Merry Christmas! I found this Christmas Blessing while blogging year and really loved the sentiments it contained. May you know the blessings of Peace that Jesus brings, John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” May you see your Hope in Him, 1 Peter 3:15 “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” May you feel the Sprit of His Love, 1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” May you have the Comfort of Faith in Jesus,2 Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”
All of these gifts complete the circle of our Advent Wreath as we light the Christ candle on Christmas Eve or morning proclaiming His birth. May you find His Love, Comfort, Hope and Peace in Jesus. May you rejoice in the arrival of Jesus and claim the JOY God has for you.
On this 4th Sunday before Christmas, we light the peace candle. The candle we lit on the First Sunday of Advent was the prophecy candle which symbolized the hope the coming Messiah brings to mankind. The second was the Bethlehem candle which reminded us of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. The third candle symbolized the Shepherd’s joy at the birth of the Messiah. Today we light the Angel candle symbolizing the message given to the angels which was one of “Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men.” Because today is Christmas Eve we will also light the final white center candle which speaks of the arrival of the Messiah, the Christ child.
Rejoice today as you worship and sing carols. Ponder the blessings of hope, joy and peace that come to us because of God’s mercy and grace in sending Jesus as our Savior. Here is Psalm 130 which speaks of our cries to God for mercy as we realize our own sin. The answer rests with the Lord and His mercy towards us in sending Jesus.
From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. 2 Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.
3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.
5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. 6 I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. 8 He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.
Thank you Lord for your unfailing mercy and love. Thank you for sending Jesus to redeem me from every kind of sin. Thank you Lord that You have everything under your control. I will trust in You.
Today we see the shepherds actions following the appearance of the angels and their announcement of Messiah’s birth. Luke 2:15-20
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
How do you react to having a story, message or expectation confirmed? The shepherds were forever changed as they had seen God incarnate. They were praising and glorifying God, telling everyone they could find. Having your faith confirmed or bolstered is an exhilarating experience that continues in your heart and mind as your life goes on. You are forever changed as faith takes hold of your very being. Knowing and encountering Jesus does that to a person. He changes your very being and comes to dwell within you. That is an additional meaning to “God with us.” Paul describes this phenomena in Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” and he continues in verse 11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
Where do you see God in this scene? God appeared through the angels and drew the shepherds to Bethlehem to encounter His son. God draws us too as He wants us to see and meet Jesus for ourselves. God confirmed His words as they saw exactly what God said they would. God keeps His promises. An encounter with Jesus will change a person! Mary was changed as she soaked in all the events. I’m sure the shepherds told others continually of their own encounter with God’s messengers and His message to them. This would have confirmed her faith and what she herself had been told by the angel. God’s effect on the shepherds shows His power and might. His transforming power and sovereignty.
Will you be open to God’s transformation this Christmas? Look with faith upon the manger this year and seek a personal encounter with Jesus. He will transform you, guarenteed!
What would be your reaction to the appearance of the angels and the multitude of heavenly hosts praising God in the middle of your work day? Amazement, curiosity, hope, awe, or all of these? We can only imagine what these humble shepherds experienced and felt. The Bible records part of their reaction in Luke 2:14-15.
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
The shepherds knew this was a momentous occasion and that God was pleased. God desired to bring peace and goodwill to all mankind through this babe, His Son. Their interest was piqued about the child. So they decided to leave their flocks and go into Bethlehem and find this child.
Having been to Bethlehem the distance from the fields at that time to the place where Christ was born was not very far. Shepherds grazed their flocks in the fields adjacent to the town. Their journey probably took less than an hour so they knew they would not be leaving their flocks for very long to go and see this child that the Lord had announced to them. Trusting God they took this journey of faith to see this long foretold Messiah sent from God to save them.
Where do you see God in this scene? The heavenly host of angels proclaim God’s glory and power. He alone could cause angels to appear and announce the arrival of His Son. We also see personal God who comes to individuals bring hope and purpose. God gave the shepherds a desire to visit and see for themselves this marvelous event. We see this in our own lives repeatedly. God has a hand in events in our lives and causes us to be surprised, filled with hope and wonder at His power. Likewise, He is personal to each of us and provides those nudges to do the right thing, be surprised at life, and filled with hope in Jesus.
May you be surprised anew this season and see Jesus as God draws you to himself.
Who would visit Baby Jesus first? It was not kings or officials but lowly shepherds. God provided these humble men with a special messenger accompanied by a heavenly host of angels. I can’t even imagine the wonder and amazement these men must have experienced. The scene is recorded in Luke 2:8-14.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
What a marvelous sight filled with light and the glorious voices of a multitude of angels! God wanted to announce to the world that His son had arrived on earth. As with Mary, Joseph and Zachariah the appearance of a heavenly being produced fear. But again, the heavenly messenger said, “Do not fear”. The message was all good and glorious. They were given directions on where to find the new born baby. Being Jews, they would have known the prophesies concerning the Messiah who would come someday to save His people. Learning that today was the day for this to happen, peaked their interest and they decided to go and see this child for themselves.
What do we learn about God from this event? God was overjoyed that His Son had arrived and it brought Him glory. He knew that the way to redemption and salvation for all mankind was to be at through His Son. God desires that we be His people and He be our God. He told the Israelites repeatedly. Exodus 6:7 “I will take you to bemypeople, and I willbeyour God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” In 2 Corinthians 6:16 Paul writes, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple ofthelivingGod; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 1 Timothy 4:10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on thelivingGod, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” God desired a relationship with mankind and loved us so much that He sent Jesus to accomplish this. Amazing! To God be the glory!
It is not yet Christmas Eve and we have arrived at the scripture where Jesus is born. The actual birth of Jesus is recorded in Luke 2:6-8. “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
What amazes you about these simple verses of facts? 1. Mary made it to Bethlehem and gave birth to Jesus in a sheltered and safe place. The place regarded as the the exact spot is a cave inside a grotto where animals were kept. It is a place that causes one to see first hand the providence of God in providing such a safe, warm and cozy place for Jesus to enter the world.
2. There was no room in an inn when Mary and Joseph arrived and God provided a stable where they could deliver the baby and be together. 3. Place God provided was large enough for the shepherds to come and visit and not disturb anyone else.
Many times the provisions God gives do not make complete sense to us. We feel maybe they are lacking in some way, however, God sees the entire picture. He knew many shepherds would come to visit. He knew exactly what Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus needed. Perhaps a truth from this scene should be God knows and God provides. He is all wise and sovereign in all things. Can I trust Him to provide for me? Here are some verses to ponder and hold close to your heart about God the provider.
Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 34:9 “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”
1 Corinthians 2:9” But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
Remember from our discussions about Joseph’s character, he was a law abiding man who sought to do the right thing. It is natural that he would feel compelled to go to Bethlehem for the census as it was required by the governing law of the land, and they were under Roman rule. Why they had to go to their ancestral home had to do with families, tribes, or clans. David was of the tribe of Judah. 1 Samuel tells us Samuel went to Jesse’s father as directed by God to anoint one of his sons the next king after rejecting Saul. The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Here we see Jesse, David’s father, was from Bethlehem which was considered David’s home town. Here our story continues in Luke 2:1-5.
Luke 2:1-5 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, “to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.“
God is a god of details and all prophesies about Messiah were fulfilled exactly as He said. Micah 5:2 reveled several hundred years before that the coming Savior would be born in Bethlehem. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” God orchestrated the moving of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem at this exact time to fulfill this prophesy. Jesus was of the line of David and was to be born in Bethlehem just as scripture said.
Was this easy? No, I would say that traveling by donkey when 9 months pregnant was very uncomfortable and difficult. Sometimes God asks us to to hard things for Him. Traveling by donkey or walking would have been a challenge but God was with them. Mary did not have the child until they arrived in Bethlehem and even then as we will see a place was made for them to stay. God provided exactly what they needed. We can take heart in this too. God will not call us to do something and then leave us alone. He has promised to be with us 24/7 and we can claim that promise.
