THE SCANDALOUS DECLARATION

Christmas shatters any idea that God is some kind of vengeful tyrant bent on smiting any who fail to live up to His expectations. The image of a harsh, punishing deity is contradicted when we discover that our God was incarnated in a baby in Bethlehem's manger.

What we realize with the birth of Jesus is that God is a loving person who was willing to give up power in order to express His love. At Christmas we are reminded, as it says in the second chapter of Philippians, that the same God who had the power to toss the galaxies into outer space and set electrons spinning in inner space loved us enough to set aside all that power in order to show that love.

Soren Kierkegaard, the nineteenth-century theologian and philosopher, once told the story of a prince who had fallen in love with a peasant girl. This prince knew that if he presented himself to her with all of his royal trappings, she would be overawed by him. His power and majesty would render her incapable of freely choosing to love him. Knowing this, the prince took off his royal garments, set aside his crown, and dressed himself as a peasant. He became a peasant in her eyes, so that in this guise she could choose to love him or not, for his own sake.

So it was with God at that first Christmas. If He had not been willing to put His power "on hold," loving Him would be impossible. We would not have the freedom needed to choose love if our God powerfully controlled everything. If all that we thought and did was under the control of His power, then love, freely given, would not be possible.

The good news is that 2,000 years ago, our God showed us His love by emptying Himself of power and coming into the world as a vulnerable infant child. The scandalous declaration of Christians is that the Bethlehem child is none other than the creator God, having become one of us. There is no greater love than this! 

-- Tony Campolo (1935-2024)

#6014

AN INEXPRESSIBLE AND GLORIOUS JOY

Everyone is looking for joy. Marketing companies know this. Every commercial [and internet ad] promises the same product: joy. Want some joy? Buy our hand cream. Want some joy? Sleep on this mattress. Want some joy? Eat at this restaurant, drive this car, wear this dress…

Joy. Everyone wants it. Everyone promises it. But can anyone deliver it? It might surprise you to know that joy is a big topic in the Bible. Simply put: God wants His children to be joy-filled. Just like a father wants his baby to laugh with glee, God longs for us to experience a deep-seated, deeply rooted joy.

The joy offered by God is different than the one promised at the car dealership or shopping mall. God is not interested in putting a temporary smile on your face. He wants to deposit a resilient hope in your heart. He has no interest in giving you a shallow happiness that melts in the heat of adversity. But he does offer you a joy: a deep-seated, heart-felt, honest-to-goodness, ballistic strong sense of joy that can weather the most difficult of storms.    

Peter referred to this joy in the opening words of his epistle: “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 end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (I Peter 1:8-9) 

-- Max Lucado

#6013

JOY AND SORROW

“An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”  (Matthew 1:20-23 NKJV)

Grief is particularly difficult at Christmas, as the best memories can be the hardest ones. But the hope of Christmas is broad enough for joy and sorrow.

The strangeness and scandal of the season get easily lost in its familiar rituals. In Christian belief, the boundless, timeless God became, in J.B. Phillips’s phrase, one of those “crawling creatures of that floating ball.” …it is the central tenet of an enduring faith. Instead of setting out a philosophy to interpret the human drama, God joined it. He became “God with us” -- a God with a face. In the process, He both shared and dignified ordinary human life, with all its delight, boredom and suffering. The Christmas story revels in this blasphemous elevation of the ordinary -- a birth in second-rate accommodations under a cloud of illegitimacy.

The story is also shadowed by sorrow. In one of the odder moments of the narrative, a random stranger at the Jerusalem Temple predicts a mother’s grief. “A sword,” Simeon tells Mary, “shall pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35). As it did. As it has for many mothers and fathers who have followed.

The point of Christmas is not a sentimental optimism about the human condition or even a teaching about the will of God. It is an assertion that God in Christ came to our rescue, and holds our hand, and becomes, at the worst moments, our brokenhearted brother. It is preposterous, unless it is true. And then it would be everything. 

-- Michael Gerson in “The Washington Post,” December 24, 2012

#6012

A JOY THAT LASTS

“But the angel reassured [the shepherds]. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’”  (Luke 2:10-11 NLT)

“Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry Heart prepare Him room,
And Heav'n and nature sing.”  (Isaac Watts)

The problem with Christmas is that January comes. Reality returns. However joyful Christmas makes you, you can’t live in December for ever.

