Jesus Is Born

Jesus Is Born—Luke 1 & 2

An angel appeared to a young virgin, an elderly couple was expecting a child, Cesar decided to call a census and shepherds were watching their flocks by night.

Life went on as normal. 

Men and women were getting married.  Shop keepers were opening and closing their stores every day.  Governors were governing.

 

What does divine intervention look like? What happens when God steps in to our lives?

First, it is not noticed by many.

 

An angel appeared to Zechariah and told him his wife Elizabeth would have a child.  This was noticed by some.  First, there was a delay in Zechariah’s return from his service in the Holy place. Only one priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year and his activities while in the Holy of Holies were carefully prescribed. Any delay was cause for concern.  So, the people waited anxiously for Zechariah to come back out from his service in the Holy place.

Then when he came out, he could not speak.  He was mute.

Because of these two things, those present knew that something had happened.

An angel also appeared to Mary.  No one knew about this unless Mary told them.

Not many people notice when God intervenes.

Also, not many believe. There is always another explanation.

Joseph apparently did not believe Mary. We do not know what Mary told Joseph, but we are told that he was going to break their engagement quietly when he found out she was pregnant. God stepped in and had an angel tell Joseph.  To his great credit, Joseph believed the angel and thus also Mary.

Mary’s pregnancy was not national news. It would have been if people would have believed that she was a virgin, but the fact that she was pregnant was proof that she was not a virgin in their minds.

When Luke set out to make a record of the things that occurred he said, “Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.”[i] (Luke 1:3-4, NLT)

Notice he is writing a careful account so that we can be certain of the truth. John also wrote so that we can believe, (John 20:31) but many do not believe. 

Many scoff at our belief.

What about Mary? Do you suppose that the people around her would have scoffed if she maintained she was a virgin with her belly protruding, obviously pregnant?

When God intervenes; not many notice, not many believe and many are engaged in more important things.

I said that Mary’s pregnancy was not national news. Those that made national news were engaged in things that seemed much more important than the events in the lives of a single family from Nazareth.

Take Quirinius for example.  He was governor of Syria. He was important. And yet, if he were not mentioned by name in Luke’s account I would not know his name. I cannot even name the governor of Syria Today. Actually, Syria has a president and I looked him up on Google, but as important as he is - he does not figure very large in my daily life.

The Roman emperor, Augustus, was a news maker.  He was a history maker, and those who are interested in history can read about him to this day.  He was much too important to take note of a baby born in a far off vassal state. 

However, Augustus was not too important to issue a decree requiring a census.  When the emperor needs money he collects taxes.  There are important things to be done; roads to be built, battles to be fought, water, sewer and sanitation to take care of, important things like that.

God used these events and people, but Divine intervention did not happen through these important events and through these important people.

For those who are waiting and watching it is easy to notice, easy to believe and nothing could be more important.

The important people played a role of which they were unaware. If Cesar had not decreed a census, Mary would have had her child at home in Nazareth. Such a thing never entered into the mind of Cesar. His decisions were based on his own concerns and desires.

In this case, Divine intervention was the ordering of events. In the normal working out of daily life, seemingly unrelated details were coming together for God’s plan. It had been prophesied the promised Messiah would be called a Nazarene, or so Matthew interprets it in Matthew 2:23. And at the same time, it was prophesied that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

As for prophesy, there were many that were fulfilled.

It was prophesied that the Messiah would spend some time in Egypt.  It was prophesied that the mothers of Bethlehem would weep and refuse to be comforted. These prophesies were fulfilled through the megalomania of Herod.

These prophesies described the madness of evil and sin, but Divine intervention was not found in these.  Divine intervention occurred in spite of the evil intentions of sin twisted humanity.

Most of humanity had no idea that something important was happening. And yet Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah knew that something incredible was taking place.

The wise men from the east had figured something out. The stars in the sky gave enough of a signal that they were able to figure out that something incredible was happening.

Simeon was a devout and righteous man.  He knew immediately that God had stepped in to save mankind.

Anna was a prophet and she also recognized, believed and took to telling everyone who would listen.

For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, divine intervention is easy to see and recognize.

We tend to look to great people and scientific facts as our basis for determining what to believe and what is important.

Science is observation.  It does not disprove the virgin birth.  It can only observe that Mary did not have relations with a man, and yet she was pregnant.  We start with the assumption that this cannot happen. This is the most common problem with belief in Divine intervention.  We should not be naïve or gullible, but neither should we be callus or hard-hearted. Science is important, but it is not God. We do not know everything.  We are in a constant state of discovery, and this is the role of science. When God intervenes, it is by nature outside the purview of science. By all means, gather all the facts, but do not explain away facts because it is “impossible.”

