Matthew 2:12-23, Joseph's Obedience

After Herod had died it was safe for Joseph to bring his family back to Israel,

Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead."

Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel. Matthew 2:19-21

It’s not clear how long Joseph and Mary spent in Egypt, but not long enough for their family to grow any larger, in any case.

As Joseph was obeying God and following His guidance, he became concerned about the situation in Judea,

When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. Matthew 2:22

This is an excellent example of how living by faith really works. Common sense told Joseph and Mary to be careful, and faith told them to wait on God’s word. God gives you enough to obey with, and as you obey, and pray, and experience His presence, and stay in His word, God gives you continued insight. In what ways has God interacted with you this week as you thought through His word, prayed, and looked to obey Him?

This final move for Joseph and his family is the fourth fulfilled prophecy in this chapter,

But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee. On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, "He shall be called a Nazarene." Matthew 2:23

There isn’t a specific prophecy about the Messiah being called a Nazarene, but Matthew may have been thinking about the town’s name of “Nazareth,” which was taken from the word for “shoot” in Hebrew. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah all referred to Messiah as the “shoot of Jesse.”

There is another aspect of Jesus being called a Nazarene. Jesus did not come to occupy a royal palace. He wasn’t born into the families of the religious aristocracy, the chief priests, he didn’t attend seminary so he could be among the religious ivory tower intelligencia. Jesus wasn’t rich, He wasn’t handsome, he didn’t even have a good zip code. Jesus was the people’s savior, he was part of the lowly working class from a despised town.

Today he would ride the bus from the poor part of town to his day laborer’s job. He would live in a small apartment shared with his overflowing family. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” You and I should take some pause at that question. That’s where Jesus came from, because that’s who Jesus came for – people who know they need him, people who don’t have it all.

If you want God to show you more, believe and act on what He has shown you already

The surest way to receive God’s guidance is to follow it. If you want to hear God’s voice next time, then follow it this time.

If God had His Son spend most of His life working a menial job in a despised town, if that was God’s perfect and pleasing will the Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, then never mind if your home and your work seem awfully humble and low. God has given it to you as your calling. It is good, perfect and pleasing to Him.

What you are doing is important to God, it is every bit as much important as Jesus’ work was for Him. Your obedience to God’s call matters.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 2:17-18, Fulfilled Prophecy in Jesus' Boyhood

This event marked the third fulfillment of scripture

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.'"

Pharaoh, long ago, had tried to wipe out the Jews by killing their newborn boys, but God saved one, Moses, who would lead all God’s people into the promised land. Now Herod tried to wipe out the Messiah by killing all of Bethlehem’s young sons.

But God saved one, His Son, Who would lead all those who believe into eternal fellowship with God.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 2:16, Herod's Awful Edict

It must have been only a matter of days before Herod realized the wise men were not coming back through Jerusalem.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

Mayhem is part of life in a fallen world. The moment Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, murder was soon to follow as their first son murdered their second, godly, son in cold blood. No one is exempt, not even the most godly.

Nothing escapes God’s notice. No one can thwart His plans or undermine His purposes.

Events never spiral out of God’s control, as if He lacked power or insight to control what goes on in our little planet. But what could possibly have been God’s plan here, as He allowed the desperately wicked and evil King Herod latitude to put all these precious babies and toddlers to death?

Anything and everything that happens in the lives of His people happen only by God’s permission, and always fulfill His purposes.

God always has a purpose in what He allows, even if we don’t know what it is. From our perspective tragedies look meaningless and senseless and chaotic. But God specializes in taking evil and bringing good out of it.

For every believing family during that awful time in Bethlehem, God had a plan for good.

Tragedy can serve as a wake-up call. Sometimes it takes the horror of some awful event to wake up the otherwise stubborn coma of unbelief. As one theologian put it,

“Pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world.” (CS Lewis)

It is possible to embrace hope even in the middle of a tragedy. God’s hand is always held out to you in the middle of your suffering with the invitation to grab hold and count on Him to pull you through.

This world is not our final home. When terrible things happen, as happened to these shocked and grieving families so long ago, it is good to remember that this fallen, broken world, riddled with sin, is not our final home.

We were created for eternity and tragedy can never change that.

This is only a transition period, a prelude to what God really has in mind for us. The all-absorbing “now-ness” of our experiences severely limit our perspective. We want to rewind the tape, we look at how it could have been different, but God says “Look forward.” Look into eternity.

For all those who love Him, Jesus says “I AM preparing a place for you to take you to be with Me forever.

This world was not Herod’s final home either. He eventually did lose all the earthly things he had clutched and grabbed at, and killed so many people to keep his grip on: his throne, his crown, his power, his wealth, his accomplishments.

You can’t take anything with you into eternity but your sin. Scary thought! If you’d like to leave that behind you too then call on God! Ask Him to forgive you and fill your life with His own.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 2:13-15, The Flight to Egypt

So far the story is interesting, even beautiful, remindful of all the nativity pageants we’ve seen, Christmas cards with wise men on their camels. The rest of the story is pretty harsh. King Herod wasn’t going to let it go.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

God had given this king many opportunities to know Him.
* Herod had all of the scriptures right there at his fingertips, access to the most knowledgeable people about God and religion in the whole world.

* Herod lived right there in Jerusalem, God’s holy city.

* Herod had even personally seen to the rebuilding of the temple, now covered in gold, magnificent by night and day, sacrifices and incense being offered around the clock.

God had given Herod every possible chance to be in relationship with Him, including first chance at receiving the Messiah. But Herod had grown to despise the thought of God’s deliverance through Christ because it seemed like it would mean he would lose his throne, his power and his wealth.

The loss of fellowship with God is humankind's greatest, most devastating tragedy. Having been made in God's image,

We are like God in spirituality: Only humankind received God's breath, or "spirit." We are aware of God and His presence, and have the ability to commune with God. We can be made one with God through regeneration by His Holy Spirit. But instead of being spiritually alive, Herod was spiritually dead. God's presence felt like a threat to his own power; he set out to thwart God by killing God's Son.

We are like God in personality: God gave humankind intelligence, an ability to think and to know, feelings and emotions, and a will: the ability to make choices so that we can correspond to God in obedience, experience His presence, to enjoy Him with exceeding great joy, as the wise men did. But Herod had allowed his entire personality to become twisted by his jealousy for his crown.

We are like God in morality: God gives humankind a simple test, teaching us to know the difference between right, which is obedience to God's word, and wrong, which is choosing something apart from God's expressed will. The chief priests remained unmoved by God's word, they chose to do nothing. Herod was troubled and unnerved by God's word, he chose to try and destroy its fulfillment.

God revealed to Joseph what was about to happen, and Joseph obeyed God’s guidance

And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

How quickly, and completely, am I apt to obey what God reveals to me?

As you go through Matthew look for the ways Jesus’ life story was a re-enactment of the story of God’s people.

and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'

This is the second fulfillment of prophecy. It was important that Jesus go into Egypt. Jesus was to be the people’s savior, One Who had experienced every aspect of His people’s lives and history. God’s plan for Joseph, Mary and Jesus was to save them from disaster by hiding them in Egypt, just as God had brought Jacob’s clan to Egypt thousands of years before, to save their lives during the famine.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Three Wisemen: Worshiping Christ

Part of our design, the design God worked into all people, is the propensity to worship.

They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11

We all worship something. The only right response to God is to worship Him.

Their worship was physical. The Bible talks often of falling on your knees, raising up your hands, falling prostrate on the ground before God. Our bodies become expressions of what’s going on in our hearts. Even Jesus prayed on His knees before His Father in heaven.