But imagine if Christmas could be rescued from the stress or sadness of just getting through Christmas. Imagine if January could be rescued from the disappointment if your joy was in getting to Christmas. Imagine if there were a joy that lasted -- that endured through January and wasn’t dented by reality. That kind of joy would be worth finding, wouldn’t it?

And Christmas does offer that kind of joy. It’s to be found, very simply, in getting it. Not in grasping hold of the commercial version of Christmas -- the tinsel, the tree, and the traditions -- but grasping hold of the events and the meaning of the first Christmas.

The people who experienced that first Christmas and understood its meaning found a joy that did not fade. So can you. Whether you’re a get-to-er or get-through-er, if you get the meaning of the first Christmas this Christmas, then you’ll get the feeling of joy, and find it’s a feeling that lasts. 

-- Carl Laferton in “Rescuing Christmas: The Search for Joy that Lasts”

#6011

WHERE’S JESUS?

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  (Matthew 1:23 NKJV)

When our daughter was a toddler, we made the mistake of putting our wooden Nativity set under the Christmas tree where she could easily reach it. One day I noticed that Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men were all looking lovingly down at an empty manger. Baby Jesus was missing! I started looking all over the house for the Messiah. The King of Kings was nowhere to be found.

I noticed our daughter’s little yellow Fisher Price school bus in the corner. Looking inside, I could see that the bus had the usual passengers -- the bald Fischer Price doctor, the construction worker with his little hardhat, a policeman, a mommy pushing a baby carriage, and the bus driver. They were all smiling in their places; but there in the third seat back was Baby Jesus with a big smile on His face, too. I was struck with the realization that my tiny child had solved the mystery of the Incarnation in her own special way. She seemed to know that Baby Jesus did not come to stay in a manger, but belonged on the bus, hanging out with all the people. Come to think of it, putting the Nativity set under the tree was not a mistake at all.

You want a great exercise for Advent? Take the baby Jesus out of your Nativity set, carry Him to work or school or the coffee shop with you today. People might be whispering about your apparent weirdness, but you will know the real secret. After all, that is where Jesus belongs -- God with us. 

-- Excerpted and adapted from “Come to the Manger” by Robert Kaylor

#6010

MISSING THE POINT

“Then the angel said to [the shepherds], ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”  (Luke 2:10-14 NKJV)

It is Christmas time, and there is no other place on the calendar which can compare with it, no other season which makes its mark on the lives of so many people in so many ways. You can love Christmas, as most of us do, or you can dread it, as some surely do; but you can’t ignore it.

We can, however, miss the center, the point and the issue of the season, which is Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, in our culture, you can very easily miss Him. Warren Lewis overheard a woman on a city bus in England mutter, “O, Lor’! They bring religion into everything.” She pointed to a crèche in front of a church. “Look – They’re dragging it even into Christmas now.”  (William Griffin in “Clive Staples Lewis, a Dramatic Life”) For vast numbers of secular people, Jesus Christ is just that incidental to the Christmas season; so much so that they think of Him, and the religion which bears His name, as an intrusion on their conglomerate of Santa Claus, parties and shopping. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas (1923-2015) in a sermon entitled “Matthew: Christ the Man” 

#6009

RECONCILIATION: THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS – Part 2 of 2

^“All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”  (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV)

According to Charles Wesley, reconciliation is… the message of Christmas:

          Hark the herald angels sing,
          “Glory to the newborn King;
          peace on earth, and mercy mild,
          God and sinners reconciled!”

Jesus came that we might be reconciled to God, and Paul states explicitly that God has called us to share in this ministry of reconciliation. However, there is a word of warning to all would-be reconcilers. True reconciliation is hard work. It takes commitment. It takes unswerving tenacity. The cost to God’s only Son was high. We should refuse to settle for cheap imitations…

As we celebrate Christmas, will we laud and honor Jesus, affirming that He is God incarnate [reconciling the world to Himself] and proclaiming the Good News to others? Will we continue to wait expectantly for His return, living as holy people until the time God appoints for the Second Coming? We as individual believers and as the body of Christ must decide how we will answer these questions, remembering that our answers have eternal significance.

-- Adapted from Kevin Baker in “Hail the Heaven Born” and the companion Leader Guide

#6008

RECONCILIATION: THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS – Part 1 of 2

“Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross…”  (Ephesians 2:13-16 NIV)

God has broken into this world in an astounding story of divinity and humanity that boggles the brain even as it transforms the heart…

In the words of the late Samuel Hines, “God has a one-term agenda, listed in one expressive and inclusive word: reconciliation.”  It is a bold statement. It suggests that God’s intention, purpose, and desire for the world can be captured in this one word.

Reconciliation implies that a relationship has suffered damage. It indicates division exists where there was once harmony. Such division marks all humanity. Through sin and disobedience, we have separated ourselves from God and from one another…

In Christ, through Christ, and with Christ that “dividing wall of hostility” has been torn down. According to Charles Wesley, reconciliation is… the message of Christmas:

          Hark the herald angels sing,
          “Glory to the newborn King;
          peace on earth, and mercy mild,
          God and sinners reconciled!”

 -- Kevin Baker in “Hail the Heaven Born” 

6007

PEACE WITH GOD

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”  (Romans 5:1-2a NIV)

Most Christians are familiar with Philippians 4:6-7 which tells us about the peace of God. Those two verses envision upsetting situations that come into our lives (like loss of job, illness, death of family member). But this is not the peace that Romans 5:1 is talking about. Romans 5 is not referring to the “peace of God,” but to “peace with God.” The idea here is not that we are upset and therefore need to become trusting and more tranquil, but rather that we have been at war with God and He with us, because of our sin, and that peace has nevertheless been provided for us by God -- if we have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ. 

-- Pastor Dave Peters, The Seed Christian Fellowship

#6006

THE MESSAGE OF PEACE

As we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ during this Advent season, let us reflect on Acts 10:36, which says, "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."

This verse reminds us that the message of peace is central to the good news of Jesus Christ. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus came to bring reconciliation and harmony to a world in need. His peace is not just the absence of conflict but a profound sense of well-being and wholeness (shalom) that comes from being in right relationship with God.

During Advent, we are invited to embrace this peace and share it with others. In a world often filled with anxiety and strife, the peace of Christ offers a refuge and a source of strength. It is a peace that transcends circumstances and fills our hearts with hope and joy.

As we journey through Advent, let us remember that the good news of peace is for everyone. Let us be ambassadors of this peace, spreading the message of God's love and reconciliation to all we encounter. Let us celebrate the gift of peace that Jesus brings and commit to being instruments of His peace in our world.

May the peace of Christ dwell richly in our hearts and overflow to those around us.   

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

#6005 

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT RESCUE

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 NLT)

This is what we need to be rescued from -- from the decision each of us have made, and continue to make, to ask Jesus to leave so that we can be the captain of our own soul and the ruler of our own life -- the attitude the Bible calls sin. We need to be rescued from the consequences of our decision.

When you realize this, the first Christmas comes to life, because when you realize this, you read these lines and you feel a deep hope and a dawning of joy: “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”  (Matthew 1:21)

The divine Shepherd-Ruler came. The Magi were right to give Him gold. He showed glimmers of His kingdom and He invited people to join Him and enjoy Him. But He did more than that. He came not just to rule, but to rescue. He came to rescue you from your sin and its consequences.

Christmas is about rescue. It’s a rescue that you and I desperately need, and can wonderfully have. 

-- Carl Laferton in “Rescuing Christmas: The Search for Joy that Lasts”

#6004

ALMIGHTY AND COVENANTAL

“I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.” (Exodus 6:2–3)

There are two names mentioned here. The first is the divine name Yahweh, usually denoted in English translations with the small caps “LORD.” This is the covenantal name the Lord gives to Moses out of the burning bush. There is a reflection of the covenantal transaction in which the covenant begins with the greater party declaring His name. The second name is El Shaddai, or God Almighty. This indicates that God is all-powerful. He is the God who can do anything He wills to do. There is no power greater than Him.

Here is the importance of these names. God is Almighty, and God is Covenantal. If God were only El Shaddai, He would be powerful but would elicit only fear. Seeing Him would be like staring into the face of a tornado that is ripping houses off their foundations.

