THE PAINFUL PLACE

 

 

DECEMBER 20, 2023

Matthew 1:18b

 When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit.

 

I wonder how much hurt and sorrow is found behind those simple words: "She was found to be with Child." Stop. Read those words again, “She was found to be with child.” Listen to the wording. These words imply that Mary did not have a chance to choose her time or place, to sit her family down and tell them about the angel's visit. No, "she was found to be with Child." Somebody noticed.

What do you think it might have been like?  Mary was supposed to be a virgin. Her wedding was coming up. The family would be disgraced. I suspect that this was a painful place for Mary and Joseph.

As I see it, perhaps it's a good thing that Jesus came into the world in such a thoroughly human, painful, and messy way. The backdrop to Jesus’ birth is one of shame, conflict, fighting, all these were a part of His life even before His birth. This makes Jesus a good Savior for us, don’t you think? Are you like me? Don’t we carry around with us the scars of shame and pain, too.

I believe the comforting message of the Bible is Jesus knows our shame, every bit of it, all the pain, all the grief. Isaiah says as much, “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” Here is the key thing we need to be reminded of, Jesus knows grief, shame, and pain, but He does not add to our burden. No, He does the impossible and takes it upon His own shoulders and carries it all the way to the cross. Isaiah 53 describes it well, "he took up our pain and bore our suffering, . . . he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." That’s grace, by His own shameful death Jesus removes our shame, pain and wounds, and with His resurrection He gives to us a new life, a clean slate marked by peace, forgiveness and love. Here is the overwhelming truth of this act of grace, you and me, we don't need to carry that pain any longer. Jesus takes it for us and from us. We are healed. Thanks be to God!

 

IT'S NOT GOOD TO BE ALONE

 

DECEMBER 19, 2023

Matthew 1:24-25a

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

We are not given all the fine details, but I would think that life must have been an uncomfortable for Mary, in the days after she left Elizabeth. I mean Elizabeth knew that God was doing something amazing in her, and in Mary. Elizabeth must have been a tremendous comfort to Mary, before she went to live with Joseph. Put yourself in this teenager’s position, Who did she have to open her heart to? Was there anyone who believed her, a parent, a sister or brother, a friend? I feel that for a piece of her journey Mary must felt intensely alone.

We don't know all this about Mary, of course. But we do know that God spoke to Joseph, and soon afterward, Mary had someone on her side again. Someone who believed her; someone who understood the big picture of God’s story that included Mary. Joseph would be there for her whatever upheaval there might have been among their friends and family, and he was there supportively as they coped with the later months of pregnancy, too.

Today, here is my take on all this. God knows we need other people; He could have prepared Mary do it all on her own, but the Creator did not. When we think about even Jesus did not do it all on His own, He chose twelve disciples, and had many, many more who loved and followed Him, including you and me. And you, who do you have? Maybe a spouse or a child or a friend or a neighbor. Hopefully you have the community of a church. And above all, Jesus Himself, who has promised He will always be with us, and never leave us alone. He is the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us (see Galatians 2:20), and He plans for you and me to be with Him forever. We are His beloved, and He is ours (see Song of Solomon 6:3).

Thanks be to God for his tender care of each one of us. Amen.

SON of DAVID

 

DECEMBER 18, 2023

Matthew 1:20-21

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

I have read this passage every year for as long as I can remember, but this year for some reason I noticed something that resulted in this question, “Why did the angel call Joseph "son of David"?

Now the obvious answer to this question is that God had promised many years before that the Messiah (God’s anointed one) would come from David's family line. We know that’s important because Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy of the Davidic line. Ending with, “Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.” As a son of David, Joseph would pass that standing to his legal son Jesus. That is a very good answer to my question, for sure.

It occurred to me though, that there might be more to it, important as that genealogical line is. Let’s think of David for a moment. He was known as the "man after God's own heart," the one who sinned deeply, but loved God just as deeply. If you follow David’s story in the Old Testament you will notice that when God guided David's life in strange new directions, David listened and followed. David relied on God's promises. Now in our reading today, the angel calls this son of David, Joseph, to an even stranger life, protecting and caring for God's own Son Jesus and His mother.

