Hope in His Arms

 

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. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32 ESV).

 

If you are participating in the practice of the Advent Wreath, you will know that the first candle you have lit was a reminder of the hope in the birth of Jesus. Our reading today gives us a marvelous insight into the hope of Jesus in the life of this man we know as Simeon. When Jesus was about six weeks old, Simeon, then an old man, cradled him in his arms. In some ways that seems such an ordinary thing to do. It’s what many of us want to do with a little baby. We would be tempted to hold the bundle of new life close, to hear the breath, to feel the warmth, to gaze into the bright, wondering eyes.

 

The old man has high hopes for this helpless baby. Somehow this baby will shine with glory amid his own people, Israel. And he will be the way out of darkness for all peoples (cf. Genesis 12:3). He will be salvation from God, salvation so desperately needed in a world of sin and sorrow.

 

These hopes and expectations did not come to Simeon out of nowhere. The Spirit of God had been speaking in his heart, giving him hope that he would see the Messiah, the King of Israel. And when the Spirit prompted him, he went to the temple. And there he saw a baby, just a baby. But instantly the old man knew. He knew that God’s great rescue plan centered on this child. He knew that somehow this powerless infant, who couldn’t talk or walk yet, would be the answer to the world’s greatest need. The great wonder of it is that this child is still the answer today!

 

The Eternal Word

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-4 ESV).

 

In the Bible the human story begins with a man, and then a woman. The human story of Jesus begins with a woman, Mary. And then Jesus himself begins, as a baby. It’s wonderful to picture baby Jesus all wrapped up and in Mary’s arms. But think about this. Jesus is the eternal Word, the Word through whom every­thing was made, the Word that said, “Let there be …” and everything came into existence. But now the Word is a human being, a newborn baby. We must not leave this context without grasping the significance of this great truth.

 

Like any newborn, baby Jesus doesn’t know language yet. He will need to listen first—especially to his mother, and to his father. Slowly he will discover that words have meaning. Eventually he’ll start to speak for himself. He’ll know only a few words at first: “Immah” (mother) and “Abba” (father). And then a flood of words will come, and it won’t stop. Like most mothers, Mary will sometimes wish Jesus had never started talking!

 

Imagine. The Word that spoke in the beginning loses its voice. It must go back to the beginning that we experience as humans. And it must learn the same way we did, one word at a time. Certainly, this is a part of what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote that to the church in Philippi:

 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV).

 

This is merely another of the sacrifices Jesus made on our behalf. The One who had the words to create learned to speak as a human being. His love for us is truly unfathomable!

 

God in Flesh

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14 ESV).

 

Yesterday I wrote about the incredible miracle of God becoming a human being. The way John writes it, it sounds simple: “The Word became flesh.” That sounds simple enough—until we know who the Word is. Then it becomes simply astonishing. John fills in the blanks for us. He starts with the timeless existence of the Word: “In the beginning was the Word.” Then he connects the timeless Word with God: “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Next John relates the divine Word to creation: “Through him all things were made.” But that’s not all. The Word is also the source of all human flourishing: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” And the Word is unconquerable: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

 

All of this is an enormous revelation. This amazing, extraordinary Word becomes flesh, becomes Jesus. The timeless, life-giving Creator of all becomes as ordinary as any of us. There’s nothing simple about that. And it remains a great mystery. However, there is much more. When the Word becomes flesh, the glory of God becomes visible in a new way: “The Word became flesh… We have seen his glory…” Just imagine, a human being shining with the glory of God. It is incomprehensible. Yet, this is the tiny baby we put at the center of our nativity scenes to decorate our homes for Christmas! Don’t let the common treatment of this unique event get lost in the busy-ness of the season!

 

Wrapped in Rags

 

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).

 

Swaddling clothes described in the Bible consisted of a cloth tied together by bandage-like strips. After an infant was born, the umbilical cord was cut and tied, and then the baby was washed, rubbed with salt and oil, and wrapped with strips of cloth. This custom is at the very heart of the first Christmas. Our reading tells us that the shepherds come to the stable to find a rag-wrapped baby lying in a makeshift crib. By itself, that’s not so unusual. Babies show up when and where they happen to be born. Mothers must deal with it, ready or not. And they do, whether the baby is delivered in a hospital, in a taxicab, or in a stable on a dirt floor.

 

However, what’s unusual here is not the rags. Mary improvised, using what was available. And what’s unusual is not the manger. That was just a smart solution to an urgent need. No, what’s unusual here is the baby himself. Of course, we see the common in the birth of this child. He had the usual number of fingers and toes. You just know that Mary counts them. This baby has the usual smooth, soft skin. You just know that Mary adores his little cheeks. And this baby makes all the usual sounds: coos and gurgles and wails. You just know that Mary takes in these sounds as music to her ears.

 

What’s unusual about this baby is not his actual flesh and blood, not his appearance, not his behavior. No, what’s unusual about this baby is the identity veiled by his helpless human form. Because this baby is the God “through [whom] all things were made” (cf. John 1:3). This is a wonder. The almighty Creator of all has determined it necessary and right to come from His throne in the heavenlies and take the form of an ordinary human being. He looks like any other newborn child; he sounds like any other newborn child; and he is dressed as any other newborn child. Yet he is anything but normal. He is the Son of the Living God and Savior of the world! If we forget that in the midst of our holiday celebration, we have forgotten the essential nature of our only Good News!

Surprise!

 

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-35 ESV).

 

I hope the title for today’s devotional caught your attention. It was intended to do so; however, it was not intended to shock you. Typically, when we think about the approach of Christmas, we do so with much less thought than might be expected given the enormity of what we celebrate. The first Christmas was very serious, and no one expected it, not Joseph, and certainly not Mary. A child before marriage. A son conceived without having sex, however that might work. He would be a holy child, someone set apart to God. He would be the Son of God, whatever that might mean. That’s what the angel told Mary. That was certainly a “surprise”!

 

Naturally, Mary asked how this would happen. The angel said the Holy Spirit would come upon her. That’s not anything within the limits of current understanding, then or now. Joseph and Mary expected that any child they might have would be a gift from God. But they sure didn’t expect this. Though their son would be conceived in an extraordinary way, he would be born in the usual way. He would eat and sleep in the usual way. He would grow up in the usual way. And he would learn the family trade in the usual way.

 

For a long time, there wouldn’t be much unusual about their son. Not until the Holy Spirit, who would come upon Mary, would also descend on their son (cf. Luke 3:22). The Spirit would send their son on a mission to be the Savior of the world. That mission would unfold in ways no one expected. But their son would keep moving forward. With a generous heart, with a courageous spirit, and with toughened soles, he would stick to the path of that mission for the glory of God. He would bring an end to sine and death. He would pay the debt we could never pay and die the death we all deserve. This is what we celebrate this December. The more we understand that, the less surprised we will be; and, the more loved we will become. Keep this at the center of your Christmas!

 

Thanksgiving - Pt. 4

 

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before four God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 ESV).

 

Happy Thanksgiving! Today we see the Apostle Paul write to the Thessalonians with an expression of thanksgiving (v. 2). The conventions of letter writing in the ancient Roman world often included words of thanks at the beginning of the correspondence, but this letter stands out for including expressions of thanksgiving in the body of the epistle as well (cf. 2:13; 3:9). Some interpreters of the Scripture believe that this indicates the Thessalonians had some doubts about the authenticity of their faith. They needed to know Paul’s gratitude for them and for their virtues to be reassured that they had the fruits of true faith in their lives. Paul says that he offers these prayers “constantly” (or “continually” or “without ceasing” in other translations). The idea here is not that Paul spends every waking moment offering these prayers but that he habitually and regularly thanks God for the Thessalonians.

 

The Apostle thanks God for the Thessalonians’ “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). These three virtues—faith, hope, and love—appear together frequently in the New Testament as the defining marks of the Christian (e.g.: 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 1:20–22). “Work of faith” (v. 3) should be understood as the “work produced by faith,” reflecting the biblical pattern that good works follow authentic faith as its fruit. Our faith and works do not go together as means of our salvation; rather, we lay hold of Christ by faith alone, and we are then empowered by Him to do good works, which demonstrate tangibly the authenticity of our faith (cf. Ephesians 2:8–10; James 2:14–26).

 

“Labor of love” (v. 3) refers to hard works motivated by love. In other words, Paul talks not about small acts of love here, no matter how important they may be. Instead, Paul means sacrificial demonstrations of love for fellow Christians. The love the Thessalonians showed was a costly love. “Steadfastness of hope” means that their hope in Christ produced perseverance in faith during trials. Here, as elsewhere in the New Testament, hope is not wishful thinking but the confident certainty that Christ will accomplish all that He has promised (cf. Colossians 1:5; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:13–20). That Paul thanks God for these virtues informs us of their source. John Calvin comments that Paul “makes use of thanksgivings, that he may put [the Thessalonians] in mind, that everything in them that he declares to be worthy of praise, is a kindness from God.” Shouldn’t we be thankful like this today?

 

Thanksgiving - Pt. 3

 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 ESV).

 

There are some readings from Scripture that are particularly hard to wrap our heads around. Today’s reading is one of those. It is true that we do not see any reference to the Christian life being easy. In fact, Jesus Himself promises His disciples a life of cross bearing and suffering now, though including some joys, and eternal blessing later (cf. Matthew 16:24–28; Mark 10:29–31).

 

In these trials, we often find it difficult to maintain the proper attitude, especially as the Apostle Paul describes it in today’s reading.  He calls us to a perpetual attitude of joy and thanksgiving. That often seems like an insurmountable task. Still, we are called to walk by faith and to persevere in holding on to the hope of heaven in the bad as well as in the good. After all, the first readers of this letter were facing persecution and had little to make them rejoice in the ordinary circumstances of life. Yet, they were to be continually rejoicing, thanking God, and praying to Him.

 

The Apostle writes that the will of God is for us to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing” and to “give thanks in all circumstances” (vv. 16–18). Importantly, the grammatical construction of this phrase indicates that these three things are key aspects of the Lord’s will for us but do not constitute the totality of His will. God has other things for us to do as well. Paul has already listed other activities in which we must engage, including avoiding sexual immorality, loving one another, and working hard in our vocations (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:3–12). So, the admonitions in today’s passage do not mean that we are to spend every waking moment in prayer, thanksgiving, and rejoicing, for then we would be left without time to fulfill the other aspects of God’s will. Instead, the Apostle intends for us to approach all of life in a spirit of prayer, thanksgiving, and rejoicing—to do these things in both good times and bad, in our everyday activities and on special occasions.

 

Paul’s admonitions do not require us to pretend that things are going well when they are not. He does not tell us to give thanks at every time or for all circumstances considered in themselves. Rather, we must give thanks “in all circumstances.” We must try to view the hardships of life in light of God’s greater plan, which is working everything for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory (cf. Romans 8:28). There is a time to lament, to sit in our grief, to express how bad things are (cf. Psalm 88). Nevertheless, Christians can find a joy in these circumstances that transcends our feelings of happiness or unhappiness, for we know that we belong to Christ, who will give us joys in the life to come that we can hardly imagine. What better time of the year than this week to practice that principle in our live!