O Little Town of Bethlehem

 

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 1:1-5 ESV).

 

Yesterday’s devotional was partially inspired by the Christmas carol of Silent Night. The more I thought about the songs of Christmas, the more I began to think there may be some encouragement and inspiration from other songs as well. Today, I have chosen O Little Town of Bethlehem. It pictures a quaint village, peacefully asleep, unaware of what is taking place there on the night of Jesus’ birth. Some of the lyrics remind me of the prologue to John’s gospel as he describes Jesus’ coming in a similar way: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” In the quaint village of Bethlehem, the “light of the world” (John 8:12) was born.

 

Notice the contrast between the dark streets of Bethlehem and the everlasting light. The world that Jesus was born into was full of the darkness of sin and evil. Until Jesus came, there was no hope of anyone getting out of that darkness. But in one significant moment the light of the world comes in the birth of a baby. In that little child, as the Christmas song puts it, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

 

When I was the pastor of Santa Fe Baptist Church in Tennessee, one of our annual traditions was to gather some folks who were willing to sing and go to some of our community members who were unable to get out and carol. I am not a good singer, though I can produce plenty of volume. We did have many who had beautiful voices to cover my “noise.” It was such a wonderful experience of encouragement and hope.

 

That is the great message of Christmas. In the darkness of our world, the birth of Christ brings us the hope of coming His glorious light! Because of Jesus, we can leave the darkness of sin behind and begin a new life. Jesus said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (cf. John 8:12). I pray you are living in that hope today!

 

Silent Night - Holy Night

 

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).

 

This is the time of the year when we hear Christmas carols nearly everywhere we go. “Silent Night” is a favorite Christmas song for many people around the world. Its gentle melody suggests a “heavenly peace” in which “all is calm.” However, our usual picture of Jesus’ birth is far from calm. Above the fields near Bethlehem, an angel army sings out, announcing the glory of God. Back in town, shepherds and wise men and sheep, cows, camels, and gifts are all crowded together in a stable. And somewhere amid all that commotion is the baby Jesus.

 

Of course, we know the wise men don’t show up until later. So, let’s take them out of the picture, along with their gifts. And there’s no mention of a stable, just a manger, a feeding trough. So, there might not be animals there either. Now let’s back up to the first hour or two after Jesus’ birth. Commotion will come later, when the shepherds find “Mary and Joseph, and the baby ying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). But for now, as lamplight flickers, all we can see is Mary and the baby and Joseph. Exhausted, Mary is fast asleep. Joseph might be able to rest too. Meanwhile, Mary’s snugly wrapped baby, content from his first feeding, sees light, shadow, and movement with his newborn eyes. Let’s stay right where we are, silent as night. And let’s take in that picture. The God of all creation is a newborn baby watching shadows sway.

 

There is a sense of silence as the angels look on in amazement at work of God. No one could have predicted this event had God not revealed it in earlier prophecies. Even then, no one suspected that this was how the Messiah would be born. Yet, it is perfect. God put on humanity in all of its frailty so that He might redeem mankind and His creation. That deserves a bit of “silence” as we look on at the holiness of this birth!

 

Our Family in God

 

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are fsons6 of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 812-17 ESV).

 

This is the time of year when our hearts turn toward home and loved ones. We look forward to family gatherings, and we are saddened if we can’t be home for Christmas. We are also saddened when it is impossible for some of our family to gather with us. This is one of the many benefits of the coming of Jesus so long ago to be born in Bethlehem. As we think about that miraculous event we ought to remember that Jesus actually left his home at Christmas. He left the glory of heaven to come to our sin-filled world. The Holy One came to the unholy; the Creator came to his broken, corrupted creation.

 

Sin alienated us from God. Jesus took the initiative to seek us out and bring us back. He came to bear our sin. He came to be cut off from the Father’s love because of his love for us. He came to earth to bring us to heaven. He paid the debt we could never pay and died the death we all deserved. This great act of grace provided the way home for all of us to our ultimate heavenly Father.

 

Through Jesus we are adopted as God’s beloved children. It is through Christ that we can call the Almighty, holy God “Abba, Father.” Our equivalent word for Abba is “Dad.” I still remember the joy of times when my children ran to my arms, crying “Dad!” when I came home. Abba is the trusting child’s cry of joy and love.

 

What a privilege we have in Jesus that we can call God “Abba, Father.” May we grow as his children in an ever-deepening relationship of gratitude and love.

 

Retail Madness

 

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21 ESV).

 

Black Friday has past and Cyber Monday has past, the question we all ask is whether we might have “missed out?” I have never been a shopper on either of these days, though I certainly don’t disparage those who do. I do think we ought to be very careful not to get caught up in the retail madness of Christmas. It is hard to avoid when stores announce the countdown of shopping days till Christmas, when ads keep putting gift ideas in our heads, or when the kids give us a sad look and tell us what they really want for Christmas. It’s hard not to think that our worth is measured by an abundance of presents under the tree.

 

We know better. But we have all fallen under the implied challenge of our friends who innocently ask, “What did you get for Christmas?” of course as we have aged it may have become more subtle, but we are not immune from the comparison game. We might not ask our friends, “What did you get?” but we can’t help noting someone’s remark about a vacation or new bling. Especially in December we need to be on guard “against all kinds of greed.”

