In our home we have many Christmas decorations.  Along the roof line is a set of lights designed to make Clark Griswold proud.  In the front window is the Christmas tree full of memories disguised as ornaments.  On the mantle is a Saint Nicholas statue given to us as a wedding gift 17 years ago.  And in three prominent locations, we have nativity scenes.  These nativity scenes are my favorite Christmas decorations . . . and I am not just saying that because I am a Pastor.

I truly love these nativity scenes.  I always have.  As a kid, we had one that set on top of our cabinet television set and I used to love to see those simple figures in a tiny barn surrounded by fake hay.  They were a real reminder of the reason for the Christmas season.  When Kimberly and I got married, Kimberly brought a very special nativity set forward with her into marriage . . . a gift her mom and dad got for her one piece at a time during her growing up years.  It is one of the greatest treasures we own.  Each nativity set has a back story of how we came to own it, but also points us to the ultimate reason for why we celebrate Christmas at all — the birth of Jesus.

Each set in our house is arranged similarly.  All the pieces are crowded together around the baby Jesus . . . as they should be.  After all, Jesus was at the center of it all that first Christmas night.  However, what is sometimes lost in nativity sets is how those pieces ARRIVED at the manger scene.  Unlike the pieces that adorn our mantles, the participants at the first Advent did not all come out of the same box.

Most nativity scenes include 3 “wise men” or “magi.”  Sometimes they are riding on camels and most every time they are carrying three neatly wrapped gifts.  They are often painted the same color as the other pieces in the set.  In our nativity scenes, they look like they totally belong.  However, those familiar with first century Jewish culture would have been quite surprised at their inclusion in the story.

By the first century, the Magi were considered to be more “wise guys” than truly wise.  The Magi were an ancient order of star-gazers from Babylon who made a living interpreting dreams and foretelling the future.  While there were certainly some honest men among them, their reputation had deteriorated toward “snake oil salesmen” – people who would tell you what you wanted to hear just as long as they could make a buck.  Most people did not view them as honorable, and certainly, no one viewed them as godly.  Metaphorically, these Gentile heathens were about as far away from the birth of the Jewish Savior as you could possibly be.  The songs we sing of them talked about them traveling far to see Jesus, but their distance was even further spiritually than physically.  For the wise men to look the part in our nativity sets, we should paint them contrasting colors and place them at the beginning of December in the garage while the rest of the pieces nestle together in the living room.

Yet in God’s mercy, those who were far off are brought near by the birth of Jesus.  Further, they were brought near INTENTIONALLY.  The Magi made it to the manger at the end of a very long and well thought out plan:

• 1400 years before the birth of Jesus, Balaam issued a prophecy about a star rising for the Messiah.  This led Jews to a belief that a real star would one day be a sign that Messiah had arrived.
• 700 years before the birth of Jesus, Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in the little town of Bethlehem.
• 600 years before the birth of Jesus, the Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians.  The Babylonian foreign policy of the time was to take the best and brightest people of the lands they conquered back to Babylon to work for the improvement of their culture.  One of the Jews exported to Babylon in this captivity was Daniel.  After demonstrating his ability to interpret dreams, Nebuchadnezzar promoted Daniel to become the overseer of (you guessed it) the Magi – see Daniel 2:48.  Daniel would have been in a position to influence this group with his understanding of Jewish prophecy, which would have included the idea that one day the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and a star would mark his arrival.  This story was passed on from generation to generation of Magi until the birth of Jesus.
• At the time of Jesus’ birth, God sends a special star in the sky to guide the Magi from Babylon/Persia to Israel to see the newborn king (see Matthew 2:1-12).

For 1,400 years, God had prepared a plan to invite those who were far off to come near and into a relationship with Himself.  The night Jesus was born, the star rising in the sky made sense to the Magi because of years of divine planning.  The pieces that began in the garage were brought into the living room by God’s grace.

Contrast the response of the Gentile Magi with the response of the Jewish religious elite.  In Matthew 2:1-12, we see the chief priests and scribes correctly answer the question, “where will the Messiah be born?” BUT, they do not do anything with that knowledge.  Though the Savior of the world was right down the road from them, they were too busy or preoccupied to go check Him out!  The absurdity of the Jewish leaders’ actions might be best reconstructed in script form:

• HEROD:  Hey Jewish religious leaders . . . there are some Magi out here who have traveled hundreds of miles over hard terrain following a special brand new star that they believe is leading them to see where the Savior of the world was born.  Do you know where the Savior of the world is supposed to be born?
• RELIGIOUS LEADERS:  Yeah, the Savior will be born in Bethlehem.  The town directly underneath that brand new and bright shining star.
• HEROD:  Oh really?  Should we go check it out?
• RELIGIOUS LEADERS:  Nope. Can you pass the pretzels?  We are busy watching some paint dry.

