One of the things that God has reminded me of this past year is the natural means by which He does supernatural things. This principle has many applications:
I am praying right now for physical healing (a supernatural gift from God) for a number of people who are struggling, and God may provide that healing through “natural” means (like medicine or surgery).
I am working right now on my sermon for Sunday. I need supernatural illumination of His Word to make sense of it, but God often provides this insight after the natural process of study and preparation.
I want those around me to know how much I love and care for them with supernatural depth, but the way God works that out often is through the natural process of affirming words and good deeds over time.
See what I mean? Certainly God DOES supernatural things, but often the way He does them is through natural means.
This principle can even be used to understand the writing of much of our Bible. The Bible, no doubt, is a supernatural work (inerrant and authoritative). However, the means by which God brought us the Scripture involved natural processes. The supernatural and natural processes of the transmission of Scripture are demonstrated through a couple of New Testament verses:
Peter (who himself wrote two of the letters included in our New Testament) says in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” In this verse, Peter highlights the supernatural origin of God’s Word.
In Luke 1:1-4, Luke talks of the natural process he used to compose his supernatural letter, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”
So, God supernaturally moved the writers of Scripture along to write His Word to His people, but the process by which the Scripture was written sometimes looked very natural — like when Luke researched and compiled the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ disciples in writing his Gospel.
But who did Luke talk to? And when did he talk to them? At this point, we are dealing with some conjecture, but conjecture educated by historical facts. Luke’s Gospel dates to the late 50’s AD, about 25 years after Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Many scholars believe Luke (a traveling companion to Paul) probably got a lot of his “eyewitness accounts” during Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea from 57-59. During these years, Luke (a Gentile who joined Paul’s ministry as he headed to the European continent) found himself in Israel (possibly for the first time) and interacting with many of the original Apostles . . . and Mary – the mother of Jesus.
Knowing this background helps us understand a bit more why Luke’s Gospel includes so much detail from events ONLY MARY (or the Holy Spirit) would have been able to share. Event’s like:
The Angel’s visit to Mary to inform her of her virgin pregnancy (Luke 1:26-38)
Mary’s trip to visit Zechariah and Elizabeth while pregnant (Luke 1:39-45)
Mary’s response to this news in song (Luke 1:46-55)
The events around the manger (Luke 2:8-20)
The story behind the naming of Jesus (Luke 1:31, 2:21)
In all these accounts, Mary opened up the vault of her soul, and probably shared with Luke what she had treasured about the birth of her firstborn son, who was the Firstborn of all creation! (Luke 2:19) In turn, Luke wrote these treasures down and through that natural process, the supernatural revelation of God was preserved for you and me.
Suggested song for today: O Holy Night
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
On Friday night, December 24, 2021, Wildwood gathered for our Christmas Eve candlelight service. The stream of the service is available below to watch or share.
Imagine that you were the shepherds that first Christmas night. You were gathered out on the hillsides surrounding Bethlehem watching your livestock. You were bundled up to keep warm. Having never been a rancher or taken care of any animal larger than a Beagle, I have a hard time imagining what they were doing. My best guess is that they were sitting by the fire . . . maybe singing a song.
As the they sat there, these shepherds saw an impressive sight. It is hard for me to imagine what shepherds were doing on that Christmas night, but it was even harder for the shepherds to imagine the sight they were getting ready to behold. Out of no where angels appeared in the sky singing a new song. They were singing “Gloria in Excelies Deo!” For me today, it is easy to imagine the shepherds seeing the angels . . . this is a story I have heard since I was born . . . but for the shepherds, this was a very “out of the ordinary” situation. It was not normal for them to see angels on the hillside. This was a unique event! The angels told the shepherds to go to Bethlehem and see a baby which was the Savior of the world.
The shepherds quickly took off for Bethlehem. Can you imagine the conversation they may have had with each other all the way to the stable? “I wonder what He looks like? What could this all mean? I wonder if everyone got this same announcement . . . if so, I wonder how long we will have to wait in line?!?” The questions would have no doubt fired back and forth throughout their walk/run to the manger.
Upon arriving on the scene, however, I am sure the shepherds were probably scratching their heads a bit. There was no line outside the stable filled with government and religious dignitaries and local celebrities. Upon entering the stable, the place smelled more like a barn full of animals than the temple incense. As they approached the baby in the manger, no halo circled His head, and the child was probably crying for His mother to give Him more milk. While the text does not say it, I am guessing that the shepherds were probably wondering (either aloud or to each other) if they had heard the angels correctly. Given the disparity between what they saw and what they had heard, these old school cowboys were placed in a spot that is very familiar to us . . . they were being asked to take God at His Word.
I walk through this story today because many times as I read the Christmas story I think, if only all people could see what the shepherds saw then all people would believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world. To my old way of thinking, the shepherds, based on what they had seen, would not have needed a lot of faith to believe in Jesus as their Savior. The reality, though, is that I still think it took LOTS OF FAITH for the shepherds to believe. In fact, they did not have some of the benefits that we have.
When the shepherds saw Jesus in Bethlehem, they had never heard Jesus preach; they had never seen Him work miracles; they had never imagined the cross; they had never conceived the empty tomb. While they had an angel declaration, there were many facts of the story that they did not have. Based on what they knew, they were asked to take God at His Word (through the angels) and trust Him with the rest. As people today, we have record of His preaching, miracles, death and resurrection. We have the testimony of 2,000 years of Church History, and the corroborating evidence of ancient historians. Given that, however, we have never seen Jesus face to face, and angels have not visited us on hillsides. Based on what we know, however, we are asked to take God at His Word (through the Bible) and trust Him with the rest. When we do this, great blessings come our way.
The Apostle Peter wrote a letter to the first generation of Christians who were growing up in our present reality . . . people who had the testimony of eye-witnesses and the Scripture, but had not physically seen Jesus. To this group (to us) Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Peter celebrates the faith of those who have not seen Jesus, but still love and believe in Him. This verse of Scripture is talking to you and me!
1 Peter 1:8-9 further indicates that when we believe in Jesus based on what we know (but have not seen), we reap the same benefits that His first followers experienced, “an inexpressible joy” (“Good news of Great Joy”) and “the salvation of our souls” (“a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord”).
At first glance, it appears that we have very little in common with the shepherds that first Christmas night, but in the end, we have something big in common . . . we are both being asked to embrace by faith that the child born in Bethlehem is our Savior, Christ the Lord. Upon hearing this announcement this Christmas will you run to the manger as the shepherds did? Will you believe in Him based on what you know and trust Him for the things that are harder for you to understand? If you will, then joy and salvation await. Those are two Christmas gifts that are on everyone’s list.
Suggested song for today: Go Tell it on the Mountain
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
A “manger” is an animal’s feeding trough.After Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph placed Him in one such trough.This reality is sung about in the song “Away in a Manger.”This fact is so commonplace to us since the Christmas story is so familiar.However, have you ever stopped to wonder exactly WHY God had Jesus placed in a manger that first Christmas day?
While certainly the repurposed manger helped symbolize the humility of Jesus, Luke 2:12 gives us the specific reason for the trough. “And this will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth and lying in the manger.” These words (spoken by the Angels to the shepherds, inviting them to visit Jesus after His birth) indicate that the manger crib was the sign to let the shepherds know which baby Jesus was.In others words, there were other babies in Bethlehem that night, but only one was wrapped in cloth and lying in an animal’s feeding trough.That One was Jesus.
Since every Jewish mom would wrap their child in cloths, it was the manger that highlighted Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.The Angels basically used the manger as a spotlight.The shepherds would go house to house until they found the baby in the feeding trough.When they found THAT child, they would worship Him.
I think it is important to reflect on the BED Jesus lay in being the distinguishing factor as to His identity.This lets us know that He otherwise LOOKED like a normal child.He was not glowing in holiness . . . He looked normal.He was not talking in perfect language . . . He sounded like a normal baby (meaning He probably was crying, despitewhat the lyrics of the Christmas Carol might suggest).Everything about Jesus looked normal, so the Angels could not identify Jesus to the shepherds through His physical appearance.So they described the bed He lay in.
Friends, this simple point helps remind us that the Son of God really did become the Son of Man.Jesus really did become fully human, identifying down to all the sights and sounds of “normal.”This reminds us that, “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)” Jesus knows what it means to live a normal human life.He lived a “normal” human life in every way . . . except that He did not sin.Therefore, He can help us and forgive us as we deal with the sin in our own life as well!
As you sing “Away in a Manger” this Christmas season, be reminded that Jesus’ bed (not His body) revealed His uniqueness that first Christmas night.He knows normal, and so He can help normal people – like you and me.
Suggested song for today: “Away in a Manger”
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
Football is the ultimate team game.It takes 11 men on each down to make a play work.This sounds like coach-speak, but it is actually gospel truth.For instance, if the quarterback drops back to throw a deep pass to the wide receiver, everyone must do their part for the play to work.If any member of the offensive line does not make their block, the quarterback does not have time to throw the pass.If the running back does not pick up the blitzing linebacker, the quarterback will be sacked.If the other wide receivers (the ones not being thrown the ball) do not run their routes, the intended receiver will be double-covered.If the quarterback does not throw the ball on target the receiver does not have a chance to catch it.If the receiver does not catch the ball, the play is a failure.Everyone must do his job for a single play to work.This makes football the ultimate team game.
Even when a play is not “about them” everyone must do their part in order for the play to work.This is different than other sports.On a baseball team, the right fielder does nothing on a routine ground ball to the short stop.On a basketball team (while a very good team game), a great player can score lots of points playing a “one-on-one” kind of game.Only in football must everyone participate in order for the play to work.
I was thinking about this today as I was reflecting on the Christmas story . . . particularly the part of Jesus being born in Bethlehem.The fact that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem was promised by God through the prophet Micah in Micah 5:2, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah.From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”In light of our analogy here, Micah 5:2 is like a play that God was calling in the “huddle” with Israel 700 years before the birth of Christ.As Israel broke the huddle though, and prepared for the play, it would take millions of people in motion to pull off this “play” for the team.
Mary and Joseph did not live in Bethlehem.They lived in Nazareth.Nazareth was a small town about 70 miles from Bethlehem.In a world without planes, trains, or automobiles, it was certainly not likely that Mary would give birth in Bethlehem.So, in order for God’s play to unfold, everyone had to do his or her part to get Mary to Bethlehem.Luke 2:1 tells us that Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census to be taken.In order for all the people who lived in the Roman Empire to be counted, Caesar wanted everyone to travel to their ancestral home.While Caesar did not do this intending to see the Messiah born in the proper town, God used Caesar’s decree to properly execute His play.Imagine the scene . . . in order to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem (their ancestral home) at the time of Jesus birth (as Luke 2:3-5 indicates), the decree for the census had to be issued at just the right time and would mandate that 4.2 million people would travel to their home towns to be counted.(4.2 million is the count Caesar took from this census).
Think about that for a moment.4.2 million people probably wondered why they were traveling . . . why they needed to be counted.Even though the “ball” was not coming to them, they were playing an important part in the unfolding of God’s play.
As I ponder the significance of the 4.2 million people moving around the Mediterranean in response to Caesar’s decree, I am reminded that at times the events of my life will unfold in ways that have me playing a significant part in God’s plan, but will not feature me “getting the ball.”We sometimes ask questions like “Why do I have this job?”“What was that all about?”“What was the point of that relationship/conversation/etc.?”Usually when we ask these questions we ask them because we assume that we will be featured in the “play.”In reality, we are always playing a part in God’s purposes, though sometimes we are not the ones getting the “ball.”From Bethlehem we see that the unfolding of God’s will is ultimately a team experience.
Suggested song for today: O Little Town of Bethlehem
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
Growing up I was very optimistic about my future. Let me give you an example. Back in 1984 when the Olympics were in Los Angeles, I remember dreaming that one day I would be a part of the U.S. Olympic basketball team. I loved playing basketball, and thought I had a “realistic” shot at making the team one day. I actually did the math and thought that I would only have two chances to make the team – 1992 and 1996. I thought I would only have the chance for those two Olympics because I would be in the NBA in 1997, thus making me ineligible for an amateur competition (the Olympics at that time were only open to amateurs). Best I can tell, I wanted to be an Olympian for two reasons:
A love of America. Putting on the stars and bars and taking on the world was an incredibly motivating idea.
A love of Basketball. I thought I had the skills to compete.
By the time 1992 rolled around, I no longer lived in Bartlesville . . . and I no longer thought I could be an Olympian. Though the inclusion of the professionals did not help me (thanks a lot Dream Team), the reason I did not make it to the Olympics in 1992 was that I was not good enough to make the team. Time has an incredible ability to kill our dreams, doesn’t it? The longer we live, the more we are in tune with our own abilities and liabilities. The more basketball I played against better and better competition, the more I realized that I was not going to be the next Mark Price or even the next Tim Legler. My talent ceiling was 6A sports in Oklahoma. Getting a realistic picture of what I could accomplish caused me to alter my idealistic notion of being an Olympic champion.
What about you? What did you used to think you were going to grow up to be? How has time changed your hopes and dreams?
While it is fun and nostalgic to look back on our dreams of fame, it is tragic when we let the passing of time ebb away at the confidence we have in our spiritual lives. For far too many of us, we trust God with less each passing year. This happens because over time we become more and more acquainted with our lack of ability to accomplish things we genuinely desire. Year after year, an illness remains, a relationship deteriorates, a sin struggle lingers, depression clings on. Because of the persistent nature of some of our struggles, and our lack of ability to change them, we begin to trust God with less. As we become aware of our liabilities, we begin to limit our expectations. When we limit our expectations, we shrink our dreams. When we shrink our dreams, we have a tendency to shrink our God as well.
The flaw in all this is that we are attaching our hopes and dreams in the areas that matter most to us only to our own ability. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a God we can trust for things way larger than that! Think about it: if you are a believer in Jesus, you are trusting God for forgiveness of all your sins. Your ability to be forgiven has nothing to do with your ability to accomplish something yourself, but it has to do with God’s ability to do more to you and through you than you could ever do alone! God forgives by sending His Son to die on the cross for us. That is how we are forgiven. However, as believers live out their spiritual lives, we can allow time to cause us to focus more on what we can do and less on what God can do. When we do that, our vision for tomorrow deflates.
This year, this Christmas, I want to encourage you to inflate your vision again. Trust God more this coming year for things bigger than what you can accomplish on your own. I want to encourage you in this direction by looking at the first few words in Luke 2. At the beginning of the story of Jesus’ birth, Luke says this, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus. . .” If you have been a Christian for a long time (or if you have recently watched the “Charlie Brown Christmas” special), no doubt these words are very familiar to you. In fact, the name Caesar Augustus is one of the most famous names of any Caesar in the history of the Roman Empire. But who was Caesar Augustus and why do we know his name today? Answering that question is a very interesting story.
In 63 BC, a young man named Gaius Octavius was born. Octavius was in the Roman army. At that time, a man named Julius Caesar was the dictator of Rome. Julius noticed the great skill and leadership ability that Octavius had. Octavius was Julius’s nephew. Julius had no children of his own. Unknown to Octavius, Julius had written into his will to adopt Octavius upon his death, and make him the heir to his fortune and political successor. On the Ides of March, in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by political adversaries in the Roman Senate. Octavius was summoned to Rome to hear a reading of his late Uncle’s will. In the will, Octavius found out his future would be changed forever. He had been post-humously adopted by his uncle Julius and at the age of 19, Octavius had become the leader of Rome. As a tribute, Octavius took on Julius’s name “Caesar,” making him Octavius Caesar. In 42 BC, the Roman Senate deified Julius Caesar, making him the “Divine Julius” and Octavius, “The Son of the Divine” or as we might say, he became known as the “Son of God.” Then, in a twist that changed the course of Rome, Octavius changed the Roman constitution making himself an Emperor and Rome an Empire. At that time, they changed his name to Augustus . . . which means “Sacred one” . . . Thus Augustus Caesar became known as the Sacred One, the Son of God. He was the apparent leader of the world at the time of Jesus birth.
Caesar Augustus was such a powerful man that he was able to speak a word and make the entire Roman Empire move. When you are an emperor and people think you are a god, you have lots of power. That is why when Caesar developed a new tax code and said that people needed to go to their ancestral homes to register, people started walking – among them Mary and Joseph.
Now imagine that you were alive in the Roman Empire on the night that Jesus was born, and imagine that you were walking with a set of travelers to the town of Bethlehem to register for the census. Imagine that someone were to say to you that alive in the world at that time was one known as the Son of God, the Sacred one, who would be known for 2,000 years and counting into the future. Imagine that someone were to tell you on the way to Bethlehem that 2,000 years later all of human history would hinge around this Son of God and what He would accomplish with His life. Imagine that someone were to tell you that 2,000 years later, people would look at pictures and symbols of this Sacred One and think of how the Son of God had changed their lives. Imagine that. I would imagine that if someone would have told you all that on that night, you would have thought they were talking about Caesar Augustus. In reality, however, they were talking about a child that would be born later that night in a cave and placed in an animals feeding bin.
Despite the drastic differences between Jesus and Augustus on the first Christmas night (one in a manger, the other on a throne), the world has come to remember the one, only because of His association with the other. Think about it, the man who was responsible for starting the Roman Empire . . . the man who was known as a god by the most advanced civilization in the world at that time, would be known to us only because he was the ruler at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. As Andy Stanley has correctly said, Augustus Caesar is merely a footnote in the history of God’s Story in Christ. Men and women, we serve a God who can make a baby born in a manger infinitely more powerful than the leader of the “free world.”
This Christmas, as you ponder anew what the Almighty can do, I want you to stop limiting what God can do. I want you to renew your belief that God can do big things. As the Christmas story is read and you hear of Caesar Augustus, I want you to remember the power of God. Caesar thought he was a god and tried to make himself famous, but in the end, he was a footnote in history. Time has taught us of the limitations of human power. However, time has also taught us of the enduring nature of God’s story. When we are attached to Christ, He can do infinitely abundantly beyond all we ask or think. I want you to trust God again for big things this year, because we serve a big God.
Now, I want to ask you this question. Who are you trusting tonight? For the problem of our sin. For the problem of our uncertainty. For the problem of our mortality. For the things you truly long for. Who are you trusting? Yourself? The best a person could do is what Augustus did . . . and he is rotting in a tomb. Trust instead in the One who has gone from the manger to a throne that will never be unseated. He can offer us forgiveness, and hope. He is the One we orient our history around. His story gives meaning to ours. My dreams are bigger because I am a part of His team.
Suggested Song for Today:The First Noel
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
What is the price that makes something “expensive”?Well, it probably depends on (at least) a couple of things:what you are buying, and who you are.
As it pertains to what you are buying, if you are purchasing a candy bar, $5 is really expensive … but not if you are purchasing a home.The content of your purchase is one metric that dictates whether it is expensive or not.
As it pertains to who you are, your access to resources plays a role in your estimation of the cost of an item.If you are a billionaire, then a $30,000 car is sensible play.But if you have no money, then a $30,000 car is super expensive!Who we are and what we are buying impact our estimation of whether something is expensive or not.
Now I want to transition from these dollars to make a sensible point about our spiritual life.How we respond to Jesus depends a lot on who we think He is and what we have been made a steward over.
In Matthew 13:44, Jesus tells a parable about a man who finds a hidden treasure in a field.Knowing that treasure is there, he thinks that the asking price for the field (which is worth basically ALL he has) is suddenly a bargain.So He liquidates his savings and checking accounts to buy the field, knowing the treasure it contains.The paralell is obvious.
When we realize who Jesus is, we understand that He is the most valuable person in all the universe.Knowing Jesus and being connected to Him is worth ANYTHING … nothing is too expensive if knowing Him is the result.This would include reprioritizing everything in our lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.When we see Him for who He truly is, we will be willing to give all we have to honor and follow Him.
In today’s verses, we saw the wise men visit Bethlehem and go see Jesus.They embarked on this long trip and dealt with many challenges along their journey (while incurring big expense) to worship the King of Kings.Why?Because they thought Jesus was worth it.Not only that, but they give expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.How nice were these gifts?Pretty nice.Most biblical scholars assume that Joseph and Mary (a poor young couple) would sell these items to fund their two year journey to Egypt that is described in the later sections of Matthew 2.In today’s dollars, we might think of a $50,000 annual income.By that standard, the Magi gave Jesus a $100,000 gift!
When they Magi saw Jesus, they understood that it was RIGHT for them to give to Him whatever they had.Money, time, honor, respect … all were not too expensive to pay in light of who Jesus really was.
