Jesus Fulfills His Mission

Luke 4:14-21

Has this ever happened to you?  You know that you have a specific job or task to accomplish on a certain day or over a specified period of time, but you get distracted and sidetracked by other things.  The time passes, and the mission you wanted or needed to fulfill only gets partially accomplished, or perhaps not even at all.  Or perhaps you are not really clear in understanding exactly what your mission is, or should be, you’re confused about where to start and what to do, so little gets done.  This was not the problem with the Lord Jesus, as we see in our Scripture today.  As we read in St. Luke’s Gospel, we see that the Lord Jesus had a clear understanding of His mission, and did not waste time in achieving His goal.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus has returned to Galilee following His baptism in the Jordan River in the territory of Judea (vs. 14).  Galilee is where He had grown up and had spent the early years of His adulthood.  Now Jesus returns here, being guided and led by the Holy Spirit, to begin His ministry.  As He traveled around the territory of Galilee He followed the practice that had developed over many years since the return from the Exile, where the men who attended the Sabbath services in the local synagogues were invited to speak and comment on the Scripture readings (vs. 15).

Making His way through Galilee, Jesus made a visit to His own hometown, Nazareth.  Jesus had lived in Nazareth from the age of a young toddler till around the age of 30 when left to be baptized by John the Baptist and commence His ministry.  He did not change His usual custom of attending worship services each week.  As we read, when the Sabbath day came, He went to the synagogue as was His custom (vs. 16).  Regular attendance in worship service was important to the Lord Jesus, and should be for us, as well.  Not only did Jesus attend, but He participated, and took an active part, being engaged with the Scripture.  He studied and knew His Bible, an example we should follow.

At the synagogue service the Lord Jesus was given the Scripture scroll that contained the Book of Isaiah, and He promptly found the passage of Isaiah 61:1-2, which He read to those assembled in attendance (vs. 17-19).  After reading the Scripture, Jesus handed the scroll back to the attendant.  Everyone was paying attention.  Many there had heard that Jesus was beginning to get a reputation as a good speaker.  Many also knew Jesus from His days of working in the family carpentry shop.  He had not been gone too long, perhaps several months.  The congregation knew Him, His mother, and family.  They wanted to hear what the local young man had to say.  Was the early reputation He was getting true?

As Jesus sat down, He proceeded to make some comments about the passage from Isaiah that He had just read aloud to the congregation.  The first thing that He told them was that this Scripture was now fulfilled, and not just fulfilled in general, but fulfilled in their hearing, in their presence (vs. 20-21).

Jesus knew His mission, the task, the job that He had to do in the next 3 ½ years.  From the passage of Scripture that He read in the synagogue of Nazareth, which He proclaimed to fulfill, His mission was to bring salvation and healing to the people.  He wasn’t confused or in doubt about what He was to be doing, nor did He get sidetracked with other issues, such as local or international politics at the time, or setting about starting a revolution.  Jesus knew His ministry was to proclaim the Gospel of salvation, heal the sick, and bring deliverance to those oppressed by Satan.

As questioned at the start, is there a job, a task, a mission that the Lord has given you to do for Him, to help spread the message of Jesus, but which you have either been sidetracked from doing, or having a difficult time in getting started?  Perhaps you are afraid to get going.  Jesus knew that He would be under attack from the devil, yet He continued.  He knew the Father had called Him, as He heard His commission at His baptism.  Jesus did not get sidetracked when many wanted to make His ministry political and Him a king.  Like Jesus, we need to know our Bibles, and find our inspiration and encouragement from its Words.  Then we can fulfill what the Lord would have us do for Him in our life.

Who's More Important?

I Corinthians 12:12-27

If you were to take a general anatomy quiz where you were to list different parts of the body, most of us could come up with at least a dozen or more.  Heart, lungs, stomach, brain, arms, legs, etc.  These are all very important parts of the body.  If someone were to make a play or movie where different body parts become animated, people might clamor for the role of the brain, the eyes, the heart.  How about the otoconia, the pineal gland, or the sphincter of Oddi?  Are these body parts you would know to put on the quiz, or body parts you would consider playing for the anatomy movie?  We might not consider them too important, but if they are not acting right, we will certainly know!  The same is true with the Body of Christ, as we shall see in our Scripture for today.

In his first letter to the early Christian Church in Corinth, Paul addressed certain problems they were having.  One issue that he dealt with was how some members were thinking that their spiritual gifts, and thus themselves, were more important than other spiritual gifts.  They were thinking that they were more important within the Body of Christ, and more important in their church.  Paul needed to speak on this issue, and to set the Corinthian believers straight.  So he used the analogy of the human body with that of the Body of Christ.

Every part of the human body serves a purpose and is important.  In that imaginary play where the body parts become “alive”, one role that might be greatly sought after might be the eyes.  They are an important body part.  Women use eye makeup to highlight and draw attention to their eyes.  We use special safety goggles at times to keep the eyes especially safe from injury.  Naturally we consider the heart important.  We have many medical tests for the heart, and we consider it the picture of love.

In a similar way, believers in Corinth were considering some spiritual gifts as more important, and thus better, than other ones.  Even though spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit, and He decides who receives what, these believers were seeking the gifts they felt more important, more honored.  They felt the other gifts could be gotten rid of, and those who had those gifts as less important in the church.  Paul compared the spiritual gifts with that of human body parts.  The Apostle said that the hands are not more important than the feet, nor are eyes more important than ears.  Each has a specific job to do, and are equally important.  Without them the body would not function as well.

What about those body parts mentioned earlier, the otoconia, the pineal gland, and the sphincter of Oddi?  If we are thinking like some in the Corinthian Church, we might say that since we have never heard of them, and don’t ever see them, then they are not as important as the heart, the eyes, or the lungs.  Believe me, if we didn’t have these, or they weren’t acting properly, we would notice!  Otoconia are tiny rock-like crystals within our inner ear, and when they are not positioned properly we have severe vertigo.  The pineal gland is about the size of a grain of rice, and is deep within our brain.  It helps to regulate our sleep cycle.  The sphincter of Oddi is a small muscle that controls the flow of digestive juices from the liver and pancreas into the small intestine.  Each of these plays a vital role in our body.  Without them we would have trouble.

It is true that the pastor and Sunday School teachers are important, along with the musicians.  They are noticeable, like the heart or the brain.  They are needed to keep the church functioning.  However, the janitor, those who work in the church kitchen, and those who keep the church vehicles running are just as important, just like the pineal gland.  We all know how out of sorts we get if we can’t sleep properly for several days!

Every Christian plays an important role in the Body of Christ.  We may have different cultural backgrounds, different gifts, and different personalities, but we are filled with the same Spirit, and belong to the same Body of Christ.  He decides which spiritual gifts each one has, and they are all equally important for His Body, the Church, to function properly.

We should be more like the Amish in this regard.  Every so often the Amish will have a barn-raising day.  We might think that a building as big as a barn would take weeks to build.  Not with the Amish.  They get together and put one up in one day because each man, woman, and child has a specific job or task to do, and they do it, cooperating with each other.  They are able to build that barn within one, maybe two days at the most.  Each one is doing their job, and no one is thinking they are more or less important!  That is how the Body of Christ should function.

Seated With Princes

Psalm 113

Have you ever been invited to a dinner where there were many important people attending, important politicians, scientists, or entertainers?  Or perhaps you were in attendance at a very important business meeting, where influential businessmen, educators, or politicians were in attendance.  This is an honor to you.  Still, you might wonder why you were invited to attend, as perhaps you are not anyone of any seeming significance.  Someone thought enough of you to let you be seated with these important and notable dignitaries!  In our psalm for this week we read of a similar situation, where the Lord works such honors for His beloved children.  Let’s take a quick look.