The religious leaders of Israel WERE in the same box as Jesus.  They were painted with the same colors.  They did look like they belonged in the same room . . . however, the story of Matthew 2 shows us that sometimes those who look near are really VERY FAR away spiritually.

The contrast between the Magi and the Scribes and Priests is shocking.  Those who were far are brought near while those who looked near are revealed to be very far away.  The implications of this are extremely important to us at Christmas time.

Are you someone who is currently very far away from the Savior?  Someone who is painted a totally different color than most church people?  Maybe your life is marked by addiction, abuse, or sensuality.  Maybe you are known by your peers for your marginalized business ethics or immoral lifestyle.  Maybe you even follow another religion and do not own a Bible.  Because of the sin in your life, you appear to be in another zip code compared to Jesus, much less in the same room.  This Christmas, are you someone who is far from Him?

Or, are you someone who has grown up inside the church.  You were dedicated at First Baptist Church, confirmed in the Catholic Church, and attend a non-denominational church . . . you just want to make sure your bases are covered!  Do you have multiple bibles in your house, never miss a History channel documentary about the historical Jesus, and have a set of Jimmy Stewart “It’s a Wonderful Life” morals.  Do you realize that it is possible to have all these things . . . to look like you belong . . . yet to never really have begun a real relationship with God?

The beauty of the Christmas story is that there is hope . . . for people who are both far AND NEAR.  If you feel very far away from the Savior today, know that God has been working since the foundation of the world to get the message of salvation to you.  The combination of the life of Christ, the preservation of God’s Word, the sending of the Holy Spirit, and your network of friends, family, and opportunities have served as a “star” to invite you to the manger this Christmas.  The same set of signs have also been shared with those who are “near” the church.  The big question is: will you (like the Magi) follow the signs God has given and worship the Savior this year, or will you simply enjoy some pretzels and ignore the real reason for this season (like the Jewish religious leaders)?

To those who are far or near, Jesus is the “good news of great joy for all the people.”  He is our Savior, so come let us adore Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

A Simple Painting by Mark Robinson

Read:  Luke 2:1-7

Several years ago I was in Paris, the city of lights.  I was blown away by the beauty of that city.  In Paris there are many incredible art museums that contain priceless works of art, but truth be told, Paris itself is a work of art.  From the towering steel of the Eiffel Tower to the elegant beauty of winding streets lined with sidewalk cafes and guarded by gargoyles, this is one amazing city.  In this city that showcases the arts, there is one portrait that gets all the press.  There is one painting that people always remember – one portrait people are lining up to see.  Deep in the center of the most famous art museum in the world, sits the small portrait of a half-smiling, plain-looking woman.  Above all the larger than life sculptures, all the Egyptian treasures and impressionist paintings, the Mona Lisa has captured the attention of all the world like no other work of art in a city of artists.  What is it about this painting that makes it so interesting?

What I believe makes the Mona Lisa special is not its famous subject, or its bright colors, or its grandiose size.  The brilliance of the Mona Lisa is in the small details.  The slight smile.  The inviting face.  The relatability of painting an ordinary person in a day when only saints, gods, and martyrs were painted.  These common elements are what make the Mona Lisa special.  This painting is a beautiful portrait painted in plain strokes by a master artist.

You know what?  When I think about the life we all live in relationship with God, I think of the Mona Lisa.  Many of us would love to see God work in our lives the same way He did in New Testament times.  We long to see the mighty work of God, point to it, and proclaim, “There He is!  I know God is real because I see Him at work in the raising of the dead man. . . in restoring  strength to the paralytic . . . in giving sight back to the blind.”  We long to see God work in the grandiose, and somewhere along the way, we have convinced ourselves that it is only in such circumstances that God is actually at work.  If that is your perspective, then you need to keep reading.  God is not just at work in the grandiose.  In fact, God has always been at work in the simple things of life.  God even worked through the commonplace in the New Testament.