Today, as you head toward the Christmas holiday season and you see all the bills coming due (and begin to lament over the expensive things on your bank statement), remember who Jesus really is, and what He has done for you.In light of that, it is worth it for us to reorganize our lives to honor and follow Him.What steps do you need to make as you honor Him this year?Like the wise men before us, “rejoice exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10) as you lay down your life before Him this year.
Suggested song for today: O Come All Ye Faithful
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
On Sunday, December 19, 2021 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 2:1-11 and 13:44. This message was part 4 in the “Joy to the World” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion. You will also find the audio and video from the sermon to listen to/watch, download, or share.
Sermon Questions:
Pray
Read Matthew 2:1-11; 13:44
What was the last Christmas gift you wanted to buy, but did not purchase because the cost was too high?
Though our salvation is FREE in Christ, following Jesus does carry a cost.What has been your “cost” of following Christ?
The Magi “spent” their time, treasure, relationships, and security in an effort to see Jesus.Using this grid, do any fresh “costs” come to your mind about following Jesus?
What are some ways we tend to “lower the cost” in following Jesus through our reluctance, hesitancy, or disobedience?What has been the result of that hesitation in your life?
Matthew 13:44 reminds us that it is always worth it to follow Jesus!What are some ways you can really “go for it” in following Jesus in the new year?
What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?
To access these questions in pdf format, click here.
To listen offline, click the link below to download:
Each nativity 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 Christmas song, “We Three Kings” talks 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.
Suggested song for today:We Three Kings
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
From a secular, United States culture perspective, Christmas is a marketers dreamland.Beginning sometime in mid-October or early November, marketers begin their work to convince us what we “need” this holiday season.Our desire to be festive, drives us to ask the question, “What trinket, toy, bling, or do-dad really says ‘I love you’ most effectively?”Marketers representing virtually every product begin a targeted blitz to get the word out for their product.After two months of being worn down by the marketing machine, we all realize NEEDS, we never knew we had, so we go out to purchase the product.
Most people have negative views of marketing because they have had a bad experience with it.Virtually all of us have bought (at some point) what marketers have been selling.Many times, we thought we were buying happiness, but instead we were just buying a bill of goods.In the end, it is amazing how few of the “needs” marketers sell that we actually have.
The very first Christmas gift ever given was given by our Heavenly Father to mankind.The gift was the baby Jesus, born in Bethlehem.When God gave this gift to men and women, He also launched a “marketing campaign” to announce His arrival.Angels appeared in the sky to speak to “certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay,” advertising the birth of Jesus and telling them why it was Good News for them.God also placed a marquee in the sky, illuminating the way to the Savior for those in the East.This star would be a cosmic press release announcing His coming to a set of gift-bearing star gazers.On the night of Christ’s birth, God launched a media blitz to remind the people of their need and illustrate how Jesus was the One who could bring them joy.
Now, because of our past experience with marketers, the language I used above might have made you furrow your brow.It seems rather crude and insincere to think of God’s announcements in this way.In some respects, I agree with you, and it certainly is not my intention to dumb down Advent as a result.However, I think it is important for us to think through the illustration provided above, because marketing a product that is actually necessary is not self-serving, but loving.
Since the needs Christ addresses are not imagined but actual, and since Jesus provision delivers all it promises and does not disappoint . . . the marketing of the coming of Christ is a blessed thing!Can you imagine if someone came up with the cure for cancer but never told anyone about it?That would be crazy.You would want them to market that cure because its provision is so important and its need is so real.In the same way, the arrival of the Savior of the world is not a truth to keep quiet, but something that should be shouted from the mountaintops.God did that through the media blitz on the night Christ was born.
The marketing did not stop with the star and the angels, though … but (in His grace) God involved the shepherds in the proclamation.After seeing Jesus, the shepherds left and told of what they had seen and experienced to all they encountered.
Think about that this year as you consider what God wants you to do with the good news that the baby in Bethlehem is the One who saves you from your sins.God does not want you to conceal that information . . . like the shepherds before you, God wants you to be a part of His marketing campaign, spreading the good news to all who you interact with.He began this campaign on the first Christmas, and is continuing it through us today.
Suggested song for today: Hark the Herald Angels Sing!
In this Christmas devotional, there is a song referenced for each day. All these songs, are included in a playlist found on Apple Music and Spotify at the following links:
