Friday, December 30

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John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We come today to the last piece of the nativity scene to be packed away – the baby Jesus.

One of our baby Jesus figures – one from an African nativity scene – looks to be lying on a mat made from straw. The figure is wrapped from waist to knees and has very thin elongated limbs. He also has a very long neck – causing baby Jesus to look a bit like an alien – which, in a way, of course, he was.

The second figure – this one from the crèche from Israel – looks like a tiny adult. He has a full head of hair and his arms are stretched out as if reaching for a hug or offering a blessing. When the figure is placed into the straw filled manger properly, the lines carved around his head make it appears as if beams of light are radiating from him.

Each of these tiny figures communicates something beautiful about this child. He is alien in a way; he is not from this world. He comes to us from eternity itself as John says to open his gospel:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

He did come to stretch out his arms to us – in love, in blessing, and in sacrifice.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14

And he does embody and radiate the very glory of God himself.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being… Hebrews 1:3

One of my favorite authors says it this way:

The Word become flesh. Ultimate mystery born with a skull you could crush one-handed. Incarnation. It is not tame. It is not touching. It is not beautiful. It is uninhabitable terror. It is unthinkable darkness riven with unbearable light. Agonizing labor led to it, vast upheavals of intergalactic space, time split apart, a wrenching of the sinews of reality itself. You can only cover your eyes and shudder before it, before this: “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God … who for us and our salvation,” as the Nicene Creed puts it, “came down from heaven.”  Frederick Buechner, from “Whistling in the Dark”

The word became flesh.

Ultimate mystery.

Incarnation.

But the question is, “Do we put him back in the box?” Do we pack him away for another year to dwell with the strings of lights and boxes of ornaments?

Look at what the Apostle Paul says about where Jesus wants to dwell:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power though his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

Paul is telling us that Jesus came not just to give us a nice story to celebrate; or a wonderful cultural holiday; but rather, he came to interrupt our world; to break into our lives; to make his dwelling in our hearts; and he came to stay.

So as you prepare to take down and pack away all your Christmas decorations; the tree, the ornaments, the lights, and yes, even the nativity scenes, take a few moments before you put the baby in the manger back in the storage bin.

Take a few moments and look at the tiny figure. This is how far God came to demonstrate his love for you. The God of eternal glory took on the humility of skin and breath and hair in order that we would know he is with us. And then he gave us the greatest gifts of all – the gift of eternal life through his Son and the gift of His Spirit to dwell in our hearts by faith.

You may pack the crèche away – but may Jesus remain King of your heart!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, December 29

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Matthew 2:10-11

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. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Ah, the Magi from the east! The Wise Men! Almost every time I think of the wise men I think of two things almost simultaneously. I think of the time, in about third grade, when I got to play the part of a wise man in our school Christmas pageant – complete with the terry-cloth bathrobe, makeshift turban and a beautiful gift to present to the child! I also think of the Christmas carol:

We three kings of orient are;

Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,

Following yonder star.

I think I loved being one of the wise men because I got to actually do something! The other parts for boys – the shepherds and Joseph – just sort of stood there. Joseph stood silently by Mary as she held the child. The shepherds stood by with their crooked sticks and cardboard sheep – which wasn’t all bad because of the sticks! But we wise men got to walk all the way across the stage – because we came from a mysterious place just called “the east” – and we got to kneel down before the child and offer him exotic looking gifts!

And so it is with the little wooden wise men of our crèche from Israel. Each appears to be more formally dressed than the other characters in the scene. Their robes are ornate and heavy looking. One is wearing a very large, cone-shaped hat or crown of some kind. The others are wearing fancy-looking turbans – and all three look very dignified and important. 

Each is bearing a different gift. The one with the big hat is carrying a small box with both hands – as if it is either very fragile or very valuable – or both. Another seems to be carrying a bag of some kind – almost like a long sock with something heavy in the end. The third wise man is kneeling on one knee and is holding a small box open as if to show its contents. It looks all the world like a box of cigars – but since I know it can’t be that – it must be one of the three gifts that scripture indicates these foreigners brought to honor the newborn king; gold, frankincense, or myrrh.

One more thing I notice about these figures – their eyes. The eyes of each figure are carved with great detail. It gives them the appearance of staring with great curiosity – great intensity – almost as if seeing that which others cannot see.

What did the Magi see? They saw a star; a sign in the heavens that God would soon do something new; something that would change the cosmos forever. 

What did they see? They saw a child born to be King; a child worthy of both their pursuit and their worship. 

What did they see? They saw a King to whom they gave the gift of gold; a High Priest to whom they gave the gift of frankincense; and one whose body would be prepared for burial to whom they gave the gift of myrrh.

So what do I see when I look at the child? What do you see? Do we see a cute and quaint story that we remember once each year? Or do we see a cross and an empty tomb?

Lord, grant me the eyes and the faith of these Magi that I too may worship you!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, December 28

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Luke 2:1-20 (selected)

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 the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

While we didn’t include the shepherds in our recent sermon series, “The Divine Interruption”, they are in the story, of course, and they are in each of the nativity scenes in our house.

In one of the sets, the shepherd appears to have been holding a shepherd’s crook – although the crook has long since been lost from the set. In each other the others, the shepherd is not only holding a stick – but is carrying a sheep as well.

The shepherd figure from the African crèche appears to be dressed very simply, his plain robe unadorned in any way. He is carrying a sheep around his neck, holding its feet in each hand. I think, “Of course! He has to carry his sheep – it may be all he has and who will watch it for him?”

Have you ever wondered why God chose to have a “great company of the heavenly host” appear to these simple men of the fields with the good news of a Savior?

Most of us aren’t terribly familiar with the role of a shepherd in the ancient world. We might assume they would have been something like our farmers today – but that’s not a very good comparison. While today’s farmers may know how to care for or even herd barnyard animals – they are generally seen as hardworking and honest. Shepherds in the ancient world were seen a bit more like “migrant workers” – that is they were not only low on the socio-economic totem pole – but also low on the respect and trust meter.

Imagine Jesus being born into today’s world and the angels show up to celebrate with carnival workers! 

And yet, that’s what God does! Why?

Read the words again and notice the words I have emphasized:

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 the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

“To you,” the angel says. To you who feel mostly forgotten by both God and your own people; to you who feel unworthy of God’s presence and blessing; to you, shepherds, the good news has come! To you a Savior has been born!

The shepherds are included in the story because we are included in the story; because you are included in the story. If God would announce his good news of salvation to shepherds, of all people, he will announce it to us – to you!

And how did they respond? Luke tells us:

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. Luke 2:16-17

I think people were amazed both at the news of child born to be Savior and at who was bearing this good news! Shepherds!

Frederick Buechner says it this way:

The air wasn’t just emptiness anymore. It was alive. Brightness everywhere, dipping and wheeling like a flock of birds. And what you always thought was silence stopped being silent and turned into the beating of wings, thousands and thousands of them. Only not just wings, as you came to more, but voices – high, wild, like trumpets….And do you know, it was just like being out of jail. I can see us still. The squint-eyed one who always complained of sore feet. The little sawed-off one who could outswear a Roman. The young one who blushed like a girl. We all tore off across that muddy field like drunks at a fair, and drunk we were, crazy drunk, splashing though a sea of wings and moonlight and the silvery wool of the sheep. Was it night? Was it day? Did our feet touch the ground?

“Shh, shh, you’ll wake up my guests,” said the Innkeeper we met coming in the other direction with his arms full of wood. And when we got to the shed out back, one of the three foreigners who were there held a finger to his lips.

“At the eye of the storm, you know, there’s no wind – nothing moves – nothing breathes – even silence keeps silent. So hush now. Hush. There he is. You see him? You see him? Frederick Buechner, “The Magnificent Defeat”

Like the shepherds, may we never cease to be surprised that God has come to us; and may we never tire of sharing the good news!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, December 27

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Matthew 1:24-25

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Today we continue packing away the nativity scene – this time taking a closer look at the figure of Joseph. The Bible doesn’t tell us a whole lot about Joseph – other than that he was a “righteous man”, a carpenter by trade, and has his life interrupted repeatedly by messages delivered to him by angels in dreams. 

When Joseph discovers his fiancé is already with child, he decides to divorce her quietly. But an angel tells him not only to take Mary as his wife, but that the child will be a son and that Joseph should give him the name, “Jesus.” Joseph’s response?

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Later, after the child was born and things had calmed down a bit, Joseph was again interrupted by the message of an angel in a dream. This time the angel told Joseph to take his whole family to Egypt because King Herod was going to try to kill the child. Joseph’s response?

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt… Matthew 2:14

I’m looking at three Joseph figures before I pack them away.

The first Joseph is part of the crèche from Africa, and he is standing with hands clasped at his waist and head slightly bowed – as if in humility.

The second Joseph is part of the set from Israel, and he is kneeling on one knee with one hand held over his heart –almost exactly the pose a young man strikes as he proposes marriage to a young lady. 

The third Joseph is part of a set made of clay from Bolivia, South America. Joseph is wearing a kind of turban, and has a dark beard, but he has no face at all; no eyes, nose or mouth – just a beard. It’s almost as if Joseph is invisible, not wanting to draw any attention to himself at all.

I think these three artists, from three continents, have each captured something of the character of the man God chose to be the earthly father of his Son. 

Joseph was indeed a man of humility. When he could have complained about the potential hit to his reputation in the community he didn’t. When he could have said, “What about me? What’s in this for me?” He didn’t. He understood that it wasn’t about him; it was about something that God wanted to do in the world – and he stood ready; and humble enough to serve.

Joseph was a man of faithfulness and love. I love the image of Joseph kneeling as if to propose marriage to Mary – for, in a way, he did. Even knowing that Mary was already carrying a child that was not his, he took her as his wife. Imagine what that did for the heart of his bride! Fearing that he would abandon her through divorce, instead Mary sees Joseph on one knee, offering himself to her in marriage. What a beautiful picture of love.

Finally, Joseph was also a man of obedience.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

O Lord, make me increasingly to be a man like Joseph; a man of humility, love and obedience!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, December 26

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Luke 1:26-38 (selected)

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High…”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”

The Christmas decorations at our house include several “crèches” – which is a fancy French word for “nativity scene.” Over the years we have somehow collected a half a dozen or so these miniature nativity scenes from different parts of the world. Some have come to us as gifts while others we have picked up during our travels to places like Africa and South America. These crèches are displayed in various locations in our home – each including the traditional figures of the story: Mary, Joseph, a few shepherds, the wise men, several animals and, of course, the baby Jesus.

Sometime between Christmas and the end of the first week of January we will take down and pack away all our seasonal decorations – including our nativity scenes – for another year.

As we move through “10 Minutes with God” this week – I want to invite you to imagine the process of packing up the characters of the great story – and thinking about them one last time before putting them back in the attic.

We begin today with the figure of Mary.

Mary, as we know, had her life interrupted – her whole world turned upside down - when the angel Gabriel informed her that she would soon be with child through the Holy Spirit, and that this child would be called the “Son of the Most High.” We struggle even to begin to comprehend the impact of such an experience on the mind and heart of a young woman who was probably still in her teens. One can only imagine that Mary had to feel fear, confusion, anxiety and maybe even anger at some point. And yet, even after all this, her response is full of grace:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”

One of our nativity scenes is from Africa and is carved out of very dark wood of some kind. The Mary figure is kneeling with her hands folded in front of her as if in prayer.

Another of our sets is from Israel, carved out of a light colored wood. In this set the Mary figure is also kneeling but has both hands clasped over her heart.

As I look at these two tiny figures on my desk, I wonder what was going through this young woman’s heart and mind as she looked upon the child she had just delivered? Nine months have passed since Gabriel’s announcement. She and Joseph are married after all. Now she is a mother. She remembers the words of the angel, “He will be called the Son of God.” How does one go about mothering the Son of God? Perhaps the African artist who carved the Mary with the praying hands imagined that she was asking God to help her in this holy and unimaginable task.

But what about the Mary with hands clasped over her heart? I immediately think of what Luke tells us just a bit later in the story. When their baby boy was just 8 days old, Mary and Joseph took him to Jerusalem to be circumcised according to Jewish custom. While there a man named Simeon offered a prophetic blessing over the child.

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword shall pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:35

What would Mary have made of these words? “And a sword shall pierce you own soul too?” Surely, every mother’s heart is “pierced” – in a sense – with a kind of fierce and immutable love for her child. But this is something more; something deeper; something more profound. We have no way of knowing if Mary fully understood Simeon’s prophecy about her child. But, from our vantage point, it is clear. Her baby boy will one day be “pierced by a sword” – he will be offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world – and she will grieve.

I look at Mary, with hands clasped over her heart as if to keep it from spilling out, and I wonder. Have I allowed this child and what he came to do for me to pierce my heart? Have I allowed him to have my heart; have I allowed his life to be born again in me so that I too can say, “May it be to me as you have said?”

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, December 23

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Friday

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 make 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. Then 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

How did the Magi find the Christ child?  My guess is that you probably answered b saying that they followed the star, but this is only half right. There’s a great deal of discussion over this star, some scholars believe it was an ancient appearance of Haley’s comet, some claim it was an unusual alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, others claim it was a supernova in about 11 B.C., but as far as I can tell, this account gives me the impression that whatever it was, it was a miraculous occurrence.

It seems evident from the story in Matthew that this star was a miracle, because a star that was seen in the sky in Bethlehem would be seen in the same way in Jerusalem or any other town in the region of Judea, for they were so close together.  But apparently they could sense that this star was moving, and they could sense when it came and stood just over the place where the young child was.  So evidently it was a very low-moving star, something very unusual. 

The star of Bethlehem does play an important role, but it does not bring the Magi all the way to Jesus.  We tend to think of the Magi as just traipsing along through the desert following a bouncy bright star in the sky.  But a careful examination of the story in Matthew will help us see it a bit differently. 

Notice what the Magi actually say to Herod, they say that they saw His star in the east, but they do not say that they have been following the star.  Additionally, the Magi show up first in Jerusalem (not Bethlehem) and ask where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?  If they had been following the star all along, why wouldn’t they have just followed it on to Bethlehem?  Finally, when the Magi ask where the child is, Herod has to ask the Jewish scholars and priests, and they go to the Word of God for the answer.

In his commentary on Matthew called The Christ Book, Frederich Dale Bruner puts it this way, “The star brings us to Jerusalem; only Scripture brings us to Bethlehem.  Creation can bring us to the church; the church’s Bible brings us to Christ.  To be sure, the star reappears, but, significantly, only after the Scriptures say ‘Bethlehem!’  God’s revelation in creation raises the questions and begins the quest; God’s revelation in Scripture gives a preliminary answer and directs the quest toward the final goal.  Finally, God’s revelation in Christ satisfies the quest.”

For this reason, when the star reaches the place where the child is, it stops.  It stops right there, and its history ends, for it has reached the Lord Jesus.  When the star reaches Bethlehem, when it has brought a man to the place of Jesus Christ, then its ministry is over. It does not go beyond Christ, and it does not reappear in the story because once it has brought them to Christ, it has fulfilled its divine purpose!

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, December 22

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Thursday

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.  - Matthew 2:1-3

I want you to pay attention to that last phrase, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”  I think many people imagine the arrival of the Magi in Jerusalem (if they think about it at all) as just three guys on camels riding into a big city and asking questions.  That is not at all what the scene would have been like.

Herod the Great (one of several Herods mentioned in the Bible, and the ancestor of the others) was famous for both his magnificent public building projects, and his ruthless, cruel paranoia.  Herod was not a Jew at all, but an Edomite, and Rome recognized him as a vassal king over Judea. The Jews hated and resented him, although they had an admiration for his building projects, such as the magnificent improvements made to the second temple.