Take the book of Luke for instance.  As you read the first two chapters of Luke which highlight the Christmas story, what do you see?  As I read the first two chapters of Luke, I see God mightily at work . . . through the common strokes of life.  I see God at work in the timing of Zechariah’s work schedule for entering the temple.  I see God at work in the birth of two children and the selection of those parents.  I see God at work in the declaring that a census be taken to get Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem.  I see God at work in the way a mother relates to her child.  I see God at work in the very common things of life like jobs and family and political decrees.  And in the process, God is painting a Mona Lisa style masterpiece of His grace for us to see.

Take a few minutes and reread the first two chapters of Luke, then ask yourself the question, “Where is God at work in my life?”  We may be looking for the majestic and miss God at work in the mundane.  Who do you think had you born to the parents that you have?  Who do you think was at work to bring you to the college you attended?  Who was it that had you grow up in the town you grew up in?  Who is it that has you working at the job you are at right now?  God did!  And God does!  He is at work in the details of our lives to sovereignly guide us to where He wants us to be.  Stop for a few moments and reflect on the fact that God has been, is currently, and always will be at work in our lives . . . not just in the “big things,” but through the details of our lives.  And know this . . . what God has led you to, He will see you through.  Begin to see your life as a beautiful portrait of His grace painted in plain strokes by the Master Artist.

Questions

• What are some of the things God did to make the first Christmas story happen?

• What is one instance your life (or in the life of someone you know) where you have seen God’s hand at work?

Advent Prayer

• If you have a personal relationship with Christ think of how God worked in the “small strokes” of the circumstances of your life to bring you into a relationship with Him.  Spend time praising God for how He has worked in your life.

• If you have not yet placed your faith in Christ, you can do so right now by expressing faith in Jesus work on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins.

 

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

The “B Side” by Mark Robinson

Read:  Luke 1:67-79

What is your favorite Christmas song?  Christmas is truly a musical holiday.  I love the “soundtrack” that plays in the background of December every year.  Whether you are in church, driving in the car, or even shopping at the local mall, songs of our Savior fill the air from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

We should not be surprised that we sing a lot at Christmas time.  On the very first Christmas when Jesus was born, many songs were sung.  Mary sung her “Magnificat” and the Angels serenaded the shepherds.

As you look at the albums first recorded around the birth of Christ, however, you will notice that both famous AND more obscure songs were recorded around the time of the manger.  Right after Mary’s hit song, Zechariah records what some may see as the “B side” to her 45.  You may have skipped this track in the past, but today, I want you to “press play” and read its beautiful lyrics found in Luke 1:67-79.

After waiting a lifetime for the joy of fatherhood, it is so striking that Zechariah spends most of the time at his son’s birth singing about Jesus, not John (his son).  As we saw in yesterday’s post, this shows that Zechariah “got it” . . . he understood that the real joy in his AND John’s life would be their connection to Jesus.

At the end of the song, is one of the most poetic and beautiful statements about the work of Jesus in all of Scripture.  “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.”

I am so thankful that in Christ we have a hope that one day all death will be replaced with life eternal, and all darkness will be illuminated with His light.  This is the reason Zechariah sings . . . and the reason we sing as well.

Question

• What is your favorite Christmas song?  Why is it your favorite?

Advent Prayer

• We have a great hope in Jesus.  Thank God for the hope we have, even in the face of death and circumstantial uncertainty.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

What Happens When the Answer is “Yes” by Mark Robinson

Read: Luke 1:57-66

Have you ever wanted something for a very long time, but never got it?  Maybe you wanted a new toy, a new car, a new house, or a new job.  Day after day you found your quiet moments spent thinking about the thing you did not have.  Perhaps you spent a fair amount of time praying for God to give you this new thing or working hard to save the money to be able to buy it.

Did you ever get the thing you wanted?  Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t.  Sometimes when we don’t get the thing we wanted, we get angry with God.  Many times, when we do get the thing we wanted,  we simply enjoy the new thing (and forget about the God who gave it to us!)

In the Christmas story in the Bible, there are two people who wanted something for a very long time.  Their names were Zechariah and Elisabeth.  What they wanted, though, was not a thing . . . it was a person.  Zechariah and Elisabeth had no children of their own, and for decades they had asked God to give them a child . . . but the answer was always “no.”  Finally after years and years of waiting, God finally gave Zechariah and Elisabeth a baby . . . Jesus’s cousin, John (who would grow up to be John the Baptist.)

Zechariah and Elisabeth finally had their baby in Luke 1:57-66.  After the baby was born, Zechariah gave all of us an example to follow when God finally gives us what we have always wanted.  Instead of forgetting about God when they finally got what they wanted, they praise God, making the birth of the child all about God and what He was doing instead of about them.  This perspective is life changing for anyone who embraces it.  Life is about giving God glory, not about what we have or what we can get.

Questions

• What is something that you have prayed for a long time?

• When something goes well for you, do you remember to thank God for His provision?

Advent Prayer

• Take a moment to praise God in prayer for what He has given you.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

Best (Not Necessarily Easy) by Mark Robinson

Read:  Matthew 1:18-25

Sometimes God’s plan for our lives is not easy or comfortable.  God wants us to tell the truth, even if telling the truth could get us in trouble.  God wants us to talk to our friends and neighbors about Jesus, even if our friends and neighbors might make fun of us if we do.  God wants us to obey our parents, even if doing so will mean that we will not get something that we want.

Though God’s plan for our lives is not always EASY, it is always BEST.  God knows what is best for us at all times and we can trust and obey Him, even when doing so seems hard.  A great example of this is the story of Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25.  It would have been easy for Joseph to walk away from Mary when he found out she was pregnant.  His friends and family would have supported him if he had decided to leave Mary because of her scandalous pregnancy.  Yet God persuaded Joseph through an angel to not leave Mary and to remain with her.  Because Joseph obeyed, he ended up getting to be the earthly Father of Jesus Christ!  What an amazing blessing.  Though it was not easy, it was best.

Questions

• Is there any thing God wants you to do right now that is hard or uncomfortable?

• Is it difficult for you to remember that God’s plans are always best for us?  Why or why not?

Advent Prayer

• Pray and ask God for the strength and courage to trust Him even when it is hard to do so.

 

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

Mary Christmas Song by Mark Robinson

Read:  Luke 1:46-55

What does it LOOK like for someone to worship God through song?  Would they be singing loudly?  Would they be quiet and reflective?  Would their hands be in the air?  Would they be kneeling on their knees?

The truth is, that even though we all have images in our head of what it looks like to “really worship,” outside appearances can be deceiving.  It is totally possibly to “look the part” on the outside, but actually be self-focused, not God focused on the inside.  That is why God looks not at outward appearance alone, but at the heart.  It is totally possible to be deep in worship in any one of the postures or volumes listed above.  After all, it is what is going on inside us that best expresses our heart of worship.

In Luke 1:46-55, there is a passage that clearly depicts a person who is deeply engaged in worship.  It is a song that was spoken by Mary to her cousin Elizabeth in response to all that God was doing in her life.  This song includes within it a great example of worship:

• Mary begins by orienting her worship from the inside out.  It is “her soul” that “magnifies the Lord.”  Her body was probably in a posture of worship, and emotion filled her voice . . . but those were products of a heart that was intent on focusing on God and not herself.  We begin worship when we lift God high, from the inside out.
• Mary also begins her worship by marveling at, and praising God for saving her life, and for involving her in His plans.  She does not come to God with a haughty attitude, but stands back in awe at the notion that the God of the universe loves her that much.  Early in a time of worship, we should reflect on this amazing fact as well . . . God has taken notice of us and uses us in His plans on the earth.  May we never grow tired of hearing this wonderful truth!
• Mary continues by declaring that God has been at work to provide relief for His people, fulfilling promises from ages ago.  Mary worshipped God who was making good on promises that were nearly 2,000 years old at the time she first sung . . . harkening all the way back to God’s promises to Abraham.  When we worship, we can pray to God and trust Him to make good on all His ancient promises to His people as well that we still reap benefits from today.  Promises to be with us no matter what.  Promises to forgive us our sins based on what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.  Promises to one day come back to this earth and judge evil and re-establish paradise in a new heaven and new earth.  We can worship God and praise Him based on the promises He has made to us through His Word.
• Mary’s song may appear spontaneous, but it is really populated with at least a dozen Old Testament references.  Mary’s previous study of God’s Word provided the very vocabulary for her worship.  We too study God’s Word to learn the language of God, and even more reasons for us to praise Him.  Far more than an academic exercise, study of the Bible is a primer for worship.

Mary’s song is an often read passage at Christmas time for good reason.  It is a wonderful, faithful response of worship from the heart of a person fully following God’s plan for her life.  May God’s preservation of this song help each of us see an example of what it looks like to worship at Christmas time and throughout the year

Questions:

• What do you think it looks like to worship God?

• What can you learn from Mary’s song about worshipping God?

Advent Prayer:

• Spend some time worshipping God in prayer based on the model of worship laid out by Mary in Luke 1:46-55.

[The following devotional was written by Wildwood Community Church Student Pastor Jonathan Holmes and is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

Leaping for Joy by Jonathan Holmes

Read: Isaiah 40:3 (prophecy) & Luke 1:39-45, 57-66 (fulfillment)

Elizabeth, a relative of Mary’s, was past the natural pregnancy age and remained unable to have children. But six months earlier, Elizabeth found out she was pregnant as well. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb was John the Baptist who was coming to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. As the women drew near to one another, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb “leaped for joy” and she began to shower blessings upon Mary and the unborn Jesus. During his ministry years later, Jesus would say of Elizabeth’s son that “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.”

Although the conversation between these pregnant mothers was rather simple, and the actions of Elizabeth’s unborn child were common to the behavior of any unborn child, the significance of this encounter was huge as the long-awaited birth of the coming Savior was already causing the world to stir with anticipation. John’s sole purpose was to prepare the way for Christ. Although still an unborn child, his very first encounter with Jesus caused John to leap for joy.

As we prepare our hearts through the Advent Season, may we prepare them to leap for joy. In just a few weeks we celebrate the birth of our Savior and there is no greater reason to be filled with joy than a reminder of our Savior’s first advent.

Question

• What is it about Jesus that brings joy to your heart?

Advent Prayers

• Spend some time praying for the Holy Spirit to move throughout our church.
• Pray that God will cause your heart to “leap for joy” as you await Jesus’ return with restless anticipation.
• Ask God to lead you in preparing the way for His return and what that will look like.

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

 

Christmas Recipe by Mark Robinson

Read:  Luke 1:26-38

Today cooking shows are all the rage.  An entire television station (the Food Network) shows programming all day to help us know how to make the perfect broccoli casserole.  Cooking food is not nearly as interesting to me as eating it . . . but there are times it is important to understand what actually goes into making certain dishes.  Let’s just say (for instance) that someone has a peanut allergy.  It would be imperative for that person to know if ANY peanuts were used in making the Pad Thai.

In Luke 1:26-38, God shows us what all went into making Jesus born on the earth.  This is important because God is a holy God and the idea of a divine incarnation raises some serious questions.

• Was Jesus really God?
• Was Jesus really man?

In order to prepare the incarnation, Luke 1 tells us that several ingredients were necessary in certain order:

• Mary.  Mary was an essential ingredient in this story.  Some have tried to mythologize Mary into some sort of super hero, but that is not the biblical picture of Mary.  The biblical picture of Mary highlights how normal she really was.  She was so normal, she had sinned and disobeyed God in her life, and was in need of a Savior, just like the rest of the world.  By being born of a woman (Mary), Jesus was clothing Himself in a fully human body.
• The Holy Spirit.  The second necessary ingredient to the incarnation was the Spirit of God.  The miraculous conception of Jesus happened because the Spirit of God was present and “overshadowed” Mary causing her to conceive.  By this Jesus would not merely be human, but be the Son of God.  This divine inspiration allowed Jesus to be human, but miss a sinful disposition.  It allowed Jesus to both Man AND God.
• Mix in a dash of Joseph.  Joseph was Jesus’ connection to the royal lineage of King David.  This allowed legitimacy to Jesus’ kingly reign, and foreshadowed His fulfillment as the King of Israel who would sit on David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7).

When you serve up all three of these ingredients, you have a God/Man who can save humanity from our sins and reconcile us to our Heavenly Father.  Serving up the King of Kings is a delicate process theologically.  That is why God broadcasts the details so we can enjoy its rich flavor.

All this points to the fact that Jesus is uniquely qualified from His birth to His death.  These extraordinary events identify God’s presence and invite us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Question:

• Who do you know who is 13 years old?  Mary was about 14 when the angel came and announced to her that Jesus would be her son.  How do you think you would have responded if this news came to you?

Advent Prayer:

• Thank God that His Word is true!