Christmas - Jeremiah's Vow

According To Your Word

Where will you be when God reveals to you what you are here for? What will you say? Will you be ready to say anything at all?

³⁰Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
³⁴Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
³⁵And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷For with God nothing will be impossible.”
³⁸Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:30-38 NKJV

Where will you be when God reveals to you what you are here for? What will you say? Will you be ready to say anything at all?

I think Mary’s experience is typical of many people who seek to do God’s will but are not waiting for God to speak. We pray, we plead, and we seek to know what God is going to do with us and yet we are stunned when he speaks. If we believe God speaks, we should not be so surprised when he actually does.

Where were you when he spoke the first time? Or are you still waiting?

I find that most people have become jaded with the notion that God is going to use us to do his will. We say it, but we don’t believe it anymore. We are sitting in our homes, offices, cars, and maybe in our churches and we want to believe. We want it to be true for us.

We see it in others and we desire to be an instrument of his will. His perfect will for us, but the notion that it will ever come to pass has become nothing but a dream for the foolish, the wishful thinking of the immature dreamer.

We have become “realistic” about God’s will for our lives. But we have actually done is given up on God we have lost a sense of expectation that God will speak. In a way, we have become disappointed with God. We wonder if we can trust him at all.

What at one time was a deep passion has become bitter and stagnant. It is a lingering resentment at God.

We don’t tell anybody, we don’t want anyone else to know the truth of it. We want to be God’s servant, but instead, we have become hatred’s slaves. What else could it be? We are festering inside wishing that we could know what God is going to do with us. But all we hear is that painful silence.

Where were you? Were you in the pit of some confusion? In the midst of circumstances beyond your control?

Or did you find yourself broken and bruised hiding in the shadows of a church despising God and trying your best to be rid of him, or maybe that was just me. But he just would not let me go.

Or was it that I just could not afford to let him go and so I recanted. I repented and found myself at the feet of Jesus.

There are so many names that the scriptures ascribe to the Messiah, but the one that really touches my heart is the one that the prophet gave to him—Immanuel, God with us. The eternal God chose to come down and enter time and to be one of us.

God in his eternal power and magnificence poured himself into the frail and limited body of a man? And for what? To take that which he created out for a test run? No. He came to understand us and to provide a way back to the Father. But how was this to be done? How was God going to make it here to this earth? He would come as all other men had come. He came as a baby. And like every babe born to men, there was the need for a mother.

I love Christmas because it is a continual reminder of that fact, the truth, that God came to dwell among us. He came to show us what it really means to be human beings.

Where will you be when God comes through the door of your heart and asks for a favor? The angel came into Mary and said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one…”

Rejoice? Are we the kind of people that when God comes he commends us for the way that we have lived our lives? Will God be able to say of us that we are blessed because of the righteousness and faithfulness that is present in our hearts? Because I have to believe that God would not have picked just anybody to be the mother of His Son.

I know that there are some within the Christian faith that elevates Mary much further than is necessary, but I have to concede that Mary was not just anybody. Of all the women, in all the world, through all of history, God chose her. That makes her special. That makes her unique. And even though no one else will ever have that opportunity extended to them again, we should strive to be the kind of people that God would trust His son with.

But in a way he has. Any man or woman who has believed in faith has taken a similar step, as Mary did. By saying yes to Jesus we are accepting the responsibility to care for Jesus. We have accepted the responsibility to love him and share our lives with him. We are in a way like Mary carrying him with us because he lives in us and through us. With each passing day, with each opportunity to share our witness and testimony we give him life in a world that is lost and in need of him.

There is Mary finishing the chores of the day, thinking of the wedding that is only months away now, when all of a sudden an angel comes bearing strange news. “You are going to have a son and you will call Him Jesus.”

Where will you be?

Mary was minding her own business and all of a sudden she must make a choice. There was no time to think about it. There is no time to make him wait. Mary is stunned and asks the only question that comes to her mind, “How can I have a son when I am still a virgin.” The angel answers that there is nothing that God can’t do. And the most remarkable thing happens, that response is sufficient for Mary and she makes her own faith-filled statement, “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

Where will you be when your faith is required of you? What will you do? How will you respond? The Christmas story is more than just the miracle of the incarnation. The Christmas story is a miracle of faith. It is a story of a young lady, struggling to make sense of life and marriage and without asking for it is chosen to bring the son of God into this world. Faith, whenever it is expressed, is a miracle because faith is the audacity to say, “According to your word.”

“According to your word” is the kind of faith that can move mountains.

“According to your word” is the kind of faith that can make kings come crashing to their knees.

“According to your word” is the kind of faith that touches the heart of God.

Let me tell you something, “according to your word” is the kind of faith that Mary taught to Jesus as he toddled around the house so that when Jesus stayed in the temple the teachers marveled at him. When Mary and Joseph came back to get him, Jesus responded that he was about his father’s business. We see a shadow of Mary’s faith in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus says to the father, “not my will, but thine be done.” Yes, he was a man, a man with a mama that taught him about faith. A man who understood that in order to live a life that is pleasing to God He must live “according to your word.”

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Enjoy the lights and the family. Enjoy the gifts and the tree. Enjoy the festive nature of the year, but let us not forget the babe. Let us not forget that the joy we have comes and stays when our lives are lived “according to [His] word.”

Some people in this world may be frustrated with God because he has not said anything to them and they are waiting. Could it be that we have not said what God is waiting to hear? Where will you be when God sends his angel? I’ll be waiting. May you have a Merry Christmas.

Originally Delivered: December 19, 2004. It has been edited and expanded.

Lent 2018 | Day #13: Incarnation

I don’t remember what day it was or what I was doing, but I know that when I finally understood the implications of Jesus’s coming to earth, I was changed.

I don’t remember what day it was or what I was doing, but I know that when I finally understood the implications of Jesus’s coming to earth, I was changed. In the world of theological discourse, this idea is called the Doctrine of the Incarnation. It such a beautiful doctrine I will, from time to time, bring it up randomly in conversation with other believers.

Jesus’s entrance into the world is one of the pillars of the Christian faith. It is so important that the apostle John said that if it is rejected, then Jesus himself is rejected (1 John 4:2; 2 John 7). Go read those passage for yourself! They are startling.

The incarnation is remarkable because only God would devise such a plan. Only God would choose to leave heaven and enter the ravaged reality of Earth. Only God could leave the perfection and purity of the highest heaven and descend into the mire of sin-filled humanity. This is the great mystery of Bible-based religion. Not that man was able to find his way into the presence of God, but that God has entered into the plight of a broken world.

I love this doctrine. It is beautiful in the way that it displays the love of God and the miracle of salvation. Easter is the greatest day on the Christian calendar. It is the day that Jesus rises from the darkness of the tomb. But, without Advent, without Christmas, without a baby, born in a manger, Easter Sunday would be a fairytale. It would be impossible, it would never have happened. The link between these two events is necessary for the whole picture to be accurate.

So, as we approach Easter, as we look forward with anticipation to the promise that Resurrection Sunday brings, I like to look back and see what arrived on Christmas Day. In this season of Lent, we can take time and reflect on both what happened and what is to come. In fact, it is important that we do so.

Advent Series 2012, Pt. 6 | Shepherds in Search of a Lamb

The silence of the night was broken by the bleating of new lambs being born. It started out in the distance. One or two at first. The birthing of hundreds of new lambs was beginning. It was going to be a long night. Everyone knew it.

Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. This was the biggest birthing season of the year. Everyone had to be alert and watchful as the ewes went into labor. These new lambs would serve as the sacrifices for the upcoming Passover feast. It really was an odd event. New life, born only to die. It was one of the oddities of the religion of Elohim. Even to speak the name of God was forbidden because it was so revered.

The full moon was just beginning to reach that point in the night’s sky where it appeared larger than was even possible. It was so close you could reach out and touch it on its journey through the sky. Keeping the sheep out without a lighted moon could prove hazardous to both sheep and shepherd. The light of the moon made the long nights more bearable. It kept the thieves and beasts at bay.

Except for the strange feeling that hung in the air, this was a night like every other . All of the shepherds felt it, but could not explain what it was or where it was coming from. The talk around the various fields had been of the strange sight in the heavens. One of the stars appeared to shine and sparkle just a little bit brighter than all of the others. There were even hushed comments regarding the strange way it seemed to hang over the town of Bethlehem. This was quickly dismissed as ridiculous.

Even the older men were saying that never in their lives had they seen such a sight.

“This is an omen!” exclaimed Elias after finishing his rounds around the flocks. Elias was the newest and youngest member of the shepherds. He did not know it, but the new guy was always made to make double the rounds until he figured out what was going on. The record was three fortnights. Elias had not been out in the fields very long but, he was confident without being arrogant and many of the older men liked him. Even if they weren’t going to tell him as much.

“Take hold of your senses,” said Caleb. “Don’t you know that if this was a sign people would be talking about it? It’s nothing to worry yourself about.” Caleb has been a shepherd for his family long enough to know when to cut a line of thought short. “Did you finish the rounds?”

Elias, ignoring the rebuke, still found himself thinking, “You’ll see. There is more to this than meets the eye!”

The thought had no sooner left his mind than an explosion of light, light like the sun at midday caused everything that had eyes to fall to the floor in absolute terror. The scramble had begun. Shepherds began grabbing cloaks, rods and staffs. The sheep were bumping into each other, some had not made it back to their feet and were being trampled by the other startled sheep. If they didn’t calm the flocks down they would be roaming the country side for hours looking for lost sheep. They all knew that would only mean more work with no more pay.

Caleb looked around, found his belongings and gathered his bearings. He began looking around. The other under-shepherds were quickly heading to their assigned areas. Caleb was looking for Elias.

“I like that boy, but sometimes…,” he muttered under his breath.

Caleb finally caught sight of him. “Elias. Elias! Go to the south field. Make sure that none of the ewes have wandered. If they are startled while they are in labor we are going to lose more than the ewes and lambs! This will be the end of us if we don’t get this under control.”

Caleb was the most respected shepherd in the company. When he spoke you obeyed. What no one knew at the time was that Caleb was scared beyond words. He had never experienced anything like that explosion in his life. He would tell the others, but he did believe that star was a sign…but for what. He did not want to find out.

Caleb gathered his thoughts and decided to worry about the oddly shaped clouds forming in the sky to the east. They were rolling in like a fast moving thunder storm. the clouds when up as far as the eye could see. They were voluminous, like cotton after its been picked. The lightning was made of odd colors. Colors that were not natural and only added to the disturbing sight. What really made the sight unnerving was that there was no sound. Nothing at all. It was as if all the sound had been sucked out of the world. Even the sound of new lambs and startled flocks had become nothing more than a whisper.

Elias walked up behind Caleb.

“Caleb.” He did move. Frozen in place like a statue.

“Caleb!”

Caleb jumped this time at the sound of his name. Elias new better than to laugh at the senior shepherd. He was curious at what had occupied the senior herdsman’s mind.

“I just checked the south field. Everything looks alright. A couple of the the ewes were flustered, but it seems to have passed.” Elias waited another moment before asking the question stuck in his head.

“Caleb, What was that explosion?”

“I don’t know, Elias. But, I think you may have been right. That star is an omen. I just don’t think I want to know for what.” They had both turned to the little town in the distance. The star really seemed to be hovering over it.

Bethlehem was abuzz with activity. The great and wise Roman emperor had called for a census and people from all over the world were coming in. Apparently you had to go to the home of your ancestors. If you wanted to count people, just count them where they are. Why make them move? It just didn’t make any sense.

The shadows of men, women and children moving around in the buildings danced like black ghosts against the walls made of earth and wood. There was something eerie about the whole seen.

Caleb felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him back from his silent reflection. It was Elias. As Caleb turned, he felt Elias’ hand fall from where it had been. Caleb turned just in time to see what looked like a hole in the sky starting so small it looked like another star in the sky. The edges where sharp, distinct and unmistakable. The problem was it kept growing larger. Light shone through as bright as the sun, but it didn’t hurt to look directly at it. Both men were mesmerized by the sight.

There was something moving in side the hole in the sky. It was moving toward them. As it approached it became easier to see that these things were men. Or at least they appeared like men. But, there was something different about the way they looked. They were tall and slender. Each had a white robe that shined white like a piece a metal the blacksmiths pound into a variety of tools after it had been heated. It was hard to see their faces, but their words were unmistakable.

Caleb and Elias took in the sight. It was a memory forever etched in their minds. Both men had the same thought running through their minds, but neither spoke them out loud, “We are going to die.”

To their surprise, seconds turned to minutes and still they stood beholding the heavenly sight. After what seemed like days a sound like a rolling surf crashing on the beach began.

At first as a whisper, barely audible, even pleasant to listen to. It continued to grow finally reaching its crescendo when one of the angelic figures proclaimed in a voice that sounded like a thousand roaring lions, “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.”

“Was this thing crazy!” thought Elias as he jumped to the ground. “What does he mean fear not?! I don’t think I could be any more afraid than I am right now.”

It took several moments for the words to be processed and the message understood.

The omen. The various words formed into thought and thought to clarity. The omen that Elias had believed was marked by the star in the sky was a sign. It was the sign of the arrival of the heir to the throne of the great King. Elias remembered the stories he had heard. His father had told them to him since he was old enough understand. His father’s father, and his father before that had all believed that this One would come.

“What did they call him?” Elias tried to remember.

Something was wrong. This was not the way he had heard the stories. This didn’t make any sense. Why would the king be born in Bethlehem? Why would this marvelous sight be seen by lowly shepherd who were tending sheep during birthing season? Elias remembered being so enraptured by the stories of The Great King to Come.

This was all wrong. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. And yet, here they were, simple and humble shepherds hearing this great news. Elias’s mind was racing. He could not wrap his mind around what he was seeing and what he had heard.

As he was mulling over what was happening in front of him, something began to stir within him. It was confirmation of what he had sensed earlier in the night. This was the beginning of something new, and he was going to be a part of it.

As soon as he had finished the thought all of the figures before him exclaimed at once, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Both hearts lept at once. The both needed no convincing. The exulted song they had just heard was the greatest news they had ever heard.

In the blink of eye it was over. The sky was as dark and cold as before. Had they imagined the whole thing?

The only sight, the moon as it continued to rise. The only sound the shuffling of feet by thousands of sheep.

They looked around. Then at each other. The feelings of awkwardness and trepidation had lifted. The negative thoughts regarding the sign in the sky has shifted to thoughts of hope and peace. The angels message had brought comfort to their hearts. The question now was, “What will we do?”

As men who had trained to care and tend the flocks they turned toward Bethlehem and marched toward the star. The were determined to see the great sight.

They did what came instinctually. They were shepherds. Shepherds in search of a lamb.

Advent Series 2012, Pt. 5 | Who’s your Daddy?

I can’t think of any character more mysterious than the man who became the earthly father of the heavenly son. Of all the people in and surrounding the story of Jesus’ birth Joseph stands alone as the most awkward and underscored entity. He does not appear to have a role or a proper place in the story. Even the writers of the Gospels dismiss him and don’t even include him except for Matthews passing acknowledgement that he was informed of the coming of the birth and that he should not so quickly discard his betrothed.

At first glance we do not have a flattering picture of Jesus step-father. We are almost left with the impression that Joseph played an insignificant role in the grand scheme of things. This view of Joseph, however, would be terribly short-sighted and tragically uninformed. What we have in the limited information provided is the picture of a man who possessed attributes suited to nurture the young Jesus. (Even that last statement feels “wrong” somehow, but we have to maintain realness of the Jesus human nature.)

As I have read and looked at what Matthew says about Joseph there are four identifiable attributes that emerge. Let’s look at Matthews retelling of Jesus’ birth narrative.

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). ²4 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew lets us into the mystery of Joseph’s personality by revealing that Joseph was well suited to be Jesus’ step-father. In the gospel we find Joseph to be a Just, Honorable, Faithful and Gracious man. Let’s look at each of these in turn.

Joseph was…

…a Just man

The idea here is that a just man knows right from wrong. It is interesting how this is the word that Matthew uses to begin describing Joseph as he finds out that his soon-to-be wife is pregnant. This must have been horrible news. I do not know how he took it, but it would be safe to assume Joseph did not take it well. Being a just man his moral compass was properly calibrated. Joseph knew that he had been “wronged” and he made up his mind to do something about it.

The reality of this situation is that Joseph was doing all the right things for the right reasons. Given the predicament that he found himself in he did what any just man would do, he sought to rectify the situation by the means available to him. What we will see is he was not only just, he was also willing to do something unthinkable due to his love for Mary. This leads us to the second attribute in Joseph.

…an Honorable man.

Of all the actions that Joseph could have taken or should have taken, he probably picked the least likely and most perplexing. When we consider that in divorcing Mary while she was pregnant, after they were betrothed to him, Joseph was leaving the community with only one conclusion. Everyone in town would see Joseph in a negative light. They would think that Joseph had taken advantage of Mary. To “divorce her quietly” would be to assume all of the shame and guilt of the pregnancy even though he knew that the child was not his.

Consider the selflessness of this action. In the same way that Mary modeled and possibly spoke to Jesus about how to accept God’s will, Joseph modeled what it was like to take the shame of another out of a deep love for them. Joseph was a living example of propitiation. He took the shame of another and bore in upon himself. By doing this Joseph spared Mary the penalty of her alleged infidelity. Honor is something that emerges from within and sustains us through difficult circumstances. Joseph was an honorable man. He could have allowed the laws of the land to destroy Mary and the child that was growing in her womb. However, Joseph chose a different path. A difficult path. Joseph chose honor.

… a Faithful man.

Faith should be the defining characteristic of those who love God and obey his commands. Here we see the third attribute of Joseph’s life. He had so many competing and conflicting thoughts and emotions. I simply do not have the ability to understand what must have been going on in his heart, or what thoughts were running across his mind. How many tears must he have shed? How many longs walks to clear his head? How many nights lying awake in bed? There was only one truth that sustained him, it was his faith in God.

Only a faithful man would take the word of the Angel of the Lord and fulfill his vow to marry and live in peace with Mary. Only a faithful man could pick up the pieces of his broken heart and entrust them to God to mend. Only a faithful man could look into the eyes of his future wife and stay by her side as she gave birth to another’s child. Joseph was a faithful man. He heard the message and in the midst of his own sorrow and pain believed the word of the Lord. Faith will not always be easy, but it will always be the best path to choose.

… a Gracious man.

The final attribute that is demonstrated by Joseph is the one that we know the least about. However, it is there. Joseph was a gracious man. What does this mean, Joseph was gracious? It means that Joseph understood how to extend to others what was in their best interest. And, he did this out a genuine heart. I have drawn this conclusion from the fact of the previous three attributes that we have seen demonstrated. Joseph could have picked another path. he could have chosen another way, but he did not. Joseph married Mary and did not obligate Mary to consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born. This is just one example. The second is even more poignant.

Joseph did for Jesus what many men would not do. Joseph raised and loved Jesus as his own son. I think it would be foolish to think that the home life of Mary and Joseph was difficult or turbulent because of Jesus presence. God picked a man who had the capacity to love the son of another as his own. Jesus learned his “father’s” trade and became a carpenter as well. Of the many questions I would love to ask Jesus one of them will have to be about Joseph. “How was Joseph as a father as you walked on earth?” I just have this feeling that there will not be a negative recollection.

What About You?

As we continue our journey toward Advent allow me to ask you one question: What about you? Would God have considered you? The responsibility of representing the love the Heavenly Father to the Heavenly Son could have been overwhelming. I just don’t think that Joseph even worried about it. He had a young family to tend to. He lived out his faith each and everyday, trusting in God to get them through. What about you? Who are you trusting in?

Joseph’s life is largely veiled in mystery. What we know about him is limited. However, what we know about him reveals a man who was well equipped to raise Jesus and teach us about the kind of people we ought to be.

Praying that you have a blessed and happy Advent!

This is one of the few musical examples considering Joseph role in the life of Jesus. If you have others I would love to know. Enjoy!

youtube=http://youtu.be/qfTxyZDAnOY

Advent Series 2012, Pt. 4 | Mary: The Mother of God

Before people scream “heresy” or “blasphemy” I would ask you to consider the plain and simple truth that Mary was the mother of God, even if she did not fully understand that to be the case. As a Protestant I do not believe that Mary should hold some elevated status. She was a simple and frail human being just like the rest of us. I think that there are some within the Christian family that have gone too far in seeking to praise Mary for her role in the Christmas story. However, I do believe that those of us on the other side of the family do not go far enough in recognizing the remarkable fact that Mary was the one chosen for this sacred task.

I have often asked the question to myself, “why did God choose Mary?” I will admit that we will never fully know why God chose Mary. That isn’t for us to know. But, we can get a sense of what God was thinking based on the way Mary interacted with the angel Gabriel. The Bible provides for us a clear and concise depiction of Mary and her response to what God was placing upon her young shoulders. There are two characteristics I believe highlight God’s choice of Mary. These two attributes are seen in Mary’s response to the message brought by the Angel of God.

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Advent Series 2012, Pt. 3 | What The Incarnation Means For Me

In part two of this Advent series we looked at the sweet baby Jesus. The truly human characteristics of his life and ministry on earth are remarkable and confounding. The word, “amazement,” would only slightly capture what the doctrine of the Incarnation represents. The Christian faith is subsumed in this mystery.

My goal in the previous article was to look at the human side of Jesus. However, there is another side, equally present and infinitely more difficult to comprehend. The apostle Paul records an early hymn of the church describing what Jesus “did” in order to come and take on flesh. I placed the word “did” in quotation marks because I have no better way of explaining what happened. Paul reminds the Philippians of Jesus humility and journey toward earth in the second chapter of the letter.

⁵ ;Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ ;who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ ;but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ ;And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ ;Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ ;so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ ;and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

From the very beginning the church has sought to understand what it meant for God to enter into the human narrative and secure the redemption of the entire race.The phrase that captures my mind and speaks directly to this mystery in these verses is found in verse 7. What does it mean that Jesus “emptied himself?” The very thought ties the mind in theological, intellectual and philosophical knots. I want to state right from the start, I am not claiming to have the definitive answer to this question. I do, however, have strong reasons for believing what I am going to offer.

Continue reading “Advent Series 2012, Pt. 3 | What The Incarnation Means For Me”

Advent Series 2012, Pt. 2 | Who Doesn’t Like Baby Jesus?

Where has 2012 gone? Another year almost in the record books, but we still have one more month to go. December is an amazingly busy time around the church. There is a lot going on, but one of the realities my mind turns to around this time of year is the fact that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was born in the home of ordinary and humble people. I think that we take for granted that there was not anything overly remarkable about Jesus earthly parents. I don’t know if Mary and Joseph fully understood what it meant that the baby born in the stable that first Christmas night would be the Messiah. I am not fully convinced that they fully could comprehend what God was going to do through their faithful obedience. What they did know was that this little, precious bundle of joy was going to change their lives forever! I think every parent understands this even if they are not sure how.

The mystery of Advent (what us church nerds call this time of the year) is that God became like one of us. The technical term for this is “Incarnation.” When we talk about Jesus coming into the world as a baby we are saying that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, took upon himself something that he did not have before the moment of conception! The Trinity existed as spirit. But, after Jesus descended into the womb of Mary he no longer exists in this way. The great miracle and mystery of this truth is that Jesus voluntarily confined himself to the body of a human being so that we can enter into fellowship with the Father.

Continue reading “Advent Series 2012, Pt. 2 | Who Doesn’t Like Baby Jesus?”

Advent Series 2012, Pt. 1 | Seeing Again For The First Time

From now until Christmas I will be taking another look at various ideas, places and characters of the story of Jesus’ arrival hear on earth. The reality of what God was doing and is doing in the world is, I believe, best demonstrated in the events surrounding the birth of the Messiah. We must not be surprised that God’s approach to the affairs of humanity are unusual and unexpected. We have grown so accustomed to what we have heard so many times, we no longer invest any more energy than is necessary to recollect the mystery and peculiarity of the story.

This is the challenge of this time of the year. We have become so acclimated to the songs and lights that we have missed the essence of what is taking place around us–and should be taking place within us as well. Christmas is more than just a holiday for those of us who follow and worship Jesus. Christmas is a reminder that truly remarkable events took place in the midst of unusual circumstances. If we can regain some of that awkwardness inherent in the story, we might find a renewed sense of why this moment in our faith history is so important.

I don’t know if the people involved in the Christmas story fully understood what was taking place around them. Many people hope to be included in the making of history, but it may be more true that we only realize that history was made as we walked along faithfully. If the various players in the Christmas story were people like us they were sufficiently concerned with making it through one day at a time. It is possible there were times where they suspected that something more was taking place. It could have simple been the yearning of every human heart to be involved in something greater than themselves. We will never know for sure.

My hope is to revisit the familiar events and circumstances of the Christmas season and remind us all of what many already know, that Christmas truly is “the most wonderful time of the year.”

My prayer is that we see the coming of the Christ with new eyes.

Christmas Has Come!

The child has been born.

The angels have proclaimed the coming of good news and joy.

The Shepherds have seen with their own eyes the great sight that was proclaimed to them.

Now, it is our turn. What will we do with at Christmas? My prayer this Christmas as that we would turn Christ. That we would turn to Christ and live lives worthy of the Gospel message that he proclaimed.

Merry Christmas!

A Season Abounding With Miracles

Miracle on 34th Street is one of my favorite Christmas movies. The adaptation made in 1994 is particularly good. In the movie there is a scene where a young deaf girl comes to see Santa Clause. The girls mother explains that she can not hear. She just wanted to see him.

Then the unexpected happens. Santa comes into her world. He enters into her world and reminds her that she is not alone. This simple act is more than just kindness. It truly is grace personified. I love this scene because not only is the little girl blessed, but so is her mother, who just wanted to make her daughters life a little bit happier. A little bit more joyful.

This is what Christmas is all about. It is the reminder that God has entered into our frailty and made us feel less alone.

Remember this Christmas that you are not alone in the world. God has come down and has become like you and me so that we may know joy. Now and forever.

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