The Magi See the Star

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 

'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' 

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and take a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route," (Matthew 2:1-12 NIV).

The story of the Magi only appears in the book of Matthew, yet it is part of the Christmas story that deserves to be heard. These wise men from a far were seeking a ruler, like themselves, only a baby who would become king of the Jews. Christ Jesus, born in Bethlehem in Judea, was the expected king. He fulfills the prophecy told long ago and King Herod was threatened. Soon after the Magi visit, Joseph took Mary and Jesus into Egypt to hide because they knew from a dream that Herod wanted to kill Jesus.

May you continue to hold the story of Jesus' birth in your heart. His story is just beginning. Amen.

  

The Shepherds

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." ( Luke 2:8-20 NIV).

In all our thirty years of raising sheep, we never had a sighting of angels. They must have had some sort of calming effect on the sheep or the flock would have been frightened, as the shepherds were. I can't imagine such a scene but I believe it happened with my whole heart. The shepherds held an important role in the birth of our Savior. They spread the news about Jesus Christ being born. The prophets foretold the story and the story lives on.

The shepherds touched Mary's heart and confirmed to her that her son was God's Son. Who else would have a herd of sheep and shepherds arrive at the stable doorstep to proclaim that Christ the Lord had been born. What a sight! What a wonder! Christ our Savior is born!

May the wonder of Christ's birth remain in your heart today. Amen.

The Trip to Bethlehem

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn," (Luke 2:1-7 NIV).

Seventy miles. On a donkey. Nine months pregnant.

I can't imagine such a trip. Can you? It makes the whole story even more of a miracle: in addition to the baby conceived by the Holy Spirit. No wonder this story is so beloved. And all of it was in God's plan. Everything happened just as God intended. Even the trip through the countryside was as God planned. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, in a humble rock cave, was foretold in Micah 5:2. 

This week as we prepare for our Christmas celebrations, may we remember the story of Jesus' birth and let the miracles of that day remain alive and foremost in our hearts and our minds.

The Messiah

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV). 

The prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Jesus and His life in the book of Isaiah. Much of his story is retold

to music in G.F. Handel's "The Messiah". It tells the life story of Jesus. My father sang with the annual production of "The Messiah" in Marshalltown for many years so the music is truly beloved by those who heard it year after year. I am one of those who loves the music and the story it tells. I have a CD of "The Messiah" and I sing along to myself the amazing music that is so familiar to me.

There are three parts to "The Messiah": Part I tells the story of Jesus' birth, Part II tells the story of the crucifixion, and Part III tells of Jesus' resurrection. It is an amazing work of art. It was written by Handel in 1741 in only 24 days and the oratorio was first performed on April 13, 1742, conducted by Handel himself. It is stunning that Handel could have composed this entire work in such a short period of time. He was truly inspired by God.

If you get the chance to hear "The Messiah" this Christmas season it will bless you in a special way. Christmas music of any kind sets the mood for the season.

Thank you, God, for giving us music to lift our spirits and to tell the stories of Christmas. Amen.

We Like Sheep

For more years than I can remember I have had sheep on my Christmas cards. For me, sheep are Christmas. Their role in that first Christmas was minor, still they were important enough to be mentioned by Luke. Sheep can be found throughout the Bible so it is not surprising that sheep are part of the Christmas story.

In case you didn't know, I love sheep. We have decorated our tree with sheep ornaments for many years, I guess since we had enough sheep to cover the tree. We collected sheep ornaments from all our vacations and trips. It is surprising how sheep turn up in the most unlikely places. We add a sheep nearly every year, whenever a new sheep ornament is found.

What makes sheep so relatable is that symbolically they represent us in the Bible. "You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord," (Ezekiel 34:31 NIV). God proclaims it to be so.

Sheep are valuable to God. He cherishes them just as the shepherd values his flock. Every one is important. You are cherished and loved by God. The shepherd seeks the one lost sheep. Sheep are important. They are important to the Christmas story. 

When you see a sheep, may you always be reminded that you are God's and He is your God.

The Symbols of Christmas

The symbols of Christmas are all over your house and even down the street. They fill stores and churches and line the Main Streets of towns. There are silver bells, Christmas trees, nativity scenes, tinsel, bows and ribbons, packages wrapped in colorful paper, stars, angels, shepherd boys, Merry Christmases, snow globes, Christmas towels and mugs, and so much more. 

Signs of Christmas are all around us. The music is what makes me happiest. I can turn on holiday tunes and it cheers me right up. The familiar Christmas carols bring back memories of past Christmases and the beautiful candlelit sanctuary on Christmas Eve.

Christmas is a season that is often very hard for those who have lost loved ones. The loss of their presence during holiday traditions makes them almost unbearable. Many people change things up a bit so they can avoid those difficult moments.

Living with depression all these years makes me experience many different emotions at Christmas time. Sometimes it is very difficult for me. I miss my parents and also my in-laws so much at this time of year.  The traditions they made in their homes are now gone and that is sad. It is also sad when our immediate family isn't all together for Christmas. So I try to remember what our Savior said,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

May you find peace during this Christmas season, no matter what you face this year. May God bless you with His constant love and peace. Amen.

Walking Toward Christmas

Have you ever tried walking on ice? When I was a kid I would go down to the creek in winter and slide around - standing for a while but inevitably end up falling down on the ice. Now that I'm older, there is a fear of falling on ice. This year especially with my newly repaired hand, I worry about falling on ice. Thankfully we have had a nice fall with no ice.

The other day I was intrigued by the geese walking on ice that's on the pond next door. The geese seemed to walk carefully but I didn't see one of them fall on the thin ice as they made their way across the pond.

Maybe we are like the geese now as we carefully approach the birth of Christ. We know the story well but we also know the end if the story. So how do we separate the two? It seems like we move toward the birth of Jesus by remembering how He came.

From a virgin girl, Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit for the purpose of saving mankind through His death. This is where our salvation begins - in a manger in a barn. Jesus came to poor, young parents because He was born to save us all - not just the rich and famous. He came to bring salvation to everyone. 

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you," (Isaiah 41:13 NIV).

So as we draw near to Christmas let us walk carefully through the holy story, cautious of the ending but remembering how the story of Jesus began.

The Announcement

Amazement. Shock. Surprise. Wonder. All these reactions must have been felt as Mary and Joseph received the news that Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit to bear the Son of God. Mary was humbled and honored to be chosen as the mother of Jesus. She was the first person to receive Jesus. Mary was reminded that "nothing is impossible with God," (Luke 1:37). 

Joseph learned of the situation from an angel and at first he thought of divorcing Mary quietly, but the angel told him, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins," (Matthew 1:20-21 NIV).

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel--which means, "God with us,"" (Matthew 1:23 NIV).

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38 NIV).

Our walk toward Christmas is through the Advent season. We anticipate the arrival of Jesus and His birth in the lowly stable. 

May our hearts be made ready to receive the Lord. Amen.

December Thoughts

I'm feeling very old these days. My graduating class is working on our 50th reunion for next year. I can't believe we are this old. Where did the years go? For many there were years of schooling; then years of raising children, then teens, now adult children; years of working hard; then grandchildren; then finally retirement.

Life flies by even as we are thinking it'll be forever to retirement. All of a sudden we look back and we are here. We are left with books of photographs and computers full of pictures. So many memories gathered in our minds, yet memories begin to fade.

Arthritis is our constant companion. We have the prospect of new knees, hips and even knuckles. Now that we have time to do things, we may not feel like doing them. Life is fleeting. Every minute is valuable.

Even though our bodies are older and less mobile for playing football or getting down on the floor with grandchildren, our hearts and minds are full of cherished memories from a lifetime of living.

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you," (Isaiah 46:4 NIV). 

Thank you, God, for being our constant companion through all of life, and even now as we reluctantly enter the December of our years. Amen.