Motivated by his great paranoia and cruelty, he murdered the members of the Sanhedrien, his wife, his mother in-law, and his three sons.  When Herod knew that his death was approaching, he had the most distinguished leaders of Jerusalem arrested on false charges. He ordered that as soon as he died, they should all be killed - he knew well no one would mourn his own death, so he was determined that some tears be shed when he died.

He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him: In Jerusalem, the sudden appearance of the Magi, probably traveling in force with all imaginable oriental pomp and accompanied by an adequate cavalry escort to insure their safe penetration of Roman territory, would certainly have alarmed Herod.  It probably appeared to Herod as if these Magi were attempting to perpetrate a border incident which could bring swift reprisal from Parthian armies.  Their request of Herod regarding the one who "has been born King of the Jews" probably also sounded like a calculated insult to him, a non—Jew who had contrived and bribed his way into that office.

The fact that all Jerusalem was troubled with Herod is significant.  Simply put, if Herod was “troubled” then his subjects would soon be troubled as well.  This was due either to the fact that the people of Jerusalem rightly feared what sort of paranoid outburst might come from Herod upon hearing of a rival king being born, or because of the size and dignity of this caravan from the East (or both).

Even today, the arrival of Jesus should cause us to consider what kind of reaction we will have to the birth of the King of Kings.  Some will be troubled and resistant to Him.  Some will be troubled and open to Him.  Some will be filled with joy at His coming and some will not think much about Him at all.  Does the arrival of Jesus trouble you, or does it fill your heart with great joy? 

Jeff Frazier 

Wednesday, December 21

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Wednesday

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.’”  - Matthew 2:1-6

Isn’t it beautiful the way the Old Testament gives us the details of the coming of the king?  It begins in the broadest possible way by saying the Messiah shall come of the seed of the woman.  And then we have all types of limitations.  He is limited to a certain line.  He is limited to a certain kind of birth.  And finally, he is limited to a certain place:  the city of Bethlehem.  The prophecies of Scripture are not prophecies that are given in ambiguous, loose language so that they might be fulfilled in several ways.  The prophecies of Scripture are not like the Delphic Oracle, not like the words given to King Croesus when he asked if he should attack in order to win a victory.  And the reply comes back to him, if you cross the river, a great empire shall be destroyed.  Now the prophecy is so worded in ambiguity, that if he crossed and won, the prophecy would be right, and if he crossed and lost, the prophecy would still be right.  For in one case, it would be the empire that he attacked that fell, and in the other, it would be his own empire.  Scripture is no Delphic Oracle!

Scripture does not just say “in Bethlehem” but “in Bethlehem Ephrathah.”  Did you know that there were two Bethlehems in the Old Testament record.  There is one in Judea (that is Ephrathah), and there is one in Zebulon.  And so we read in the Old Testament book of Micah, “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel.”

The mysterious Magi set out from some distant country in the east and they ended up in the city of Bethlehem.  Bethlehem means “the house of bread.”  It was an ancient city with a beautiful history.  I think one of the most striking things about Bethlehem is one that we rarely recognize - it was at Bethlehem that the first announcement of the Temple was made.  And it is at Bethlehem in the New Testament that we read of the birth of him who was the true Temple of God.  It was in the Bethlehem that Jacob buried Rachel.  It was at Bethlehem that Ruth and Boaz met, and above all, it was at Bethlehem that king David lived and reigned.  It is no coincidence that David’s greater son should be born in Bethlehem in accordance with the teaching of the word of God. 

There is tremendous significance in the name of this “little town of Bethlehem” – “House of Bread”.  First of all it is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s birth.  Secondly, it is telling us that Jesus Christ is our source of life, that He is the food our souls need!  Throughout the Bible, bread is a symbol of life and of the favor of God.  Bread is associated with blessing, prosperity and peace.  In John 6:35 Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.’”  In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says, “It is written:  ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 


Jeff Frazier 

Tuesday, December 20

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Tuesday

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 make 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. Then 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

I once had a debate with a man who was a self-professed “Christian Skeptic” about the reliability of the story of the Magi in Matthew’s gospel.  He told me that no rational thinking person could accept such a story.  One of the reasons for his skepticism was that he claimed it was preposterous to believe that ancient pagan scholars from the east would ever come looking for a Jewish Messiah.  I tried to show him that there are solid Historical reasons to believe that this story is not really all that far fetched.

There was a common ancient belief that the birth and death of kings were marked by signs in the heavens.  In 44 B.C. in one of the great flukes of history, Julius Caesar had been murdered and over his funeral pyre was seen a supernova that amazed everyone who saw it.

We also know from many historical documents that there was a shared belief among ancient people in the notion that someday a great human ruler would come out of the region of Judea.  In 60 A.D. the Roman general Vespasian returned to Rome after conquering Jerusalem claiming to be the long awaited ruler out of Judea.  In addition, we know that right around the time of Jesus’ birth, there was an unusual conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that astounded ancient scholars.  (Jupiter is referred to as the “King Planet” and Saturn is the “Sabbath Planet”) 

In light of all of this; the idea that ancient astrologers from the east, believing that great events like the birth of kings were marked in the stars, and knowing about the rumors of a ruler out of Judea, and seeing the planets align in the heavens…it makes perfect sense that they would actually show up and ask, “where is he?”

This is, I think, the real power of the story of the Magi - they showed up looking for the King!  While most of the world went about it’s business oblivious to what God was doing, these pagan scholars from a distant land came to find Jesus.  While we don’t know much at all about these strangers from the east, there are three significant lessons about them and their search that are important for us to remember.

First – They were looking for something.  The Magi saw the star.  This was their first hint about the baby to be born Savior and King.  This means that they were watching and looking for something.  They may not have known exactly what they were looking and waiting for, but at least they were searching.

Second – They were willing to follow.  Once the Magi saw the star, they did not just sit around debating it’s meaning, they followed it.  They were willing to take a step of faith in order to find what they were looking for.  I have known many people who say that they are seeking the truth, but when the moment comes for them to move beyond all of the philosophizing and debating about the truth, they are unwilling to commit. 

Finally – They were humble enough to kneel in worship.  It is one thing to read about the truth or debate about the truth, but it is another thing to kneel in surrender to the truth.  


Jeff Frazier 

Monday, December 19

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Monday

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.”   - Matthew 2:1-2

When I was a kid, every year around Christmas time, my mother would have us put out the family manger scene in the family room and my favorite figures were the three “wise men”.  They were taller, they had cooler clothes, and they were more exotic looking than any of the other figures in the scene.  Each year, as we approach the Christmas season, our preparations for Christmas usually include revisiting the events surrounding the birth of our Lord. Bethlehem, the shepherds, and the angels are familiar to us all.  But not much is generally known about the mysterious "Magi" who came to worship the infant Jesus.

Most of what we associate with the "Magi" is from early church traditions.  Most of us assume there were three of them, since they brought three specific gifts (but the Biblical text doesn't number them).  They are called "Magi" from the Latinized form of the Greek word magoi, transliterated from the Persian, for a specific sect of priests. (Our English word "magic" comes from the same root.)

As the years passed, the traditions became increasingly embellished.  By the 3rd century they were viewed as kings.  By the 6th century they had names: Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar.  A 14th century Armenian tradition identifies them as Balthasar, King of Arabia; Melchior, King of Persia; and Gaspar, King of India.

So let’s take a few moments to be clear about what is myth or legend and what is Biblical regarding the Magi…

Were the Magi kings?

There is no conclusive evidence that they were kings, Isaiah 60:1-7 and favorite Christmas carols notwithstanding. However, as mentioned above, they might have been kings.

How many Magi were there?

We don't know. Matthew 2:1-16 simply uses the plural. We know there were two or more.  Christian art from the first centuries of the Church shows various numbers of Magi, ranging from 2 to 8.

Where did they come from?

The only thing we can say with certainty is "from the east" (Matthew 2:1). Our best knowledge is that they were members of the Magian priesthood in the Medo-Persian empire east of the Roman Empire.

Did the Magi visit baby Jesus while He was still in the manger?

No. Despite the fact that every manger scene comes with three “wise men” (and sometimes even their camels) the Biblical account shows us that the Magi would have arrived sometime later.

How old was Jesus when the Magi visited Him?

Several Bible passages help us make an educated guess. We know from Luke 2:21 that Jesus was circumcised at 8 days old. We also know from Luke 2:22-24 that when the 40 days of Mary's "uncleanness" had passed, [Mary and Joseph] presented Jesus, their firstborn son, in the temple in Jerusalem according to God's Law.  Herod asked the Magi when they had first seen the star (Matthew 2:7) and then later killed all of the male children in Bethlehem, age two and under (Matthew 2:16).  On this basis we can lay out the following with a fair amount of certainty: (1) Jesus was between 41 days and 2 years old when the Magi arrived.

Why are the Magi included in the story of Jesus’ birth?

The account of the Magi is told to show us that from the very beginning of Christ’s coming, God has intended His salvation to be for all people.  In other words, the main significance of this account is that God wonderfully revealed the identity of Jesus as Messiah and King of the Jews to these Gentile Magi. It is a wonderful fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy, that Jesus would be "a light of revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:31).

Jeff Frazier

Friday, December 16

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Rev. 21:3-4
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Arguably the most famous Christmas poem in the English language is “T’was the Night Before Christmas,” written in 1822 by Clement Clarke Moore. Most of us can quote the opening stanza by heart:

T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Hope. In many ways Christmas is about hope. Children hope for toys under the tree. Parents hope their children will know they are loved. Parents also hope their credit card bills in January will be manageable. And everyone hopes do find a brand new Lexus with a bow on it in the driveway on Christmas morning!

But while this kind of hope is good and fun – it does not last. The toys eventually break; the credit card bills arrive; and the Lexus is never in the driveway. So where can we find real hope? Where can we find a hope that lasts; a hope that never disappoints? A hope that is …eternal?

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Here, with the eyes of faith, the Apostle John is peering into the mysteries of heaven itself. He is saying that heaven is our hope; that heaven is our true home. Heaven is the place where our God will dwell with us and we with him. Heaven is the place where all our tears and pain – and even death itself – will be swallowed up by his great joy and love. Heaven is the hope that never fades; never breaks; never disappoints. Heaven is the hope that is forever.

But notice something. Notice that the hope of heaven is actually in the Christmas story!

Matthew tells us:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”
Luke tells us that the angel proclaimed to the shepherds,

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

See it?

The God who is with us.

The Savior who brings great joy.

These are glimmers of heaven offered to us while the child is still lying in a manger. This is the hope of heaven come to us in almost unimaginable humility.

Yes, Christmas is about hope – but not just the hope of St. Nick! Christmas is the glad and glorious good news that God has into the world – to be with us through Jesus Christ. Christmas is God interrupting - breaking into this grim and often cruel world with hope. Christmas is hope because Christmas – Christ – makes heaven possible.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, December 15

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Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

In 1963 pop singer Andy Williams recorded one of the most frequently played Christmas songs of all time, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Most of you immediately started to hear the tune in your heads as you read those words. And some of you will now be singing it to yourself the rest of the day – and I’m sorry about that! But when we start hearing that song on the radio or in shopping centers, we know that the Christmas season has begun.

In many ways, the song is right! Christmas is a wonderful time of the year – for many reasons. As Christians, we see Christmas as a time to remember and celebrate the coming of the God who took on flesh in the form of Jesus, who would then grow up to be our Lord and Savior. As a culture, Christmas gives us an opportunity to take time off from work and school and to gather as families to give and receive gifts as tangible symbols of our love for each other.

But, the truth is, Christmas is not always wonderful for everyone. In fact, I have learned over the years that the holidays, for many, tend to accentuate feelings of loneliness, sadness and even depression. Over the years I have even encouraged the other pastors on our staff to reserve some extra time in January and February to deal with some of these issues that people inevitably experience. While I can’t say for sure, I think something about the expectations that the Christmas season will bring joy and happiness ends up being very disappointing for people who are experiencing pain in their lives or in their homes.

That’s why I’m glad Matthew includes this painful part of the story in his telling of the birth of Jesus. In his account, the story does not end with the joyous chorus of angels celebrating the miraculous birth of God into the world. It ends with mothers weeping over their murdered little boys.

Traditionally called “the slaughter of the innocents,” this is the story of Herod’s pitiless rage. Crazed by his own delusions of grandeur and furious at being duped by the Magi – Herod decided to eliminate all possibility of a threat to his throne. He killed every little boy in the region who had the bad fortune to be two years old or younger. Some historians estimate that, due to the population of the region where Mary and Joseph lived, this would have been 20-30 boys. The result, of course, was “weeping and great mourning.”

The slaughter of the innocents, of course, didn’t stop with Herod’s cowardly act. It has been repeated over and over again through the centuries and continues today through realities like child soldiers in Africa; children forced into the sex trade in Asia; children abused sexually in our own land by people they trust; unborn children aborted by the millions. And there is weeping and great mourning.

Where do we turn when the weeping and great mourning touches us? Where is God when innocence is slaughtered and when it seems that evil and pain have triumphed over good and life?

Read again these from the prophet Isaiah that describe the child born to Mary:

Isaiah 53:3-5

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

I hope with everything in me that this Christmas will be for you, “the most wonderful time of the year!” If it is – I hope you will celebrate Christ’s presence in your life and home with great joy. But if your joy is muted this Christmas by grief or loneliness or pain of some kind – I pray you will find comfort in the One who has taken up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. His name is Immanuel, God with us.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, December 14

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Matthew 2:5-8
When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah 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 shepherd 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 search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

I have said many times that I do not particularly like going to the dentist. I respect dentists a great deal and I am very glad there are people in our community who have dedicated their lives to dental care – but I just don’t care to visit them! I think it all stems from a traumatic experience with a dentist when I was a child – but that’s a story for a different time!

A number of years ago, when I finally decided I should probably have a check-up, the dentist asked me if I “ground my teeth at night?” I said, “I don’t know, why do you ask?” She said she could see dozens of tiny hairline fractures in my teeth – a sign of grinding. She then said that if I continued to grind my teeth without wearing a “night guard” those tiny cracks would grow and would eventually result in cracked teeth.

I told her I would think about it – but I didn’t purchase the night guard. About two weeks later I was eating a bowl of popcorn at home when I bit down on a kernel and one of my back molars cracked right in half and fell out of my mouth. I went back to my dentist and have worn a night guard ever since!

In a sense, my dentist was performing the role of a prophet in my life. Properly understood, prophecy isn’t so much about predicting the future – like a “palm reader” looking at your hand – but rather prophecy is about the truth of God. A prophet says, “This is what the Lord says…this is what the Lord will do.” My dentist saw the truth about my teeth – and simply told me what would happen if I failed to take action. She was right.

King Herod understood prophecy. He understood that the prophets spoke the truth of God and that God spoke his truth through the prophets. So when the foreigners tell him they are seeking the child born to be “King of the Jews” he decides to do a little research to check out their story.

When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah 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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

Now Herod’s really got a problem. Now he knows the truth about this child and he knows the truth about himself. And the truth is; the child is King and he is not. He has a problem bigger than competition for what he sees as his kingdom, his position and his power. He has a problem with truth. He has a problem with God.

Herod is like a guy standing on top of his house threatening to jump off because he doesn’t believe gravity applies to him. He’s like a kid sticking his hand in fire thinking he won’t get burned.

But gravity always pulls things to the ground and fire always burns. Truth is like that.

The truth is we all have a problem; you, me, Herod, everyone. Our problem is sin – as in dozens and dozens of nearly invisible cracks in our souls. Cracks called selfishness or greed or immorality; cracks that we try to hide, that we try to ignore, but cracks that grow and grow until they destroy us.

What Herod did not fully realize was that the child he saw as a competitor – the child he tried to kill – actually came to heal the cracks in his own crumbling soul. He should have known – because the truth is right there in the words of the prophet:

“…for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”

The ruler, the shepherd the prophet is talking about is the Messiah – the one who would save his people from their sins. The Messiah came but Herod chose not to surrender to the truth.