"Do not fear," the angel says. Implying that God will be with Joseph at every step of this journey. Talk about an overwhelming call, this Son that God is handing into Joseph's hands will be his Savior as well, so Joseph will have the privilege of saving his Savior, providing for his Provider. Joseph will name Him Jesus, this Child, God Himself, enters the world He created, to save. Perhaps, John summarizes this best when he recorded ^“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Saves us from sin and provides everlasting life to all.

 
Help me to trust You, dear Lord, like Joseph and David did. Amen.

Michael Card, singer and song writer captures Joseph's reflection in the song below. Give it a listen.

 

NEVER ALONE

 

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Matthew 1:18b

When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit.

For many, there is a focus on Mary’s helplessness. Our text today seems to bear this out. It says she "had been betrothed" to Joseph, meaning that  somebody else did the marriage arrangement for her. Further our reading says she "was found to be with Child", which sounds like someone made an unexpected discovery. And finally, there is the phrase "before they came together", which only emphasizes how alone Mary must have been with what was happening to her body and indeed the impact of her situation on her life.

But wait, she isn't really without help, is she? It seems to me that as awful as things seem to be, God is with her. Mary is carrying Jesus. The Holy Spirit is guiding her, granted she does not yet see the big picture, the how or where or when is still unanswered for her. I admit that this is a difficult situation for this teenager. Through the narrative of Mary’s story, we are drawn to see that God is with her, in what on the surface seems to be a mess.

There is a message and a reminder for us in this, God is with us, too, no matter how terrible or messy our situation is, or how helpless and alone we feel. God has not abandoned us. Our God will not give up on us. God came into the world as a tiny baby to make us His own, to live and to die for us all. Please remember, and never doubt that you matter to God. We matter so much that when Jesus suffered, when Jesus died, when Jesus rose again, he did so out of love so that we might live a new life of joy and freedom.  

Since the Gospel’s show us that God demonstrated his love for us in Jesus, that God is for us, not against us. How about we let go and be still and let God care for us as we see he cared for Mary.

THE VISITATION

 

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Luke 1:67-68

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people."

 

It's a warm and appealing term, God has "visited" His people.  It's the same word you'd use for going to see a parent or a child or a relative you love,  a friend in the hospital. A phone call is just insufficient. You go there in person, to see them with your own eyes.

And Zechariah puts it in the past tense, too! That makes sense, because at this point, Jesus has been in Mary's womb for three months. God has in fact already come into the world as a human being, to visit and redeem His people. He didn't send a text or write an email or a letter. He came Himself. John’s Gospel says that God “pitched his tent” among us, one translation says, “moved into the neighborhood.” That’s a comforting picture isn’t it?

That is the kind of God we worship, a God who cares about us so much that He came down into our world to be with us, to be one of us, to live and to suffer and die for us so that we could have eternal life.  A God who rose from the dead to share that everlasting life with us, the people He visited, the people He loves.

 

God, thank You for visiting us, and for opening the way for us to have everlasting life.

BEING WHO WE ARE

 

DECEMBER 13, 2023

 

Luke 1:46-49

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name."

 

I think most of us have been taught to be humble, after all the opposite of humility is pride. Proverbs 11:2 says “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” In the Bible, pride is described as an excessive love of one’s own excellence. It is in considering this teaching that many of us, have what I would call a false humility. Were you taught something like: Don't think about how great you are, ever? Let me ask you, do you find it hard to receive compliments?

Look at what Mary says right here: "From now on all generations will call me blessed!"

And of course, she's right. Mary is blessed, and the whole world does say so, because God has made her the mother of Jesus. What greater blessing could there be?

So, she admits, and rejoices in her role in God’s plan. But it doesn't turn poisonous for her, she isn’t arrogant about it. Mary joyfully puts the glory right where it belongs, “for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name." Mary points beyond herself to God who did this wonderful thing to her.

We can do that, too. There is no need for us to hide who we are, whether that's a gifted mechanic, a wonderful singer, a great baker, a warm person of hospitality, a hard and dependable worker, or a person to whom God has given special gifts. You and me, we are what God has made us, we have strengths, skills, abilities, and gifts given by God’s amazing grace. We, an like Mary, can give glory to God who made us this way, and gifted us. Because above all, we are God's children, “we are God’s workmanship”, freed by Jesus Christ who loved us, and have been given a calling and purpose.

 

God, thank You for all the gifts You have given me, help me to always use them for your glory. Amen.

Reflect

* Name one gift God has given you.

* How do you serve God or others with that gift?

* What is a gift in which you are growing right now?

FOR OUR COMFORT AND JOY

 

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Luke 1:36-38

"And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

 

I find it comforting to see how God puts us together with others in hard times. Thinks about it. Here is Mary, about to face the trial of her life, young, unmarried, and pregnant.  She has a fiancé to tell, parents to deal with, a village to face. What to do? What to do first? God knows.

And so God has Gabriel tell her about Elizabeth her relative, who has also been blessed with a miracle pregnancy and could really use some help right about now! What a great idea, to go and visit her, right?

God is kind. He sees Mary's needs before she sees them herself, and He provides for them, through Elizabeth.

Sometimes just the fact that someone is "there" for you is the best gift of all, beyond anything they can do for you. Maybe that's why God Himself came into our world as a human baby, as Jesus, our Savior. Whatever God might have done from heaven on high, and it would have been amazing no doubt. God did something considerably greater for us when He came close to us in that manger, on the roads of Galilee, on that cross at Jerusalem, greeting His followers, alive again. Remember this: As Jesus suffered and died and rose from the tomb, it was for you and me, and all people. The message we need to remember.  God kept us close to Him all the way!!

God, we thank you, for pulling us close to You. Amen.

 

SOMETHING NEW

 

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Luke 1:34-35

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God."

 

"How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

Mary is not doubting like Zechariah. Mary is a practical, she needs to know: Does God want her to move up the wedding ceremony? What’s the plan here? Mary wonders. Does God have entirely different plans for her?

As it turns out, God does indeed have different plans, He's going to handle the whole thing by miracle. As God promised long ago through the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel" (7:14b). God is doing a new thing in the world, by inserting new, pure, divine, holy life into it. The baby will be both fully God and fully human, God from all eternity, now taking on true human nature in the person of Jesus.

Not one person who knows about Jesus’ beginning will ever be in doubt that God is doing something special here, something to pay attention to. "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19a) We must not miss the fact that God is doing it on His own, no human measures, preparations, or planning are necessary. God's salvation, the deliverance he promised is entirely His own work, from Jesus' conception to His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. And we are the joyful receivers!

 Jesus, thank You that You came to be God with us, Immanuel. Amen.

PROMISE FULFILLED

 

DECEMBER 8, 2023

 Luke 1:30-33

And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 

 

Mary would have been familiar with this promise, odds are any Jewish girl would. A son to inherit the throne of David? To rule over Israel forever? This baby will be the Messiah. Two thousand years after God announced it to Abraham, God is keeping His promise at last.

 

While hesitant and bewildered initially, Mary becomes overjoyed! She will be a part of this great thing. This promise that will be fulfilled, is going to be very intimate. Mary’s body, for nine long months will experience God’s promise, profoundly culminating in the wild circumstances of Her labor and delivery. I am always struck by the fact that Mary will be nursing this baby, changing His diapers, teaching Him to walk, to talk, to do His chores and mind His manners, all the things any human child must learn. She must have felt joy.

 

Mary must have felt fear as well. This blending of Joy and fear is a truly biblical experience. Many in the Bible, experienced Joy, and fear in living the reality of God’s promise being fulfilled.

 

Here is the message that comes through all this, God would be with Mary, as God is with us when He asks us to take on life-changing challenges. That is what the hope of Emmanuel, God with Us means.

RETURNING HOME

 

December 7, 2023

 

Luke 1:23-25

²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

I wonder what this homecoming was like?  I can visualize Elizabeth, coming to greet her husband, and getting the silent treatment.  Questioning him, touching him, worrying, has he had a stroke? Is he sick? Did someone hurt him? What is wrong? I have a hunch Elizabeth imagined the worst, before the wordless Zechariah was able to get the message across to her of Angels, and God’s promise, a miracle is about to happen.