Their worship was emotional. In spite of their worldly dignity and high standing, they humbled themselves before this tiny king. They delighted in Him and adored Him -- we just read how they were filled with “exceeding great joy.”

Their worship was spiritual, based on truth, They came expectantly into the home that Joseph had now found for his family. But it wasn’t until they saw God’s literal fulfillment of His promise, a young girl, a virgin, holding the little baby boy, begotten of God, right there in Bethlehem, the birthplace of kings, that they fell down on their knees.

Their worship was generous, They didn’t come empty handed.

In meditating on this chapter it struck me what you and I are saying to the Lord when we come empty handed to Him in worship. Essentially we’re saying that God has been a stingy Father. We’re saying, “Well Lord, looks like You didn’t provide very well for me, since I have nothing left to give you.” And we’re also saying, even in hard times when the money’s pretty scarce, “Lord, this time the sacrifice is simply too big. You aren’t worth it this time.”

The Lord says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this...if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” (Malachi 3:10) “Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38)

The wise men’s gifts were also prophetic, and an expression of their faith. The gold spoke of Jesus’ purity and His royalty. The frankincense spoke of Jesus’ priestly duty, receiving the prayers of believers, and offering up intercession for all those who come to Him. And the myrrh spoke of Jesus’ sacrificial death to save His people from their sins.

The right response to God is to worship and obey His Son

You hear people say they’re seeking, but what are they really seeking? God says, through the prophet Jeremiah, “When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." (Jeremiah 29:13) If a person is really seeking God, they will always find Jesus.

Having, in faith, followed God’s guidance and having accepted and worshiped the Messiah, they gained a deeper sensitivity for God’s voice. God took them into His protection and guided them more directly,

In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.Matthew 2:12

Without questioning, even though it meant having to map out a new, and unknown, route, finding new and unknown oases and connections for their large company on the long trek home, they obeyed and continued to follow God’s guidance.

Worship that does not continue with obedience is not true worship.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Three Wisemen: Response To God's Sign

So let’s stop a minute and think about all the responses Matthew has recorded so far to God’s proclamation that His Son has been born.

The people: Were bothered, vaguely worried, instead of excited and eager for their promised Messiah.

Their ruler was a cruel and capricious king. They didn’t want anything to disturb him because that meant he would, in turn, take it out on them, people would get hurt, there would be upheaval and crackdowns.

Maybe you’re there. You like when the Bible talks about things that already are a part of your life, things that agree with how you view life already. But when you get to a part that doesn’t agree with your views you feel bothered. You feel vaguely worried, sensing this is going to mean upheaval in your life, and it might hurt.

How prepared are you to receive God's guidance and how willing are you to follow it?

Herod: Was insanely suspicious, always worried that someone was going to try and take away his power and wealth.

For all his good qualities as a ruler, this one trait ruined every good thing he did. Instead of him controlling his life, and ruling his realm, this one trait controlled him and made him a tyrant of his realm.

Is there some trait in your personality that is driving everything else, overshadowing your other good qualities because you are not reigning in the excesses of this one trait?
* Maybe it’s your short temper.

* Maybe you are a critical person, always pointing out what’s wrong with other people.

* Maybe it’s your love of shopping, or your love of gossip.

* Maybe it’s your fear of people, or fear of anything new.

* Maybe it’s your self-consciousness.

* Maybe you are overly sensitive and see insults and slights in just about everything people say to you.

Herod believed God’s word, but instead of rejoicing that God had brought the wise men right to his door with this incredible good news, he felt threatened, slighted, insulted by God.

He wanted to destroy the fulfillment of God’s promise. When do I resent God’s word and see it as a threat to my happiness?

Scribes and chief priest: Religion was their work.

These were the seminarians, ivory tower academics, deeply religious traditionalists, who considered themselves as perfectly keeping the law, above reproach, they knew it all and observed all the religious mores. Bethlehem was only five miles away, but they made no move to see if the Messiah had really been born there so they could worship Him.

As the teachers and law keepers, they didn’t feel the need to be taught anymore, the need to grow anymore; they considered themselves above all that, and above the people who still needed that.

You might find yourself there, Bible study has become a little ho-hum, it’s your work, you get it done, that makes you feel good, but it isn’t igniting your heart. You’re looking around at the people you feel still need it, so you’re keeping up with your Bible study for someone else. How closely are you watching for God's guidance in my own life?

Wise men: They were students of ancient and sacred lore. Two hundred years before Christ the entire Old Testament had been translated into Greek, making it available to scholars world wide. They would have had the original writings of the prophet Daniel, who had lived in Chaldea for most of his life.

They would have had some access to at least the books in Hebrew of the Old Testament written up to the time of the great diaspora described at the end of 2nd Kings, since the Jews would have brought their scriptures with them when they went into exile.

They were not Jews, as were the citizens of Jerusalem, and the scribes and chief priests, and Herod. But they believed God and acted on their belief.

They had faith.

Think of all the planning, the cost, the time and the risk that went into this trip. Their plan was to follow this star, for however long it would take, wherever it would take them. They were absolutely committed to seeking God, based on what God had revealed to them, and God brought them to the Messiah.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Three Wisemen: Gentiles Convicting God's People

God's people were supposed to be mindful of the prophecies, so they could be ready when their Messiah came.

There were specific prophecies, a baby boy, begotten by God, born of a virgin in Bethlehem, Who will be heralded by a star coming out of the house of Jacob. In order, those prophecies were delivered by some heavy hitters:

King David, Isaiah, Micah, and Moses

Not only that, the prophet Daniel had predicted a particular point in history when this Messiah would be born, so the whole known world was breathless with anticipation.

Apparently, however, the Jews had been caught by surprise.

When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. Matthew 2:3

So Herod got together all his seminary people

He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"Matthew 2:4

First were the chief priests, who came from the religious aristocracy, they were the CEO’s of Judaism, Bible experts. Next were the scribes, what we would call lawyers today, men who had taken their studies in Old Testament law, along with all the law commentaries.

The scribes and chief priests had a lot of work to do, pouring over their manuscripts, conferencing together, trying to figure out what was going on, trying to get the right information to a very agitated and upset Herod, who was known for his viciousness and cruelty whenever he felt someone was threatening his crown. They finally narrowed in on a prophecy written six hundred years before Jesus was born

They told him, "Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

It's you, Bethlehem, in Judah's land,
no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel." Matthew 2:5-6

And Micah finished that verse with the words “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."

This is the first of four fulfillments of prophecy in this chapter and is a continuation of Matthew’s catalogue of Christ’s credentials. He was born a human baby, Son of Man, but He was also Son of God, from the “days of eternity.” He was born in the hamlet of Bethlehem, an inconsequential dot on the map, but it was the birthplace of Kings, the very root and stump of Jesse, and from it now sprang this young shoot, the ruler who would sit on the throne of Judah forever.

After the scribes and chief priests had presented their case, Herod was convinced.

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, "Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I'll join you at once in your worship." Matthew 2:7-8

Herod was of course disguising what he really wanted to do, so he could manipulate these well-meaning foreigners into doing his leg work for him. The wise men believed him

Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! Matthew 2:9-10

How were they able to follow a star? Matthew doesn’t tell us, but certainly God was in it, because He makes Himself known to the people who genuinely look for Him.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Three Wisemen: Following The Star

This story takes place somewhere between when Jesus was born, and when he was a preschooler.

Matthew 2 begins with quite a stir in the city,

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod's kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. Matthew 2:1

A great company of exotic foreigners had arrived in Jerusalem from the east with all their retinue. The traditional number is three magi, because they presented three gifts to the Christ child. But there were probably many more than just three.