Our psalm, written by an unknown author, encourages us to praise the Lord, which is something that believers should always be doing.  He says that this is something we should do from morning till night, from sun-up to sun down (vs 3).   We don’t need to always have a specific reason to praise God, but our psalm today gives us a few reasons, reasons that we might not always think of.

Our psalmist then describes how Yahweh is high above all nations and the whole universe, which He is the Creator of.  He is exalted above all, and rightly so!   So often in our world, both today and back in Biblical times, when someone holds an exalted position, they do not bother themselves with people in lowly positions.  How often does the CEO of a Fortune 500 company bother himself with the maid who cleans out the office after business hours, or with the maintenance man who keeps the building running?  How often does the King bother with the person who picks up the trash at the palace?  Not too often, if ever!   Yet our Lord is willing to humble Himself to desire to have a relationship with each of us (vs. 4-6).  Not too many people in high positions, with a lot of money and fame, would ever willingly want a relationship with lowly, poor folks.  However, not only does the Lord Jesus want a relationship with everyone, both high and low, He willingly sacrificed His life to save all who accept Him.

Not only does Yahweh want a personal relationship with everyone, including the humble and poor, but He raises us up out of our lowly position, out of both the literal and spiritual dust and ash heap we are in (vs. 7).  And what does the Lord do?  He sits us with princes!   When we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are then adopted by the Father, and become part of His family.  The Lord Jesus is then our brother.  He is King of all Creation, and what are brothers of a king called?  They are princes, and as part of Jesus’ family, so are we (vs. 8).  Princes are admitted where other common folk are kept at a distance, thus we have access in prayer to God (Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 4:16).   Princes are generally wealthy, certainly more so than the general population.  As brothers to the Lord Jesus, we share His inheritance and wealth (Romans 8:32).  Princes also often have power and influence.  Believers will also one day reign with Him (Revelation 5:10).

As the psalmist closes out his psalm he brings up a group that was greatly scorned in Biblical times, scorned for no good reason, and that was women who were barren.  In olden times having children was very important, and if a woman was barren that was a terrible thing.  A husband could even easily divorce his wife if she wasn’t bearing him any children.  Today we certainly don’t scorn someone if they cannot have children, but they did back then.  Our psalmist, though, says that the Lord welcomes them (vs. 9).  People who the world looks down upon are welcomed into His family.

As we close, let us praise the Lord for not being a distant, unreachable, or uncaring God, but instead one who is willing to humble Himself and reach out to us.  Not only does He reach out to us, but we can praise Him for taking all those who accept His Son Jesus into His family, seating them among princes!  For that we can join the psalmist in saying Praise the Lord!

Filled With Joy

Nehemiah 8:1-10

There are times in some Christians lives where the guilt from past sins can be overwhelming.  No matter how repentant and contrite they are, they can’t seem to get beyond that.  Is this where the Lord would want us to remain?  In our Old Testament Scripture passage from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this third week following the Epiphany we will read of an occasion where this happened, and what the Lord’s response to this was.  Did He agree that the people should keep bemoaning their past sins more and more, groveling in their repentance, or did He encourage them to now move on?  Let’s see.

After the Babylonian exile, the Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland.  The people set about to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and then Nehemiah encouraged the people to rebuild the wall around the city.  Now as our passage begins, the exiles who have returned to Jerusalem have gathered in an open square in the city, and Ezra, a scribe and priest, ascended to a raised platform where he proceeded to read from the Word of God.  With him were several other Levites who helped explain the Scriptures to the people (vs. 1-8).

The people of Jerusalem stood and attentively listened to the Word of God being read and explained to them for hours. They understood that it was because of the sins of their fathers, the sins of the whole Hebrew people, the nation of Israel, that they went into exile.  Disobeying God’s Word, particularly in worshiping the false gods of the neighboring nations, had brought God’s wrath, ending in their exile.  They also knew that collectively the guilt was with all the people, including themselves.  This guilt and sorrow brought the people to mourn and weep as they heard God’s Word (vs. 9).

However, the governor of Judea, Nehemiah, urged the people to stop grieving and mourning, as this was a day to rejoice, not mourn and weep.  This was a holy day to the Lord, one to feast and enjoy, to give to those in need, and to be filled with the joy of the Lord (vs. 9-10).

Nehemiah’s admonition to the people isn’t just for those people back in that day.  It is for us today.  When we have heard the Word of God and realized our sin, whether it is at the time of our salvation, or whether it is later on, after having slipped and backslidden into sin, after we confess and repent, we should not stop and stay there.  It is true, and it is good to repent of our sin, but then we need to move on to the next step, and receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.  When He forgives, God removes the sin and its stain, and we are washed clean.  We should not remain in a mournful and sad state.  Instead, Nehemiah told the people to be filled with God’s joy.  That applies to us, today, as well.

There are times in our life when we are almost overwhelmed with troubles, problems, and maybe heart-wrenching grief over things that have happened.  You feel like you could never be happy again.  Too often people confuse happiness with joy, thinking they are the same thing.  However, they are not.  Happiness is a temporary emotion which will come and go depending on our circumstances.  Joy is a deep rest and peace within our soul and mind, which comes from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can have lasting joy despite any negative circumstances as we abide in His presence.

As we go through life, with all of its trials and problems, we need to make sure that our spiritual tank is filled up with joy.  Whenever someone sets out on a long road trip, before they leave they check the vehicle’s tank to make sure they have plenty of fuel.  When someone sets out for a day-long hike in the summer, they should always make sure they have plenty of water with them.  Likewise, in going through life we need to make sure our spiritual tank of joy has been refilled.  The best way to do that is to spend time in the presence of God by praying and reading His Word.  The people in our Scripture had just had a day-long Bible study, and Nehemiah said to let God’s joy be their strength.

The level of our joy will determine the level of our spiritual strength.  When we get more of Jesus, we will have less of us.  Choosing joy over giving in to despair means finding delight in knowing God.  Choosing joy is worth the effort.

Crisis At The Wedding

John 2:1-11

Weddings are usually a very special time.  Unless one elopes or has a very small ceremony with just a couple of witnesses in front of the priest or pastor, or they just have a civil ceremony in front of a judge, a lot of planning goes into preparing for the occasion.  Both families want everything to go perfectly.  Once in a while, though, a snag comes up.  Sometimes it might not be too big a deal, but other times it is.  It can be a huge embarrassment to the couple and their families, and threaten to ruin the whole day.  This is the situation we find at one wedding, which the Apostle John relates to us today.  Let’s see what happened that day.

When our Scripture opens, it is very early in Jesus’ ministry.  He had only recently been baptized by John the Baptist, and returned from spending forty days in the wilderness in prayer and fasting.  Jesus had not yet performed any miracles, whether of healing, casting out demons, or any other, and so He did not yet attract huge crowds.  The family of the bride or groom (or both) were good friends with the family of Jesus, and as we see, His mother Mary must have been a good friend and confidant to probably the mother of the bride or groom.

Jewish weddings in Biblical days were big affairs.  Unlike most weddings today, which usually last just one day with the ceremony and reception following, Jewish weddings at the time of Jesus lasted several days, often up to a week long.  Large amounts of food and drink would be consumed by all the guests during that week.  To run out of either one would be a crisis, and would also bring the family great embarrassment and shame.