It must have been an interesting time telling the story to Elizabeth. Poor Old Zechariah, scribbling as fast as he could, Elizabeth desperately following the story. And then the joy! Oh, imagine the joy, knowing that God had heard her prayers too, and that finally, finally, they would have a child.

No wonder she hid herself in private. It must have been so much too much to take in. Five months of quiet and peace, thinking about the massive change in her world. When you stop to think of it, her experience would mean an enormous impact in our lives as well. God’s Good News promise was being fulfilled, and John, the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah was soon to arrive, and right after his birth, Jesus, our Liberator, would be born and he would surrender himself to God’s will, and give Himself up for us all, to bring us back to God. I ask you, what better news could there be?

 

WORDS

 

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Luke 1:18-20

And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

 

Zechariah is noticeably subdued. His first words exhibit doubt: "How shall I know this? Give me some proof. I'm too old to have a baby, and my wife is, too." You would think talking to an angel would be all the proof a person would need.

Gabriel gives him some proof, shows Zechariah his ID badge, and then hands Zechariah a consequence for his unbelief: "You don't believe my words? Fine. You don't get to have any words of your own, until the day when you see these words fulfilled!"

The outcome? The only words in Zechariah's home for the next nine months are going to be his wife, Elizabeth’s, oh yeah and Mary's, when she comes to visit. The believers get words, lots of them, words full of praise and joy. And by God's mercy, the unbelieving world gets the Word of God, Jesus the Rescuer, who came to lay down His life for us, that we might receive the gift of everlasting life.

God, thank You for sending Your Word, Jesus, to be our Savior. Amen.

 

A "DOUBLE-TAKE" ?

 

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Luke 1:13-15a, 16a, 17b

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. ... And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ... to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."

"Don't be afraid, because your prayer has been heard!" My mind has me wondering if Zechariah's first reaction to this announcement might have been. "Yikes, do I really want this after all?" Because that can happen, can't it? I mean we pray so long for something that it becomes a routine, and when God suddenly says yes, you do a double-take and wonder if you really want to raise a baby in old age.

God knows and understands we have those moments, and doesn’t turn away from us. The angel goes right on with the message while Zechariah gets his thoughts together. Then, nine months later, heart and soul and mind has grasped the revelation and Zechariah rejoices: ""Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!" (Luke 1:68a)

Are you experiencing a blessing that has its scary side? If so, you can trust in God to carry you through it, second thoughts and all. Jesus came into the world to save all of us, the enthusiastic and reluctant alike. Jesus’ desire for you and me is what carried Him through suffering, death, and resurrection, and He will bring us home, just as He promised.

Amen

LIFE INTERUPTED

 

December 4, 2023

Luke 1:8a, 11-13a

 

Now while he was serving as priest before God ... there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard ..."

 

Here is a question for you today, what do you do when your life gets interrupted? Pause for a moment before reading on and think about this question.

I am quite confident that Zechariah wasn't expecting an angel that day. He was like us, an ordinary believer, someone who served God in his daily life and did the work God called him to do.

We read in our Gospel that God put something else in front of him. For Zechariah there was a sudden turn, a curve in the road. A miracle! Unexpected fatherhood. A child who would grow up to prepare the way for Jesus.

No wonder he was troubled!

What about us, when our life gets interrupted? What do we do, when fear descends on us?

Look at our reading, the angel points the way: "Don't be afraid," he says. "Your prayer has been heard ..." Heard by whom, we may ask? By the Lord who loves us, and who will hold us up, even as the world changes around us.

Here something we need to remember, that the Bible teaches us frequently. No matter what happens to us, God isn't taken by surprise. God will not leave you to deal with it on your own. How could God? He is the God who came into this world, and into our lives, to suffer and die and rise again, to show us that we are God’s dearly loved children. GOD will not desert you now in a interrupted and troubled state. God, will never leave us or forsake us!!

Lord, when I'm unsettled, be with me, support me, and remind me I am yours. Amen.