These were important people, most likely Gentiles who had come from Chaldea with a large caravan of camels with their loads, and a full complement of servants and guards. They made their way to the largest Ritz Carlton in town, got checked in, then immediately headed over to the palace to find out where the new king of the Jews had been born,

They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him." Matthew 2:2

All of Jerusalem was upset.

Matthew was continuing to show how the Jews had completely missed recognizing Jesus' credentials as the Messiah. God had established His people thousands of years before to cherish and keep His word, to love, worship and obey Him and to wait expectantly for the Messiah Who would free them from bondage. All the rest of the world was also waiting for this big event. About a dozen or so ancient historians recorded this phenomenon.

Even the Roman historian Tacitus in the days of Caesar wrote about the expectation of a ruler being born near the province of Judea. But what actually happened is that when the real king, the one the rest of the world had been waiting for, was born in the one place only a real king could be born in, during the days of the pretend king who was falsely ruling over God's people, wise men, bringing God's wisdom, came from far away to God's holy and royal city where there didn’t seem to be any wise people.

Originally, God had made humankind in His own image, making us to fit Him in a perfect way, filling us with His own breath. God had created humankind to be in eternal fellowship with Himself.

God loves His people deeply, in ways we can hardly imagine, having designed us to be His intimate companion, just as He designed Eve to correspond to Adam. God intends for us to be made one with Him in a profound intimacy. This is a person's greatest purpose and blessing, and it was Messiah Who would provide the way for eternal fellowship with God.

So God's people were supposed to be alert, watch for the signs. In Genesis 1:14 God had said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens...let them be for signs..." Before there were satellites and other sophisticated technologies, the stars and planets were used for navigation, clocking the seasons, measuring large distances on the earth for map-making purposes, and so on.

Then in Numbers 24:17 God said a specific sign would come, "A star shall come out of Jacob..." King David himself had written "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork," (Psalm 19:1)

Ancient people understood this to mean that God would literally reveal signs of what lay in the immediate, and far future in the sky, in the alignment of the stars and planets, so they made a close study of the patterns in the night sky. But only these wise men from the east, astronomers who recorded the movement of stars, comets and planets, and scholars who were familiar with the Hebrew scriptures, had taken God’s word seriously.

There was evidently an unusual phenomenon in the sky that these men recognized as being directly connected with the prophecy concerning Messiah.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:21-25, The Meaning Of Jesus' Name

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “Jehovah saves.”

Jesus’ life’s work was appointed from before time. Paul said in Philippians that Jesus humbled Himself to become a man, and you can certainly see it as humbling, to step down from the throne of God to enter into the womb of an ordinary young girl, living in Israel. Paul went on to say that Jesus humbled himself in obedience to His Father, He became obedient even to death on the cross.

This was how Jehovah would save His people from their sins, He would die for them, sacrificing Himself in the place of those who are guilty, you and me, every sinner.

The ancient Jew, at this point in the text, would have taken particular note of the name Emmanuel since this was what God had said to Moses was His desire, to dwell among His people.

When the tabernacle was dedicated, and later the temple, God’s presence descended to dwell visibly in the midst of His people. But God had never been so present as to become a human being, living side by side with His people. It is an amazing truth. The Lord understands you and me because He went through every kind of life experience you and I live through, yet He never sinned (Hebrews).

Whatever is going on in your life, you can talk to Jesus about it. He will listen with compassion and love, He knows you and loves you, and understands completely what you’re going through.

But the most important name given to Jesus is the one Matthew used in verse 1, verse 16, verse 17 and verse 18: Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One.

Messiah is the unique God-Man, the eternal Son of God, Who is also the Son of Man, with two distinct natures in one Person forever – fully God and fully man.

Because of Jesus' humility in obedience, God has exalted Him, giving Him authority over every authority. Jesus is actively ruling with God, as Lord over all.

Just as you can't separate the brilliance of sunshine from the sun itself, Jesus is described as "the radiance of the glory of God." (Hebrews 1) Not just an image or a reflection of God, He is "the exact imprint of God's nature," "He is the image of the invisible God," Jesus is the absolutely authentic representation of God's being.

God says that all of His fullness – the totality of God's powers and attributes – rests in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are two kinds of prophecy about Messiah:
* The first kind of prophecy points to Christ Who will suffer for the sake of His people, out of love for them.

* The second kind of prophecy points to the future when Christ has promised He will one day come back to rule the earth in righteousness, and gather His people to Himself forever. How much of your trust have you put in this Christ?

God requires faith in a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ

In what ways is your life reflecting your response to God's word?

What insights and commands have you received from God through this study of His word so far?

Joseph had only one night of instruction with God’s word. What has God given you to believe and have faith in Him about?

What has God given you to apply in your life right now, without delay?

Who has God given you to protect -- to feed and clothe, to care for and teach, to pray over and tenderly love?

God gives us His presence on earth, He is with us and has promised to live in us when we believe in Him. God offers us forgiveness for our sins, He has come to save you from your sin. When was the last time you simply thanked Jesus for His presence with you and in you, and for His forgiveness?

In just one chapter Matthew showed that Jesus called Christ is fully qualified to be king and savior by His royal ancestry, His divine conception and birth, and by His credentials through the fulfillment of prophecy in His coming and His identity. How fully have you accepted Christ as your king and your savior?

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:21-25, Prophetic heredity

Matthew showed Jesus to be fully qualified as both king and savior, and that this had always been God’s plan

Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21-22

Whether it was Matthew reminding the reader, or the Holy Spirit guiding Joseph’s thoughts at that moment, Joseph believed this baby was the coming Messiah

This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Matthew 1:23

And Joseph was sensitive to God's leading, recognized God's word, and put it immediately into practice in his life

Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus. Matthew 1:24-25

If there was ever any question about the virgin birth, Joseph’s actions should put your doubts to rest. If the baby had been conceived by another man, Joseph would have divorced her. Even if he had married her, he would have had no reason to keep from consummating their marriage bed together.

But instead as soon as he had received God's word to him, he was ready to be obedient to all God's commands in three direct ways.

First he married Mary.

Next, recognizing the fulfillment of prophecy in Mary’s virginity, he made sure she remained a virgin until Messiah was born, so that no one would try to dispute fulfillment of God’s word. And even though the custom was to name the first born after the father, Joseph obeyed God's command to name His Son Jesus.

[Tomorrow: The Meaning of Jesus' Name]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Jesus: A Divine Conception

Somehow, under the direct action of the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, the second person of the Godhead, the Son, was implanted in Mary’s uterus. The Son of God is one person of the Godhead. As God He is eternal, He always existed. Jesus has the true divine nature.

Before there was anything, Jesus was with God, a distinct person in the Godhead, and He also was God. Yet now God the Son was about to take on human flesh, and become what we understand as the God-Man who lives forever, equally God, equally man. He became a baby, a tiny being growing inside Mary. He was born in the way babies are born.

Jesus' human nature had the limitations of normal humanity, except He was completely without sin. Jesus has a true human nature that is perfectly united with His divine nature.

It is a pivotal point in Matthew’s telling of Jesus’ story. Why a virgin birth? Was there a biological reason? A moral reason? All we can say is that in Genesis 3:15 God said the deliverer would come from the seed of the woman. This is the way God had always planned to give the world the Messiah.

When I was a young girl, there was an enormous social stigma attached to having a baby when you weren’t married. You got sent away to extended family, had the baby in secret, started another life, or gave the baby up for adoption, very privately. Children raised out of wedlock didn’t have the same legal rights as children born to or adopted by a married couple.