This is what happened to the wedding family at the wedding that Jesus was invited to.  Probably the mother of the bride or groom, who was a close friend of the Virgin Mary, shared with her that they had run out of wine.  What were they going to do?   It’s not like they could just run out and buy multiple cases of wine.  This was very disturbing to the family, and they shared this with Mary.  Mary immediately thought of her Son, the Lord Jesus.  For thirty years He had spent His life at home with the family, and had only just recently started His ministry, and she knew His good character.  What was she expecting Him to do?  Did she think that He would perform the miracle that He did?  She might not even have known herself what He could or would do, but she knew the family was in a crisis, and she knew that Jesus was filled with love and compassion, and cared about people.

As we read, Mary came to Jesus and shared with Him that the family was facing a crisis, that they had run out of wine (vs. 3).  Jesus’ response to her might seem to some to be a bit abrupt or sharp, but it really wasn’t.  In this context, calling her “woman” was showing her proper respect as His mother, more like saying “Ma’am”.  He proceeded to tell her that His ministry had only just begun (vs. 4).  However, the Virgin Mary was not put off.  She didn’t get upset and start demanding, but neither did she just give up.  Mary told the servants to do whatever Jesus said (vs. 5), and probably then went back to the family.  Now everything was in Jesus’ hands.  Mary did her part, she interceded on behalf of her friends and brought the need to the Lord.  What Jesus would do was up to Him.  Would He respond or not?  That was not Mary’s responsibility anymore.  It was up to Jesus.

Jesus does care and have compassion on people, and Mary knew that.  He told the servants to fill the large water pots with water, and then bring the pots to the host.  Those servants might have wondered about that request, as the guests were not going to want to drink water!  However they obeyed, and the water was miraculously turned into wine, and not just cheap wine, but top quality (vs 6-10).

When we are faced with a problem, we need to take that need to Jesus, like Mary did.  Frequently He involves us in the process of obtaining our miracle.  We are to do whatever God tells us to (vs 5).  He knows how to take us out of our mess and into our miracle.  Sometimes the instructions God gives us may not make sense to anyone, but we need to do whatever He tells us.

In order for God to pour His anointing into us, we must become an empty vessel, just like those six empty water pots of stone off to the side were.  We need to be ready for God’s use.  Give Jesus what we have, and He will transform us into a vessel full of His anointing.  When Mary came to Jesus, she did not know what He would do, but she knew He would do something, and she trusted and believed.  When we pray, expect God to hear and answer our prayers.  Be available for His use, and believe!

The Holy Spirit Knows Best

I Corinthians 12:1-11

If you have ever gone camping when you were younger, perhaps with some type of scouting organization, you might remember the scout leader giving assignments to each camper when they arrived at the campsite.  Some were assigned to gather sticks and branches for a campfire.  Others sent off to fill the water buckets.  Others were assigned to start putting up the tents.  A good scoutmaster would assign the tasks according to what he believes the children’s best abilities are - the stronger ones to carry the heavy water buckets, the more coordinated ones to assemble the tents, etc.  You don’t want everyone unloading the sleeping bags, but no one gathering firewood.  The same goes for having a successful sports team.  Much as they might want to be, not every player can be the pitcher on the baseball team.  A good manager assigns the players according to their skills and abilities.  The same is with the church.  In our Scripture today, the Apostle Paul speaks about spiritual gifts, and the Holy Spirit dividing them among believers.

In his first epistle to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul confronted various issues, including spiritual gifts and how they were distributed by the Holy Spirit. Common to a lot of people, many like to be in showier positions.  As mentioned, many baseball players want to be the pitcher, as the crowds always watch what they do.  In the office we frequently see some co-workers who go for the conspicuous spots.  That was no different in the Corinthian church, and even today we see some who seek out the spots that might keep them more in the spotlight.  There was also some jealousy or envy over which spiritual gifts certain people had.  Our Scripture seeks to teach about this issue.

Many in the Corinthian church were from a Gentile background, having been saved from pagan beliefs, from following false idols (vs. 1-2).  Their past pagan practices are then contrasted with the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives now (vs. 2-3).   The Apostle then continues on by teaching that there are many different kinds of gifts, services, and workings that the Holy Spirit gives to each believer.  However, it is the Lord who decides which gifts are given to which believer, not the other way around (vs. 4-6).

In the Church, whether it is the Christian Church as a whole, or in individual church congregations, there are many different ministries that are needed to keep everything running smoothly (vs. 7-10).  There are those who preach, who teach adults, youth, or children.  There are those who lead the worship with song and music, those who greet, and who take up offerings.  Then there are the “behind the scene” workers who maintain the building, who set everything up for Holy Communion, take care of landscaping, and those who work in the church offices.  There are traveling evangelists and missionaries, and many more.  The Holy Spirit needs those who have special spiritual wisdom, who have unique faith for healing or other miracles, and spiritual tongues.

Paul goes on to instruct them that it is the Holy Spirit who distributes the gifts as He sees fit.  The Lord would not want to see a church that, though they had very well-manicured grounds, there was no godly preaching or teaching going on.  Likewise if everyone was seeking to serve in the music ministry, but the actual building was being neglected, no one to change the lightbulbs or sweep and mop the floors, that would be no good, either.

Neither should one get filled with pride over what they believe their gift is, or that their particular ministry is better than others.  All of these spiritual gifts are from God, and should be used in harmony with one another.  No one is better, or more or less important than the other, and the Lord decides to distribute these gifts as He decides (vs. 11).  Every believer has been given unique gifts that contribute to the Body of Christ.  He will let you know what your special purpose in His Body is, and then you should use your gift to build up the Church, not to create division or to seek personal recognition.  We have not been given the gift or gifts we have in order to look down upon or to envy someone with a different gift.  The Lord knows best in distributing gifts.

In closing, God cares so much for His children that He gives each one a place in His plan.  Trust the Lord, that He knows best what gifts, what talents and attributes He has given each of us to carry out His purposes in His Church and in this world.

Hymn Of Praise

Psalm 96

Church services across the world and across the various denomination spectrums usually have several things in common.  One is that they will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, in some form or another.  Some do that every week, others once a month, or just several times a year.  Another thing is that they will usually have some sort of sermon or homily.  In some churches that might only be five to ten minutes while in others that could be an hour or so.  And then most church services have some type of singing of hymns or worship songs.  They may be accompanied by a full band that rivals rock concerts, or by smaller guitar and drum groups.  The singing may be accompanied by a traditional piano or by a grand pipe organ.  Being a much more traditional person myself, I love the organ and/or piano accompaniment with the beloved old hymns, however everyone’s tastes are different, and the purpose is to sing praises to the Lord.  Our psalm for this week, Psalm 96, is a hymn of praise to the Lord, calling upon all of creation to worship Him.

Though we don’t know the author for certain, Psalm 96 is attributed to King David, some saying that he wrote it for the occasion of his bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  That would certainly have been a grand occasion, one worthy of having a new hymn or worship song being written to commemorate it.  Those who write hymns or worship songs today often do so to mark special occasions, whether in their own personal life, or that of the community. We want to proclaim God's greatness and His worthiness to be praised by everyone.

In many church services when it is time to sing a hymn or worship song, the worship leader comes to the front and helps lead the congregation in singing and following the words that are projected to the front or in the hymnal. The worship leader on that great day of bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem called on the people to sing aloud their praises to the Lord, letting the whole world know of His greatness (vs. 1-3).

