the east to worship Jesus. This omission is important to not. It is central to Matthew’s purpose in writing his gospel account. Matthew portrays Jesus at the beginning and ending of his Gospel as a Messiah for the nations, not just for Jews. Here the first worshipers are court astrologers, or wise men, not from Israel but from the East. They were probably from Babylon. This meant they were Gentiles. And, further it meant they were unclean. I think it is critical that we understand that all men, Jew and Gentile, were then and are now in need of a Savior. We are sinners. The Apostle Paul cannot make it any clearer when he writes to the Romans: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). To see this confirmed in the visit of the Magi and the acceptance of their gifts is an incredible point of the story. It is quite interesting that the Church has found a way to exclude people based on their current prejudices since the beginning. We have turned people away because of color, gender, position, and political positions for millennia. I might remind us here that at the end of Matthew, the last words of Jesus are, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” This not only opened the door for the Gentiles to rejoice in the Messiah, it added proof that he was the Messiah. Because one of the repeated prophecies was that the nations and kings would, in fact, come to him as the ruler of the world. For example, the prophet wrote: “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:3). The real “joy to the world” is that it is indeed joy to the world! Perhaps we should taken inventory of our prejudices and realign ourselves with the desire and purpose of God this Christmas.

Joy to the World - Pt 8

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV).

The New York Times has written: “War is defined as an active conflict that has claimed more than 1,000 lives. Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history. At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century alone.” That is an undeniable truth. Further, if we count the many tribal or relatively localized skirmishes in third world countries the percentage of times of peace on earth is even smaller. There simply has not “peace on earth” in a very long time. So, we must look closely at the declaration of the angels to these shepherds so many years ago. We must ask who this “peace” would be in effect. Without faith it is impossible to please God. So Christmas does not bring peace to all. “This is the judgment,” Jesus said, “that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil” (John 3:19). Or as the aged Simeon said when he saw the child Jesus, “Behold this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against… that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34–35). Tragically there are many who look out on a bleak and chilly Christmas day and see no more than that. “He came to his own and his own received him not, but to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to as many as believed on his name.” It was only to his disciples that Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The people who enjoy the peace of God that surpasses all understanding are those who in everything by prayer and supplication let their requests be made known to God. The key that unlocks the treasure chest of God’s peace is faith in the promises of God. So Paul prays, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13). And when we do trust the promises of God and have joy and peace and love, then God is glorified. Political peace is coming. Now we enjoy spiritual peace. That is certainly praise-worthy!

Joy to the World - Pt 7

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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. (Luke 2:6–7 ESV).

It’s almost inconceivable that there was “no room at the inn” when Joseph and Mary finally arrived in Bethlehem. You would think that if God so rules the world as to use an empire-wide census to bring them to Bethlehem, he surely could have seen to it that a room was available in the inn. Well, he could have. And Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to his aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from the cross and saved himself. The question is not what God could do, but what he willed to do. I’m always a little surprised at how difficult it is for us to truly accept the omnipotence of God. We forget that he really is THE Creator of all things. There is nothing he cannot do. The only limitations on his works are those he has self-imposed. This is a part of the message of the birth of Jesus. God’s will was that though Christ was rich, yet for your sake he became poor. The “No Vacancy” signs over all the motels in Bethlehem were for our sake. The Apostle Paul understood that; he said, “For your sake he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). God rules all things for the sake of his children. The Calvary road begins with a “No Vacancy” sign in Bethlehem and ends with the spitting and scoffing of the cross in Jerusalem. It is also interesting to note that this is the same journey we are called to travel. While we are indeed children of the King of the ages, we are also called to travel a path of humility and scorn from many. Remember Jesus said, “He who would come after me must deny himself and take up his cross” (Matthew 16:24). We join him on the Calvary road and hear him say, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20). To the one who calls out enthusiastically, “I will follow you wherever you go!” (Matthew 8:19). Jesus responds, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Yes, God could have seen to it that Jesus had a room at his birth. But that would have been a detour off the Calvary road. It is no wonder that the disciples did not really understand Jesus’ death. It cannot be understood apart from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But that is the great gift of God through the Cross! No vacancy… no problem. My home isn’t being built here anyway!

Joy to the World - Pt 6

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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. (Luke 2:1–5 ESV).

Today is special in another way as we continue to look at the birth of our Savior. It is my second granddaughter’s 4th birthday! Happy Birthday, Maggie! She is quite the personality, independent, smart, and strong. She is a constant reminder of the amazing gift of life God has secured for us through His grace. It is always amazing how God ordains things on our behalf, bringing good to us in so many ways. With Jesus’ birth God ordained beforehand that he be born in Bethlehem (cf. Micah 5); and, he so ordained things that when the time came, the Messiah’s mother and legal father were living in Nazareth; and that in order to fulfill his word and bring two little people to Bethlehem that first Christmas, God put it in the heart of Caesar Augustus that all the Roman world should be enrolled each in his own town. That often reminds me of how little and insignificant in a world of seven billion people, where all the news is of big political and economic and social movements and of outstanding people with lots of power and prestige I really am. Perhaps you feel that way as well. If you have, don’t let that make you disheartened or unhappy. For it is implicit in Scripture that all the mammoth political forces and all the giant industrial complexes, without their even knowing it, are being guided by God, not for their own sake but for the sake of God’s people. I find it comforting that both Mary and Joseph, who have to be got from Nazareth to Bethlehem, experience the hand of God working to this end. God wields an empire to bless his children. Do not think, because you experience adversity, that the hand of the Lord is shortened. It is not our prosperity but our holiness that he seeks with all his heart. And to that end, he rules the whole world. As Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” He is a big God for a little people, and we have great cause to rejoice. Whatever seems to be so out of control is actually perfectly moving according to God’s will to bring about his final redemptive work! Happy Birthday, Maggie! And, thanks for helping me remember how great a God we have!