But right around the 1970's that all changed with abortion laws and the legalizing of all children’s rights, regardless of whether they were raised by a married couple. Today, thirty years later, Lots of single women actively pursue getting pregnant, there isn’t any stigma at all, it’s actually kind of popular, except in some conservative circles, so it’s harder to imagine what this must have been like.

But try.

Even though they were living in Nazareth, which was not as strong a religious community as Jerusalem, and was actually sort of a cosmopolitan trade center for its day, they were both godly people.

Try to think how difficult it must have been to face the family pressure, the social pressure, the disapproving stares when they attended synagogue.

The father is who?!

They never even had a big wedding, but hurried through a small private affair, just like a shotgun wedding. But both Mary and Joseph were convinced that God knew what He was doing, and would take care of them all along the way.

God often uses difficult circumstance to accomplish His will

* His will was to have His Son, the Son of God, be born to this little family, and He took care of them.

* His will is to make you like Jesus Christ. So He puts difficult people in your life to shave off your rough edges, to polish you and transform you.

* His will is to let others know about Him, and His will and His word, so He puts you together with people who need to hear about Him, maybe in your workplace or your neighborhood.

* His will is to show you His love and His grace, and He can only do that when He has your complete attention, so He often uses difficult circumstances to focus you.

What’s the difficulty in your life right now? I’d be surprised if there wasn’t at least one thing going on right now.

How willing are you to trust God, to have faith in Him, that He knows what He is doing, that He is good and loving and powerful enough to take care of you all along the way?

How willing are you to lean into the struggle and give it all you have, so that you will be cooperating with God as He accomplishes His purposes in you?

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:18-20, Joseph's Decision

We’re not sure when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant. In the gospel of Luke, chapter 1, it says an angel came to tell Mary what was about to happen. Mary was perplexed since she was not married, and she was a virgin. But the angel explained that the child would be fathered by the Holy Spirit, something unique would take place inside of her that would allow the Son of God to be born from her body.

Amazingly Mary said yes. Every woman since Eve had been hoping and praying for this honor. But Mary must have also known that, given the circumstances, this was not going to be easy.

Right after her encounter with the angel, Mary left to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was experiencing her own miraculous pregnancy, carrying John the Baptist. In Elizabeth Mary found someone who understood completely what was happening to her. Mary must have used those three months to think and pray through her feelings about her own circumstances as she helped Elizabeth, and stayed for the birth of her son John.

Unlike Elizabeth, Mary was just a girl, unmarried and pregnant in a time when that was considered a crime punishable by death. She was willing to obey God, but she didn’t know how God was going to work it out to protect her.

But God had chosen the right man to be the earthly father of His Son. The ancient Jew would have been horrified and repulsed to find out that his betrothed was pregnant. But Joseph was a righteous man, he didn’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace, which would have resulted in her execution by stoning. Joseph was able to handle it because of his compassion, a part of his righteousness.

This is how righteousness is displayed, in the fruit of the Spirit, where you reach out in love and mercy, instead of having the knee jerk reaction of saying “I can’t handle this, you’re going down.” He opted for quiet legal action, he would be free to marry someone else, a virgin, and she would be free to raise her child, and possibly even marry the man who had fathered it.

While Joseph was considering a quiet divorce as the most merciful thing to do in the situation, God took the initiative in protecting both Mary and Jesus by sending an angel to speak to Joseph in a dream, saying,

"Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant." Matthew 1:20

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:18-20 Divine Heredity

God did not only provide a royal lineage for His Son, He provided a miraculous, divine lineage as well.

The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Matthew 1:18

The virgin birth has been questioned in recent times, but Matthew makes a big deal about it. He was careful to explain that all the names in Jesus' genealogy were fathered by the name before it: "Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob" and so on -- until verse 16 of Jesus' geneology,

Jacob had Joseph, Mary's husband,
the Mary who gave birth to Jesus,
the Jesus who was called Christ.

Because Mary and Joseph were married before Jesus was born, He inherited Joseph's lineage. But Joseph did not father Jesus. Instead, Matthew said Jesus was conceived in Mary through the Holy Spirit. God fathered Jesus Christ.

The ancient Jewish wedding customs were a little different than the way we do things now. Typically the marriage was arranged between the parents when the future bride and groom were children -- I sort of wish that’s how we did things now, since I have three young daughters!

But my husband and I do pray for the people our daughters will one day marry, that God would make our daughters wise and discerning in their choices, and we are teaching them about what to look for in a husband, that he should be godly, righteous, a man of good character, and from a loving family. And we are teaching them about God’s words concerning marriage, and how He has structured this important and holy relationship. I hope you are praying about your child’s future spouse too, and teaching them scripture’s truths about marriage.

Everyone in the community would know that these two were promised to each other, to be married when they grew up. Up until the betrothal, if the girl became unwilling to go through with the arrangement, she had the option of backing out, and her family could then make a new arrangement with a different family. But once the girl and the boy both came of age, a legal ceremony called “betrothal” would be performed which would have the couple exchange absolutely binding vows, tantamount to a marriage.

During the betrothal time there would not be much contact between the bride and groom, each would live with their parents, and not enter into any of the privileges of marriage. The betrothal period lasted about a year to prove the bride’s virginity and to give the groom time to prepare their new home. When the time was right, something only the father of the groom would determine, the formal wedding would take place, the groom would take the bride to his family home to begin their married life together.

It was during this betrothal time that Mary was visited by the angel and Joseph found himself in the dilemma of the next verse,

Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. Matthew 1:19

If the baby had been his, he would not have hesitated to take Mary as his wife. Instead he was troubled. The only way out of a betrothal was for it to be broken by another legal contract, called a divorce, which is what Joseph determined to do.

[Tomorrow: Joseph's decision to marry]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Luke's Geneology: A Curse Averted

Matthew recorded Jesus’ lineage through Joseph, who was descended from one of Bathsheba’s and David’s sons, Solomon, giving Jesus His royal lineage, in direct legal line to the throne.

But shortly before Judah went into exile, times were turbulent, and Jeconiah, the legal descendant of David in line to the throne, refused to take the throne. Jeremiah recorded God’s response, in
Jeremiah 22:24-30,

“As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off...Thus says the LORD:"Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah."

(Je)Coniah had seven sons (1 Chronicles 3:17-18),

The sons of Jeconiah born while he was captive in Babylon: Shealtiel, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

But none of them ever sat on the throne, even though they retained the legal throne rights. If Jesus had been born only in the line of Joseph (and thus of Jeconiah), He would not have been qualified to reign on the throne of David in the Millennium, because of God’s curse.

But Mary, according to Luke’s genealogy, descended from another of Bathsheba’s and David’s sons, Nathan, 1 Chronicles 3:5,

“These were born to him [King David] in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua [Bathsheba], the daughter of Ammiel.”

Through Joseph, Jesus became the legal heir to the throne while at the same time bypassed the curse of Coniah as prophesied.

The exception to the law which permitted inheritance through the daughter was established back in Moses’ day. The daughters of Zelophehad had petitioned Moses for a special exception because their father had no sons. God instructed Moses to grant the exception and to make it a lasting ordinance, so long as the women who petitioned for this exception married within their tribe, Numbers 26:33-27:8;
Numbers 36:1-11

God spoke to Moses: "Divide up the inheritance of the land based on population. A larger group gets a larger inheritance; a smaller group gets a smaller inheritance—each gets its inheritance based on the population count.

"Make sure that the land is assigned by lot.

"Each group's inheritance is based on population, the number of names listed in its ancestral tribe, divided among the many and the few by lot."

The daughters of Zelophehad showed up. Their father was the son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Makir son of Manasseh, belonging to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

They came to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and the congregation and said, "Our father died in the wilderness. He wasn't part of Korah's rebel anti-God gang. He died for his own sins. And he left no sons. But why should our father's name die out from his clan just because he had no sons? So give us an inheritance among our father's relatives."

