GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is the observance of the crucifixion of Jesus. Here is part of the historical account in the Gospel of John.
John 19 (ESV)
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.
Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing tthe crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this statement, zhe was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
From then on Pilate sought to release him,
but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
So he ndelivered him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’”
Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.”
This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Showing posts with label Devotions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devotions. Show all posts
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
WORSHIP
PART 2
Psalm 21:3-6
Who may come into God's presence and worship?
David asked the question this way: who may ascend the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place? He alluded to the tabernacle. David brought the ark to Jerusalem and made a tent for it there on a hill. (2 Samuel 6). To go to the tabernacle, you had to ascend the hill of the Lord. To stand in the holy place, in the tabernacle, you had to be clean. He specifically addressed clean hands, a pure heart, and a soul not given to idol worship.
"Hands", "head" and "heart" represent of other things. “Clean hands" does not refer to washing, but to actions that are right. If you steal something, you do not have clean hands. You have dirty hands. But if you have not done wrong, you have clean hands.
A "pure heart" does not mean one with no plaque in the arteries, but a person of pure motives. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said "blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God". This means you come to truly worship, not to be respected or to look good or to socialize with your friends or to make business connections or to look for clients. Thus, the one who could come to the tabernacle was one who had not acted sinfully, one who had not come out of improper motives.
Finally, one could not worship idols and come into God’s house and worship. God commanded that only he be worshipped. This was the very first commandment of the covenant law.
We can see that the one God allowed to come into his presence in the tabernacle had to be holy. This makes sense because we know God is holy and cannot tolerate sin in his presence. That is Isaiah's vision of Christ in Isaiah 6. God said “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44) Peter gave the same instruction to the New Testament Church, referring to this verse and writing “"Be holy, because I am holy." (1Peter 1:16)
PART 2
Psalm 21:3-6
Who may come into God's presence and worship?
David asked the question this way: who may ascend the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place? He alluded to the tabernacle. David brought the ark to Jerusalem and made a tent for it there on a hill. (2 Samuel 6). To go to the tabernacle, you had to ascend the hill of the Lord. To stand in the holy place, in the tabernacle, you had to be clean. He specifically addressed clean hands, a pure heart, and a soul not given to idol worship.
"Hands", "head" and "heart" represent of other things. “Clean hands" does not refer to washing, but to actions that are right. If you steal something, you do not have clean hands. You have dirty hands. But if you have not done wrong, you have clean hands.
A "pure heart" does not mean one with no plaque in the arteries, but a person of pure motives. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said "blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God". This means you come to truly worship, not to be respected or to look good or to socialize with your friends or to make business connections or to look for clients. Thus, the one who could come to the tabernacle was one who had not acted sinfully, one who had not come out of improper motives.
Finally, one could not worship idols and come into God’s house and worship. God commanded that only he be worshipped. This was the very first commandment of the covenant law.
We can see that the one God allowed to come into his presence in the tabernacle had to be holy. This makes sense because we know God is holy and cannot tolerate sin in his presence. That is Isaiah's vision of Christ in Isaiah 6. God said “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44) Peter gave the same instruction to the New Testament Church, referring to this verse and writing “"Be holy, because I am holy." (1Peter 1:16)
Monday, February 27, 2012
PSALM 24:1-2 Prelude to Worship
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”
The earth belongs to the LORD. He owns it. It is his. Every thing in the earth and every one who lives in it is his. They are his possession.
Why does God own it? Verse 2 tells us. It is because (or "for" in this verse) he made it. "Founded" and "established" are metaphors for beginning a city or building a building.
The Bible often speaks of the foundations of the world. For example, Psalm 102:25 says "In the beginning, you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands." The writer of Hebrews quotes this verse in Hebrews 1:10. So, the "foundations" means the beginning, the time of creation.
God’s creation of the world is an important concept in Scripture. Genesis 1:1 begins the whole Bible with the statement that God made the heavens and the earth. It then proceeds to show us that God created all things on the earth and all of the things in the heavens. As we discussed before, "heavens" means the sky and space, not just "Heaven" where God dwells. The God we worship is the Creator.
So, the one who makes it owns it. Deuteronomy 10:14 says "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all that is in it." In Job 41:11, God said "Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole of heaven is mine." Paul even uses this argument when he writes about election in Romans 9:20: "But, who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"
The implication here is that, since God created us and therefore owns us, he is to be worshipped and he determines who may come to worship him. He determines how they must worship him.
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”
The earth belongs to the LORD. He owns it. It is his. Every thing in the earth and every one who lives in it is his. They are his possession.
Why does God own it? Verse 2 tells us. It is because (or "for" in this verse) he made it. "Founded" and "established" are metaphors for beginning a city or building a building.
The Bible often speaks of the foundations of the world. For example, Psalm 102:25 says "In the beginning, you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands." The writer of Hebrews quotes this verse in Hebrews 1:10. So, the "foundations" means the beginning, the time of creation.
God’s creation of the world is an important concept in Scripture. Genesis 1:1 begins the whole Bible with the statement that God made the heavens and the earth. It then proceeds to show us that God created all things on the earth and all of the things in the heavens. As we discussed before, "heavens" means the sky and space, not just "Heaven" where God dwells. The God we worship is the Creator.
So, the one who makes it owns it. Deuteronomy 10:14 says "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all that is in it." In Job 41:11, God said "Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole of heaven is mine." Paul even uses this argument when he writes about election in Romans 9:20: "But, who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"
The implication here is that, since God created us and therefore owns us, he is to be worshipped and he determines who may come to worship him. He determines how they must worship him.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Romans 6:23 tells us clearly the punishment for sin is death. The Old Testament sacrificial system illustrated this fact. One who sinned brought an offering to the priest. The sinner placed his hands on the animal, symbolically transferring guilt to the animal. The priest killed the animal, put blood on the altar and burned the offering. The perfect animal died in the place of the sinner. Leviticus describes the required sacrifices.
When the New Testament says Christ died for our sins, it is a similar process. We, like the Old Testament Israelites, bear the guilt of sin and need atonement. Jesus bore the penalty for our sins as foretold by the sacrificial system. His blood atoned our sins. The Father accepted the Son's sacrifice, even more pleasing to him than the aroma of burnt offerings.
We know this because animals were repeatedly sacrificed, but Christ died once for all.
You can no longer take car of your sin problem by sacrificing animals. That age has ended for all time. Now you must believe in Christ and receive him to receive the benefit of his sacrificial death and sinless life.
Now would be a good time.
When the New Testament says Christ died for our sins, it is a similar process. We, like the Old Testament Israelites, bear the guilt of sin and need atonement. Jesus bore the penalty for our sins as foretold by the sacrificial system. His blood atoned our sins. The Father accepted the Son's sacrifice, even more pleasing to him than the aroma of burnt offerings.
We know this because animals were repeatedly sacrificed, but Christ died once for all.
You can no longer take car of your sin problem by sacrificing animals. That age has ended for all time. Now you must believe in Christ and receive him to receive the benefit of his sacrificial death and sinless life.
Now would be a good time.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Genesis 39 tells the story of Joseph coming to Potipher's house in Egypt. His brothers sold him as a slave. But he served his master faithfully. God was with him. God blessed his work. Potipher benefited from the blessing. So Potipher began to notice Joseph and promote him.
Work can be a challenging environment. All kinds of people are there. Some are not nice. Some ate poor workers. Some cause problems for everybody.
God is with the believer at work. God will bless you at work. It may not be with promotions; it may be the chance to live for him and even talk about him. We are to work for his glory. Paul said to do everything for the glory of God.
When you work for God's glory in the work place, you work diligently at your assigned tasks. You exhibit the fruit of the spirit in the work place. You love the unlovely, care for the needy and go the extra mile.
When you live out your faith at work, you will be blessed and your employer will be blessed through you. And God will be glorified in you. Jesus said to let your light shine before the men and women in your workplace, and your co-workers will see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
That is your real job.
Work can be a challenging environment. All kinds of people are there. Some are not nice. Some ate poor workers. Some cause problems for everybody.
God is with the believer at work. God will bless you at work. It may not be with promotions; it may be the chance to live for him and even talk about him. We are to work for his glory. Paul said to do everything for the glory of God.
When you work for God's glory in the work place, you work diligently at your assigned tasks. You exhibit the fruit of the spirit in the work place. You love the unlovely, care for the needy and go the extra mile.
When you live out your faith at work, you will be blessed and your employer will be blessed through you. And God will be glorified in you. Jesus said to let your light shine before the men and women in your workplace, and your co-workers will see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
That is your real job.
Friday, January 06, 2012
REBOOT
Whenever my work computer freezes up, the tech tells me to reboot. Somehow that causes the computer to restart without the difficulties I experienced.
You can reboot, too. If 2011 was not a good year for you spiritually, reboot now. Get a fresh start. Make 2012 a great year.
How do you do it? First of all, be honest. Be honest with yourself. Acknowledge you did not regularly attend church and Bible study. Realize you did not read and study the Bible. Remember you had no significant prayer life and no ministry to others.