However, if God were only relational, then we could be comforted by His presence, but we would never know if He was able to do anything about our situation. He would be with us, but He would be impotent to save us.

God is not only El Shaddai, but He is also the covenantal God Yahweh. He is almighty, and He is with us. He comes alongside us to comfort us, and He is able to rescue us. Moses came to the Lord in his darkest hour, and God answered by declaring that He is mighty to save. In the darkest hour of our sin, the Almighty God of the universe heard our plea. He has come near to us in the person of Jesus Christ. The Lord hears our need, and Christ is both with us and mighty to save. 

-- Donny Friederichsen, excerpted from an article entitled “The Names of God”

#6003

THE HOPE-FILLED PROMISES OF THE FATHER

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

As we journey through Advent, let us be inspired by Christ's boldness in proclaiming the astounding benefits of participating in the Christian faith. Just as Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well "living water" that quenches the soul and fills the spirit, we too can confidently share the hope-filled promises of the Father with those we encounter.

To those filled with shame, we can declare, "Grace and forgiveness can come your way." <> To those bound up in destructive habits, we can proclaim, "When the Son sets you free, you'll be free indeed." <> To the weak, we can offer, "Strength from God, the Strength-Giver can be yours for the asking." <> To the weary, we can assure, "Jesus promises rest for your soul." <> To the poor, we can share the richness of spirit. <> To the lacking, we can promise provision in due time. <> To the grieving, we can extend consolation and comfort. <> To the sick and dying, we can offer the hope of eternal life and an eternal home prepared by Christ.

This Advent season, let us be bold in our faith, sharing these limitless offers with confidence and love. May we be vessels of God's promises, bringing hope and joy to all we meet. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources  

#6002

THE THRILL OF HOPE

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 15:13)

"A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."  (from “O Holy Night”)

Does Christmas thrill you?

Children get excited at the coming of the season, and often we might feel a bit of a charge through experiencing their amazement, but the chores we go through to provide that for them are often the very things that rob us from knowing the wonder for ourselves. Plan the party, trim the tree, max out the MasterCard, wrap, ship, take a trip. And that's assuming we aren't one of the multitudes who find themselves with a case of the Holiday Blues.

So if Christ's coming into this world offers hope, and hope, as the song says, provides a thrill, how do we locate that experience amid the distraction and disillusionment of December?...

Might the disconnect have something to do with what we're hoping for or expecting? Max Lucado, in his book “God Came Near,” thinks so: "Hope is not what you'd expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming ending… Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction."  

--  Excerpted from an Advent Devotional by Shawn McEvoy

#6001

O COME, O COME EMMANUEL

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel."  (Isaiah 7:14 NIV)

The hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is a beautiful and haunting plea for the coming of the Messiah. The word "Emmanuel" means "God with us," and this hymn captures the deep longing of God's people for His presence. As we sing this hymn during Advent, we join in the ancient cry for deliverance and hope.

"O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear." This longing cry of Israel is not just historical but also personal. We all experience times of loneliness, exile, and captivity in our lives. Advent is a time to acknowledge these feelings and to turn our hearts towards the hope of Christ's coming.

"O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory o'er the grave." This verse speaks of the victory that Christ brings over sin and death. The "Rod of Jesse" refers to the lineage of David, from which Jesus comes. We are reminded of the power of Christ to save us from the deepest darkness and to give us eternal life.

"O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put to flight." Advent is a season of waiting for the light of Christ to break into the darkness of our world… of our lives. As we sing this verse, we invite Jesus to dispel the darkness within us and to bring His light and joy.

"O come, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery." The ultimate hope of Advent is the promise of eternal life with God. Jesus, the Key of David, opens the way to heaven for us. As we reflect on this verse, we are filled with the hope of our eternal home and the assurance of God's love in Christ.

As we journey through Advent, let the words of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" resonate in our hearts. Whether we sing this Advent carol in worship, or hear it while shopping in the mall, may these words remind us of our deep longing for God's presence and the hope we have in Christ. Let us prepare our hearts to receive Him with joy and anticipation. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources based on selected verses from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

#6000