Also, great people are not God. Everyone tends to have heroes. For some, it is Dr. Phil or Oprah.  For me there has been a progression.  I like preachers.  In my high school and college years it was John MacArthur.  Then it was Chuck Swindoll . Then it was John Piper.  Now, the only one I still listen to when I have a chance is Swindoll.  Do not misunderstand me.  These are great men, but they are just men. I have found that it is okay to disagree with them on any subject if I find the Bible teaches differently. 

God chooses and elevates people, but they are just people.  The one to look to is God.

Look at the people God chooses.

There were shepherds that kept sheep on the hills outside of Bethlehem. It was to these common laboring men that the hosts of heaven made their announcement.

The baby was born of noble people.  Joseph and Mary were descendants of David, an ancient and noble king whose line carried the promise of a throne. Joseph and Mary were also common people. Joseph was a carpenter, and his family was the family of a carpenter.

It is the Baby born of these noble, common people that we worship today as Savior and Lord.

Look with me at the announcement that the angel made to the shepherds:

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “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! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12, NLT)

“…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!

The Scriptures tell us that He is “God with us.”

This was and is the most significant Divine intervention ever and He was born in a cow’s home and used the cow’s feeding trough for a bed, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Isaiah says, “Who has believed our message?  To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?” (Isaiah 53:1, NLT)

He was talking about this birth of the Baby in the manger.  This birth was the Lord revealing His powerful arm.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 says:

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.” (NLT)

What do you consider important? Is there a man or men you are following? Are you too busy to notice what God is doing?

For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, divine intervention is easy to see and recognize.

Do you see it in the Baby born in Bethlehem? Do you see it in the shepherds and the wise men? Do you see it in and through you in your daily life?

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[i] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

He Dwelt Among Us

God has spoken.

He spoke to Abraham in visions, dreams, and even visited him in the form of a man.

Moses was a man who grew up in ancient Egypt. He was educated by the Egyptians, but his people were slaves in Egypt. When he was 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his own people.  Moses killed the Egyptian.  When Pharaoh heard about what Moses had done, Moses had to flee for his life.

He ended up herding sheep in the wilderness for 40 years. At the end of those 40 years, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. God spoke to Moses, and Moses was never the same.

Moses was chosen by God to communicate God’s law to His people. As a result, Moses spent time on the mountain alone with God. God revealed a small part of His glory to Moses, and it was enough to cause Moses’ face to shine so that others could not endure looking upon it.

Hebrews 1:1 says, “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.”[i] (NLT)

But does God speak to us today?

In John chapter 1, we will see that God still speaks to you and me through His Son.

John 1:14 says, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (NLT)

Words are what we use to communicate.  Words express our thoughts, our desires and draw the picture for others of what is in our inner world.

When John says, “So the Word became human,” what does He mean?  How is it that Words can take on flesh and blood and become human?

Going back to Hebrews 1 verse 1, let’s read it again, but this time we will include verses 2 and 3:

¹Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. ²And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. ³The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. (NLT)

Here we see that the God who spoke with Abraham and Moses has spoken to us through His Son.  His Son “radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God.”  The Son expresses God’s very thoughts and shows us a picture of what is going on in God’s inner world, as far as we are able to comprehend it.

John chapter 1 verses 1 through 3 say:

¹In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He existed in the beginning with God. ³God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. (NLT)

John is speaking of the Son of God as “the Word.”

Many of you have heard of the Greek idea of “logos” being the principle of logic. Led by the Holy Spirit, John appeals to the Greek or philosophical mind. But, there is so much more to this idea of the “Word” being with God, than just a principle of logic.

Proverbs uses the idea of Wisdom in the following way.  In chapter 1 verse 20 through 24 Proverbs says:

²⁰Wisdom shouts in the streets.

She cries out in the public square.

²¹She calls to the crowds along the main street,

to those gathered in front of the city gate:

²²“How long, you simpletons,

will you insist on being simpleminded?

How long will you mockers relish your mocking?

How long will you fools hate knowledge?

²³Come and listen to my counsel.

I’ll share my heart with you

and make you wise.

²⁴“I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.

I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. (NLT)

Wisdom is seen here as a person, calling out to the foolish and the simpleminded.

The “Word” in John chapter 1 is also portrayed as a person. We are told quite plainly that the “Word” was both with God and was God at the same time.

The significance then of the Word becoming human is that the Word is God, and as God He is uniquely the communication or expression of all that God is. He is much more than the principle of logic or organization behind and supporting all creation.  He is a person. He is the revelation of God.  He is Word that is living, breathing and tangible.