Moses brought their case to God.

God ruled: "Zelophehad's daughters are right. Give them land as an inheritance among their father's relatives. Give them their father's inheritance.

"Then tell the People of Israel, If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give it to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give it to his father's brothers. If his father had no brothers, give it to the nearest relative so that the inheritance stays in the family. This is the standard procedure for the People of Israel, as commanded by God through Moses."

The heads of the ancestral clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh—they were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph—approached Moses and the leaders who were heads of the families in the People of Israel.

They said, "When God commanded my master to hand over the inheritance-lands by lot to the People of Israel, my master was also commanded by God to hand over the inheritance-land of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.

But what happens if they marry into another tribe in the People of Israel? Their inheritance-land will be taken out of our ancestral tribe and get added into the tribe into which they married. And then when the year of Jubilee comes for the People of Israel their inheritance will be lumped in with the inheritance of the tribe into which they married—their land will be removed from our ancestors' inheritance!"

Moses, at God's command, issued this order to the People of Israel: "What the tribe of the sons of Joseph says is right. This is God's command to Zelophehad's daughters: They are free to marry anyone they choose as long as they marry within their ancestral clan. The inheritance-land of the People of Israel must not get passed around from tribe to tribe. No, keep the tribal inheritance-land in the family.

Every daughter who inherits land, regardless of the tribe she is in, must marry a man from within her father's tribal clan. Every Israelite is responsible for making sure the inheritance stays within the ancestral tribe. No inheritance-land may be passed from tribe to tribe; each tribe of the People of Israel must hold tight to its own land."

Zelophehad's daughters did just as God commanded Moses. Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, Zelophehad's daughters, all married their cousins on their father's side. They married within the families of Manasseh son of Joseph and their inheritance-lands stayed in their father's family.

Based on this special law Mary, who had no brothers and who married within her tribe, the tribe of Judah, was able to pass along her inheritance of the throne to her Son, Jesus.

This unusual situation is a beautiful fulfillment of prophecy and actually testifies to the accuracy of the Bible.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew's and Luke's Geneologies, aligned

Like Matthew, Luke recounted a royal genealogy and a virgin birth for Jesus, it’s over in Luke 3:23-38. Unlike Matthew, who traced Jesus' birth back through the line of David to Abraham in order to appeal to his Jewish audience, Luke the evangelist traced Jesus' lineage back to Adam, indicating a universal sense of salvation.

When Jesus entered public life he was about thirty years old, the son (in public perception) of Joseph; [but through Mary] who was—

son of Heli,

Heli was Mary's father, according to many theologians, and Mary the oldest among a family of only girls. That would have made her oldest son her father's heir -- his "son."

son of Matthat,
son of Levi,
son of Melki,
son of Jannai,
son of Joseph,
son of Mattathias,
son of Amos,
son of Nahum,
son of Esli,
son of Naggai,
son of Maath,
son of Mattathias,
son of Semein,
son of Josech,
son of Joda,
son of Joanan,
son of Rhesa,
son of Zerubbabel,
son of Shealtiel,
son of Neri,
son of Melchi,
son of Addi,
son of Cosam,
son of Elmadam,
son of Er,
son of Joshua,
son of Eliezer,
son of Jorim,
son of Matthat,
son of Levi,
son of Simeon,
son of Judah,
son of Joseph,
son of Jonam,
son of Eliakim,
son of Melea,
son of Menna,
son of Mattatha,
son of Nathan,

In Matthew's geneology, Joseph’s line is followed through David and Bathseba’s son Solomon. In Luke's geneology, Mary’s line is followed through David and Bathsheba’s son Nathan.

son of David,
son of Jesse,
son of Obed,
son of Boaz,
son of Salmon,
son of Nahshon,
son of Amminadab,
son of Admin,
son of Arni,
son of Hezron,
son of Perez,
son of Judah,
son of Jacob,
son of Isaac,
son of Abraham,

This is the only section in which Matthew's and Luke's genelogies align:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac, the son of Abraham and Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob, the son of Isaac and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah, the son of Jacob and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
Perez, the son of Judah and Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron, the son of Perez and Hezron the father of Ram,
Arni, the son of Hezron
Admin, the son of Arni
Amminadab, the son of Admin and Ram the father of Amminadab,
Nahshon, the son of Amminadab and Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Sala, the son of Nahshon and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Boaz, the son of Sala and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab,
Obed, the son of Boaz and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth,
Jesse, the son of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse,
David, the son of Jesse and Jesse the father of David the king.

son of Terah,
son of Nahor,
son of Serug,
son of Reu,
son of Peleg,
son of Eber,
son of Shelah,
son of Kenan,
son of Arphaxad,
son of Shem,
son of Noah,
son of Lamech,
son of Methuselah,
son of Enoch,
son of Jared,
son of Mahalaleel,
son of Kenan,
son of Enos,
son of Seth,
son of Adam,
son of God.

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Luke, The Careful Historian

Luke was probably a Gentile by birth, since he was uncircumcised, with a Greco-Syrian heritage, well educated in the Greek culture and a physician by profession. Luke’s home was in the Greek city of Antioch in Ancient Syria, but he was living in Troas, which included the ancient ruins of Troy, when the apostle Paul came through during his first missionary journey.

Judging from Luke’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he was probably one of the seventy disciples Jesus sent out on an evangelism tour, and he was likely one of the two disciples who met with Jesus on their way home to Emmaus, after Jesus’ resurrection (since Luke is the only gospel writer to tell that story). Most of Jesus' ministry happened in the Galilee area where there was a real mix of Jews and Gentiles.

Luke joined with Paul in Troas and continued on with him as his companion and chronicler for most of the rest of his missionary journeys. However, when they first came to Philippi, Luke stayed behind for a while, and then rejoined with Paul when Paul visited Philippi on his second, followup trip. Luke remained Paul’s close associate and fellow missionary for many years, starting the first medical mission on the island of Malta.

The most ancient record of Luke’s life, written not long after he died, says that he “Served the Lord continuously, unmarried and without children, filled with the Holy Spirit; he died at the age of 84 years.”

When Luke wrote his gospel, around thirty years after Jesus had risen up into heaven, his intention was to write a historical account, while bringing out the theological significance of the history

So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.

Remember that Luke was a university man, well educated, a doctor, well-grounded in science and logic. For him truth was concrete; he was not a person to be bamboozled by magic tricks or a persuasive speech. So when he wrote his gospel, and his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, he was intent on providing factual, reliable evidence to other educated, scientific, sophisticated, logical thinkers, such as his friend Theophilus.

We can thank Luke for being such careful historian, because he named names and dates all throughout this document, which continue to be verified as new archeological evidence is unearthed. Luke’s account of Jesus’ life is the longest of the four gospels, and many of the details surrounding Jesus’ birth are found only in Luke.

Luke’s account of Jesus’ life is the longest of the four gospels, and many of the details surrounding Jesus’ birth are found only in Luke. Only in his gospel will you find John the Baptist's birth story, the census and travel to Bethlehem, the birth in a manger, and a story from Jesus' boyhood.

[Tomorrow: Luke's geneology of Jesus]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:1-17, God Uses Unlikely People

As you look at this list of names you realize that God chooses unlikely people for His purposes.