Each Christmas, in a sense, Christ comes again into the very center of our culture. Truth that a “Savior is born” is proclaimed in our shopping malls and through loudspeakers on our street corners. May we hear the truth about this child and about ourselves – and may we surrender.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, December 13

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Matthew 2:1-8

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 when it rose 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 Messiah 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 shepherd 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 search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Did you know that Christmas did not exist in Cuba between 1969 and 1997? Fidel Castro eliminated Christmas as a holiday in Cuba in 1969 because he claimed it interfered with the sugar harvest. Most believe the real reason was that he had officially declared Cuba to be an atheist nation in 1962 and, as dictator, he wanted to eliminate any threat to his control over the people.

So for almost 30 years Christmas did not exist in Cuba – at least not officially – although millions celebrated Christ’s birth secretly. Finally, in 1997, in preparation for a widely publicized visit of Pope John Paul II, Castro relented and allowed Christmas to be celebrated publicly in Cuba.

If it’s true that Castro both feared and resented Christmas, he’s not the first political leader to do so. Scripture tells us that when Magi (Wise Men) from the east came to Jerusalem seeking the child “born King of the Jews” that King Herod was “disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” He was disturbed because he was king and if the Magi were correct it meant that he had competition! All Jerusalem was disturbed because it was widely known that when King Herod was disturbed – it often meant that someone – and perhaps many – would soon die.

Historians tell us that Herod “the Great” – as he liked to be known - was so jealous and insecure about his position that he had a number of his own family members assassinated. 3 of his sons and at least one of his 10 wives were killed just so he would not feel threatened. There was a saying at the time that it was “safer to be Herod’s pig than his son.” The Jewish historian Josephus records that Herod was so concerned that no one would mourn his death that he commanded the arrest of a number of distinguished citizens with orders that they be executed at the moment of his death to ensure there would be weeping in Jerusalem when he died.

Make no mistake; when Herod said,

“Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

He had no intention of worshiping Jesus!

Herod was an evil, cruel and profligate man, but he got one thing right. When confronted with a king there are only two options: worship that king or kill that king.

Far too often I think I am – and perhaps we are – guilty of wanting to have it both ways. We want to worship our King; that is, we want to worship and serve God; but we simultaneously want to kind of put him in the back seat while we drive the car. We offer our praise and worship on Saturday or Sunday – but from Monday through Friday it would be hard to distinguish our lives and values from the culture we live in.

The word “king” is an uncomfortable word. In fact, it’s more than just a word. It’s a title. It’s a title of absolute authority and power. It’s a word that inspires either awe and obedience or fear and hatred. There is no middle ground when it comes to a king. There is no middle ground when it comes to Jesus.

Every human being must make a choice regarding Jesus. Herod understood this and made his choice. Have you?

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, December 12

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Matthew 2:1-4
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 when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Have you ever thought about Christmas as an interruption? It’s a wonderful interruption perhaps - a fun interruption, but an interruption nonetheless. As we have said several times, the word interruption comes from two Latin words that mean “to break into” – and it is true that Christmas breaks into our lives every year!

Starting on “Black Friday” – and even earlier – Christmas breaks into our lives – into our whole culture – with shopping, traffic, crowds, TV commercials, office parties and thousands of strands of tiny Christmas lights.

I have two jobs when it comes to Christmas decorating at our house. Job #1: I put up all the outside lights – basically on several trees and on the house itself. Job #2: I drag the artificial tree out of the basement and set it up in our family room with the help of at least one of my sons. My wife and our boys do most of the rest, but I take my two jobs very seriously. So every year on the day after Thanksgiving, I dig several black plastic garbage bags filled with Christmas lights out of our attic and get to work.

And every year the relatively simple process of putting lights on the three trees in our front yard and on the gutters across the front of our home is interrupted by any number of frustrating problems. First, no matter how carefully I coiled the strands of little white lights the previous Christmas – they manage somehow to get tangled up all by themselves and I have to take time untangling them before I can string them on the trees. Second, even though I test every strand to make sure the lights actually work before I put them up – inevitably there will be one strand or part of one strand that refuses to illuminate once displayed. Then I have to go to a local store – pick up a replacement set of lights – then climb up and actually replace the faulty light strand before my job is finished.

So even though the Christmas season is a fun and welcome interruption of our everyday lives, there are interruptions within the interruption that can cause frustration – and even anger! Did you see the story about the lady who used pepper spray at a Walmart on “Black Friday” – seemingly because she grew frustrated with the crowds that prevented her from getting to the check out counter?

We’ve already looked at the amazingly grace-filled responses of Mary and Joseph as God broke into their lives with the arrival of a child. This week we turn our attention to a figure who did not respond with such grace.

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 when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Far from being excited or even joyful about the news of the birth of a new king, Herod was disturbed. Now “disturbed” is an interesting word. It carries a sense of being “troubled” – “anxious” – but an anxiety tinged with fear and anger. Why was Herod disturbed by this news? Herod knew he had acquired the throne and maintained his throne through shrewd political manipulation and that he was not loved by the people he ruled. In short, he feared that his falsely held kingdom would soon be interrupted by another – and more deserving – King!

As we begin to look at the ancient figure of King Herod, the question I have to ask myself – and that you might want to ask yourself is, “Who is king?” If I am honest with myself, I have to confess that I really like to be king! I like to pretend that I am in control; I like to think that I always know what’s best for me; I like to be the one calling the shots in my life. But the truth is, I’m a lousy king! How ‘bout you?