As our psalm continues, some reasons for singing praises to the Lord are given (vs. 4-6).  Yahweh is above all other false gods.  Actually the false, pagan gods don’t exist.  The people who worship them are actually worshiping demons.  To let the pagans know, believers are to proclaim that Yahweh is greater than their idols of wood and stone.  For several decades the pagan Philistine nation had held the Ark of the Covenant captive, sometimes keeping it inside their heathen temples.  However, now it was back in His people’s hands, and they proclaimed that Yahweh was to be feared above the false gods.  Our worship songs today should also proclaim the glory, majesty, and power of the Lord Jesus above all false religious or philosophical beliefs.

David concluded his worship hymn to Yahweh by calling upon people of every nation to give Him praise, to worship Him, and give Him the glory due to His Name (vs. 7-9).   David also reminded us that the Lord is coming to earth again, this time to execute judgment to the world in righteousness and truth (vs. 10-13).

How is our worship time in church?  Is it a time of genuine worship to the Lord, or is it more of a time of entertainment, like a free rock concert, admiring how great a band our church managed to get.  Whether we prefer more contemporary songs and instruments, or prefer the traditional hymns and an organ, the focus should be on truly worshiping and praising the Lord, and proclaiming His glory to people everywhere, from every nation and race.  Our worship should be characterized by reverence and holiness, reflecting the splendor of God’s holiness.  As believers, those who have put their faith and trust in the saving death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, we can find hope and assurance in the Lord’s righteous judgment, knowing that He will ultimately set all things right.

Hephzibah And Beulah

Isaiah 62:1-5

Many people like reading a “rags to riches” story, where someone goes from being in a poor and desperate situation to having more than enough, going from being unloved or cared for to meeting the love of their life.  We cheer for their success and luck, sometimes even if their misfortune in the beginning was their own fault.  Periodically throughout the Book of Isaiah, the great Old Testament prophet, we read how God will punish the people of Israel for their faithlessness to Him.  However, we also read that God will never completely forsake and turn His back on His people.  When they return to Him, He will step in and rescue them from their distress.  Our Scripture today paints a beautiful picture of just how the Lord will turn the condition of His people around, from distress and “rags” to one of His comfort and “riches”.

As our Scripture opens, the prophet Isaiah tells how the situation and condition of Zion (another name for the people of Israel and Jerusalem in particular) will be turned around by the Lord.  They have been punished by the Lord for their disobedience, but He will not let them remain in a cast-off condition.  God will not “hold His peace”, sit by quietly and “rest” while they suffer (vs. 1).   Instead of being a people who practiced wickedness, they will be a people of righteousness, which comes when one turns to the Lord Jesus, and their salvation will shine like a bright lamp for Gentiles and kings of the earth to see (vs. 2).

When people have a positive change of fortune in their life, they sometimes will change their name.  They want to forget the darker days of their life, and a new name will help.  Sometimes when people find salvation in the Lord Jesus, and turn their life around for Him, they take a new name.  We see this with St. Paul, who was formerly known as Saul.  St. Matthew was formerly known as Levi.

We read here that when the Lord turns the fortunes of His people around, He will give them a new name (vs. 2).  During the years that they were punished by the Lord for their sins and wickedness, they were known as Forsaken and Desolate (vs. 4).  However now the Lord says that they will have new names.  The first is Hephzibah, and the second is Beulah.  Hephzibah is a Hebrew word which means “my delight is in her”.   She is no longer forsaken, but is delighted in.   During their dark days the land of Israel was considered desolate, with their walled cities, particularly Jerusalem, leveled to the ground, their lush farmland now desolate.  However, the Lord promised that instead they would now be named Beulah, a Hebrew word meaning “married”.  Instead of being a desolate and forsaken woman, they would be God’s bride that He delighted in.

A person who is forsaken and desolate, a person who is going through a very difficult and desperate time in their life is not likely to be dressed in the finest of apparel.  When you picture such a person in your mind, you are likely to think of dirty and torn rags.  However, the Lord says that His beloved is like a crown of glory, a royal diadem in His hand (vs. 3).  Instead of something that you want to cast off, throw in the trash, and then thoroughly wash your hands, the Lord says they are a royal diadem, a jeweled tiara like the late Queen used to wear, like Princess Kate wears on formal occasions.  Any woman would like to have her beauty be described as lovely as a royal diadem or crown of glory!

As the prophet Isaiah closes this segment of Scripture, he tells us that the Lord delights in us just as a bridegroom delights in his bride (vs. 5).  When we think of a traditional wedding ceremony, we picture the bride coming down the aisle, with her groom waiting in the front, and he has only eyes for his beloved.  He rejoices in her!  That is how God feels towards us.  The Lord takes pleasure in us.  He doesn’t just accept us like a consolation prize.  He doesn’t just put up with us.  Jesus delights in us and wants to be with us!  He celebrates our place in His kingdom.  We are His Hephzibah and Beulah!

The Baptism Of Jesus

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

There are a few things that occurred in Jesus’ life that are mentioned in all four Gospels, such as His crucifixion and resurrection.  Another event would be His baptism at the hands of John the Baptist.  Today we take a quick look at the account that St. Luke gave in his Gospel.

Earlier in the third chapter Luke had introduced us to John the Baptist and his ministry.  John was a fiery preacher who preached a hard-hitting message of repentance, without giving any concern as to who might be hearing his message.  He wasn’t going to water down his message for the benefit of anyone.  John baptized those who took his message to heart.  Because there had been at least 400 years since there had been a prophet of God of any significant standing and there was virtually a silence from heaven, when John the Baptist came on the scene people immediately noticed.  There had been the promise of God throughout the days of the Old Testament that He would send the Messiah to bring deliverance to His people, and some began to wonder whether or not John the Baptist was this Messiah (vs. 15).  Four hundred years was a long time to not have any prophet or preacher bringing a message from the Lord.  That would be like us not hearing a message from the Lord since the early 1600’s, no Billy Graham, no Billy Sunday, no John Paul II, or any other messenger from the Lord all that time.  Now, suddenly, coming from out in the wilderness, John the Baptist and his strong message appears.  People were longing for a message, and some thought that he must be God’s promised Messiah.

John knew that he was not the promised Messiah, and though it might have been tempting for some to try to fit into that position, and get the attention and fame that might come, John immediately denied any such claims for himself (vs. 16).  During his time in the wilderness preparing for his ministry, God had revealed to him that he was to be the forerunner of the Savior.  He acknowledged that his role was to be the one to prepare the way for the Messiah.  John had immense humility, and knew that he wasn’t even worthy to perform the lowly task of removing the Messiah’s sandal straps.  This is different from many preachers today, many who want the spotlight shining brightly on them, who want their name big and bold on their books and speaking tours.  John the Baptist knew that the position of prominence belonged only to the Lord Jesus Christ.  John brought a baptism of repentance with water, but the Lord Jesus would come baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire, symbolizing purification and empowerment.

As we continue with our Scripture passage, Jesus came down to the area by the Jordan River where John the Baptist was preaching and performing his water baptism of repentance.  Jesus was then baptized by John, marking the beginning of His public ministry (vs. 21).  He was also baptized to identify Himself with humanity’s need for repentance and righteousness.

When Jesus was baptized, He spent that moment in prayer and meditation to His Father in heaven.  He wasn’t looking around to see who might be watching, as if looking for a photo op.  This was a special moment between Himself and His Heavenly Father.  While Jesus prayed, heaven opened up, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.  At the same time the Father spoke to Jesus, telling Him that He was His beloved Son, and that He was well-pleased with Him (vs. 22).  Both the Gospel of Luke and that of Mark state that the Voice from Heaven spoke to Jesus, saying “You are my beloved Son.”  Matthew’s Gospel says that the Voice spoke to others there, John the Baptist specifically, telling them that He, (Jesus) was His beloved Son, and He was well pleased with Him.  These are not necessarily contradictory.  God spoke to both Jesus personally, and also to those other present, telling each what they needed to hear - that Jesus is God’s Son, and He is pleased with Him.

There are some churches or denominations that deny the existence of the Trinity.  Our Scripture today is just one of many that highlight the presence of the Trinity.  We see Jesus, the Son, being baptized here.  Then we hear the Father’s Voice from heaven.  We also see the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon the Lord Jesus.  The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity.

In closing, let us be like John the Baptist, serving the Lord humbly, and point others to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.  The focus, the spotlight, should not be focused on us.  Instead, let us direct others to look to Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God who the Father is well-pleased in.

No Partiality

Acts 10:34-38

Our New Testament reading for this first full week following the Epiphany in our Lectionary is a short segment from the Book of Acts where the Apostle Peter brings the Gospel message to the Gentile Cornelius and his family.   This was an important event in the early church.  Let’s see what lessons we can pick up in this brief passage.

To fully understand this Scripture we first need to look into the background of Jewish and Gentile relations in the first century.  For centuries, since the early days of the Old Testament, there was a lot of animosity between Jewish people, the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, and non-Jewish or Gentile people.  Good and faithful Jews did not want any close relationship with the non-believing, pagan Gentiles.   A “good” Jew would never marry a Gentile, though this did occasionally happen, as we see several Gentile women in Jesus’ family tree.  They also went so far as to even avoid having Gentile friends.  By the time of the New Testament a “good” Jew would avoid, if possible, business dealings with Gentiles, and if it was unavoidable, they would keep it at the barely civil level.  A “good” Jew would never eat with a Gentile, and would never even enter a Gentile’s house.  If any of this was unavoidable, they would go through a ritualized cleansing ceremony to cleanse themselves from contamination of being with a Gentile.

This was not the way that Jesus taught.  On many occasions during His time on earth He ministered to Gentiles.   He spoke with the Samaritan woman and led her to salvation (John 4:5-26).  Jesus also heard the prayer of the Canaanite woman, casting a demon from her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28).  He also healed a Roman centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10).  The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before ascending back to heaven were instructions for them to bring His message to all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).  However, by the days of Acts 10, which took place possibly about ten years after the resurrection, the apostles were witnessing almost exclusively to just other fellow Jews.  (There was a ministry to Samaritans, which we read of in Acts 8.)  However, Jesus had specifically said to take His message to the whole world, Gentiles included.

This brings us to Acts chapter 10.  The Apostle Peter had been called to the coastal city of Joppa where he had prayed for a believer, Tabitha, raising her from the dead (Acts 9:36-43).  While he was there, the Roman centurion Cornelius, a devout man, was instructed by an angel to send for Peter and to hear the message he would bring (Acts 10:1-8).  Peter simultaneously had a vision, where God showed him all sorts of food, both clean and unclean, instructing him to eat.  He understood God teaching him that what He has called clean, Peter was not to say it was unclean, but was to obey Him (Acts 10:9-16).   Peter received the message from the Gentile centurion Cornelius, and he knew that God wanted him to go with and bring His message to the family.

Thankfully Peter obeyed God’s instructions and went with the messengers, and when he arrived, he did not hesitate to enter the house of Gentile Cornelius.  He had learned God’s lesson that He shows no partiality to any group of people (vs. 34).  His message of salvation is for everyone, both to Jews and to Gentiles, and whoever believes is accepted by Him (vs. 35).  Peter preached the message of salvation to Cornelius, and the family believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48).

After staying with these new believers a few days, Peter and his companions returned to Jerusalem.  When word got out that he had gone into a Gentile’s house, ate with them, and witnessed to them, leaders of the new Church strongly reprimanded Peter for associating and being with a Gentile (Acts 11:1-3).  After Peter explained what had happened, and how God did not show any partiality, as He gave the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, the Church leaders held their peace (Acts 11:16-18).

How do we react to others that are not of our specific community, to people who are perhaps of a different nationality or race?  Do we welcome them into our church family?  God does not show partiality, and neither should we.  This was a problem in the early church, as we have seen in our Scripture, one that was not easily resolved.  For many years there was conflict and animosity between many of the Jewish believers and Gentile believers, and many tried to put a stop to the spread of the Gospel to non-Jews, as we see in the conflicts that Paul frequently faced in his ministry.  As we have seen, God does not show partiality, and neither should any of His children.  When He calls us to do something, like Peter, we should obey without question.

Keeping The Covenant

Psalm 89:1-4, 14-29

A covenant is a solemn oath or promise, given by one person or group to another.  It is much more important than a child promising his parents he will mow the lawn after school, or a daughter promising to do the dishes.  A covenant is a promise made between two or more groups of people, one of these often in a position of power, or between business organizations.  Throughout the Bible we find covenants being made.  There were covenants between the kings and their people, between one country and another, and we especially see covenants made between God and His people.  Today’s psalm speaks of one such covenant between God and His servant, King David.  Let’s take a quick look.

In the Bible, we find that there are two different types of promises or covenants made.  There are the conditional promises or covenant, and then there is the unconditional promise.  It is important to take note of these two differences, because when it comes to wondering if the covenant has been kept or not, we need to see if the promises were conditional or unconditional.   A conditional promise is if the one party promises to do something, then the other party will follow through with their part.  An example could be if a son promises to wash the car all summer, then the parent will buy his sports equipment.  That is an example of a conditional promise.  In the Bible we see where God promises to protect the nation of Israel from their enemies and provide for their needs if the people worship only Him, and not worship pagan deities.  An unconditional promise or covenant is one where God’s promises will be performed without any requirements.  One unconditional promise is when God promised to never destroy the world again with a flood.

Our psalm today speaks of another unconditional promise or covenant that God made with His people, with King David in particular.  In Psalm 89 we read of God’s unconditional promise of the Messiah, and His descent from the family line of King David.  This was an unconditional promise, as God did not say that the Messiah would only come from David’s line if David behaved himself at all times.  As we know, David did not always behave himself, yet Yahweh vowed He would make His covenant with him and establish His seed with David’s line forever (vs. 3-4).

As we read in our psalm, God chose David from the people (vs. 19).  David was one chosen by God from among the people of the tribe of Judah, and also was chosen from among his several brothers to be God’s chosen king to replace King Saul.  Prophetically, though, these verses also speak of the Lord Jesus, who is the descendant of David’s that is the chosen Messiah.  God chose David to be His servant, and prepared him for that calling.  His humble position as a shepherd was the starting place for training to be God’s servant.  While on the run from Saul, David led a band of men.  That prepared him to lead the army of Israel.  What we go through in life is training us for what lies ahead.

Jesus was also chosen out of the people so that He could know our wants, our trials, and our temptations, and could sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15).  Jesus is fully divine and became fully human, fully man.  Thus He is able to be my Brother.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we can then honestly say that we have a Brother in heaven.  Here on earth we may be poor, we may not have much at all, and be the humblest person in our neighborhood, but we have a divine Brother who has the riches of the universe at His disposal, and is a King.  He is a Brother born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17).  There are times when just about everyone else may fail us, our friends are nowhere to be found, and they cannot or will not help us.  But our Heavenly Brother is there for us.  Whatever difficult and painful road we are on, it is marked by the footsteps of the Savior.