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

I think about how God used a North Carolina farm boy from a small community who never in the world would have thought that he would become the most famous evangelist of the 20th century, bringing the gospel to millions and millions of people all over the world. Billy Graham

I think about how God used a little known nun from eastern Europe, whose heart was so deeply moved by God’s love for the discarded and downtrodden in Calcutta, India. She brought God’s grace and compassion to them in such a way that it continues to humble all the rest of us in this world. Mother Theresa

I think of a north African playboy named Augustine, who made this prayer to God 1,700 years ago, “O Lord, give me the grace to do as You command, and command me to do as You will.” He has since become known as one of the most important teachers and leaders in the church of all time. Ordinary people who offered their lives to Christ to be used in whatever way He commanded.

And I think about me, in real life I’m a homemaker. But I think about how God in His grace has allowed me to have responsibilities that I am not worthy of, and under normal circumstances I would not be capable of.

God uses unlikely people for His purposes when they are willing to put their faith in Him.

What about you?

Do you see yourself as an unlikely choice for God to use? Maybe you think you don’t have much natural ability, or you’re in difficult circumstances, the kind that hem you in to the point that you couldn’t possibly be used by God.

Maybe, like some of the women in Jesus’ genealogy, you have a history of sin, or there’s something in your background that you feel might disqualify you from being of use to God.

But God chooses unlikely people for His purposes. How willing are you to trust God to make your life valuable in His kingdom, just as He did for these people? Where is God pushing you to use your little bit for Him?

What would it take, in your heart, for you to be able to pray Augustine’s prayer, “O Lord, give me the grace to do as You command, and command me to do as You will.”?

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:1-17, Sinners Saved By Grace

I hope you were able to pick out how each of these women expressed their faith, wanting to participate in God’s promises. Some acted unwisely, but even through their error, God blessed each of these women.

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Tamar - despite how awful her first two husbands were, she was willing to do whatever it took to be linked with God and His people

Rahab - had such a reverence for God, and awe of His power, that she believed completely in His victory. She wanted to be saved along with His people

Ruth - has a beautiful story of sacrificial love and redemption, well worth the reading

Bathsheba - the Bible isn’t clear about her faith, but of all the sons of David it seems only one reverenced God and desired God’s wisdom – her son Solomon

Mary - in spite of the enormous hurdles and heartaches God’s will in her life would bring, she saw herself as God’s handmaiden, and willingly submitted to His command.

Though Matthew named some godly men, the patriarchs and good kings, many of the men in this list were not what we would call good men. They sinned, they were selfish, even cruel, wicked, rebellious against God, idolaters. But through them Messiah was born.

I wonder if Matthew, ex-tax collector and publican that he was, identified with these women and men at some level. Through this record God is displaying His grace to sinners. Even in this genealogy Matthew was already giving us a clue that there is something unique and earth shaking about Jesus. Expect the unexpected. Carried along in the Spirit, the apostle Matthew was showing how God in Christ was taking down the barriers of sin and its curse.

[Tomorrow: God Uses Unlikely People]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:1-17, The Women In Jesus' Lineage

Matthew divided Jesus’ record into three sections. He left out certain names in Jesus’ genealogy on purpose. In the Hebrew language there were no vowels and no numbers. The vowels were intuited and Hebrew letters did double duty as numbers whenever needed. The Hebrew letters for “David” were “DWD,” which, when representing numbers, added up to 14. So Matthew put fourteen names in each section, and made three sections, one for each letter in David’s name. Jesus’s genealogy also mirrored the three great periods in Israel’s history up to that point.

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

In our scientific age we would have wanted an exhaustive list as proof. But to the ancient Jewish mind, this was actually very convenient. Matthew was writing in a way to help people memorize his gospel because in his day not everyone possessed their own copy of the scriptures; memorizing was the only way people could have ready access to God’s word. “Father of” meant direct genetic descendant of, and if they wanted whatever names were left out they could easily look them up given the material they already had in Matthew’s record. What’s more, if they knew their history well, since it’s all in the Old Testament, they could have mentally filled in what was missing.

Contrary to common custom, five women, including Mary, are mentioned in this genealogy. In Matthew’s day women were not valued too highly. In fact they were so low in society that Pharisees would thank God every morning in prayer that they were not women. Were you amazed at who Matthew chose to include in this? I would have chosen Sarah, the wife of Abraham, maybe, or Rebecca, or maybe godly Leah. But if Matthew had ransacked the whole Old Testament he’d have been hard pressed to find four more unlikely candidates for the Messiah’s genealogy than these ladies.

Verse 3, Tamar – Was a schemer who posed as a prostitute to lure her father-in-law into bed with her and bore his twin sons out of wedlock
Verse 5, Rahab - Was running a robust trade as a high dollar hooker when she lied and betrayed her own country’s interests to help out two Hebrew spies.
Also in verse 5, Ruth - Was a Moabitess whose husband had been a Jew even though God had said through Moses that no Moabite would ever be given a chance to enter the Lord’s sanctuary because of how they had treated the Jews.
Verse 6, Wife of Uriah - She is more well-known by the name of Bathsheba. Given to public nakedness on her roof, she committed adultery with her nation’s leader and her firstborn child died under God’s judgement

Finally, down in verse 16, Mary - only Mary had a squeaky clean record. If you look in Luke’s gospel, you’ll see she was also descended from King David, just through a different son. Joseph’s is the legal royal line, that gave Jesus His qualification to claim the throne of Judah. Mary gave Jesus the bloodline to King David, Abraham, and all the way back to Adam, the first man.

[Tomorrow: Sinners Saved By Grace]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

Matthew 1:1-17, Royal Heredity

How important are credentials to you? Let’s say you’re facing a serious medical problem and need to choose a specialist. How important is it to you for your doctor to be qualified? How would you treat their medical advice, their diagnosis of your condition, and the medical treatment they recommend if you had doubts about their medical degree?

When you entrust your child to a school, how important is to know that the school is qualified to teach your child? Don’t you want to know if the school is accredited, that the teachers have college degrees and are certified with the state?

And when you face spiritual questions that have to do with eternity, questions about your spiritual condition and what’s in store for you, how important is it to you that your savior be qualified, credentialed, accredited with a good reputation? Today we will be looking at Jesus’ credentials and consider whether you will accept His qualifications and put your trust in Him.

1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

For you and me today, the sight of a genealogy like this one is enough to make our eyes glaze over. It’s a long list of unfamiliar names that are hard to pronounce, and don’t hold much meaning for us. The modern western reader would be inclined to skip this part so we can get to the good part, the actual story. But Matthew was writing to mainly Jews. When it came to biographies, for the ancient Jew, most often the genealogy made or broke the whole story. Since royalty depends on heredity, Jesus’ pedigree would have instantly piqued the ancient Jew’s interest because it instantly established Jesus’ right to the throne of David.

Careful records had to be kept of every Jew’s family relationships in order to authenticate that they were from the tribe and clan they claimed. At stake was each person’s claim to God's inheritance in Israel, an actual plot of land. But also at stake were the royal lineage of David in anticipation of Messiah, the priestly lineage of Aaron, in order to choose high priests, and the Levitical lineage in order to serve in the temple. All these public records were kept in the temple and were carefully protected along with the scriptures when the Jews went into exile.

You can read about how important the genealogical records were when the Jewish people returned from exile to Jerusalem in the book of Ezra. Three families claimed to be descended from Levi, but because no records could be found to prove it, they were barred from returning with the rest of the Levites (Ez 2:62).

The phrase “Son of David” referred to the Messiah, and could only be traced through the kings of Judah. The ancient Jewish reader would have understood that what Matthew wanted them to know was that Jesus' lineage proved that He was legitimately from the kingly line of David, and a direct descendant of Abraham. The presence of an unbroken record before and after the exile left no question that Jesus was Who He claimed to be.

[Tomorrow: The Women In Jesus' Geneology]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Christmas Star: Possible conclusions

Only the Bible describes the star and the visit of the magi to the child Jesus, and only one passage in the Bible describes these events. This limitation on data indicates the need for caution in offering explanations and interpretations. A recurring nova provides at least one plausible astronomical option. Eastern scholars familiar with Daniel’s teaching and submitted to Daniel’s God seem to fit the profile of the magi.

What strikes me as the most important point of the story is its illustration of the hope the magi placed in the promised Messiah. When I consider the magnitude of their commitment of time, energy, and treasure to seeking him out in order to bow before him, I pray that my response and yours will match theirs.

*A partial list of videos and books includes The Star of Bethlehem, by Frederick “Rick” Larson; Mystery of the Three Kings by Questar Studio; The Star of Bethlehem, by Mark Kidger; The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the magi, by Michael Molnar; The Star of Bethlehem, by Jeanne Hanson; The Christmas Star, by John Mosley; and The Star of Bethlehem, by Sir Patrick Moore.

[This series is take from Hugh Ross on "Reasons To Believe"]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Christmas Star: How could a star guide the magi to the right house?

The King James translation of Matthew 2:9–10 says that upon leaving Jerusalem the wise men again saw the star they had seen in the east, and it “went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” This wording has led many to conclude that the star must have been some kind of light beam, like a celestial spotlight, directing the pathway to the dwelling where Jesus and His parents resided. Or, perhaps the star was moving along the route from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, pointing to the house of Joseph and Mary. No known astronomical phenomenon can function in such ways, and on this basis some interpreters have suggested that the Christmas star was a manifestation of the Shekinah, or the divine radiance.

The New International translation says the star “went ahead of them [the magi] until it stopped over the place where the child was.” This wording suggests that the star may have become clearly visible as the wise men approached Bethlehem and then dimmed when they neared the house where the Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived. Other interpretations also seem possible.

The word-for-word Greek reads, “Behold the star, which they saw in the east, went before them until coming it stood over where was the child.” The key word in this sentence is the Greek verb histemi, for “stood.” Its range of meaning is too broad to distinguish between illumination of a geographical route and a supernaturally timed brightening and fading. It may be worth noting that the star as first seen by the wise men did not geographically guide them, or they would have gone straight to Bethlehem rather than to Jerusalem.

(Tomorrow: "Possible conclusions")

[This series is take from Hugh Ross on "Reasons To Believe"]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Christmas Star: Does any other option seem plausible?

From an astronomical perspective, one remaining candidate would be a recurring nova. The nova (plural, novae) is a stellar explosion that produces a sudden increase in brightness followed by a gradual dimming (within a few months or years). This type of event lacks the brightness of a supernova and yet would be clearly noticeable to a careful observer. The brightest novae are about as bright as Polaris, the North Star.

Nova events are sufficiently uncommon to catch the attention of observers as alert and well trained as the magi must have been. However, nearly all novae that occurred during the Roman Empire era were sufficiently unspectacular as to escape the attention of casual observers. Chinese astronomers recorded a nova in the constellation Capricorn in March-April of 5 BC, and Korean astronomers noted something in 4 BC that could have been either a nova or a comet. These two sightings are the only ones on record near the estimated time of Christ’s birth.

Most novae experience a single explosion, but a rare few undergo multiple explosions separated by months or years. This repeat occurrence would seem to fit the Matthew 2 indication that the star appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared. According to Herod’s murderous decree, the time separation between the first and second appearance of the star would have been somewhere between 15 and 30 months. Unlike other suggestions for the identity of the Christmas star, a recurring nova would appear and then reappear in exactly the same location on the celestial sphere.

Let me emphasize again that my suggestion represents nothing more than a possibility. Matthew provides the only record of this star, and his record gives us insufficient data to make a definitive conclusion.

(Tomorrow: "How could a star guide the magi to the right house?")

[This series is take from Hugh Ross on "Reasons To Believe"]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Christmas Star: What might the Christmas star have been?

The Greek word aster, translated “star” in Matthew 2:2–10, has a more general meaning than the English term. It can refer to any kind of heavenly body—star, planet, asteroid, comet, meteor, or other. Most of the books and DVDs produced by astronomers, theologians, and laypeople claiming to have determined the identity of the Christmas star focus on one or a combination of these objects.* The five most widely known and accepted explanations include:

1) a conjunction of planets (two planets coming close together in the sky)
2) a conjunction of a planet with a bright star
3) an “occultation” in which the Moon passes in front of a planet
4) a comet
5) a supernova

More imaginative suggestions include a flying saucer, an angel, and the Shekinah glory (the light or radiance of God occasionally made visible to humans).

Although we see aster in Revelation 1 as the symbol for a messenger, or angel, nothing in the Matthew 2 passage indicates a symbolic or metaphoric usage. Likewise, though New Testament references to Shekinah can be found (Matthew 17:1–3; Luke 2:9, Revelation 1:12–16), none is associated with the word aster. The “glory of the Lord” mentioned in Luke 2:9 refers to the radiance that surrounded the shepherds outside of Bethlehem, apparently seen by no one other than the shepherds. Thus, it seems reasonable to propose that the aster followed by the magi refers to an astronomical object or phenomenon.

One challenge to the supernova explanation is that such a phenomenon can be so spectacular as to be visible in broad daylight. Nearly all sky watchers everywhere would have seen and recorded it. Observers in China, India, and Egypt kept meticulous records of supernova events, and yet the Christmas star received no mention in their extensive documentation. King Herod and the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem seemed oblivious to the star (Matthew 2:1–3). The shepherds outside of Bethlehem “keeping watch over their flocks at night” on the eve of the Messiah’s birth made no note of any astonishingly brilliant star (Luke 2:8–20). Perhaps they would have been less startled and terrified by the angels’ visit (Luke 2:9–10) had a dazzling stellar object presaged that visit.

The explanation offered by lawyer Rick Larson in his DVD presentation encounters a similar challenge. Larson asserts that the star is a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus (the two brightest planets in the sky), a meeting so close that they merged in the sky to appear as a single object. Such an event, while brief, would have been so bright as to be visible in the daytime. Close conjunctions of Jupiter and Venus did occur in 2 BC (a separation of 1 arc minute at its closest moment, or one-thirtieth of the Moon’s diameter in the sky) and also in 3 BC (closest separation = 4 arc minutes, or one-seventh of the Moon’s diameter in the sky). However, such events would have made an indelible impression on the shepherds as well as on King Herod and the Jewish religious leaders. Further, they would have been observed as two objects, rather than one aster, and as two events, rather than as one and the same aster indicated by the text.

Another difficulty for Larson is that the dates for these two conjunctions by most scholars’ calculations come too late. The best historical scholarship places the date of Herod’s death at 4 BC. Further, the two conjunctions occurred only ten months apart. Herod’s command to kill boys “two years old and under in accordance with the time he had learned from the magi” (Matthew 2:16) seems out of alignment with this explanation.

Comets, too, seem unlikely candidates. They are typically so familiar as to warrant no special response from the magi. Further, comets are so well documented throughout history that if one did occur, especially an unusually bright one, at the time of Christ’s coming, it would likely show up in the records of Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and Greek astronomers.

The lunar occultation explanation meets with the same difficulty. The Moon frequently passes in front of, or occults, a planet. In such an event the planet disappears from view only briefly—ranging from a few seconds up to 55 minutes. Such events seem too common and unspectacular to create a stir among the magi.

(Tomorrow: "Does any other option seem plausible?")

[This series is take from Hugh Ross on "Reasons To Believe"]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

The Christmas Star: Does the story of the wise men lend credence to astrology?

For centuries people have wondered what kind of “star” led the magi from the East to Jerusalem in search of Israel’s “Anointed One.” The only known account of the wise men and of the astronomical event that spurred them to action is found in the book of Matthew. This dramatic story has generated numerous articles, books, songs, and films, some of which have gained huge popularity.

Let me begin by saying that all explanations for the Bethlehem star, including my own, must be considered speculative, no matter how much certainty an author may claim. With such limited data to go on, even including insights from other potentially relevant biblical texts and from astronomy software, no conclusive argument can be made. That’s why, as an astronomer and Christian apologist, I refrain from “proving” the reliability of the Bible on the basis of the Christmas star. An abundance of compelling evidence is available. However, I can offer what I hope are some helpful comments.

In a few English translations or paraphrases of Matthew 2—the Living, the New English, and the Phillips—the Greek word for the magi (plural of magos) is rendered “astrologers.” A quick check of Thayer’s Greek lexicon shows that the word springs from a Babylonian root meaning “oriental scientist, wise man, astrologer, or seer.” That ancient Babylonian word would have been used to describe Daniel, as well as his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who served as advisors in the royal court of Babylon (Daniel 2:48).

This word had a much broader and higher meaning than the term “astrologer” as used today. It applied to the most highly educated individuals of their time and place. As a student of Hebrew Scripture, highly respected for both his character and his wisdom, Daniel, the Jewish captive, served as Babylon’s intellectual and spiritual leader. To this highly esteemed man God sent word, via the angel Gabriel, of the time when Israel’s longed-for Messiah would come:

Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:25-26).

Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (Daniel 9:25-26).

Daniel received and recorded this prophetic revelation while serving as Chief Counsel in the Persian court. We can safely guess that the sages of Persia heard about it. According to Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, and 32, each “seven” in the vision represents seven years. This is the only detail Daniel received, but this one detail provided a critical clue for later generations.

Persia’s king Artaxerxes issued the long-awaited decree (actually two decrees) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. These have been dated at approximately 444 or 445 BC and 457 BC, though some minor dispute over possible calendar error remains. Nevertheless, this fact that Daniel’s vision provides only a projected date fits the picture we see in Matthew 2. The magi knew the identity of the one they awaited and the time of his coming, but little about the place of his coming, other than it would be in Daniel’s homeland.

The appearance of an extraordinary stellar event to the watchful magi confirmed that the momentous arrival was at hand. Expecting the leaders of Israel to be equally watchful, they went straight to the capital city to learn the Anointed One’s location: “Where is the one who has born king of the Jews?” they asked (Matthew 2:2) The “chief priests and teachers of the law” (Matthew 2:4) informed the magi, based on Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:2), that “the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea” (Matthew 2:4–5). Imagine the travelers’ surprise at the locals’ apparent obliviousness to their Messiah’s coming.

Rather than being led by astrology and its spurious forecasting techniques, the magi more likely represent the legacy of Daniel and his three friends—trained in all the “wisdom of the East” and eager to worship the one true God.

(Tomorrow: "What might the Christmas star have been?")

[This series is take from Hugh Ross on "Reasons To Believe"]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

"Fire In My Bones" by J. Lee Grady (Simeon)

There would be no Christmas story without the Holy Spirit’s power.

Toward the end of the Christmas narrative, Luke also introduces us to an elderly man named Simeon who had been praying for the coming of the Messiah for many years. The Holy Spirit was “upon” this man (see Luke 2:25-32), and the Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen Jesus. As it turned out, Simeon held the baby Jesus in his arms, spoke a prophetic blessing over the child and prophesied to his mother.

Simeon reminds me that the Spirit will give me the power to hold onto God’s promises, no matter how many years it takes to see their fulfillment.

[I am indebted to J. Lee Grady for the above, published in Charisma Magazine]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

"Fire In My Bones" by J. Lee Grady (Mary)

There would be no Christmas story without the Holy Spirit’s power.

When the young Mary asked Gabriel how she would be able to conceive the Messiah as a virgin, the angel said: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (see Luke 1:34-35). Many Bible scholars, including commentator Matthew Henry, have speculated that Mary actually conceived after she arrived at Elizabeth’s house, perhaps even at the moment when Elizabeth felt the baby John leap in her womb. At that moment Mary begins to praise the Lord extravagantly, extolling Him for His mercy, power and faithfulness (see Luke 1:46-55.

Mary reminds me that one of the key manifestations of the Spirit in our lives is praise and worship. Being filled with the Spirit automatically unleashes uninhibited praise. If my praise is subdued, casual or restrained, then I need a fresh infilling.

[I am indebted to J. Lee Grady for the above, published in Charisma Magazine]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

"Fire In My Bones" by J. Lee Grady (John)

There would be no Christmas story without the Holy Spirit’s power.

Even the baby John was filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb (see Luke 1:13-17). This was an exceptional miracle — I’ve never met a baby who was filled with the Spirit! But because John’s task was so great — to call a wayward Israel to repentance and prepare the way for Jesus — he required exceptional power.

John reminds me that if I am to attempt any task for God, I must do it in the power of the Spirit. I cannot just come up with a good idea and ask God to bless it. It must be God’s idea, and it must be soaked in the Holy Spirit’s anointing from the moment of conception!

[I am indebted to J. Lee Grady for the above, published in Charisma Magazine]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

"Fire In My Bones" by J. Lee Grady (Elizabeth)

There would be no Christmas story without the Holy Spirit’s power.

Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, rarely appears in nativity scenes or Christmas card illustrations. She seems like a minor player. Yet Luke tells us that she was filled with the Holy Spirit when Mary came to visit her at her home in Judah (see Luke 1:39-45). How was the Spirit’s power manifested in her life? Luke says she “cried out with a loud voice” and announced that Mary was carrying the Christ child. Her prophetic encouragement was crucial in Mary’s life.

Elizabeth reminds me that the Spirit is an Encourager and a Comforter, and that I cannot make this spiritual journey without His help. I must also recognize that God sometimes brings people into my life to provide words to sustain me.

[I am indebted to J. Lee Grady for the above, published in Charisma Magazine]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

"Fire In My Bones" by J. Lee Grady (Zacharias)

There would be no Christmas story without the Holy Spirit’s power.

We Christians are notorious for limiting the Holy Spirit. Many churches put Him in the back seat, confine Him in a box of tradition or ignore Him altogether. Some Christians treat the Third Person of the Trinity as if he magically materialized in the Book of Acts, like a genie out of a
bottle, and then vanished after the early church was established.

But God is God, not a genie, and the same Holy Spirit who brooded over the waters at Creation, inspired the Old Testament prophets and empowered the first disciples at Pentecost is still doing miracles today. It is also important to recognize that the Holy Spirit was involved in every step of the Christmas story. This holiday, I’m paying closer attention to the Spirit’s work in the miracle of the Incarnation.

Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, pays close attention to the work of the Holy Spirit in the gospel that bears his name. Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus is the most detailed, and he highlights the Holy Spirit’s activity in the lives of five people in the first two chapters.

We tend to look down on Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, because he doubted God’s ability to give his barren wife a child. But Luke reminds us that after Zacharias was struck dumb in the temple, he was filled with the Spirit when his son was born (see Luke 1:67-80) and he began to prophesy. Humbled and chastised by God, Zacharias gained new strength from the Spirit and uttered one of the richest Messianic promises recorded in Scripture.

Zacharias reminds me that the Holy Spirit refines and corrects us, and ultimately uses us in spite of our failures and weaknesses. We must never grow weary of God’s discipline — because in the end, we will emerge with a message from Him.

[I am indebted to J. Lee Grady for the above, published in Charisma Magazine]

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation