Advent Foretold Day 25: The Most Important Birth Announcement of All Time!!

The most important birth announcement ever was given about eight hundred years in advance.....


For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

We see this verse printed on Christmas cards. We see it on church Christmas bulletins, or perhaps in our devotional reading time. But do we ever really stop and think about what this beautiful, power-packed, awesome verse is saying?! Or what about the verses immediately following this verse? Do we think of the promise being made? Do we notice it is written by Isaiah as if it were already happening, not hundreds of years before the actual event took place, but in that moment in time? Do we see the comfort and promise from an All-powerful, loving God?

Each word in this announcement is packed with power and precious truth. The depth of each one of these precious words cannot be summed up here. I can't even begin to scratch the surface, but I would love for us to look at just a few of the truths laid out in this verse. 

"For unto us a child is born..."
Humanity... "a child"... the humanity of the one being born is declared. 

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

"...unto us a Son is given.."  
Deity... "Son" is a title that proclaims deity. This is not said to inform you if it will be a boy or a girl. Exactly WHO is being given is announced. The Son is being given.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

"and the government shall be upon His shoulder..." Ruler. The word used for government in this verse is used only twice in all of Scripture - in Isaiah 9:6 and 9:7. Both verses refer to this child who would be born. There has never been one who has governed or ruled like this One will rule. He will take the government of the world on Himself. The root of the word "government" is the Hebrew word "sarah". The meaning is to have power, to persevere, to rule over, and to set in order. This One who was to be born would be the One who will persevere over the enemy, set things in order, and rule over all. He is the only one who ever has had or ever will have this kind of power and might. This is so exciting!

 

"and His name shall be called Wonderful"... God. "Wonderful" tells us the One to come is the God Who can be seen. How does being told His name is Wonderful tell us this one whose birth is being announced in advance is God Who can be seen? To answer this, we must visit the book of Judges (which was written hundreds of years before this verse from Isaiah) to another baby announcement being made.

In Judges 13, there is an event where the Angel of the Lord comes to visit a woman to tell her that she and her husband Manoah will have a son who will deliver their people from their enemies, the Philistines. When the woman tells her husband about the "man of God' who came to see her and what news He gave her, Manoah prays to the Lord that he too can see this man of God. After this, the woman gets a second visit. This time she runs and gets her husband. When Manoah comes running and encounters the visitor, he asks him if he is the same one who had come to visit his wife before. The visitor's answer...... "I AM." 

After a visit between Manoah and the Angel of the Lord (you can read the full account in Judges 13), the following takes place...

Judges 13: 15-23 Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you."  The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, [then] offer it to the LORD." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD. 
Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that when your words come [to pass,] we may honor you?" But the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?"  
So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. 
For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw [this,] they fell on their faces to the ground. 
Now the angel of the LORD did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. So Manoah said to his wife, "We will surely die, for we have seen God." 
But his wife said to him, "If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear [things] like this at this time."

God, who could be seen, had come to visit Manoah and his wife. God, Whose name is Wonderful.  By the way, Manoah and his wife named their son Samson.

"...Counsellor...." 
 When He comes the Spirit of the Lord is Upon Him....

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

Luke 4:18, 19 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."


"Mighty God...." To leave no doubt, the birth announcement declares this is Mighty God, the conqueror and deliverer Who is coming down to man AS man.

"Eternal Father..."

This is the Eternal Father. Do not confuse this title with the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. No, this could also be said, He is the Father of Eternal Life. It is through His death that Eternal life is possible for us.  

"Prince of Peace..."  

This name like all the others is so packed with meaning. Just to touch on what this means for us....He brings us peace with God. He gives us His peace. He will bring peace to the earth...

Rom 5:1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Col 1:20  and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Praise God!!! A child was promised. A Son was given. He would be a ruler unlike any other. He is the God who would be seen. He would have the Spirit poured out on Him. He is the One Who made a way for us to have eternal life through His redemptive work on the cross. He brings us into peace with God. He is our Peace. He is our God. He is our Lord and Savior.

Today on Christmas Day followers of Jesus around the world are celebrating the wondrous, miraculous gift of this child born in a little town called Bethlehem some two thousand years ago. Today we give thanks to a Father Who gave His Son. Today we have hearts filled with such gratitude to the Son Who willingly took on our sin and death to make a way for us to have peace and reconciliation with God. Today we give thanks to the Holy Spirit as He draws us, gives us comfort, guides us, and remains with us constantly as a promise of what is to come. Today should be today and today and today throughout the year. Every day should be spent in living our lives with this truth and wonder continually before us. This is the most real, most important thing in our lives....not just now but for eternity. We should yearn for Him more. We should seek for every aspect of our lives to be lived and filtered through the truth and redemptive work of Jesus. He is our peace. He is our beloved God. Praise God for the perfect gift. Merry Christmas!!!

Advent Foretold Day 26: The Shepherds Part 2

Have you ever wondered why it was the shepherds who were the first to be given the news of the birth of the newborn king? Have you ever wondered why they were the first told to go and see the newborn Babe? Have you ever wondered how they knew exactly where to find Him? They didn't have the benefit of a God's "On-Star" GPS like His next visitors the Wise Men would.

In Micah, it was prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. But it did not tell us where.....or did it? Buckle up, because we are going for an awesome ride with today's Advent!!

The regions around Bethlehem and the surrounding areas had many fields for pasturing flocks.....BUT there was a very special place on the edge of Bethlehem. The name of this place was called Migdal-Eder. It had a tower, and in ancient times it was used for military purposes. It is mentioned in Genesis as the place where Jacob pitched his tent just after he had buried his beloved wife Rachel. Later it became a place of safety for shepherds from wild beasts and the weather. It also became a safe place for the ewes to give birth. Inside the tower  were roughly constructed stalls and stone feeding troughs. Somewhere along the way, the purpose of Migdal-Eder and its fields took on a very special purpose.

Migdal-Eder and the surrounding fields became the place where lambs were born and raised to be used as sacrificial lambs. They would be used as temple offerings, for the national sin offering at Passover, or for a family needing a Passover lamb. These little lambs were born to be an atonement sacrifice.

The shepherds who pastured their flocks in this region had to be specially trained by Temple priests for this job. They had to know how to inspect and care for these lambs. First, the shepherds had to inspect each lamb as it was born to ensure it was without spot or blemish. The lamb had to be as white as snow. Once they had been inspected and found to be without blemish, the shepherd would wrap the lamb in swaddling bands.... swaddling clothes. This would keep the newborn lamb from injury or blemish. 

Luke 2:11-12 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

The angel had told the shepherds that the baby was born in Bethlehem. The angel also told them the sign would be the babe would be wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. How could swaddling clothes and a manger be a sign? All the shepherds in the surrounding fields knew of the special purpose of the flocks cared for at Migdal-Eder. They knew of the ancient tower with its feeding troughs, also known as mangers. This was the place known for swaddling clothes being used for newborns. As soon as they heard the angel say this, they would have known where to look.

This all sounds good, but did scripture also give them a clue where to look for the newborn Messiah? Did the Bible really get that specific? Are you ready for this?! Let's look in the same book of the Bible that tells us the King will come out of Bethlehem.

Micah 4:8 "As for you, tower of the flock, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come-- Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Do you see where it says "tower of the flock"? In Hebrew it is "Migdal-Eder".

As for you, Migdal-Eder, Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come--Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Micah 4:8

Jesus, our perfect, spotless lamb, born with the express purpose of being our atonement, He  was born in the very place where the lambs were born with the express purpose of being sacrificial lambs. The shepherds who had been told to go and see the newborn baby Jesus were, unbeknownst to them, literally and symbolically inspecting THE PASSOVER LAMB. Mary had wrapped her newborn in dirty rags, swaddling clothes, to keep her little lamb warm, but in doing so had unknowingly wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, symbolically showing Him to be perfect and without blemish.....just like the little lambs born in the same place.

 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."  So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. Luke 2:6-16

Throughout the year, I pray we live our lives with a heart of thankfulness and praise for our REDEEMER. Today, I pray we really reflect on Who it is we celebrate. My prayer is that we would really celebrate why He was born and why He entered His own creation as a helpless baby. I pray we celebrate WHAT He did for each and every one of us. He gave us the free gift of Himself. He took every wrong....every sin....upon Himself....out of pure LOVE. He loves us so much. I pray if you have never accepted His free gift that you will not waste another precious moment, but will open your arms and your heart to receive the most perfect, most beautiful gift of ALL eternity.....the gift of God's Only Begotten Son....Christ Jesus.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Advent Foretold Day 24: The Shepherds Part 1

On that Night of Nights….. Jesus entered into a dark world. It was nighttime both literally and spiritually.

Luke 2:8-9 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

The picture we have, because of our different Christmas books, movies, and Nativity scenes, is of shepherds who have the faces of grown men…faces that show years of hard work, cares and concerns. But this may not be the most accurate picture. In ancient times, it was the youngest boys in the family who tended the sheep. The older boys would help with plowing, sowing crops, and harvesting, while the younger boys would tend the sheep. We catch a glimpse of this when Samuel is sent by God to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king of Israel...

1 Samuel 16:11: And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep…." 

Most likely, some of the shepherds in the field, near Bethlehem, on the night of the birth of the Messiah were young lads or teenagers. If that is the case, this means when Jesus began his ministry some thirty years later, these same shepherds were, most likely, still alive and able to testify to what they had witnessed three decades before on that night of nights. These shepherd boys had no idea when they settled their sheep in for the night what they were about to witness.

At night, the shepherds would often tend their sheep in the open fields instead of in a fold. When they did this they would join forces with the other shepherds of the same region. They would take shifts sleeping, keeping watch for predators, and watching one another’s sheep. 

Luke 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

I love to picture the shepherds on the hillside when they receive the experience of a lifetime. Maybe a couple of the lads are dozing, while the others are on the alert for any danger. In the dark of the night, an angel of the Lord is suddenly standing in front of them. Here they were on high alert… and he appears out of nowhere! How terrified they must have been, especially because of the light!! The glory of the Lord shone round about them....."them" meaning the shepherds and the angel. The glory of the Lord was visible in the same way Paul describes the light from the Damascus Road. The word for “shone round about” in the original text is the same in Luke and Acts.

Acts 26:13: "At midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.”

Picture a time before floodlights, spotlights, streetlights, or for that matter …flashlights….and you are all of the sudden in the midst of a flood of light from the glory of the Lord!! That would rock your world!! For goodness sake….IN a time of floodlights, spotlights, streetlights, and flashlights…it would rock your world!

Luke 2:11-13 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 

Their parents and their parents’ friends had been talking about the coming Messiah for as long as they could remember. Everyone in Israel had been longing for the day when their Messiah King would come to deliver them from their oppressors. The last thing on earth they expected was for the Messiah’s arrival to be in such humble circumstances, AND for the delivery announcement to first be made to a group of humble shepherds. I am sure, it was the very last thing this bunch of shepherds would have expected!!

But they didn’t have much time to process it right then because…..

Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." 

The word translated “suddenly” in English, means “unexpectedly” or with a rush…like a crashing wave of the ocean. One minute you are trying to process the fact that an angel of the Lord is standing in front of you delivering the most incredible news you could have ever imagined, and the next thing you know there is an explosion of angels across the sky!!! A multitude, meaning a huge number....of heavenly hosts...meaning of heavenly armies....in other words, thousands upon thousands of angels from the heavenly armies! And they are singing and praising God!! How excited the angels must have been!!!! The level of joy and exuberance must have been amazing!!! I get so tickled thinking about what an event this was for the angels. 

Luke 2:15-16 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 

These guys don’t waste any time! They have been given a message about the Messiah and where to find Him. They are going to see what the Lord has made known to them. But what did they do with the sheep? Did they leave them unattended? Of course not! The sheep went with them! Picture the procession that made…. these young shepherds leading their sheep as they go to meet the Messiah. The sheep being guided by their shepherds to gather outside the place that held the Savior of the world. There he lay in a dirty manger, meant for lowly animals, wrapped in His swaddling clothes. There He lay being worshiped and adored by humble shepherds. 

Praise you, Jesus, for such a beautiful picture of how simple it is to come to you. It is not about station, knowledge, age, or anything else…It is about hearing the Good News, and being obedient when You call us to come to You, our Shepherd. It is about accepting you as Lord of our lives. Help us to be bold and do as the shepherds did when they heard the Good News… 

Luke 2:17-18 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 

Thank you, Father for sending Your Son, Jesus to be the Light in the darkness…to be the Light of the world….

John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Advent Foretold Day 23: The Wise Men Part 2

Video Version: 

The Magi had seen the star of the King of the Jews in the East and had come to worship Him. 

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:1-3 1

When the wise men arrived, they created quite a stir in Jerusalem. We always make the assumption that there were only three wise men because there are three gifts mentioned. However, this is not recorded in the Scriptures. We don't even know how many gifts they gave the King. We were told about three of the gifts because of their significance as we discussed yesterday.

We often read these verses that tell of the Magi's visit and picture them following the star on a journey across lands to reach Jerusalem, where once they reach the capital of Judah, they get lost. But that is not what the text says. The Magi reported seeing the King of the Jews' star in the east, so they had come to Jerusalem, where the seat of power was for the Jews at that time. They had made the journey to come and worship the newborn king. They went to the place they expected the King to be - in the palace. However, it was Herod sitting on the throne.

The Magi arrived at the palace and asked Herod a question that would have been a slap in the face to him:

 "Where is He who has been BORN King of the Jews?"

Herod was not the King of the Jews by birth. Herod was king because of his loyalty and alliance to Caesar. He was a friend of Rome, and being the Roman procurator in Judah was his reward, as was the title King of the Jews. But Herod was not even a Jew by birth. He was an Idumean, which is to say he was of Edomite ancestry. The Edomites were descended from the family of Esau,  Jacob's twin brother. So, imagine what Herod must have thought or felt when the Magi arrived in his palace looking for the One who had "been born King of the Jews,"....someone who had a rightful claim to the throne of the Jews.

But how did the visitors know to look for the King? How did they know there would even be a King of the Jews? How would they know to look for His star?  Why would they even care? The term translated "wise men" or "magi" in Scripture comes from the word "magos." It was a name given by the Babylonians and Chaldeans for their wise men, teachers, astrologers, and interpreters of dreams. So how would this group of magi from the east even know about the King of the Jews? For the answer to that, we need to take a trip to the Old Testament to the book of Daniel. As a young teenager, Daniel had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians. He and other young nobles and princes were then trained in the literature and language of the Chaldeans by order of King Nebuchadnezzar. When in Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that he can't understand, he calls for the following:

 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. Dan 2:2

But they could not help Nebuchadnezzar, which infuriated the king. As the king is ordering the death of all the wise men, Daniel finds out what is going on. You can read the full account in Daniel 2. For our purpose, Daniel, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is able to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue.  Nebuchadnezzar rewards Daniel because of this:

Dan 2:48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

Daniel was put in charge of the wise men. The definition for wise men in this verse is magi. Daniel the prophet was made the chief ruler over the magi of the Babylonians and Chaldean astrologers. What does this have to do with the coming of the wise men you may ask. Daniel is also the prophet who was given the prophecy with the exact timeline of the arrival of the King of the Jews. He was given a "when to start the clock" event and then the number of days it would be after this event that the Jews could expect the Messiah King. If someone knew the initiating event, they would know when to begin looking for the arrival of the King. That initiating event happened to be a decree a ruler of Babylon would make. Daniel 9 gives the prophecy of the coming Messiah with the timeline for His arrival and death.

With all of this in mind, is it surprising that there was a group of Magi who knew to look for the coming King? Is it any surprise that they passed this on from generation to generation in anticipation of this event? How like God it is bring the knowledge to the Gentiles of His coming Son by the mouth of a Hebrew prophet! This is exactly how God revealed everything to do with His Son's coming.

I love how God made sure the rulers in authority and the people of Israel knew the King of the Jews had been born by having the Magi go to Jerusalem and deliver the news and inquire of where He would be. The specific place of birth was not part of the prophecy Daniel was given. Herod found out where it was to be by inquiring of those who should have been watching for the King's arrival:

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'" Mat 2:4-6

Herod did not find out the location with good intentions in mind. He he was hatching an evil plan, but we will have to save that for another day.

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Mat 2:7-10

After their visit to King Herod, we are told the star continued on before the Magi and led them to the baby King. They found the One they had journeyed so far to meet. These men had, upon seeing the star of the King of the Jews making its appearance, traveled to bow down and worship Him. They took a journey that would have been wrought with dangers and unknowns, but this did not deter them. They wanted to bring Him gifts and worship Him. I love how Scripture tells us they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. I love how they fell to the ground to worship the King of ALL kings.

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Mat 2:11 

What a beautiful picture for us this Christmas season. Do we rejoice with exceedingly great joy because our King was born in Bethlehem? Do we fall down and worship Him? Do we offer up the sweet incense of our prayers to the One Who by His precious mercy and grace paid it all for us? Do we praise and thank Him for His precious blood that was shed for us in order that we might be washed as white as snow? Do we offer our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to Him in worship?

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Rom 12:1

"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." Rev 4:11

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." Rev 5:13 

Praying you feel the presence of our Lord and King this Christmas season and throughout the year. I pray we continue to focus on Him and put Him first in all that we do today and every day. Merry CHRISTmas!

Video Version: 

Advent Foretold Day 22: The Wise Men Part 1

The Wise Men seeking the One who was born King of the Jews was not just some random occurrence or interesting event in the early life of the Messiah. Like every other detail regarding His coming, the visit was to fulfill prophecies given of the coming King in the Old Testament. 

Here is the account Matthew gives of their visit:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,  "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 
  'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"  Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."  After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matt 2:1-11 


In Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72 our King's visitors are foretold:

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. ...... A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD. Isa 60:1-3, 6

Psa 72:10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

I love the the magnitude and beauty of the Isaiah passage. What an incredible promise of the coming Light to the Nations. In the midst of a dark world, THE LIGHT of the world would arrive! 
The LIGHT would have visitors who would come to His light, His star the wise men saw in the east. How appropriate that the road sign for the wise men to find THE LIGHT would be a light. They saw His light and came to the brightness of His coming. When they found  Him, they bowed down and worshiped the King of kings and Lord of lords! 

These wise men knew exactly who it was they were seeking, and they did not arrive empty-handed for their visit to the newborn king. They came prepared for an audience with the King of kings. (We will talk more about how they knew who they were visiting tomorrow.)

We are told in Matthew of the magi bringing gifts to the Messiah; gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Isaiah and the Psalms foretell of the visitors bringing the gifts of gold and frankincense, but the myrrh is not mentioned. Why is the myrrh not mentioned?

Each gift the wise men gave to the One they had traveled so far to visit represented an office Jesus would fill. In scripture and in ancient times, gold was representative of kingship. It would be given or used as a tribute to a king. For example, the Queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10 gives King Solomon 120 talents of gold as tribute when she visited him. Jesus is the King of kings. The Wise Men brought the gift of gold for the one who had been born King of the Jews. The gift of gold represented His role as King. 

The wise men brought frankincense as a gift for the King. Frankincense was used by the priests in their offerings and sacrifices. The frankincense represented Jesus' role as our High Priest.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. Heb 4:14-15

The wise men brought myrrh. In ancient times myrrh was used for preparing a body for burial. Jesus is the Passover Lamb who would lay down His life for us. He is our atoning sacrifice who would die on the cross for us. Upon His death, He would be wrapped in burial clothes and prepared with the spices of the tomb and laid to rest. But, praise God, the grave could not hold Him. He came to defeat sin and death so that we could live. This is why God chose to enter into His creation. The future death, burial, and resurrection of this young child the Wise Men were visiting had been planned before the foundation of the world. He had been born to die for us.

Each of the gifts brought by the Wise Men is a beautiful foretelling  of Who this Child was that they had come to worship. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are a beautiful picture of our LORD and the roles He came to fulfill. 

But if each gift had a special meaning, why wasn't the myrrh mentioned in the Old Testament prophecy? This prophecy of the kings coming to visit and bringing gifts was fulfilled in part with the first coming of Jesus. But it will also have a future and complete fulfillment with the second coming of the King. When King Jesus returns and is sitting on the throne of David, kings will come from all over to worship Him, and they will know exactly WHO He is. They will bring gifts to Him, bow down and worship. But, when our King comes the second time, there will be no need for myrrh. His death, burial, and resurrection are already complete. It was once and for all.There will be no need for spices for burial, only gifts for our living King and High Priest. 

By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD Heb 10:10-12

There is another reason for the visit of the wise men. It is a beautiful, comforting picture for us of the plan of redemption. It is a picture of the plan for the ministry of Christ Jesus. He came for both Jew and Gentile. First He came to the house of Israel and then to the Gentiles. The Jews were given the announcement and introduction first. Then the Gentiles came to Him. Upon His arrival, first the Jewish shepherds were given the announcement and introduction. Then the Gentile wise men were called to come. His coming was for all who would come to Him. 

Jesus is the Light of the World.  He is the only way out of the darkness of sin and death and into the LIGHT of redemption and eternal life with Him. Just as the wise men and shepherds responded to the call and saw for themselves the truth and goodness of the promised Messiah, so we must come for ourselves to partake in the promises of our Redeemer. He loves us so much! I am so thankful for His lovingkindness. Praise you, Jesus!! Merry Christmas, dear friends and family.

Advent Foretold Day 21: He Would be Born in Bethlehem

"But as for you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2

The birthplace of the Messiah was prophesied hundreds of years before the actual event took place.  In this prophecy, God is very specific so we have no doubt as to what town He is referring to. At the time of Jesus’ birth there were two towns with the name Bethlehem. One was Bethlehem Ephrathah.  This Bethlehem is in Judah. Bethlehem Ephrathah is sometimes referred to as the city of David, because David was born there. It is also referred to as Bethlehem of Judea.  The other town of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth was in Zebulon. Bethelem of Zebulon was close to Nazareth. In the prophecy we are told it is Bethlehem Ephrathah, in Judah.

This is not the first appearance in the scriptures of Bethlehem Ephrathah.  Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife, died and was buried on the road to Bethlehem Ephrathah. Bethlehem is where the love story of Ruth and Boaz took place. Boaz became Ruth’s kinsman redeemer and husband in this sleepy little town. They went on to become the great-great grandparents of King David. As I mentioned previously, King David was born in Bethlehem, but he wasn’t born a king. He was born to be a shepherd first and then he would on take his role as king……just like his descendant after him.

Look at Micah 5:2 again. I don't want you to miss the wording. It is too wonderful!!

"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." Micah 5:2

God is making sure there is no misunderstanding as to WHO will be coming from this little town…."His goings for are from long ago, from days of eternity.”  Or as it says in the KJV, “Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” This is not just some great leader or ruler coming out of Bethlehem. This is He Who is eternal. ONLY God is eternal!

The promise of the One to be ruler in Israel coming out of Bethlehem had been made, and then one starry night hundreds of years later……

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David……While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4, 6-7

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold wise men came from the east to Jerusalem saying, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet.  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Matthew 2:1-6

Hath not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was? 

John 7:42

I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to shout, “THAT'S MY GOD!! HOW AWESOME IS HE?!” 

Praying the Lord continues to bless each one of you and your families. Merry Christmas!!

Advent Foretold Day 20: He Would be Without Sin

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a Son and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. Isaiah 7:14-15

And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Isaiah 53:9

You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed you forever. Psalm 45:2

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

When Jesus was born to woman, He did not come as part man and part God. He was fully man and fully God, the second Person in the Trinity. He was born a helpless human babe, just like you and I were, but He was not a son of Adam. He was not born with a sin nature. His was born in the image of His Father. He was perfect in every way and completely without sin.

Jesus went through the same human development as the rest of us, because He was fully man. He went through the ups and downs of every stage of life. It is hard for me to wrap my head around, but He had to learn how to do things. Here is the One through whom all things were made. He spoke and things happened….big things....like solar systems! He had been from everlasting. But just like the rest of us, He had to learn to roll over, crawl, walk, talk, and feed Himself…all of it. He got to experience parents, little brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and nosey neighbors. He was confronted with ALL facets of human life. He endured suffering, pain, and rejection beyond anything we can imagine. He knows what it is like to go through things. But…and it’s a big but…He did it all without sin.

“Who did no sin, neither was any guile found in His mouth.” 1 Peter 2:22

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

People often speculate on when Jesus knew “to refuse evil and choose good." We know from the following passage that He was completely aware of who He was and who His Father was by the time He was twelve…

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold your father and I have been looking anxiously for You.”
And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”…..And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:40, 45-49, 52

On an aside...I get a kick out of Mary and Joseph being worried about Jesus. They were acting like typical parents.....to the SON OF GOD! Can you imagine the legion of angels He had around Him? You know they were all begging for guard duty! I can picture the Archangel Michael with his sword drawn the whole time, ready to attack anyone or anything that dared to threaten His Lord! 

The verse that began the above narrative is Luke 2:40. I want to take a closer look because we sometimes miss little nuggets in our English translations.

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40
 
The word in this verse for spirit is the Greek word pneuma, which most often used in Scripture to name the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit. And here is what we are told in Isaiah about the Branch/Jesus and the Spirit of the Lord:

"Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord….”Isaiah 11:1-3

Is it possible for us to gain any insights from Scripture regarding Jesus' understanding of good and evil as a little child? The following prophecies give us a clue it was much earlier than twelve years old…

"You are He who brought Me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon My mother’s breasts. Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb." Psalm 22:9-10
 
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a Son and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good." Isaiah 7:14-15
 
Curds and honey were common foods for people to eat in Bible times. They were also the first foods a baby was given to eat as “solid food.” Honey would be given to the baby first. They would then graduate to curds. To paraphrase with that in mind… “He will eat baby food at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.”
   

These verses tell us Jesus would know from the womb, and from a very early age He would know to refuse evil and choose good. Why would this surprise us when His forerunner, John the Baptist, leaped for joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s voice? He was also filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb. So why would anything surprise us as far as what Jesus knew and when He knew it? But here is what we know beyond any doubt…..  our Lamb was without spot or blemish. He was perfect and became sin for us....

He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
But with precious blood, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:19

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. Hebrews 5:9
 
May each day of this Christmas season be a precious gift to you and your family.

God bless you!!

Advent Foretold Day 19: Son of God

I think sometimes as we picture the Nativity, we only picture the sweetness of a baby swaddled and lying in a manger with His mother looking adoringly at her newborn son. This is a true picture, but it was not just a sweet little baby who had been born on that Holy Night…this was our HOLY GOD lying in a manger. This newborn babe was the Creator of the Universe. He was the Maker of heaven and earth.

The sheer magnitude of what was taking place on that night is so overwhelming and awesome. This was God in the flesh. He had entered into His own creation in the most indescribable act of selfless love ever. This was the long planned arrival of the Son of God…. the Savior of the world!

The promise of a Savior had been given in the Garden. Who this person would be was being revealed piece by piece in the Old Testament. The seed of the woman would be descended from Abraham, Jacob, Judah, of the root of Jesse, and of the line of David. It had also been revealed He would sit on the throne of his father David forever. Now we come to the most incredible part of the Messiah's genealogy. The Messiah was the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, entering into His creation as a human babe. It would be the Son of God Who would empty Himself of His glory and majesty and come to redeem us from sin and death and give us eternal life through Him if only we accept Him.

Here are just a few of the glimpses God gives us in the Old Testament of the perfect plan for the Son of God to enter into the Creation and be our Lord and Savior. Below each Old Testament verse is a New Testament verse that confirms or fulfills it….

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son: This day have I begotten Thee. Psalm 2:7

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from THE WAY, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. Psalm 2:11-12

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Me.”John 14:6 

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17

“I, even I, am the LORD (Yehovah), and besides Me there is no savior.” Isaiah 43:11 

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the World. 1 John 4:14

Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His Son’s name? Surely you know! Proverbs 30:4 

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:30-32

Jesus coming in the flesh was not just some prophet or great teacher arriving on the scene to fulfill a special purpose. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it was the Son of God entering His creation in human flesh with the express purpose of being offered as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. This was the Son of God coming to be the atonement for sin that only He could be for man. God is a just and righteous God. Sin must be judged. But, God being a loving and compassionate God did not want anyone to perish. So, He who has existed forever, the eternal God, came down. He set aside His glory and majesty to be a humble servant in order to lay down His life for us. When He came, He was not part human and part God. He was fully human and fully God.

I love this verse where Isaiah describes seeing our Savior on His throne before He left heaven for us:

".........I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." [Isaiah 6:1b]

And John writing about who it was Isaiah had seen:

 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. John 12:41
 

 I truly do no think we will fully grasp the enormity of the sacrifice He made for us until we are standing in the glory of His presence. I do not think we can begin to fathom what  taking on the sins of the world and receiving them upon Himself means. I do not think we can understand what the punishment for those sins cost our precious Savior. And I really do not think we can begin to comprehend the anguish or understand the horrific sorrow experienced by the Son when His Father had to turn His back on Him and forsake Him for the first time in all of eternity as He became sin for us on the cross.  I think in the instant when we see His nail scarred hands and feet, the scars in His forehead from the crown of thorns, ….and don’t forget the pure love and joy shining from His eyes upon seeing us entering His presence…only then will the veil be lifted from our eyes of what was undertaken for us before the first word was spoken on Day One of Creation. 

Jesus was willing to leave heaven, become a man, become that helpless babe lying in a feeding trough, so that he could lay down His life and conquer death that we might live...because He LOVES us!!! I know we will be filled to overflowing with the praise and thankfulness for a Savior Who loves us so much.

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us...1 John 3:16a 

...but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. [Phl 2:7 NASB]

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. First Corinthians 13:12 

“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” Psalm 2:7 

 May the Lord richly bless you and yours this Christmas. I pray we continue to keep the focus on Jesus this Christmas season. Merry Christmas!!