 

I can honestly say that the greatest thing that settles over me are those few Christmases that we have all been together as a family. It has become much more difficult with distance and schedules disrupting our ability to be in one place at the same time. So, those times when we were, have become even more cherished. Of course, there are the memories of opening various gifts. Our practice has been that we draw names as adults, but everybody gives the kids a gift. There is joy seeing them tear into the paper and look into the boxes with smiles and joyous comments. We adults are always a bit more reserved. We open the gifts in turn very carefully. Then holding up the gift for everyone to see we express our heartfelt gratitude, though inwardly we are still shouting with glee. But, that joy fades quickly. We remember that time spent together in conversation. We remember the joy of being truly with those we love. We noticed that the stuff we did together was what stood out, not the stuff we got. In his story about a man who built bigger barns, Jesus reminds us there is more to life than stuff. Having things will never really satisfy but loving one another and loving our great God will!

 

Very Good or Perfect?

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV).

 

If we are careful readers, we will notice that God’s creation (cf. Genesis 1) looks like a temple. A temple is a place where heaven and earth meet. So, in Genesis 2-3, God comes to the creation-temple to interact with his creatures. We also see that God’s temple in 1 Kings 6-7 looks like creation. God was present in the temple, and once a year the high priest could be there as well (cf. Leviticus 16).

 

Sometimes people say that the creation was perfect, until sin messed things up. Well, sin did mess things up. It still does. But the creation was never perfect. It was just “very good.” There isn’t perfection until the end, until there is a new heaven and earth.

 

In the new heaven and earth, there will be no temple (cf. Revelation 21:22) because the new heaven and earth won’t intersect at just one place. Instead, they will be united as one new reality. In this new reality, the home of God is with humanity. That’s how God wants things to be and has always wanted things to be — with heaven and earth united. The incarnation reflects this intention. Jesus himself is the new temple (cf. John 2:19-21). Jesus himself is where heaven and earth meet. And in his person, God and humanity are united. That’s not just very good. It’s perfect.

 

Our goal, our desire is not to be very good. In fact, in my experience, when I have those moments of accomplishment that may be deemed “very good” there is always a “better” yet to be achieved. When we are finally in this New Heaven and New Earth, there will be no “better.” It will be perfect. This is what the perfect sacrifice from the perfect Savior has accomplished for us!

 

Upgrades!

 

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:1-2 ESV).

 

I have found the temptation to want an upgrade to be a powerful influence in our lives. This is especially true when I am working in the wood shop. I’ve attached a picture of a woodworking shop that was designed after years of planning and saving for the “dream shop.” Some of you have been to my little shop. It is housed in our single-car garage. It has a footprint of about 300 square feet; this shop is over ten times larger at 3,600 square feet! According to the description, I have some of the same kinds of equipment and tools; however, mine are older and smaller. The cost of this shop with all of the equipment approached a million dollars! To say it would be an upgrade is certainly an understatement of enormous proportions.

 

Of course, almost everyone likes to upgrade. Balding men want more hair, not less. Techies want a faster computer, not a slower one. And we all want better relationships, not worse ones. But the eternal Son of God, the One whose name can only be described with the most superlative modifiers “downgraded” to become human for our sake (cf. Philippians 2:7). Imagine that.

 

Of course, there is glory and honor to being human. It’s about what God made us to be: wise rulers over all creation. Sadly, that glory and honor have been tarnished by our persistent rebellion against God. We are made in the image of God. This is a glorious thing, and it allows us to serve God in ways that no other creature can. But we let it go to our heads. We act as if we own the place. We use it and abuse it however we want. But the truth is, our world belongs to God.

 

Jesus restores the glory to being human. Unlike the rest of us, he is no petty tyrant. Instead, he came “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). And he was “crowned with glory and honor” for doing so (Hebrews 2:9). In fact, God exalted him to the highest place in heaven. And from there he rules wisely over all creation (cf. Philippians 2:9-11), as human beings are meant to do. Being a believer in Jesus is the ultimate upgrade!

 

Extraordinarily Ordinary!

 

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become min him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:7-15 ESV).

 

Our reading today describes an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a place called Jacob’s well. Through their conversation something of the glory of Jesus is revealed. It’s enough to convince the woman that Jesus is the Messiah. And more conversations convince many others that Jesus is the promised Savior. Extraordinary!

 

Here’s how it starts. Jesus is bone tired. So, he sits down by the well while his disciples go into town to buy food. He’s obviously hungry, but that will have to wait till the disciples return. Meanwhile, he’s thirsty. So, when a woman comes to get water from the well, he asks her for a drink. It appears to be an ordinary encounter that one could expect in the typical events of any ordinary day of that time. However, it would turn out to be extraordinary before it was finished.

 

It’s all so ordinary and human. Of course, Jesus is tired. Of course, he’s hungry. Of course, he’s thirsty. He’s human, after all, He is like us in every way, with the same basic needs that must be satisfied every day. Jesus is not disguised as a human. He is fully human, just as he is fully God. And nothing about his humanity sets him above common human experiences, even ordinary ones like fatigue, hunger, and thirst. This will be true of him until the day he experiences the ultimate reality of being human: that we are vulnerable to suffering and death. Yet, He is the one source of all things extraordinary: redemption, healing, and eternal life! Halelujah… what a Savior!