Then be honest with God. We call that confession. Confess these shortcomings to God. He will forgive them. 1 John 1:9 is the promise of this.
Now that you have a fresh slate, what do you do? Let the past go. Move on. Learn from the past without the paralysis of guilt. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul put it this way: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Put the past behind you. Press on to live for Christ. Make 2012 a great year of spiritual growth and joy.
Reboot.
Whenever my work computer freezes up, the tech tells me to reboot. Somehow that causes the computer to restart without the difficulties I experienced.
You can reboot, too. If 2011 was not a good year for you spiritually, reboot now. Get a fresh start. Make 2012 a great year.
How do you do it? First of all, be honest. Be honest with yourself. Acknowledge you did not regularly attend church and Bible study. Realize you did not read and study the Bible. Remember you had no significant prayer life and no ministry to others.
Then be honest with God. We call that confession. Confess these shortcomings to God. He will forgive them. 1 John 1:9 is the promise of this.
Now that you have a fresh slate, what do you do? Let the past go. Move on. Learn from the past without the paralysis of guilt. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul put it this way: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Put the past behind you. Press on to live for Christ. Make 2012 a great year of spiritual growth and joy.
Reboot.
Friday, December 30, 2011
BAD RADIO PREACHING ON THE WILL
My wife told me yesterday that she heard a woman teaching on a local Christian radio station. The woman said God had never imposed his will on the will of any person. She is dead wrong. She did not cite any scripture for this, of course, because there is none.
I do not know why Evangelicals, especially Southern Baptists, have come to worship at the altar of free will instead of bowing to God’s sovereignty. They believe man imposes his will on God.
Has God ever violated or overruled a person’s will? Sure. Here are some examples.
1. Pharaoh in Exodus.
The easiest example to analyze is Pharaoh.
God told Pharaoh through Moses to let the Jews go. Pharaoh said no. Pharaoh’s will was that the Jews remain in Egypt in slavery to boost his economy. God sent plague after to plague, including killing his first born son, to break him down and force him to let the Jews go. That certainly qualifies as violating his will. More accurately, God imposed his will on Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh decided he wanted the Jews back. He sent his army to get them and bring them back. God swallowed them up in a flood. That imposed God’s will on a man’s will.
God even said he hardened Pharaoh’s heart so God could gain glory from him. How did God gain glory? By imposing his will on Pharaoh and showing he is God and Pharaoh is not.
2. Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar wished to be gloried as the lord of all the earth. Daniel 4 tells the story. He said he built Babylon by his mighty power for the glory of his majesty. The Lord took his kingdom from him, making him act as a beast. Why? So that he would “know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:32. He imposed his will on Nebuchadnezzar to make him acknowledge God’s ability and right to impose his will on him. This right is called God’s sovereignty. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged it, saying “he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him “what have you done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)
3. Jonah
God told Jonah to go preach the gospel to Nineveh. Jonah said no. Jonah ran in the opposite direction. God sent a storm, had him thrown into the sea and swallowed by a fish (symbolic of death) and only let him out when Jonah acknowledged the Lord. I’d call that God imposing his will on Jonah.
4. Zechariah.
When Zechariah questioned the message of Gabriel, he struck him speechless for nine months. (Luke 1)
5. Jewish Crowd
A crowd tried to grab Jesus and make him king. He vanished to thwart them. He imposed his will to be a servant on their will to make him king.
Another crowd willed to kill Jesus, but he imposed his will to complete his earthly ministry by vanishing from them. (John 8:34-47)
6. Peter
Peter willed that Jesus would not be crucified. Jesus rebuked him and continued to exert his will to die for us. (Matthew 16) Thank you for that, Jesus.
7. Me
God imposed his will on me. He convicted me of my sin and the judgment to come. He drew me to him for salvation. My will was to live for self. His will was for me to live for him. He won. Thank you for that, Jesus.
The Bible tells us the will of men and women is corrupt. (Jer. 17:9) I know it to be true of me. I want many things and would pursue them with reckless abandon if my will prevailed. I want God to violate my will and conform it to his will so it will be pleasing to him.
Thank you for that, too, Lord Jesus.
My wife told me yesterday that she heard a woman teaching on a local Christian radio station. The woman said God had never imposed his will on the will of any person. She is dead wrong. She did not cite any scripture for this, of course, because there is none.
I do not know why Evangelicals, especially Southern Baptists, have come to worship at the altar of free will instead of bowing to God’s sovereignty. They believe man imposes his will on God.
Has God ever violated or overruled a person’s will? Sure. Here are some examples.
1. Pharaoh in Exodus.
The easiest example to analyze is Pharaoh.
God told Pharaoh through Moses to let the Jews go. Pharaoh said no. Pharaoh’s will was that the Jews remain in Egypt in slavery to boost his economy. God sent plague after to plague, including killing his first born son, to break him down and force him to let the Jews go. That certainly qualifies as violating his will. More accurately, God imposed his will on Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh decided he wanted the Jews back. He sent his army to get them and bring them back. God swallowed them up in a flood. That imposed God’s will on a man’s will.
God even said he hardened Pharaoh’s heart so God could gain glory from him. How did God gain glory? By imposing his will on Pharaoh and showing he is God and Pharaoh is not.
2. Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar wished to be gloried as the lord of all the earth. Daniel 4 tells the story. He said he built Babylon by his mighty power for the glory of his majesty. The Lord took his kingdom from him, making him act as a beast. Why? So that he would “know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:32. He imposed his will on Nebuchadnezzar to make him acknowledge God’s ability and right to impose his will on him. This right is called God’s sovereignty. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged it, saying “he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him “what have you done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)
3. Jonah
God told Jonah to go preach the gospel to Nineveh. Jonah said no. Jonah ran in the opposite direction. God sent a storm, had him thrown into the sea and swallowed by a fish (symbolic of death) and only let him out when Jonah acknowledged the Lord. I’d call that God imposing his will on Jonah.
4. Zechariah.
When Zechariah questioned the message of Gabriel, he struck him speechless for nine months. (Luke 1)
5. Jewish Crowd
A crowd tried to grab Jesus and make him king. He vanished to thwart them. He imposed his will to be a servant on their will to make him king.
Another crowd willed to kill Jesus, but he imposed his will to complete his earthly ministry by vanishing from them. (John 8:34-47)
6. Peter
Peter willed that Jesus would not be crucified. Jesus rebuked him and continued to exert his will to die for us. (Matthew 16) Thank you for that, Jesus.
7. Me
God imposed his will on me. He convicted me of my sin and the judgment to come. He drew me to him for salvation. My will was to live for self. His will was for me to live for him. He won. Thank you for that, Jesus.
The Bible tells us the will of men and women is corrupt. (Jer. 17:9) I know it to be true of me. I want many things and would pursue them with reckless abandon if my will prevailed. I want God to violate my will and conform it to his will so it will be pleasing to him.
Thank you for that, too, Lord Jesus.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
The Lord that made both heaven and earth,
And was himself made man,
Lay in the womb, before his birth,
Contracted to a span.
Behold, from what beginnings small
Our great salvation rose;
The strength of God is owned by all;
But who his weakness knows?
Let not the strong the weak despise;
Their faith, though small, is true;
Though low they seem in others’ eyes,
Their Saviour seemed so too.
Nor meanly of the tempted think;
For O what tongue can tell
How low the Lord of life must sink,
Before he vanquished hell?
As in the days of flesh he grew
In wisdom, stature, grace,
So in the soul that’s born anew,
He keeps a gradual pace.
No less almighty at his birth,
Than on his throne supreme;
His shoulders held up heaven and earth,
When Mary held up him.
hymn by Joseph Hart (1712-68),
And was himself made man,
Lay in the womb, before his birth,
Contracted to a span.
Behold, from what beginnings small
Our great salvation rose;
The strength of God is owned by all;
But who his weakness knows?
Let not the strong the weak despise;
Their faith, though small, is true;
Though low they seem in others’ eyes,
Their Saviour seemed so too.
Nor meanly of the tempted think;
For O what tongue can tell
How low the Lord of life must sink,
Before he vanquished hell?
As in the days of flesh he grew
In wisdom, stature, grace,
So in the soul that’s born anew,
He keeps a gradual pace.
No less almighty at his birth,
Than on his throne supreme;
His shoulders held up heaven and earth,
When Mary held up him.
hymn by Joseph Hart (1712-68),
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Devotion 25. Anna’s Testimony
The final witness to the baby Jesus as Christ came from an old widow named Anna. She was 84, very old for her time. She was a prophetess, declaring God’s word. They may have been in part because “she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Rather than bemoaning her fate as a long time widow, she spent her time with the Lord. She worshipped, fasted and prayed continuously. Her life was totally and completely devoted to God. In return, he sometimes spoke through her. So she was known and accepted as a prophetess.
The Lord used her as another witness to the birth of the Messiah, the Savior. He revealed to her, as he had to Simeon, that Jesus was the Messiah. He did this while Jesus was dedicated at the temple. Others were there dedicating their children, praying, worshipping and making sacrifices. She witnessed to all of these that Jesus was the Messiah.
Luke put it this way: “And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38).
The Father did not send Jesus to us for us to keep him to ourselves. Once we have received him, we are to share him with others. That is why it is called news. You tell news. You spread news.
Jesus spread the news. He preached the gospel to devout Jews in Judea. He preached to the Samaritans, hated by Jews but loved by God. He preached to Gentiles, called “dogs” by the Jews, but “children of God” by Jesus when they believed. When he went back to heaven, Jesus commissioned the disciples to carry on the task. That has now been passed on to us.
Christmas can be the time you spend a lot of money, go to a lot of parties and generally eat and drink too much. Or, it can be a time you share the gospel. You can proclaim Christ as Anna did to whoever will listen.
Speak of him to all.
God bless. I pray these devotions have been of some benefit to all who have read them. They have been good for me.
The final witness to the baby Jesus as Christ came from an old widow named Anna. She was 84, very old for her time. She was a prophetess, declaring God’s word. They may have been in part because “she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Rather than bemoaning her fate as a long time widow, she spent her time with the Lord. She worshipped, fasted and prayed continuously. Her life was totally and completely devoted to God. In return, he sometimes spoke through her. So she was known and accepted as a prophetess.
The Lord used her as another witness to the birth of the Messiah, the Savior. He revealed to her, as he had to Simeon, that Jesus was the Messiah. He did this while Jesus was dedicated at the temple. Others were there dedicating their children, praying, worshipping and making sacrifices. She witnessed to all of these that Jesus was the Messiah.
Luke put it this way: “And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38).
The Father did not send Jesus to us for us to keep him to ourselves. Once we have received him, we are to share him with others. That is why it is called news. You tell news. You spread news.
Jesus spread the news. He preached the gospel to devout Jews in Judea. He preached to the Samaritans, hated by Jews but loved by God. He preached to Gentiles, called “dogs” by the Jews, but “children of God” by Jesus when they believed. When he went back to heaven, Jesus commissioned the disciples to carry on the task. That has now been passed on to us.
Christmas can be the time you spend a lot of money, go to a lot of parties and generally eat and drink too much. Or, it can be a time you share the gospel. You can proclaim Christ as Anna did to whoever will listen.
Speak of him to all.
God bless. I pray these devotions have been of some benefit to all who have read them. They have been good for me.
Devotion 24. Simeon’s Testimony
The Holy Spirit was active in proclaiming the birth of Christ. He spoke though Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah to announce Messiah’s birth. He led wise men from the East to Christ.
But he was not through. Next he spoke through an old man named Simeon.
Luke 2:22 begins the story. Joseph and Mary were devout Jews. They brought their first born to the temple for purification and to redeem him for the Lord according to the covenant law. That is where they met Simeon.
Simeon was righteous and devout. He knew his Scripture and was looking for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had even told him he would live to see the Messiah (25). And God kept his word, of course. So Simeon saw the baby Jesus, took him from his mother and held him up and blessed God for fulfilling his promises, both his promise to Simeon and his promise to Israel.
As the others had spoken in the Holy Spirit, so Simeon began to prophesy or preach. He said:
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
The Holy Spirit declared God’s purpose again. Christ would be a light not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles. He would be the glory of Israel. That is, he would be the fulfillment of all of God’s promises to them. It is the same truth we have heard repeatedly. God made his purposes known.
I wonder if Mary told her other sons about this experience. They evidently did not believe in him until his resurrection. But, maybe while they complained to her about his controversial preaching, she related this story.
James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. After the gospel spread to the Gentiles and they formed a vibrant church at Antioch, some Jews tried to enforce the law on them. A conference was held in Jerusalem between the representatives of the Antioch church and the apostles. It is recorded in Acts 15. James was clearly in charge.
James had the final word. He said the conversion of the Gentiles was the fulfillment of the word of God in the Hebrew scriptures. And they, and the Jews, were now part of a new covenant. The old law was not in force against them. James understood the purpose of God as preached in the Old Testament and by Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah and Simeon.
Simeon understood the gospel and believed it. He encountered Christ, even as a baby, and found eternal life. He was at peace and ready for God to take him.
May we have the same peace. We have found eternal life through faith in Christ. Those who believe in him will not perish but rather will have eternal life. John 3:16. Because we have eternal life, we can start every day saying if it is your will to take me today, I will depart in peace for I have seen your salvation.
The Holy Spirit was active in proclaiming the birth of Christ. He spoke though Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah to announce Messiah’s birth. He led wise men from the East to Christ.
But he was not through. Next he spoke through an old man named Simeon.
Luke 2:22 begins the story. Joseph and Mary were devout Jews. They brought their first born to the temple for purification and to redeem him for the Lord according to the covenant law. That is where they met Simeon.
Simeon was righteous and devout. He knew his Scripture and was looking for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had even told him he would live to see the Messiah (25). And God kept his word, of course. So Simeon saw the baby Jesus, took him from his mother and held him up and blessed God for fulfilling his promises, both his promise to Simeon and his promise to Israel.
As the others had spoken in the Holy Spirit, so Simeon began to prophesy or preach. He said:
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
The Holy Spirit declared God’s purpose again. Christ would be a light not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles. He would be the glory of Israel. That is, he would be the fulfillment of all of God’s promises to them. It is the same truth we have heard repeatedly. God made his purposes known.
I wonder if Mary told her other sons about this experience. They evidently did not believe in him until his resurrection. But, maybe while they complained to her about his controversial preaching, she related this story.
James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. After the gospel spread to the Gentiles and they formed a vibrant church at Antioch, some Jews tried to enforce the law on them. A conference was held in Jerusalem between the representatives of the Antioch church and the apostles. It is recorded in Acts 15. James was clearly in charge.
James had the final word. He said the conversion of the Gentiles was the fulfillment of the word of God in the Hebrew scriptures. And they, and the Jews, were now part of a new covenant. The old law was not in force against them. James understood the purpose of God as preached in the Old Testament and by Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah and Simeon.
Simeon understood the gospel and believed it. He encountered Christ, even as a baby, and found eternal life. He was at peace and ready for God to take him.
May we have the same peace. We have found eternal life through faith in Christ. Those who believe in him will not perish but rather will have eternal life. John 3:16. Because we have eternal life, we can start every day saying if it is your will to take me today, I will depart in peace for I have seen your salvation.
Devotion 23. The 1st Gentile Worshippers
In previous devotions, we saw that God’s intention was always to spread his glory over all the earth. It was not his intention to limit the knowledge of himself to Israel. God told both Adam and Noah to multiply over the earth and take dominion of it. He told Abraham he would bless all nations. He set Israel in a special land to be a kingdom that would be the light of the world. Through Isaiah he said “…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together…” (Isaiah 40:5).
When the Savior was born into the world, God demonstrated his purpose dramatically. He reached out to wise men living in the eastern world and drew them to Jesus. They may have been philosophers or astrologers living in Persia. Some think them to have been Medes in the Persian Empire. Regardless, God drew them to himself. Matthew told the story in chapter 3 of his gospel. They saw a star. Somehow they knew that following it would lead them to the king of the Jews. I have often thought that they might have had Daniel’s prophecy from the time he lived in exile in Babylon. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to come home. Daniel 9 informs us that Daniel continued to serve in the Persian Empire. Its king was Darius, who was actually a Mede.
Somehow the wise men also knew he was more than an earthly king, for they came to worship him (Matthew 2:2). They were looking for a sign this great king had come. They saw the star as that sign. They went to worship, driven by the Lord. It reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” The Father certainly drew the wise men to him. And they were Gentiles.
So from the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life, God worked to manifest him to Gentiles. These wise men were missionaries of a sort. They saw the Son of God. They worshipped him. They returned to their land and told their story. It was all as God intended and all according to his purpose.
Most of you who read this devotion are Gentiles. God drew you to himself. He brought you into his kingdom. These wise men were the first fruits of the Gentile branches grafted into the tree of God’s kingdom (Romans 11:17). Now there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Romans 10:12). What is important now is not race, but belief. The distinction is between those who believe in Christ and those who do not, for the Lord bestows his riches on all who call on him. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:12-13).
And of course we see the intended result is worship. God called these Gentiles from far away to come and worship Christ. And they did.
When you worship on Christmas Day (fittingly on the Lord’s Day this year), rejoice that God did not limit salvation to the Jews. Praise him for this great mercy. He chose to spread his knowledge over the earth by including Gentiles in his salvation. When you sit in the pew and hear the gospel, worship the Lord of salvation and realize you were as far away from Christ as the wise men until God drew you to himself and bestowed his grace upon you so that you became a child of God.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us,,that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1).
In previous devotions, we saw that God’s intention was always to spread his glory over all the earth. It was not his intention to limit the knowledge of himself to Israel. God told both Adam and Noah to multiply over the earth and take dominion of it. He told Abraham he would bless all nations. He set Israel in a special land to be a kingdom that would be the light of the world. Through Isaiah he said “…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together…” (Isaiah 40:5).