John 1:14 tells us that he “made his home among us.”  Like wisdom calling out in the street for humanity to pay attention, God made Himself as available as possible.  In a letter he wrote John says, “…We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands.” (1 John 1:1, NLT)

Do you want to know what God is like?

Has God spoken?

The answer is the Word that became human, took on flesh and bone.

John 1:14 says of Him, “…we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (NLT)

What does it mean to have seen His glory?

In Mark 9:2-4 there is this account:

…Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. ⁴Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. (NLT)

Through this report we understand that Jesus possessed within His body a glory that we cannot understand.  This glory was somehow veiled.  We understand from Philippians 2:7 that He emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant.  Yet He remained fully God and was able on this occasion to let it be known that He had a glory that was not of this earth.

There is another glory that Jesus shows to us.  The story of His suffering, trial and death is a glory of a different sort.  Isaiah says of Him, “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7, NLT)  Those that were with Him on the last night, said that he sweat drops of blood in anticipation of what was coming.  He prayed that He would not have to go through it, but surrendered His will to the will of His Father.

Through His surrender Isaiah tells us, “When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.” (Isaiah 53:11, NLT)  Philippians 2:10 tells us that because of what He did, every knee in heaven and on earth will bow and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.

In His sacrifice, we still see His glory displayed.

Does God speak?

Yes, every day.

He stands on the street corners and calls out to all who will listen.

He uses billboards that say Jesus saves.  He uses crosses painted on signs and church buildings that give testimony to the gathering of believers.  And, in great number and with great force He uses human beings – human beings who like His Son have flesh and blood.

The story of Christmas is about the incarnation.  That is our big word for the day.  “Carne” is meat.  “Incarnation” means taking on meat.  Most translations of John 1:14 say that the Word became flesh.  Flesh is meat.  This is a base or vulgar expression of what happened.  And, it brings it down to earth.

The Baby in the manger was God taking on flesh.  It was the very real and practical working out of what John says about the Word becoming human.

We have the record of Jesus’ glory, person, words and works to help us understand.  But even more, we have the Holy Spirit.  Through the Holy Spirit we are given the mind of Christ.  He is the first born of many.  Each human that accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior has a part in God speaking.

God speaks through you and me.

When we tell others of the Baby in the manger and what He has done for us, God is speaking through us. The Word is still alive and active.  He is in our hearts, in our mouths and in our lives.

We each show His glory as much as we surrender our will to His.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, it shows His glory.

If you do not know Jesus this way, can I just say, “God is talking to you right now?”  Will you listen?  He wants to have a relationship with you.  That is why He sent His son.  All you have to do is say, “Yes God.”  That is all any of us need to do.

Will you?

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[i] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

The Beginning of the Gospel

  

In Jack London’s novel, The Sea Wolf, we meet a man who is completely materialistic, a hedonist and without morals.  He is Captain Wolf Larson; the captain of a sailing ship that hunts seals and takes them for their furs.  The crew lives in terror of the captain because as his name suggests, he is a beast.  He is intelligent, crafty and extremely strong.

He has read Darwin and believes that all life rose up out of a primordial soup.  He compares life to a yeast that grows and moves and struggles to survive.  Life to Wolf is cheap.  The law of supply and demand says that there is an abundant supply of life so it is of little value.  It one sailor dies there is another to take his place. According to Wolf, animals and men alike eat each other to survive.

The Sea Wolf is not a Christmas story.

Through the mouth of Wolf Larson, the author raises up many arguments against the existence of God. He strikes hard at hope, purpose and anything that could be called a reason for living.

Most of us do not live with a Wolf Larson that violently assaults our lives every day.  However, we do live in a world where hardship, struggles, sickness and injury are inescapable. These experiences can and do assault our hope and sometimes even our reason for living.

Today, we will see from the book of Mark that we have reason for hope, a reason for living and great purpose in life.  Today’s story is true, not made up like Wolf Larson.  It is the story of Christmas. 

Mark 1:1 says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”[i] (ESV)

Mark says, “The beginning of the gospel.” “Gospel” means “good news.” Mark, who wrote in Greek, used the word “euangelion” which means “good news.”

Speaking of the ministry of Jesus, Matthew in his account quotes Isaiah saying, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”[ii] (Matthew 4:16, NLT)

The story of Christmas, the story of Jesus, is good news.

The whole world remains in the grip of darkness wherever this story is not known.  The shadow of death hangs over every place where this good news is lacking. The light that dispels the darkness is the “good news.”

The “good news” is about, concerning and belongs to Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. To understand the nature of this connection, let’s unpack what and who we are talking about.

Jesus is His given name. 