Life has gotten more unsure as the decades pass.  However, our Source of security has not changed.   The Lord God has not, and will not, ever change.  His Word, His promises and covenants, stand as strong and sure as they ever have.  We can trust in Him to keep His Word to us.  God is still the only certainty in this life.  We can count on the One Who is faithful, just, and loving.

The Servant Of The Lord

Isaiah 42:1-9

This world can be a very harsh place to live.  Life beats us down, and then when we struggle to get up, along comes someone else to knock us down again, and they seem determined to want to keep us down.  Where is there a helping hand to assist us when we need it?  We might not find one among our neighbors and acquaintances.  Who can we turn to for help?  We find an answer in our Scripture from the prophet Isaiah.

Our Scripture today introduces the Servant of the Lord.  This was Someone who Yahweh sent, One who would be there to help the downtrodden.  This is a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ, One who the Spirit of the Lord was upon (vs. 1).  We see the Lord God acknowledging that His Spirit was upon Jesus at the time of His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17).

The Servant of the Lord was not Someone who sought to draw attention to Himself (vs. 2).  When encouraged by some to allow the people to make Him a king, the Lord Jesus refused.  He knew that His mission was not one of political power, or of being vocally loud and clamorous.  Instead, Jesus, as God’s Servant, was gentle and compassionate, not forceful or loud.

We see that the Servant Jesus would not break a bruised reed (vs. 3).  Nor would He quench a smoking flax.  Instead He would bring forth justice.  What did this mean?  A reed is a tall, grass-like plant found in wetlands.  They were used by ancient peoples in making flutes and musical instruments.  Reed grass was also often woven together to make mats.  When the harder reed stems were damaged, bruised, or broken, they could not be used for anything else.  In our life we often feel like we have been broken and bruised, and then no longer good for much of anything.  A flax was used in ancient days to light a room, like the wick of a candle.  A quenched flax was one that had been or was about to be extinguished, and often would give off a lot of smoke.  A broken reed, a smoking flax - both things that are damaged or about to go out.  Jesus came to help the weak and downtrodden.  God will not break a bruised reed.  He won’t quench a faintly burning wick.  Instead, He will restore and strengthen those who turn to Him for help.

God’s Servant, the Lord Jesus, came to bring forth truth and justice throughout the earth (vs. 3-4).  As we have seen in so many instances, the poor and downtrodden have had nowhere to turn when those more powerful seek to keep them down.  Jesus will not fail in bringing justice to those who need His help.  God called Him in righteousness, and sent Him to be a light to the Gentile peoples, the people of all nations throughout the world (vs. 6).

As our Scripture continues, the prophet Isaiah declared that the Servant of the Lord, the Lord Jesus, was sent to open the eyes of the blind, and to set the prisoners free (vs. 7).  We see this in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, as He brought healing to many blind folks.  However, it goes much beyond that.  People may not be physically blind, but are spiritually blind, with their mind and heart closed to the truth of God and His Word.  The Lord Jesus brought spiritual truth, opening people’s hearts and minds to God’s truth.

Jesus would also set prisoners free.  What did that mean?  We don’t see Jesus going into the Roman prisons and releasing prisoners.  Instead, Jesus set spiritual prisoners free.  Mankind had been held prisoner by Satan and his kingdom of darkness since the days of Adam.  However, Jesus, through His death and resurrection, broke the power of Satan and death, and He brought out the prisoners and those who sit in darkness.  Sometimes we need to be rescued from all sorts of things that hold us captive.  Some are held captive to addictions, some held captive to harmful relationships.  Jesus came to set every prisoner free.  Even if we can’t see a way out, the Lord has already planned one for us when we turn our life over to Him.

In closing, the prophet Isaiah spoke the words of the Lord, giving warning that He would never share His glory with pagan gods and religions (vs 8).  Too often, including today, we see some religious leaders who feel that it is good and peaceful for the world if religions “come together” and Christianity and other religions worship together in “peace”.  However, God has clearly stated that He will not share His glory with any other religious tradition.  Instead, let us proclaim the Light that the Lord Jesus brings, emulating His gentleness and compassion for the weak, and bringing the Gospel of hope to those in darkness.

A Mystery Revealed

Ephesians 3:1-12

Do you like mysteries, a good mystery story or movie?  Do you like to solve puzzles, uncovering the key or special clue that reveals the answer?  Many of us do.  We like the challenge of trying to figure out mysteries.  Our Scripture from St. Paul’s letter to the believers in the city of Ephesus speaks of one mystery.  We read here of a mystery that was once hidden from our understanding, and is now revealed to us.  Let’s see what this is.

When we read a mystery book or see a mystery movie, there is usually some type of crime that has been committed, often a murder, and we don’t know who did it.  We follow the detective through chapters, trying to solve the mystery.  Was it the butler?  Was it the spurned lover?  Then in the last chapter, some hidden clue is revealed, and we find our mystery solved.  Or maybe we are trying to figure out some puzzle, and the key, the solution, the answer is finally revealed.  What is this mystery mentioned in our Scripture?  It is not a typical “who-done-it” or puzzle.  This is something that had been hidden from our understanding for ages, but now the Holy Spirit has revealed this to our knowledge.

This mystery is that salvation is opened to the Gentiles, and that they are now partakers to the promises of God (vs. 1-6).  Throughout the Old Testament we read of how God’s chosen people were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and how He made His covenant with them.  Those who were not a literal descendant of the twelve tribes of Jacob were outside of God’s covenant.  There were scattered prophecies, primarily in the Book of Isaiah, where we saw hints of the opening of the way for Gentiles to come within the covenant of grace, but this remained a mystery for ages.  Now, however, this mystery has been revealed, and the way opened up, as Paul declares it to us and the world.

The descendants of Jacob were heirs of God’s mercy and grace, and now, through the Lord Jesus Christ, we see this mystery revealed, that, along with the Jews, the Gentiles are also joint heirs and partakers of the promises God made to Abraham.  The Apostle Paul was given the honor, but also this great responsibility, to reveal this mystery to the world through his epistles (vs. 8-10).

Most of us reading this are probably of Gentile heritage.  We are not physically descended from one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  So this mystery which has been opened up, bringing the Gentiles into God’s covenant, benefits us and the whole world, those whom the Lord Jesus died to save.

We are now heirs of the unsearchable riches of Christ (vs. 8).  Not only are we now heirs of salvation and eternal life, which would be treasure enough, but we are also heirs of all of the riches in Christ Jesus.  Jesus has riches that are unsearchable, that are beyond any and all comprehension.  They are beyond the calculations of arithmetic, or the imagination of dreams.  We can look, study, and ponder but Jesus is greater than anything we can think.  He is willing and able to supply all of our needs.  Jesus does not treat His servants stingily.

When we trust in God, having real faith in His Word, we can have a holy boldness in our prayers, just like Elijah and Paul did (vs. 12).  God is not inaccessible.  We are not left abandoned, like on some remote island in the South Pacific.  We can come to Him in prayer at any time and always.

In closing, we see the mystery revealed, the keys are given.  Gentiles are welcomed at God’s throne through His Son, Jesus Christ.  This is what the season of Epiphany celebrates.  The Gentile Magi were among the first to come and worship the Lord Jesus, and now anyone, Jew or Gentile, can become a joint heir of His grace and mercy.

  

Prayers For A New Leader

Psalm 72

In a couple of weeks my country will be inaugurating a new president, a new leader of our country.  This typically happens every four years.  Other countries elect new prime ministers on a periodic basis.  Monarchies tend to have a changing of the guard on a less frequent basis.  On occasions like these, Scripture instructs us to pray for our rulers and leaders, and not just during times of transition, but also at all times.  Our psalm for this week is a prayer for our leaders and rulers of our country.  Let’s take a quick look at what the Lord has to say to us here.

Psalm 72 was written by King Solomon, son of the great King David.  Solomon may have been remembering some of the prayers of his father, prayers David made in preparation for when his son would step onto the throne.  Now he was on the throne, and Solomon knew that he needed the Lord’s blessings in order to have an effective reign.  There are five basic prayers or requests that Solomon made for his reign, asking for the Lord’s blessing.  Let’s briefly look at each of these, as these are prayers that we, too, can pray for our national leaders, as well.

The first is a prayer that the king or ruler will show forth righteousness and justice during their reign (vs. 1-4).  How many rulers, whether kings or elected officials, are corrupt, and use their position to gain personal power and money.   They do not care about the people who are under their protection.  They trample over the poor, the oppressed, and the needy, and do not bring them legal justice.  Righteousness and justice are key characteristics of Yahweh, and will highlight the reign of the Messiah.  Solomon prays that they will be keys of his reign and that of his descendants.  We should be praying that righteousness and justice will also be key factors in how our political leaders guide their administrations, and that they care for the poor and oppressed, bringing them the justice they deserve.

The second prayer in our psalm is for Solomon’s reign to bring prosperity and peace (vs. 5-7).  Every new administration makes these promises.  “Vote for me and I will bring peace and prosperity”, is a frequent campaign promise.  No one wants years of war and high inflation.  As we read all throughout Scripture, these are blessings that come from following the Lord and obeying His Word.  It was true during the days of the Old Testament kings, and it is still true today.  God will not bless disobedience.  Peace and prosperity will flourish during the reign of the Lord Jesus.

Next is a prayer for a universal reign (vs. 8-11).  This one prayer is not something that we can actually pray for our earthly rulers or leaders today, as none of our leaders could or should have a universal rule.  Even at the time of Solomon’s reign, though they might have wanted a nice, big, spread-out territory, God never promised them a world-encompassing country.  However, that is what the reign of the Lord Jesus will be when He returns, and we can certainly pray for that to come quickly.  His reign will be to the ends of the earth, and all the earthly rulers will bow to Him.

Solomon continues on with a renewed prayer for his reign to be marked with a compassion for the needy (vs. 12-14).   Again, this is a prayer that we should continually be praying for our earthly leaders.  Instead of our rulers making sure that their own pockets, and those of their cronies are well-filled with our tax dollars, they should be ensuring that they hear the cries of the poor and needy, and seeing they have justice from their oppressors.  We can be sure that this will happen when Jesus reigns!

The final prayer that Solomon makes is one to ensure a good and enduring legacy (vs. 15-17).  When a president, prime minister, king, or any other political leader’s time comes to an end, they always hope that their name will be remembered in a positive light, and not go down in infamy as a terrible ruler.  Those who rule by following the ways of the Lord, and by obeying His Word can leave an enduring legacy.  The only Name which will endure forever, though, is that of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is in His Name that our earthly rulers can find blessing.

We can pray this psalm for our national leaders, that they will seek to follow the Lord Jesus and His Word as they serve their people with righteousness, justice, and compassion, and know that the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm is in the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone will bring perfect justice, peace, and prosperity.

The Magi

Matthew 2:1-12

Some of us can remember back when we were little, and we took part in reenactments of the Nativity in church or Sunday School Christmas pageants.  I don’t recall any from my childhood, but I do remember several that my children took part in some 25 or more years ago.  Children have their favorite roles they wish to play.  Every little girl wants to be the Virgin Mary. One year my son was delighted when he was picked to be one of the three wise men.  They had the nicest costumes and the best props!  How well do you recall that part of the Christmas narrative?  January 6th is the day that the Church commemorates this.  Let’s look at our Scripture and reacquaint ourselves with this part of Matthew’s Gospel.

As chapter two of Matthew’s Gospel begins, the Evangelist states the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the days of King Herod the Great (vs. 1).  If the events that unfolded in chapter two hadn’t occurred, it is quite unlikely that King Herod would ever have heard about the birth of Jesus, as that powerful king would not have concerned himself with the humble birth of a peasant child in the village outside his capital city.  However, some time following Jesus’ birth, some unusual visitors came calling at the royal palace, asking some questions that disturbed the king.

Who were these unexpected visitors of King Herod’s?  The Greek word that Matthew uses here is “magos”.  They were likely very well-educated  Zoroastrian priests who studied the stars, interpreted their meanings, and were royal advisors in the courts of the Persian Empire.  These men were familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures, and after meticulously studying the sky, and their notes, along with Hebrew prophecies such as Numbers 24:17, they determined that the celestial event they were observing in the sky, heralded the birth of the awaited Messiah, the “King of the Jews” (vs. 2).

The magi were Gentiles, and not of the sons of Abraham, yet the Lord extended His grace, opening the way for these to be among the very first to come and worship the Lord Jesus.  The magi were alert to the signs that the Lord had placed in the sky for them to see.  If they hadn’t been watchful and attentive to God’s signs, nor familiarized themselves with His Word, they could likely have missed out on this tremendous opportunity to come and worship the newborn King.  God used nature and the star to speak to the Gentile Magi.  People without God’s Word are not abandoned.  If they are sincerely seeking God, they will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

What was this star or celestial event that the magi observed?  It could possibly have been a conjunction of Jupiter, the “king of planets” with that of the star Regulus, which is the brightest star in the constellation Leo, which represents the lion, the king of beasts.  Regulus is then often called the “king of stars”.   Jesus is called the Lion of Judah.  Others have thought that it might possibly have been a conjuncture of the planets Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest objects in the night sky, after the moon.  Whether it was this conjuncture, a comet, a supernova, or some other event, it honored God as Creator.  Creation bears witness to the Lord (Romans 1:20).  The Magi recognized this as fulfilling the prophecy made by Balaam many centuries earlier.

Not everyone was rejoicing in this star and what it heralded, however.  When he heard about this, King Herod was very upset, and because of his mental instability, when he was upset, everyone else feared for their lives.  After consulting with his advisors, Herod determined that this Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (vs. 3-6).  He then instructed the Magi where to find the newborn king, and to bring him word once they found His exact location (vs. 7-8).  We quickly find out that was a lie, as Herod intended on killing the infant Jesus.

When the wise men found Jesus, they fell on their knees, worshiping Him, and they presented Him with their gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh (vs. 11).  Gold is naturally a gift of great value, fit for a King.  Frankincense is a gift for a Priest, One who would intercede for humanity before God.  The myrrh was an aromatic resin used in embalming  Though the Magi probably had no concept of the death Jesus would die, their gift signified the importance of that death.

King Herod had lied when he said he wished to worship the newborn king, as he planned on killing Him.  God, though, did not allow that to happen.  Again, the Magi were alert and attentive to the voice of God, as He spoke to them in a dream, warning them to return home a different way (vs. 12).  If the Magi had ignored God’s warning, or even just not been alert to it, and had reported back to Herod, they would have contributed to his evil plans.  There is evil and deception all around.  We need God’s wisdom and guidance, just like the Magi did.  If we go through life oblivious to the dangers of sin, we can do great damage to ourselves and others.  What is the Lord trying to say to you and me today?  Are we attentive to His voice, like the Magi were, or do His Words pass us by?  Let’s be ready for His message.