I love Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” The them for the Israelites were the enemies they would face as they sought to take possession of the land God had promised. The them for Mary and Joseph was the hard journey and problems with accommodations. They undoubtedly suffered from the heat, weariness, being physically uncomfortable and fear of robbers along the way. The them for us can be any problem we face that seems overwhelming and beyond what we can deal with. God promises to be with us and never leave us nor forsake us. He did it for David when he met Goliath, for the Israelites when entering the new land of Canaan, for Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem and He will do it for you and me. Step out in faith today and claim this promises. God always keeps His promises.
Yesterday I looked into Joseph being the right man for God at the right time. His character was godly and he cared deeply for Mary and did not want to damage her reputation. God affirmed Mary in his eyes as He revealed to him the child was to be of God and that they together had a mission to perform for Him. Today’s passage looks at the vision God gave Joseph and the reassurances he needed to step out in faith and trust in God alone. Matthew 1:20-25
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Joseph was considering what to do about their situation and God’s timing was perfect when He appeared to him in a dream. He assured him it was right to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. He assured him that the child was of God and they would call him Jesus. The baby was the fulfillment of scripture concerning the virgin birth from Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Joseph, being a godly Jew, would have been familiar with this prophesy concerning the coming Messiah. God also gave him a significant reasons to move forward, as this coming child would be God coming down to them. He would be dwelling with them physically and He would save them from their sins. Joseph was convinced and trusted God to work out all the details. He got up and did what the angel said and too Mary as his wife. Out of respect for God and the baby Mary was carrying, he waited to make Mary fully his wife until she had delivered Jesus.
God had His hand upon Joseph in a mighty way. He assured him, guided his thoughts, affirmed the truth of the situation but left the commitment to Joseph. God wants us to desire to serve Him with our whole heart, mind, will and devotion. Joseph stepped up and followed through for God. How about you? Do you lack commitment and resolve in godly matters? Ask God for reassurance and to speak to your thoughts and affirm what you are to do. Then stepping out will be easier than you think.
Today is the lighting of the third candle in the Advent wreath. It is called the Shepherd’s candle and represents joy. During the lighting the story is told of the angels appearing to the shepherds announcing the birth of the Christ child and where He could be found. Joy is contagious and once the arrival of the Messiah was proclaimed the shepherds wanted to find the child and worship Him. May you feel that same joy today and may it draw you closer to the Savior.
This next week we will be riding to Bethlehem on a donkey, be looking for room at an inn, seeing shepherds in their fields and rejoicing with angels. Here are some words of JOY for today as we worship.
Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Luke 2:10 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
Romans 10:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
May we be filled with the joy of the Lord today as we continue to anticipate the coming of the Christ child who brought freedom from bondage to sin through His life, death and resurrection.
Joseph, at last we get to his part of the story. His genealogy is presented by Matthew in Chapter 1. He was of the line of David, as was Mary. It was foretold that Jesus would come from the line of David although it was not known until his birth that it would be a miraculous birth. Matthew lists Joseph’s father as being a descendent in David’s line. Matthew 1:16-17 “and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” It was important for Matthew begin with Jesus’ birth line as prophecy specifically said the Messiah would come from David’s line and be born in Bethlehem, David’s ancestral home. Both of these were true of Jesus “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micha 5:2 With this beginning, Matthew establishes Jesus’ credibility through Joseph’s story recorded in Matthew 1:18-21.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
What can we tell about Joseph from this story? He was a believing Jew who sought to please God by following the law. He was also a compassionate man as he did not want to expose Mary, the girl he loved, to public reticule. He was a thinker, slow to react and not prone to rash decisions. Isn’t that the kind of person you would like to know and be associated with? Joseph was steady and reliable, seeking to do what was kind and right.
What can we tell about God from Joseph’s story? The Lord knew he was not a rash, impulsive man and would deliberate about the consequences of his actions. He allowed him time to think and consider before revealing the true nature of Mary’s condition. God sent an angelic messenger in a dream to Joseph to impress upon his mind that which he should do. God cleared her name and character in Joseph’s mind. God gave him a godly reason and mission by being the future father of the Messiah. God did not tell him everything, m but enough to convince him that marrying Mary was the right thing to do. How like God to give motivation and assurance to activate Joseph’s faith and cause Joseph to trust in Him.
God is always trustworthy and He keeps all His promises.
Fearless Living 