It is the English name derived from changing the Greek alphabet letters into English letters.  Jesus was a Jew.  His name was given in Hebrew.  It is the same name as the hero of the conquest of Canaan, Joshua. Pronounced something like “yeshua,” the Greeks transliterated it as “iesous.” In Spanish it becomes “Jesus,” in Japanese “iesu” and in English “Jesus.” The meaning of the name is “God saves.”

Christ is not His name. 

He is Jesus the Christ.  Christ is again taken from the Greek.  The Hebrews, or Jews, call him the Messiah or “Mašíaḥ.” The Greeks translated this as “Xristos.”

The meaning of the word is “the anointed one.” For example, when God chose David to be king of Israel he sent the prophet Samuel to “anoint” David.  Oil was poured on David’s head symbolizing God’s choice of this one to be King. When we say, “Jesus Christ,” we are saying that Jesus is the one chosen by God to be both Savior and King.

Mark says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Jesus Christ is made known to us a little more by the phrase, “the Son of God.”

He is the Son of God.

This makes an assumption.  The Bible assumes that God is.  The Bible claims for itself that it is God’s revelation of Himself to us. (2 Timothy 3:16) As God speaks to us, He assumes that He exists. 

When I speak to a person, I generally will try to get their attention first, but that is as far as I go in defending my existence. I assume that the other person knows I exist; although, this assumption has proven wrong at times.

God does not neglect the subject of His existence entirely.  He says, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.” (Romans 1:19, NLT) God does try to get our attention, a star, angels singing to shepherds and that sort of stuff.

The questions Jack London raises through his portrayal of Wolf Larsen arise out of the darkness that comes from not knowing the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Purpose, meaning and hope come first from knowing the God who made us.

Before Jesus Christ, the world was in darkness.  Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (ESV) It is Jesus who has made God known to us. This is a significant part of the meaning of him being called “the Son of God.”

Mark 1 is telling us about the beginning of Jesus making God known to us.  First, the way had to be prepared before Him.  Mark 1:2 says, “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.” (NLT)

I understand that in ancient days in some places, when a king traveled, he would send a messenger ahead to prepare the way. Even in the present day, before the president or pope visit a city there are many preparations that generally take place.  Many of the preparations are for security and safety. Preparations are made for transportation, accommodations, meals, communication and staff.

Nothing is left to chance.

Mark tells us that John the Baptist was the messenger sent ahead to prepare the way. God’s anointed one, His own Son was coming.

There were two elements to the preparation that John was sent to do.

First, he preached a baptism of repentance. Mark 1:4 says, “He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.” (NLT)

Repentance is the translation of a Greek word “μετάνοια.” The historian Josephus defined the word as speaking of “the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds.”[iii]

Repentance is important in preparing the way for Jesus Christ, because one must first realize that there is a God, and that He has been offended.

The strange thing about the human psyche is that although we might struggle with a guilty conscience, we still have trouble seeing ourselves as sinners, bad or evil.  Evil and bad people exist, but externally.  The evil is never me, myself or I.  There is evil in the world, but never in me.

In order to be prepared for the good news of Jesus Christ, it is necessary for me to recognize that the problem between God and me is me. I have to change my mind about the darkness in the world, and realize that I need a Savior because the darkness is in me.

After this repentance has taken place, we are ready for the second part of the preparation. John the Baptist proclaimed the Good News.

Mark 1:7-8 says:

⁷John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” (NLT)

We have already spoken of the greatness of Jesus. 

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3, NLT) And, as we humble ourselves before Him in repentance we find that, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

This is a remarkable part of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is preparation, but it requires nothing on our part.  Once the repentance and calling of God is done, He takes over.

Jesus told us, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11, NLT) According to Jesus, the greatest man who ever lived said of himself, “I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.” (Mark 1:7, NLT)

Jesus takes us just as we are and transforms us.  2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that if any person is in Christ he is a new creature.  This happens as a result of this baptizing by the Holy Spirit to which John the Baptist points. We cannot add even one little bit.  If John the Baptist was not worthy to even untie the Son of God’s sandals, neither are we.

But here is the wonderful thing, when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit; we are made children of God.  We become heirs with Jesus.  He is the first born among many. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (NLT) 

We are all sons and daughters of God in Christ Jesus.

This baptizing by the Holy Spirit that Jesus does opens us to the light.  1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us that we have the mind of Christ. The whole world lies in darkness, without hope, without purpose, without a reason for living, but the Holy Spirit brings hope, purpose and a reason for living.  We have, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, the Son of God living within us.

When we face hardship, struggles, sickness and injury we can face them with hope because of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is why believers the world over are now preparing their hearts and homes to celebrate the Advent of the Son of God into our world.

This is the ONE of whom the Apostle John said, “¹⁰He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ¹¹He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. ¹²But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:10-12, NLT)

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[i] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[iii] http://biblehub.com/greek/3341.htm