Light Overcoming The Darkness

Isaiah 60:1-6, 9

Walking in darkness, where there is little to no light, can be dangerous.  There are minor mishaps that can happen, like stubbing one’s toe on a piece of furniture, or stepping on that lone Lego your child forgot to pick up.  Then there are much more serious accidents that can happen, like trying to make your way down a pitch-black hallway and accidently falling down a staircase.  Being outside in the dark can be dangerous, too, with all sorts of criminals, and the dangers of not being seen and then hit by a vehicle.  Having a light on would avoid all of these accidents.  There is something much more dangerous than physical darkness, and that is spiritual darkness.  How desperately those in spiritual darkness need light!  Our Scripture today from the Prophet Isaiah speaks on this issue.  Let’s seek what the Lord has to say through His prophet.

Most of us would agree that this world is increasingly becoming more and more of a dark place.  When viewing statistics, the number of people who profess faith in the Lord Jesus is way down over the years all across the world.  And even among those who do profess faith, a goodly number do not live out their faith.  So what can bring some light into the darkness of this world?  It is not as easy as just switching on a lamp.

Isaiah called upon believers in this dark world that it is time to arise and shine (vs. 1).  The Lord will intervene with His light, where His presence and glory would be manifest in a powerful way.  When men and women try with their own power to bring light into the darkness, they more often than not will not have much success.  However, the Lord is sovereign, and He alone has the ability to truly bring light into darkness.

We see darkness on one side, and light on the other.  Sin and Satan’s kingdom of darkness has spread throughout the earth and mankind (vs. 2).  Then on the other side we have the light of God’s glory rising into the world.  This light comes through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we are surrounded by such spiritual darkness and sin, it is easy to lose hope that anything will ever improve, but through the Lord Jesus we have hope and salvation that comes through Him, the One who is the Light of the World (John 8:12).

Isaiah then prophesied to the opening of the way of salvation and God’s light to the Gentiles, and he spoke of kings coming to the brightness that the Lord had brought (vs. 3, 5).  The fulfillment of this prophecy could be seen with the magi, who some have called “kings”, who came to pay homage to the Lord Jesus at His birth.  They brought valuable gifts to the baby Jesus.  With the passage of centuries, kings and rulers have given their lives to the Lord, along with His message spreading to Gentile people.  God never intended His salvation to just be for one group of people, but instead to be for all people everywhere.  God desires for men and women everywhere across the globe to become His sons and daughters, and to enter His kingdom of light (vs. 4).

The prophet proceeded to predict that the wealth of nations would be brought to the Lord (vs. 5-6, 9).  He specifically mentioned gold and incense as among the items brought to the Lord.  When we read of the Magi coming to the Baby Jesus, we see that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, a fragrant, aromatic resin used in embalming (Matthew 2:11).  This signifies that not only material blessings, but the worship and praise of the Lord will be brought to Him by people from all nations.  To those who turn from darkness to the light of His glory, He will bless with divine favor and honor.

In closing we see where the Lord has brought light into this sin-darkened world, and those who turn to Him, they become His sons and daughters.  We also see prophecies of the gifts that the Magi (or as some have called them, wise men or kings), gifts of gold and frankincense.  We see here that God is faithful, and brings to pass His plan for redemption.  We can trust all of His promises, including bringing salvation to the Gentiles, to all nations.

Is your life in darkness right now, or do you want to have more of God’s light to overcome the darkness that surrounds us every day?  Turn to the Lord Jesus, the Light of the World.  With the feast of the Epiphany this week, the day that honors the coming of the Magi, we can trust the Lord that He fulfills His promises and Word, as Gentiles are welcome into His Kingdom.

Simeon And Anna

Luke 2:25-38

Today we will take a look at two people who are a part of the post-Christmas story. Perhaps some of you might be unfamiliar with these two elderly people, Simeon and Anna.  They are only mentioned once, and very briefly in Luke’s Gospel, but there are some spiritual lessons that we can learn from them.  Let’s take a look.

When the infant Jesus was one week old, His parents Mary and Joseph brought Him to the Temple to have the Jewish rite of circumcision performed.  He was also officially given His name, and also dedicated to the Lord.  It is here that we meet the first of the two people, Simeon.  We are told that this man was just or full of integrity, and devout, and that he was waiting for the coming Messiah.  As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until his eyes would see the Messiah (vs. 25-26).  Though no age is given, it is probably safe to assume that Simeon was an elderly man.

Simeon wanted to see Jesus.  He waited, possibly many years, but he did not give up hope that God’s promise to him would be fulfilled.  Then one day the Holy Spirit spoke to him, telling him to go to the Temple, for God’s promise to him was to be fulfilled.  There he saw the infant Jesus with His parents, and he knew through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that He was the Messiah.  When Simeon saw Jesus, his eyes were opened to the identity of who the infant was.  He saw God’s salvation in human form at the right place and at the right time.  Jesus came to earth, not through royalty, but through an ordinary woman.

Holding the baby Jesus in his arms, Simeon then broke into prayer, a prayer that has become known as the Nunc Dimittis for centuries, from the opening words of the fourth century Latin Vulgate translation.  Simeon acknowledged the promise God had made to him years earlier, that he would not die until he had seen God’s Salvation in human form (vs.28-32).  He described Jesus as a brilliant light that would show the way of salvation, not just to Israel, but to the whole world.

Just two weeks ago, on December 21st, here in the northern hemisphere we had the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year.  In the days following, we have slowly had an increase in daylight.  Many people are quite happy when the days begin to get longer.  The times today are spiritually dark.  They were very dark back at the time of Jesus’ birth, as well.  Even in so much darkness, the Light that Jesus is, and that He brings to our lives, will never go out.

Simeon also prophesied that the Lord’s mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, would go through much suffering (vs. 34-35).  Not only did she go through shame at the hands of some who felt that her baby was the illegitimate offspring of an affair that she might have had with someone other than her betrothed, even possibly a Roman soldier.  Then when Jesus began His ministry, many in her family did not believe in Him, which would have been a heartbreak.  However later, following His resurrection, they did come to believe.  Then the greatest suffering the Virgin Mary went through would have been when she witnessed her Son’s crucifixion.  That would have been like a sword piercing through her heart.

The second person we read about in our Scripture today is the prophetess Anna.  Luke gives us a little bit more of her background then he did for Simeon.  We do not know Simeon’s age, nor from what tribe of Israel he was from.  Luke tells us that Anna was the daughter of Phanuel, and was from the tribe of Asher.  He also shared that she had been married for seven years, and then had been a widow for 84 more years at this time (vs. 36-38).  It was customary in Biblical days for girls to marry around age 14 or 15, so if she had been married for seven years, and widowed for 84 years, that would have made her at least 105 years old.

Anna remained in the Temple, serving God with fasting and prayer.  When she saw the infant Jesus that day in the Temple, she realized who He really was.  By grace her eyes of faith were opened to see that this Child was the Messiah who fulfilled all of God’s promises.  Immediately Anna began to give thanks.  She began to tell others that with this Child, salvation had come.

In closing, are we eagerly awaiting our Lord’s Second Coming with the same intensity that Simeon and Anna had been at His first appearing?  Anna didn’t even leave the Temple, she was that eager, and Simeon must have resided nearby.  They both greatly wanted the Lord’s Messiah to come, and because they did, the Lord blessed them by allowing them to live long enough to physically see Him.  Once our eyes were opened to see that Jesus is the Messiah, and we accepted Him into our heart as our Savior, are we telling others about Him, as Simeon and Anna did? Let’s follow the example of these two saints who close out the Christmas account in Luke’s Gospel.