When the Savior was born into the world, God demonstrated his purpose dramatically. He reached out to wise men living in the eastern world and drew them to Jesus. They may have been philosophers or astrologers living in Persia. Some think them to have been Medes in the Persian Empire. Regardless, God drew them to himself. Matthew told the story in chapter 3 of his gospel. They saw a star. Somehow they knew that following it would lead them to the king of the Jews. I have often thought that they might have had Daniel’s prophecy from the time he lived in exile in Babylon. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to come home. Daniel 9 informs us that Daniel continued to serve in the Persian Empire. Its king was Darius, who was actually a Mede.
Somehow the wise men also knew he was more than an earthly king, for they came to worship him (Matthew 2:2). They were looking for a sign this great king had come. They saw the star as that sign. They went to worship, driven by the Lord. It reminds me of Jesus’ words in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” The Father certainly drew the wise men to him. And they were Gentiles.
So from the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life, God worked to manifest him to Gentiles. These wise men were missionaries of a sort. They saw the Son of God. They worshipped him. They returned to their land and told their story. It was all as God intended and all according to his purpose.
Most of you who read this devotion are Gentiles. God drew you to himself. He brought you into his kingdom. These wise men were the first fruits of the Gentile branches grafted into the tree of God’s kingdom (Romans 11:17). Now there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Romans 10:12). What is important now is not race, but belief. The distinction is between those who believe in Christ and those who do not, for the Lord bestows his riches on all who call on him. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:12-13).
And of course we see the intended result is worship. God called these Gentiles from far away to come and worship Christ. And they did.
When you worship on Christmas Day (fittingly on the Lord’s Day this year), rejoice that God did not limit salvation to the Jews. Praise him for this great mercy. He chose to spread his knowledge over the earth by including Gentiles in his salvation. When you sit in the pew and hear the gospel, worship the Lord of salvation and realize you were as far away from Christ as the wise men until God drew you to himself and bestowed his grace upon you so that you became a child of God.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us,,that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1).
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Devotion 22. Immanuel
After he related the story of Gabriel giving Mary God’s message concerning her baby, Matthew inspired by the Holy Spirit, explained that “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23d“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:21-22)
Matthew referred to Isaiah’s prophesy in Isaiah 7:14. The context of that passage was the reign of King Ahaz recorded in 2 Kings. Ahaz was a king of Judah and not a good one. Samaria (the northern kingdom of Israel) and Syria had joined forces to conquer Judah. God sent Isaiah a message through Isaiah, the prophet, to say that they would not succeed. In fact, a young woman would conceive and bear a child and before the child got old enough to eat on his own, Judah would defeat these enemies.
The passage goes on to describe a time of peace and favor of the Lord that would occur thereafter. Matthew said that prophecy had its ultimate fulfillment in the birth of Christ. Matthew, writing in Greek, used the word for “virgin”, whereas Isaiah, writing in Hebrew, used the word for young woman of marriage age. As a side note, this caused some to reject the Revised Standard Version and others which interpreted the Isaiah passage as young woman rather than virgin. I think this unnecessary, as we would not have known the ultimate fulfillment of the verse until the Holy Spirit explained it to us in Matthew’s gospel. At any rate, Matthew says the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy comes in the birth of Christ.
The heart of this word is that Christ is referred to as Emanuel. Matthew explains it means God with us. To the people of the time of Ahaz, it would have told them that the God whose presence filled the temple would be among them and protect them. But with the birth of Christ a greater meaning came to the name just as a greater fulfillment came to the prophecy.
Christ truly became God with us. First, he took on human flesh and dwelt with the disciples. John explained that in John 1:14. He said “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. But then, he departed and the Holy Spirit came and dwelt in believers, permanently being among us.
It has always been God’s purpose and design to create a people for himself and to dwell among them. He made Adam and Eve and prepared a place for them to live in his presence (Genesis 2:8). He even walked in the garden (Genesis 3:8).
After redeeming Israel from slavery in creating them as a people for himself, God prepared a place for them and dwelt in their midst. First he dwelt in the Tabernacle. Next we dwelt in the Temple.
Christ then came and dwelt with his people, the disciples. Then the Holy Spirit dwelt among the believers. No buildings were necessary. But in the new creation, God will dwell in our midst forever. John put it this way: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3).
Christmas celebrates God with us. We think of the Incarnation. But we look forward to his 2nd Coming to dwell with us forever.
I’m ready.
After he related the story of Gabriel giving Mary God’s message concerning her baby, Matthew inspired by the Holy Spirit, explained that “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23d“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:21-22)
Matthew referred to Isaiah’s prophesy in Isaiah 7:14. The context of that passage was the reign of King Ahaz recorded in 2 Kings. Ahaz was a king of Judah and not a good one. Samaria (the northern kingdom of Israel) and Syria had joined forces to conquer Judah. God sent Isaiah a message through Isaiah, the prophet, to say that they would not succeed. In fact, a young woman would conceive and bear a child and before the child got old enough to eat on his own, Judah would defeat these enemies.
The passage goes on to describe a time of peace and favor of the Lord that would occur thereafter. Matthew said that prophecy had its ultimate fulfillment in the birth of Christ. Matthew, writing in Greek, used the word for “virgin”, whereas Isaiah, writing in Hebrew, used the word for young woman of marriage age. As a side note, this caused some to reject the Revised Standard Version and others which interpreted the Isaiah passage as young woman rather than virgin. I think this unnecessary, as we would not have known the ultimate fulfillment of the verse until the Holy Spirit explained it to us in Matthew’s gospel. At any rate, Matthew says the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy comes in the birth of Christ.
The heart of this word is that Christ is referred to as Emanuel. Matthew explains it means God with us. To the people of the time of Ahaz, it would have told them that the God whose presence filled the temple would be among them and protect them. But with the birth of Christ a greater meaning came to the name just as a greater fulfillment came to the prophecy.
Christ truly became God with us. First, he took on human flesh and dwelt with the disciples. John explained that in John 1:14. He said “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. But then, he departed and the Holy Spirit came and dwelt in believers, permanently being among us.
It has always been God’s purpose and design to create a people for himself and to dwell among them. He made Adam and Eve and prepared a place for them to live in his presence (Genesis 2:8). He even walked in the garden (Genesis 3:8).
After redeeming Israel from slavery in creating them as a people for himself, God prepared a place for them and dwelt in their midst. First he dwelt in the Tabernacle. Next we dwelt in the Temple.
Christ then came and dwelt with his people, the disciples. Then the Holy Spirit dwelt among the believers. No buildings were necessary. But in the new creation, God will dwell in our midst forever. John put it this way: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3).
Christmas celebrates God with us. We think of the Incarnation. But we look forward to his 2nd Coming to dwell with us forever.
I’m ready.
Devotion 21. Shepherds Worship Jesus
The shepherds had quite a night. First, angels appeared and announced the birth of Jesus the Messiah. Then they went and saw him first hand. As would fit his ministry, Jesus manifested himself first to the poorest of the poor.
And how did the shepherds respond to their encounter with Christ? They worshipped. Luke 2:20 (ESV) says “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
Any encounter with Christ should produce worship. I am mindful of this when t here is a fair amount of drama happening at my church. There is so much concern over the schedule and the style of music, the dress and the order of the service. In the middle of these concerns, worship gets lost to our loss.
I am mindful of this at Christmas. In the midst of shopping, decorating, partying and the dreadful traffic, worship gets lost. The secular aspects of the holiday overshadow worship.
In fact, I am mindful of this in daily life. Commuting, working, errand running and exercising are all fillers of the day. When I concentrate on them, worship is lost.
If you do not worship wholeheartedly and continuously, your life will be dry and stressful. You will obsess over small things and ignore big things.
God wants you to worship him. In fact, he demands it. Isaiah 66:23 records the word of the Lord: “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.” From new moon to new moon means all month long. From Sabbath to Sabbath means all week long, not just on the day set aside for worship. Believers are to be fully engaged in worship full time. That is pleasing to the Lord.
We often read the Lord’s words “you shall worship me” by going on to concentrate on the condemnation of idol worship. But the first command is to worship him. Hebrews 12:21 says “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”. The response to salvation is gratitude and worship.
When all is made new and God dwells among us in the New Earth, what will we do? John’s vision of heaven gives us a clue. He wrote in Revelation 4:10:
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
They worship in heaven. They worship in the presence of God.
We have God living in us and among us. We need to worship him as they did: continually.
The shepherds had quite a night. First, angels appeared and announced the birth of Jesus the Messiah. Then they went and saw him first hand. As would fit his ministry, Jesus manifested himself first to the poorest of the poor.
And how did the shepherds respond to their encounter with Christ? They worshipped. Luke 2:20 (ESV) says “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
Any encounter with Christ should produce worship. I am mindful of this when t here is a fair amount of drama happening at my church. There is so much concern over the schedule and the style of music, the dress and the order of the service. In the middle of these concerns, worship gets lost to our loss.
I am mindful of this at Christmas. In the midst of shopping, decorating, partying and the dreadful traffic, worship gets lost. The secular aspects of the holiday overshadow worship.
In fact, I am mindful of this in daily life. Commuting, working, errand running and exercising are all fillers of the day. When I concentrate on them, worship is lost.
If you do not worship wholeheartedly and continuously, your life will be dry and stressful. You will obsess over small things and ignore big things.
God wants you to worship him. In fact, he demands it. Isaiah 66:23 records the word of the Lord: “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.” From new moon to new moon means all month long. From Sabbath to Sabbath means all week long, not just on the day set aside for worship. Believers are to be fully engaged in worship full time. That is pleasing to the Lord.
We often read the Lord’s words “you shall worship me” by going on to concentrate on the condemnation of idol worship. But the first command is to worship him. Hebrews 12:21 says “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”. The response to salvation is gratitude and worship.
When all is made new and God dwells among us in the New Earth, what will we do? John’s vision of heaven gives us a clue. He wrote in Revelation 4:10:
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
They worship in heaven. They worship in the presence of God.
We have God living in us and among us. We need to worship him as they did: continually.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Devotion 20. Angels Preach to the Shepherds.
Luke tells us in Luke 2: 8-14:
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Kings do not come to town unannounced. They send heralds before them to announce their appearance so people will be ready for them. It was the same with Jesus Christ. But in his case, his heralds were angels. They came to announce the good news that Jesus was born in the City of David. I do not know why, but God chose to herald the coming of Christ to some shepherds. These guys were camped out with their flock of sheep in the fields when the angels appeared. The angels told them the Messiah, the Christ, had been born. They told them where he would be and what he looked like so they would know when they found him.
There was important news in this announcement. The long awaited Messiah had appeared. From the beginning, when Adam and Eve heard the curse on the serpent, God’s people awaited the one who would defeat Satan. They awaited the seed of Abraham that would bless all nations. They looked for the prophet like Moses. They waited for the one perfect sacrifice. They expected a Suffering Servant that would bear their iniquities and heal their wounds with his stripes. Now, the angels announced, this Messiah appeared. The word Messiah is the English translation for the Hebrew word meaning “Annointed”. The word “one” is implied, so “Annointed One” would be a fair translation. In Greek it is Kristos if you use English letters. We transliterate it as Christ.
Jesus would later say the title should be his. Mark 14:60-62 records the following conversation:
And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
The angels’ second piece of news was that this news would be joy for all peoples. God promised Abraham a descendant who would bless all nations. That descendant arrived in Bethlehem announced by angels.
Third, those with whom God was pleased, those whom he called into his kingdom, would find peace with God. Sinful men and women are enemies of God. But Christ would reconcile his followers to the Father (Romans 5:10). Christ is the only one who can bring about this reconciliation in the life of believers. Jesus said “no one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6).
What a wonderful event and what a blessing to hear the news first. Yet, thanks to the Bible and the faithful witness of Christ’s disciples throughout the centuries, we join the angels in praise to God for his gracious salvation. The shepherds witnessed this first great praise: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
That multitude of heavenly beings is now joined by a multitude of believers from all of time and from every country that ever existed glorifying God and preaching the gospel of reconciliation to God: peace to those with whom he is pleased. Revel in the knowledge that the Creator of the Universe is pleased with you if you follow his Son. He takes pleasure in your praise and your obedience. What more could you ask?
Luke tells us in Luke 2: 8-14:
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Kings do not come to town unannounced. They send heralds before them to announce their appearance so people will be ready for them. It was the same with Jesus Christ. But in his case, his heralds were angels. They came to announce the good news that Jesus was born in the City of David. I do not know why, but God chose to herald the coming of Christ to some shepherds. These guys were camped out with their flock of sheep in the fields when the angels appeared. The angels told them the Messiah, the Christ, had been born. They told them where he would be and what he looked like so they would know when they found him.
There was important news in this announcement. The long awaited Messiah had appeared. From the beginning, when Adam and Eve heard the curse on the serpent, God’s people awaited the one who would defeat Satan. They awaited the seed of Abraham that would bless all nations. They looked for the prophet like Moses. They waited for the one perfect sacrifice. They expected a Suffering Servant that would bear their iniquities and heal their wounds with his stripes. Now, the angels announced, this Messiah appeared. The word Messiah is the English translation for the Hebrew word meaning “Annointed”. The word “one” is implied, so “Annointed One” would be a fair translation. In Greek it is Kristos if you use English letters. We transliterate it as Christ.
Jesus would later say the title should be his. Mark 14:60-62 records the following conversation:
And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
The angels’ second piece of news was that this news would be joy for all peoples. God promised Abraham a descendant who would bless all nations. That descendant arrived in Bethlehem announced by angels.
Third, those with whom God was pleased, those whom he called into his kingdom, would find peace with God. Sinful men and women are enemies of God. But Christ would reconcile his followers to the Father (Romans 5:10). Christ is the only one who can bring about this reconciliation in the life of believers. Jesus said “no one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6).
What a wonderful event and what a blessing to hear the news first. Yet, thanks to the Bible and the faithful witness of Christ’s disciples throughout the centuries, we join the angels in praise to God for his gracious salvation. The shepherds witnessed this first great praise: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
That multitude of heavenly beings is now joined by a multitude of believers from all of time and from every country that ever existed glorifying God and preaching the gospel of reconciliation to God: peace to those with whom he is pleased. Revel in the knowledge that the Creator of the Universe is pleased with you if you follow his Son. He takes pleasure in your praise and your obedience. What more could you ask?
Devotion 19. Zechariah’s Testimony
After John (the Baptist) was born, Zechariah was allowed to speak. But the first speech he gave was from the Holy Spirit.
Here is what he said, started at Luke 1:67:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The Holy Spirit first directed John to praise the Father. He praised the Father for sending the Son as the Savior. You have a nice little Trinitarian event here.
This praise also comes in the context of covenant. God is praised as the covenant keeping God. He mentioned God’s covenant with Abraham and his covenant with David. He said both covenants were fulfilled in the coming of Christ.
Zechariah also testified that Christ’s coming fulfilled the words of the prophets of old. All of the prophets testified to a future redemption and deliverance of God’s people. Christ fulfilled that by bringing salvation and drawing men and women into it. He made people all over the earth “his people” by transferring them from the kingdom of darkness to his kingdom of light.
John would be the prophet of this salvation. The Holy Spirit made clear through Zechariah that this salvation would not be a military triumph, throwing off Roman rule. It would be forgiveness of sins.
He also told us what this forgiveness and salvation was for. It was not just a get out of hell free card. It was not to recite magic words that get us into heaven when we die. No, we are subjects of a king. We can be subjects to sin and the devil. Or we can be subjects of Christ. Subjects serve their king and master. (John 8:34; Romans 6:16) Therefore, Zechariah says it means they “might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”
Modern Evangelism does not often preach this service. The plea is to come and take Jesus into your heart, words not really found in the Bible. What we do is receive him (John 1:12). We receive him as savior, but also as master and king. We become his servants as well as his brothers.
So the plea to repent is not just to feel sorry for your sin. Repent really means to turn around, to do a U-turn and head in the right direction. So, the plea is to turn away from following your selfish desires, from the path of sin, and to turn around and follow the path of righteousness in service to Christ. Jesus said “if any one would serve me he must follow me” (John 12:26). That sounds easy until you consider the context. He was talking about his death. He meant to serve him was to follow him to death, to despise this life lived for yourself and to embrace the life devoted to serving Christ, even if it meant dying for him.
Christmas would be a great time to start following Christ.
After John (the Baptist) was born, Zechariah was allowed to speak. But the first speech he gave was from the Holy Spirit.
Here is what he said, started at Luke 1:67:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The Holy Spirit first directed John to praise the Father. He praised the Father for sending the Son as the Savior. You have a nice little Trinitarian event here.
This praise also comes in the context of covenant. God is praised as the covenant keeping God. He mentioned God’s covenant with Abraham and his covenant with David. He said both covenants were fulfilled in the coming of Christ.
Zechariah also testified that Christ’s coming fulfilled the words of the prophets of old. All of the prophets testified to a future redemption and deliverance of God’s people. Christ fulfilled that by bringing salvation and drawing men and women into it. He made people all over the earth “his people” by transferring them from the kingdom of darkness to his kingdom of light.
John would be the prophet of this salvation. The Holy Spirit made clear through Zechariah that this salvation would not be a military triumph, throwing off Roman rule. It would be forgiveness of sins.
He also told us what this forgiveness and salvation was for. It was not just a get out of hell free card. It was not to recite magic words that get us into heaven when we die. No, we are subjects of a king. We can be subjects to sin and the devil. Or we can be subjects of Christ. Subjects serve their king and master. (John 8:34; Romans 6:16) Therefore, Zechariah says it means they “might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”
Modern Evangelism does not often preach this service. The plea is to come and take Jesus into your heart, words not really found in the Bible. What we do is receive him (John 1:12). We receive him as savior, but also as master and king. We become his servants as well as his brothers.
So the plea to repent is not just to feel sorry for your sin. Repent really means to turn around, to do a U-turn and head in the right direction. So, the plea is to turn away from following your selfish desires, from the path of sin, and to turn around and follow the path of righteousness in service to Christ. Jesus said “if any one would serve me he must follow me” (John 12:26). That sounds easy until you consider the context. He was talking about his death. He meant to serve him was to follow him to death, to despise this life lived for yourself and to embrace the life devoted to serving Christ, even if it meant dying for him.
Christmas would be a great time to start following Christ.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Devotion 18: Mary Confessed: God Kept His Promise.
After hearing Elizabeth’s Holy Spirit inspired praise, Mary erupted into praise to God. Talk about a praise service, these two women, one young and one old, celebrated the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord together.
Mary’s praise is sometimes called “The Song of Mary”, but is also known as the Magnificat. I like to call it “Mary’s Song of Praise”. I want to focus on the last sentence:
He has helped his servant Israel
In remembrance of his mercy
As he spoke to our fathers
To Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Mary was quite the little theologian. Upon hearing the angel tell her she would bear the Messiah and hearing Elizabeth confess him as her Lord, Mary thought of the promise that God would again have mercy on Israel.
Psalm 98:3 says “He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel”. Several times God judged Israel with defeat to their enemies. Then he would restore them when they repented.
God ultimately sent Israel and Judah into captivity. The last remnant was carried off to Babylon and the city destroyed. The king was put in prison. Many were executed. Then, in the time of Daniel, Babylon fell to Persia and Cyrus sent the Jews home. They worked to rebuild their city and God’s house. It never reclaimed its former glory, however. No Israelite king took the throne again. Israel existed, but under the rule of foreigners. The Persians, the Greeks and the Romans and their designees all ruled Israel. When the temple was restored, the king was not actually Jewish at all and certainly not Davidic. The Jews longed for the Messiah to return their kingdom. They longed for God’s favor.
The prophet Micah prophesied the returned favor of the Lord. Micah 7:20 says:
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
The Lord expressed favor by sending his son. The Son did not come that first time to establish an earthly kingdom in the sense that Israel would again be a world power and throw off the rule of the Romans. Instead his kingdom would be his rule in the hearts of those who believed in him. He preached that the kingdom was at hand and that it was within them. When he comes the 2nd time, he will establish his kingdom and rule on the new earth. But the favor of the Lord still came in the form of salvation.
Mary’s mind also went back to Abraham. God made a promise to Abraham thousands of years before. God told Abraham “in you all the families on earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:4). Mary realized the time had come. This Messiah, this savior, would not restrict salvation to Jerusalem or Judea. His mission was much greater. He would extend God’s expression of favor, his salvation, over the whole face of the earth. God said:
It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)
Christ would do what Adam failed to do. He would do what Israel failed to do. He would fulfill the promise to Abraham blessing all the families of earth.
God always keeps his promise.
And salvation is the greatest promise of all.
After hearing Elizabeth’s Holy Spirit inspired praise, Mary erupted into praise to God. Talk about a praise service, these two women, one young and one old, celebrated the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord together.
Mary’s praise is sometimes called “The Song of Mary”, but is also known as the Magnificat. I like to call it “Mary’s Song of Praise”. I want to focus on the last sentence:
He has helped his servant Israel
In remembrance of his mercy
As he spoke to our fathers
To Abraham and to his offspring forever.
Mary was quite the little theologian. Upon hearing the angel tell her she would bear the Messiah and hearing Elizabeth confess him as her Lord, Mary thought of the promise that God would again have mercy on Israel.
Psalm 98:3 says “He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel”. Several times God judged Israel with defeat to their enemies. Then he would restore them when they repented.
God ultimately sent Israel and Judah into captivity. The last remnant was carried off to Babylon and the city destroyed. The king was put in prison. Many were executed. Then, in the time of Daniel, Babylon fell to Persia and Cyrus sent the Jews home. They worked to rebuild their city and God’s house. It never reclaimed its former glory, however. No Israelite king took the throne again. Israel existed, but under the rule of foreigners. The Persians, the Greeks and the Romans and their designees all ruled Israel. When the temple was restored, the king was not actually Jewish at all and certainly not Davidic. The Jews longed for the Messiah to return their kingdom. They longed for God’s favor.
The prophet Micah prophesied the returned favor of the Lord. Micah 7:20 says:
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
The Lord expressed favor by sending his son. The Son did not come that first time to establish an earthly kingdom in the sense that Israel would again be a world power and throw off the rule of the Romans. Instead his kingdom would be his rule in the hearts of those who believed in him. He preached that the kingdom was at hand and that it was within them. When he comes the 2nd time, he will establish his kingdom and rule on the new earth. But the favor of the Lord still came in the form of salvation.
Mary’s mind also went back to Abraham. God made a promise to Abraham thousands of years before. God told Abraham “in you all the families on earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:4). Mary realized the time had come. This Messiah, this savior, would not restrict salvation to Jerusalem or Judea. His mission was much greater. He would extend God’s expression of favor, his salvation, over the whole face of the earth. God said:
It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)
Christ would do what Adam failed to do. He would do what Israel failed to do. He would fulfill the promise to Abraham blessing all the families of earth.
God always keeps his promise.
And salvation is the greatest promise of all.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Devotion 17 Elizabeth Speaks by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:39-45 tells the story of Mary going to visit Elizabeth right after she heard the news from the angel. That news included the fact that her relative Elizabeth, though an old woman, had also conceived a special son and was already in her sixth month.
There is a bit of irony here. Zechariah asked for a sign and was punished with muteness because he did not believe and asked for a sign. Mary did not ask for a sign but was given one in the form of a barren relative who miraculously conceived in old age.
So Mary took off quickly to see Elizabeth (Lk. 1:39). When she arrived, the baby John, already filled with the Holy Spirit (1:15), leaped in Elizabeth’s womb to be in the presence of the newly conceived Messiah. Even as a baby in the womb he was thrilled by the presence of Jesus.
Then a most unusual thing happened. God sent another word about his son, the Messiah. The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth and this old, pregnant, woman began to prophesy! She was loud about it, too. She “exclaimed with a loud cry” (1:42).
The Holy Spirit always points to Christ (John 15:26). He did so here. Being God, he sovereignly chose through whom he would speak. The mother of John the Baptist testified through the Spirit to the mother of Christ, as her son would later testify to Mary’s son. What a beautiful and intricate package. God kept his word, testified to his word and blessed those who believed his word.
Here is what Elizabeth said: blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me. For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken of her from the Lord. (Lk. 1:42-45)
“Blessed” means to be in the favor of the Lord. Elizabeth declared through the Spirit that Mary was favored of the Lord. This word of the Lord spoken by Elizabeth repeated the word of the Lord spoken by the angel to Mary: she had found favor with the Lord (Lk. 1:30).
Elizabeth went on to say that the baby Jesus also was blessed. He also had the favor of the Lord. John the Baptist would later testify to the outward manifestation of this favored status at the baptism of Jesus. Matthew recorded. A voice came from heaven and said “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. (Matthew 3:17)
Lastly, Elizabeth said Mary had the favor of the Lord because she believed the Lord would fulfill what was spoken of her from the Lord (Lk. 1:45). In contrast to the doubt of Zechariah, Elizabeth’s own husband, she declared the Lord’s favor on Mary for her belief.
All who believe the word of the Lord about Christ Jesus find his favor. All who do not believe find his wrath.
Believe and be blessed.
Luke 1:39-45 tells the story of Mary going to visit Elizabeth right after she heard the news from the angel. That news included the fact that her relative Elizabeth, though an old woman, had also conceived a special son and was already in her sixth month.
There is a bit of irony here. Zechariah asked for a sign and was punished with muteness because he did not believe and asked for a sign. Mary did not ask for a sign but was given one in the form of a barren relative who miraculously conceived in old age.
So Mary took off quickly to see Elizabeth (Lk. 1:39). When she arrived, the baby John, already filled with the Holy Spirit (1:15), leaped in Elizabeth’s womb to be in the presence of the newly conceived Messiah. Even as a baby in the womb he was thrilled by the presence of Jesus.
Then a most unusual thing happened. God sent another word about his son, the Messiah. The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth and this old, pregnant, woman began to prophesy! She was loud about it, too. She “exclaimed with a loud cry” (1:42).
The Holy Spirit always points to Christ (John 15:26). He did so here. Being God, he sovereignly chose through whom he would speak. The mother of John the Baptist testified through the Spirit to the mother of Christ, as her son would later testify to Mary’s son. What a beautiful and intricate package. God kept his word, testified to his word and blessed those who believed his word.
Here is what Elizabeth said: blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me. For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken of her from the Lord. (Lk. 1:42-45)
“Blessed” means to be in the favor of the Lord. Elizabeth declared through the Spirit that Mary was favored of the Lord. This word of the Lord spoken by Elizabeth repeated the word of the Lord spoken by the angel to Mary: she had found favor with the Lord (Lk. 1:30).
Elizabeth went on to say that the baby Jesus also was blessed. He also had the favor of the Lord. John the Baptist would later testify to the outward manifestation of this favored status at the baptism of Jesus. Matthew recorded. A voice came from heaven and said “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. (Matthew 3:17)
Lastly, Elizabeth said Mary had the favor of the Lord because she believed the Lord would fulfill what was spoken of her from the Lord (Lk. 1:45). In contrast to the doubt of Zechariah, Elizabeth’s own husband, she declared the Lord’s favor on Mary for her belief.
All who believe the word of the Lord about Christ Jesus find his favor. All who do not believe find his wrath.
Believe and be blessed.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Devotion 16. Mary v. Zechariah
Luke tells us the story of two miraculous births preceded by angelic announcements. It also tells us of two different reactions to the news.
The parents of John the Baptist were Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were old and childless. Zechariah was a priest. To be childless in that time was a humiliation. It was even taken as a sign of God’s disfavor. Many stories in the Bible revolve around God blessing a barren woman with a child.
Before John was conceived, an angel appeared to Zechariah to give him the news and prepare him for the great ministry the Lord had prepared for John. Zechariah was at work in the Temple, burning incense of the altar of incense. This altar sat before the ark of the covenant. It was made of acacia wood. It was square and had horns on the corners that were of one piece with it. It was overlaid with pure gold. Special incense was made to burn on it. It could not be used for anything else. The smoke from the incense represented the prayers of the priests and the people going up to God. In fact, Luke notes that a multitude of people were outside praying while Zechariah burned the incense (1:10).
The angel appeared next to the altar of incense. I think he did that to convey to Zechariah that he had come to deliver the message that God had granted Zechariah’s prayer for a child. The angel then told Zechariah he would have a child. His prayers had been answered (1:13). And what a child he would be! Many would rejoice at this birth (14), he would be great before the Lord and he would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment of conception (15). He would be a prophet like the great Elijah and prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah (16-17). This would all result in tremendous joy and gladness for Zechariah and Elizabeth (14).
Imagine being told by an angel that you would have a child when it appeared impossible. Not only that, imagine your child would be a great man for the Lord. He would be another Billy Graham or R. C. Sproul or Jonathan Edwards. Of course that would bring you great joy! You would jump and shout and high five your spouse and dance around together. You would call your friends and share the good news.
But not Zechariah: he doubted. Remember he is in the Temple holy place in the presence of a glorious angel. He said “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” (18).He asked for a sign that the angel was telling him the truth. I would like to think if an angel came and told me something I would believe it. I would not ask for a sign. And of course, the sign was the coming of the angel to tell him at the altar of incense.
This angel was Gabriel. He was not pleased that Zechariah would doubt him or doubt the Lord. He responded: “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (1:19-20).
Because of Zechariah’s unbelief, his mouth was shut until the baby was born.
Now compare his reaction to Mary’s.
The same Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would have a baby who would be the Messiah. (26-33) Mary also had a question, but she did not ask for a sign or express doubt. Luke 1:34 says “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’”. Mary did not doubt the word of the Lord spoken by Gabriel. She just did not understand how it would happen, since she was a virgin and knew she should not have sex with her husband until their wedding. So, Gabriel explained to her that the Holy Spirit would place the child in her. He did not condemn her question. He graciously answered it. He did not reprimand her, for she did not doubt. In fact, upon receiving this supernatural explanation, she simply submitted to the Lord’s will. She said “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” In effect she said, I am the Lord’s servant, he can do with me as he will.
The contrast is startling. Zechariah was old. He should have been wise and mature. In fact, the passage says he and his wife were righteous. In addition, Zechariah was a priest. He was honored to be chosen by the other priests to serve in the holy place and minister the altar of incense. But at the crucial moment, he doubted.
Ironically, he had prayed for a child. By doing so he expressed his belief that God would hear his prayer and had the power to grant it. Yet when God said he would answer his prayer, he did not believe. All of us have done similarly. We have prayed for something, but expressed surprise when God made it happen as we asked. Worse yet, we have taken credit for it and not given God thanks and praise for accomplishing it.
Mary on the other hand was young. Many think she was around 14. That was marriageable age for a virgin Jewess of the time. She was a Godly young woman who heard the word of the Lord, believed it and affirmed her submission to the will of the Lord.
Not many of us will have an angel come with the answer to our prayers. Only a few in the Bible had the experience. But we will experience answers to prayer. In response, we need to be careful to give God the glory and thank him for his gracious providence.
Not many of us will receive any word from the Lord given by the mouth of an angel. But all of us have the Word of the Lord in printed form. You do not have to pray for God to speak to you. Every time you open your Bible and read any word of it, God has spoken. When you read it, you may respond like Zechariah or Mary. You may doubt and even ask for signs that it is true. This does not please the Lord.
Or you may read it, no matter how fantastic it seems to you, and say “I am your servant. Let it be to me as you have said”.
Luke tells us the story of two miraculous births preceded by angelic announcements. It also tells us of two different reactions to the news.
The parents of John the Baptist were Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were old and childless. Zechariah was a priest. To be childless in that time was a humiliation. It was even taken as a sign of God’s disfavor. Many stories in the Bible revolve around God blessing a barren woman with a child.
Before John was conceived, an angel appeared to Zechariah to give him the news and prepare him for the great ministry the Lord had prepared for John. Zechariah was at work in the Temple, burning incense of the altar of incense. This altar sat before the ark of the covenant. It was made of acacia wood. It was square and had horns on the corners that were of one piece with it. It was overlaid with pure gold. Special incense was made to burn on it. It could not be used for anything else. The smoke from the incense represented the prayers of the priests and the people going up to God. In fact, Luke notes that a multitude of people were outside praying while Zechariah burned the incense (1:10).
The angel appeared next to the altar of incense. I think he did that to convey to Zechariah that he had come to deliver the message that God had granted Zechariah’s prayer for a child. The angel then told Zechariah he would have a child. His prayers had been answered (1:13). And what a child he would be! Many would rejoice at this birth (14), he would be great before the Lord and he would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment of conception (15). He would be a prophet like the great Elijah and prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah (16-17). This would all result in tremendous joy and gladness for Zechariah and Elizabeth (14).
Imagine being told by an angel that you would have a child when it appeared impossible. Not only that, imagine your child would be a great man for the Lord. He would be another Billy Graham or R. C. Sproul or Jonathan Edwards. Of course that would bring you great joy! You would jump and shout and high five your spouse and dance around together. You would call your friends and share the good news.
But not Zechariah: he doubted. Remember he is in the Temple holy place in the presence of a glorious angel. He said “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” (18).He asked for a sign that the angel was telling him the truth. I would like to think if an angel came and told me something I would believe it. I would not ask for a sign. And of course, the sign was the coming of the angel to tell him at the altar of incense.
This angel was Gabriel. He was not pleased that Zechariah would doubt him or doubt the Lord. He responded: “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (1:19-20).
Because of Zechariah’s unbelief, his mouth was shut until the baby was born.
Now compare his reaction to Mary’s.
The same Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would have a baby who would be the Messiah. (26-33) Mary also had a question, but she did not ask for a sign or express doubt. Luke 1:34 says “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’”. Mary did not doubt the word of the Lord spoken by Gabriel. She just did not understand how it would happen, since she was a virgin and knew she should not have sex with her husband until their wedding. So, Gabriel explained to her that the Holy Spirit would place the child in her. He did not condemn her question. He graciously answered it. He did not reprimand her, for she did not doubt. In fact, upon receiving this supernatural explanation, she simply submitted to the Lord’s will. She said “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” In effect she said, I am the Lord’s servant, he can do with me as he will.
The contrast is startling. Zechariah was old. He should have been wise and mature. In fact, the passage says he and his wife were righteous. In addition, Zechariah was a priest. He was honored to be chosen by the other priests to serve in the holy place and minister the altar of incense. But at the crucial moment, he doubted.
Ironically, he had prayed for a child. By doing so he expressed his belief that God would hear his prayer and had the power to grant it. Yet when God said he would answer his prayer, he did not believe. All of us have done similarly. We have prayed for something, but expressed surprise when God made it happen as we asked. Worse yet, we have taken credit for it and not given God thanks and praise for accomplishing it.
Mary on the other hand was young. Many think she was around 14. That was marriageable age for a virgin Jewess of the time. She was a Godly young woman who heard the word of the Lord, believed it and affirmed her submission to the will of the Lord.
Not many of us will have an angel come with the answer to our prayers. Only a few in the Bible had the experience. But we will experience answers to prayer. In response, we need to be careful to give God the glory and thank him for his gracious providence.
Not many of us will receive any word from the Lord given by the mouth of an angel. But all of us have the Word of the Lord in printed form. You do not have to pray for God to speak to you. Every time you open your Bible and read any word of it, God has spoken. When you read it, you may respond like Zechariah or Mary. You may doubt and even ask for signs that it is true. This does not please the Lord.
Or you may read it, no matter how fantastic it seems to you, and say “I am your servant. Let it be to me as you have said”.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Devotion 15. Name Him Jesus
God left nothing to chance. He told aspects of this event to his prophets over the centuries. Now that the time had come, he gave specific instructions. The Father sent Gabriel to Mary with His word about her role in his redemptive plan. Gabriel is God’s messenger. He stands in God’s presence and carries his instructions where God sends him. (Luke 1:19 ESV) records this statement from Gabriel to Zechariah: “And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” (Luke 1:26)
So the Lord sent Gabriel to Mary with a message. The angel said “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31). That is a very specific instruction. Luke did not tell us why God cared what the baby was called.
Or maybe the naming of the child was not the mother’s prerogative, but the father’s. We see in the story of the birth of John the Baptist that the angel told the baby’s father, Zechariah, what to name the baby. When the baby was born, the neighbors asked Zechariah, not Elizabeth, what he had named the baby.
An angel also spoke to Mary’s husband, Joseph. After explaining the divine pregnancy, the angel instructed Joseph “She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21 ESV).
The Savior would be named Jesus. He would bear that name because he would save his people from their sins. We do not know what language the angel spoke to Joseph, but it would seem from history that Hebrew people of that time still gave their children Hebrew names. The New Testament was written in Greek and many people in Palestine spoke common Greek and Aramaic. But the names were Hebrew. For example, Paul had a Hebrew name, but was given a Greek name after conversion.
The Hebrew\Aramaic name translated “Jesus” in Greek is “Yeshua”. That is likely the name he was given. A good indicator is the inscription on the “James Ossuary”, the bone box reputed to hold the bones of Jesus’ earthly brother, James. In may not be the real ossuary of James, but the language on it has been shown to be authentic for the time. The English translation of the inscription is “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”. The inscription reads “Ya’akov bar Yoseph akhui diYeshua”.
The name Yeshua was not uncommon. In fact, it appears many times in the Old Testament. In English it is commonly translated “Joshua”, although there are other variants. The Greek translates to “Iesous”.
But here is why I look at the Hebrew name. Hebrew names meant something. Yeshua means “the Lord’s salvation” or “salvation from the Lord”. This was yet another way that the Lord signaled to Israel that this was their Messiah, their savior.
I wonder if Mary, upon hearing this command, thought of Isaiah 53. That chapter speaks of the Messiah and his sacrifice for sin. It ways he was wounded for our transgressions (5). The iniquity of us all would be laid on him (6). He would be an offering for guilt(10). He would be the savior.
Peter preached the same message. He said “…there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Centuries later the Westminster Confession echoed the words of Scripture: “it pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the…Savior of his church…” (Chap. 8, Sec. 1).
There is no other name.
God left nothing to chance. He told aspects of this event to his prophets over the centuries. Now that the time had come, he gave specific instructions. The Father sent Gabriel to Mary with His word about her role in his redemptive plan. Gabriel is God’s messenger. He stands in God’s presence and carries his instructions where God sends him. (Luke 1:19 ESV) records this statement from Gabriel to Zechariah: “And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.” (Luke 1:26)
So the Lord sent Gabriel to Mary with a message. The angel said “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31). That is a very specific instruction. Luke did not tell us why God cared what the baby was called.
Or maybe the naming of the child was not the mother’s prerogative, but the father’s. We see in the story of the birth of John the Baptist that the angel told the baby’s father, Zechariah, what to name the baby. When the baby was born, the neighbors asked Zechariah, not Elizabeth, what he had named the baby.
An angel also spoke to Mary’s husband, Joseph. After explaining the divine pregnancy, the angel instructed Joseph “She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21 ESV).
The Savior would be named Jesus. He would bear that name because he would save his people from their sins. We do not know what language the angel spoke to Joseph, but it would seem from history that Hebrew people of that time still gave their children Hebrew names. The New Testament was written in Greek and many people in Palestine spoke common Greek and Aramaic. But the names were Hebrew. For example, Paul had a Hebrew name, but was given a Greek name after conversion.
The Hebrew\Aramaic name translated “Jesus” in Greek is “Yeshua”. That is likely the name he was given. A good indicator is the inscription on the “James Ossuary”, the bone box reputed to hold the bones of Jesus’ earthly brother, James. In may not be the real ossuary of James, but the language on it has been shown to be authentic for the time. The English translation of the inscription is “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”. The inscription reads “Ya’akov bar Yoseph akhui diYeshua”.
The name Yeshua was not uncommon. In fact, it appears many times in the Old Testament. In English it is commonly translated “Joshua”, although there are other variants. The Greek translates to “Iesous”.
But here is why I look at the Hebrew name. Hebrew names meant something. Yeshua means “the Lord’s salvation” or “salvation from the Lord”. This was yet another way that the Lord signaled to Israel that this was their Messiah, their savior.
I wonder if Mary, upon hearing this command, thought of Isaiah 53. That chapter speaks of the Messiah and his sacrifice for sin. It ways he was wounded for our transgressions (5). The iniquity of us all would be laid on him (6). He would be an offering for guilt(10). He would be the savior.
Peter preached the same message. He said “…there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Centuries later the Westminster Confession echoed the words of Scripture: “it pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the…Savior of his church…” (Chap. 8, Sec. 1).
There is no other name.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Devotion 14. Jesus: Fully God
Although Jesus was fully man, he remained fully God. Here are some reasons we know this.
The angel told Mary her child would be from the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35). He would be called the son of the Most High (Luke 1:32).
Long before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied concerning him. He said “…his name shall be called…Mighty God…” (Isaiah 9:6).
Many modern theologians and philosophers have tried to maintain that the Bible does not claim Jesus was God and neither did Jesu. But that is not correct.
Jesus said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) and “the Father is in me and I am in the Father (John 10:38).
John 1:1 says “the Word (Jesus) was God”. That is pretty clear.
The Jews understood it and opposed him. For example, John 5:18 tells us the Jews sought to kill him because he was calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
When the apostle Thomas saw Jesus resurrected, he declared "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Jesus did not correct him.
Titus 2:13 says we are "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus."
We also know Jesus is God because he manifests the attributes of God:
1. He knows everything (Mt 16:21; Luke 11:17; John 4:29),
2. He has all power (Mt 8:26, 27; 28:18; Jn 11:38-44; Lk 7:14-15; Revelation 1:8),
3. He has life in himself (Jn 1:4; 14:6; 8:58),
4. He reigns or rules over everything (Mt 28:18; Rev 19:16; 1:5),
5. He is eternal, not beginning or ending (John 1:1; 8:58), and
6. He created in the world, or it was created through him, (John 1:3).
The divinity of Christ has been challenged many times. It was an issue all the way back in the 400s. The Council of Chalcedon considered the issue and upheld his divinity. The statement of the council says:
"Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us."
Jesus is God who became a man, born as a baby, who lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death, rose from the grave and sat down at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is not just a good teacher or a nice man. To receive eternal life, salvation, you must receive him for who he is. John 1:12 tells us that those who receive him receive the right to become children of God. Receive him as God and King and receive eternal life in God’s family.
Although Jesus was fully man, he remained fully God. Here are some reasons we know this.
The angel told Mary her child would be from the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35). He would be called the son of the Most High (Luke 1:32).
Long before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied concerning him. He said “…his name shall be called…Mighty God…” (Isaiah 9:6).
Many modern theologians and philosophers have tried to maintain that the Bible does not claim Jesus was God and neither did Jesu. But that is not correct.
Jesus said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) and “the Father is in me and I am in the Father (John 10:38).
John 1:1 says “the Word (Jesus) was God”. That is pretty clear.
The Jews understood it and opposed him. For example, John 5:18 tells us the Jews sought to kill him because he was calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
When the apostle Thomas saw Jesus resurrected, he declared "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Jesus did not correct him.
Titus 2:13 says we are "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus."
We also know Jesus is God because he manifests the attributes of God:
1. He knows everything (Mt 16:21; Luke 11:17; John 4:29),
2. He has all power (Mt 8:26, 27; 28:18; Jn 11:38-44; Lk 7:14-15; Revelation 1:8),
3. He has life in himself (Jn 1:4; 14:6; 8:58),
4. He reigns or rules over everything (Mt 28:18; Rev 19:16; 1:5),
5. He is eternal, not beginning or ending (John 1:1; 8:58), and
6. He created in the world, or it was created through him, (John 1:3).
The divinity of Christ has been challenged many times. It was an issue all the way back in the 400s. The Council of Chalcedon considered the issue and upheld his divinity. The statement of the council says:
"Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us."
Jesus is God who became a man, born as a baby, who lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death, rose from the grave and sat down at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is not just a good teacher or a nice man. To receive eternal life, salvation, you must receive him for who he is. John 1:12 tells us that those who receive him receive the right to become children of God. Receive him as God and King and receive eternal life in God’s family.
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