December 6, 2018

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit;" Luke 1:77-80

There is a sense in which every birth is miraculous. Life itself is a miracle and a new life is a marvel. The fact that two mortal people can reproduce an immortal soul is a miracle.

Two miraculous births set the stage for the unfolding of the Christmas drama. This historical event that would alter the history of the human race happened because an elderly couple who had been infertile their entire married lives, supernaturally conceived a son. And, Mary, the virgin became pregnant via the Holy Spirit and brought the Savior into the world.

No parent can be objective toward their child. Parental love is an irrational unconditional overwhelming emotion which takes objectivity out of play. Your child is precious but my child is special. However, the most biased parent would be delusional to compare their child to the Christ child. There is only one Son of God supernaturally conceived by the Spirit.

Having said that, there is a child in the Christmas story with whom you could compare. Identify with his purpose and learn from his parents.

John came to prepare hearts of people to receive the Lord. That is something that every child of every believer can do. Every child born to Christian parents are given for that purpose.

But first, the parents of the child must prepare that child's heart to receive the Lord and point him in the ways of God. That is exactly what Zachariah and Elizabeth did.

I want you to grasp what Zachariah is doing in this Scripture portion above. At the dedication of this child, his father is prophecying over John the Baptist. He is speaking into this child's spirit. Although this newborn has no understanding of what is being said, still, his father's prophecy lodges in the spirit and consciousness of John.

Like, Zechariah and Elizabeth, each parent has a sacred privilege of shaping their child so that child can "grow and become strong in spirit". Children who are strong in spirit will prepare others and point them to Jesus!

Be very careful what you speak into the life of children!

Joseph : The Call To Discipleship

"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. 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. 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. 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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25

This morning as I meditating on the Christmas story my thoughts were drawn toward Joseph, who drew the assignment of raising the Messiah. This obscure carpenter from Nazareth was called to step onto center stage in the marvelous mysterious drama of redemption that God orchestrated during the first Christmas.

Was he chosen merely because of his relationship with Mary, or did God nudge them together to accomplish His plan? We will never know for sure, but one thing that is sure is in addition to all of her other virtues, Mary had excellent taste in men!

I have commented on the sacrifices Mary made to obey God and become the mother of the Messiah. But Joseph did some hard things, too! I think his contributions sometimes get lost in the shadows. In short, this is what Joseph was called to do - "Joseph, I want you to believe some incredible things, put your life on hold, put your reputation at risk, nurture and protect the Son of God, and you won't get much credit for it."

Would you take that deal? Joseph did!

In an age where way too much of faith is about "what's in it for me?", it is worth stopping to consider the selfless sacrifice of Joseph.

His journey began with a broken heart. News reached him that his wife-to-be was pregnant and he knew it wasn't his. Could it be that this women he loved and trusted had been unfaithful to him? What would you think? What would you believe?

Next, he had to believe this incredible story, overcome the trust issues and bring her into his home as his wife. And, oh, he can't have sexual relations with her. How many teen guys could do that?

And that was just the beginning!

He would have to make a trip to Bethlehem with an extremely pregnant woman. Then he discovered that his reservations got cancelled and he would have to spend the night in a stable. And, during the night in that stable he had to deliver a baby! Not easy stuff!

But, it got harder! Joseph was told by an angel to take Mary and the infant in the middle of the night and escape to Egypt. So he did. And they stayed there awhile. Don't you think Joseph lost a few business accounts in those years that he was gone? I doubt if his customers were going to wait several years to get their yokes made.

Wow! What a guy! His sacrifice and obedience rivals that of Mary!

Let me ask you, are you willing to follow Christ if it costs you everything, gains you little, and gives you no credit?

That is the call to discipleship. It is not about you! The Kingdom of God is built and advanced by faithful followers who love God more than life and serve Him unto death. Can you follow in the foot steps of Mary and Joseph? Will you?

It begins today.

December 4, 2018

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Immanuel' (which means "God with us") When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. He did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Matthew 1:22-25

Unless you enjoy being lonely or ignored or insignificant and isolated, the message of Immanuel - "God with us" is a BIG deal!

In the past few posts I have been sharing three reasons why Immanuel matters so much:

It's God's Reminder 

After 400 years of silence, God spoke with a shout when He sent His Son into the world, born of a virgin in a stable. The birth of Jesus was an exclamation mark at the end of His declaration, "I AM is with you! I have never left you and I never will! Unless you leave Me, I will be with you always!

It's God's Revelation

When God came in the Person of Jesus we got to catch a glimpse of Who He is and what He is alike.

Jesus said, "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father."

It's God's Redemption

Joseph did as he and Mary were instructed by the angel and they gave this baby boy the name "Jesus".

"But, wait! I thought He was to be called Immannuel! So, why did they name the baby, Jesus? The short answer is they did it because the angel told them to. Are you going to argue with an angel?

The name "Jesus" is the New Testament rendering of Joshua. What did Joshua do?

Joshua led God's people into the Land of Promise! 

This "new Joshua" would open the gates of the eternal "Promised Land" for those who would believe in Him!

John the Baptist declared as he pointed to Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world."

Jesus came to redeem you and me! 

Redemption means to "buy back something that has been taken from you."

Sin had taken us captive and placed us in bondage to the enemy. 

The First Adam sold us into slavery and it would take the Second Adam to set us free. But like the First Adam, this Adam would have to be born without sin in order to become the sacrifice for our sin. This Second Adam would have to be a "God-man".

Who would fill that description?

Only the One named Jesus! This Jesus would be conceived by God and born of man - divine enough to live a sinless life and human enough to die on a cross for our sins!

He Is Immanuel - God with us!

That is BIG! Really BIG!

December 3, 2018

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."  Matthew 1:22-25

Immanuel, “God with us”, is a BIG deal!

It is a big deal because the birth of Jesus served as a reminder that God, though silent for centuries, was not absent, not disinterested or disengaged. The Sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God was wisely and patiently using His power to execute His plan as Paul proclaimed to the Galatians, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.…” Galatians 4:4-5

So, the birth of Jesus, is a vivid and conclusive reminder that God is with us. That is a BIG deal!

Immanuel is a BIG deal because the birth of Jesus served to reveal God to a dark and desperate world!

The coming of Immanuel, “God with us”, revealed that God was indeed, through the birth of His Son, with us!

It revealed that God wanted to introduce Himself to a dark world. John expressed it this way, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind ……..The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4; 14

Through Immanuel, God introduced Himself as a personal God. That is a BIG deal!

The coming of Jesus, Immanuel, revealed that God is interested in you and me. Again, John writes, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:14-18

In Immanuel, God revealed that He is personally interested in you and me! That is a BIG deal!

And, the coming of Jesus revealed God was involved in our lives! The writer of Hebrews states this truth with these words, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Our Jesus, Immanuel, proved that God was involved in your life so He understands your pain. That is a BIG deal!

The angel declared the coming of Immanuel – “God with us”!  And as Romans 8:31 declares, What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

December 2, 2018

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."  Matthew 1:22-25

Have you ever gotten the silent treatment?

It's uncomfortable isn't it?

Usually when you get the silent treatment it may last for a day or two. Many in Israel felt like God had given them the silent treatment for - get this - 400 years!

A thorough study of history would reveal that God had actually been doing a lot to prepare for His next big statement He was about to make. The Apostle Paul recorded it like this, "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship."  Galatians 4:4-5

You have to understand the  sense of desperation God's people felt after four centuries of supernatural silence in order to grasp the significance of "Immanuel"!

Over the next few posts I want to share three reasons why Immanuel matters so much!

It's God's Reminder

It's God's Revelation

It's God's Redemption

The coming of Immanuel is the reminder that God hasn't forgotten His people and that His promises are true! There were over forty prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus! Here are a few of them:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”  Micah 5:2

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,and will call him Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

"Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:7

As God reminded Moses, "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus 

shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."  Exodus 3:14

God is eternal and omnipresent. There has never been a moment in time or an inch in space that God has not filled! Nor will there ever be!

We should never forget that, but when we do, He reminds us He is always present and He always keeps His promises!

The birth of Jesus on that first Christmas proved it.