Christmas reminds me that I am not king, nor do I have to pretend to be. I have a King – a King who loves me and died for me - his name is Jesus.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, December 9

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Friday

It’s interesting to note that Mary does not doubt the angel’s word, even though it must have sounded incredible. She believed what the angel said. Her only question had to do with how it would happen. In essence she says to Gabriel, “All right. I’m willing to do my part, but you need to explain how we’ll handle this one little problem.”  That’s real faith.  That’s believing the impossible.  That’s trusting God even when the facts argue against it.

In verses 35-37, the angel answers Mary’s question. First he deals with the biological issue by saying that the power of the Holy Spirit of God will overcome Mary – and this divine activity will result in conception. The last phrase of verse 35 deals with something that Mary did not ask, “…So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

There are two important truths held in tension in verse 35.

1. It was necessary for the Savior of the World to be born of a woman, so that he would be of the same nature as those whom he came to save.
2. It was just as imperative that he should be holy, sinless, and blameless.

In this one verse Gabriel is making clear the glorious fact that both of these requirements are fulfilled in the life of Jesus.  He is fully man, yet fully God.  Here the mystery of the incarnation and the virgin birth are held in tension. As C.S. Lewis has said with penetrating insight, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”

In verse 36, the angel explains that God’s power has already impacted Mary’s elderly cousin Elizabeth, who is already 6 months pregnant. God is not restricted to the natural order.

Verse 37 is really a summary, a benediction, the bottom line, if you will, of all that he has been saying to Mary, “For nothing is impossible with God.” This literally means, “For no word from God shall be void of power.” God can and will do anything that He determines.

I think there should be a long pause between verses 37 and 38.  In his powerful book called, Peculiar Treasures, Frederich Buechner describes the moment between these two verses as the angel Gabriel waits for the answer of Mary:

Mary struck the angel Gabriel as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child, but he’d been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it.

He told her what the child was to be named, and who he was to be, and something about the mystery that was to come upon her.

“You mustn’t be afraid, Mary,” he said. And as he said it, he only hoped she wouldn’t notice that beneath his great, golden wings he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole future of creation now hung on the answer of a teenager.

In the history of the church Mary has often been portrayed as a kind of lofty, otherworldly figure.  If you look at some of the great paintings of Mary, they make her look so peaceful and serene that you almost forget she was a real person. That’s a shame because the Bible makes it clear that she was very real, with very real doubts, very real questions and very real faith.  Nowhere is this seen with more clarity than in verse 38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Without exaggeration, we may call this one of the greatest statements of faith in the entire Bible. She recognizes that she is not in charge of her life, she belongs to God.

Mary said that she was Available. She said YES to the impossible, and YES to the plan of God for her life.

Did her heart skip a beat when she said YES?  You bet it did - but she said it. Her response is a thoughtful, obedient response to God’s revelation.  Mary believed God, with a single-minded, unwavering commitment. She was Available. With her head tilted high, her hands trembling just a bit, wide-eyed, nervous, open-mouthed, questioning but not afraid, wondering but not terrified, unsure but not uncertain...when the angel said, “Nothing is impossible with God,” Mary took a deep breath and said, “May it be to me as you have said.”  And with those words Christmas came to the world.

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, December 8

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Thursday

We have been reflecting this week on the significance of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Let’s see if we can’t use our imagination to reset the scene in which she first heard of God’s plan to save the world through her son.  Let’s suppose that Gabriel first appeared to Mary one day when she was out in the backyard in the late afternoon, getting ready to go to the well to draw out some water for the evening washing and cooking.  She looks up and sees a tall figure dressed in pure white standing nearby.  She was both attracted and frightened by the strange figure all at the same time.  Then he spoke, and she got really scared: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

This greeting is both beautiful and powerful.  The angel recognizes Mary’s God-developed character as a young teenager who has accepted God’s grace and has been living it out in quietness, peace, and purity.  This greeting does not mean that Mary is so full of grace that she can forever bestow grace on others, nor does it mean that Mary is somehow super-spiritual or above all other women on the earth.  The context here is that because the Lord is with her, she is favored. That’s what grace is all about.  Mary, like all of us, is totally undeserving of God’s favor and grace on her own, but because God is gracious, He sends His Son Jesus to be with her and with us!

Verse 29 tells us “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

Mary was troubled because she probably did not think of herself as one who was highly favored.  She was not from a wealthy or politically important family. She, more than anyone, knew all about her shortcomings and insecurities.  She is thinking deeply about the meaning of what this stranger has said to her.

But that’s not the half of it.  Gabriel proceeds to tell her something that blows her mind.  He tells her that she’s going to have a baby, and not just any baby. She’s going to give birth to the Son of God!

Listen again to these words in verses 30-33.  But this time, try to put yourself in the sandals of a teenager in love: “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

The first time Gabriel spoke to Mary, he said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!”  This time he tells her again that she has found favor with God and adds that she does not need to be afraid.  This phrase does not so much describe her character as it describes how God’s grace is going to affect her and work through her to impact all of human history. The preposition with, literally means that she has found grace by the side of God, in the fellowship of God.

Did you catch the emphasis here? It’s not on Mary - it’s on her Son!  Gabriel uses beautiful poetic language to recount the Messianic prophecy from the Old Testament, which is fulfilled in Jesus. Gabriel is saying, “Your baby boy will incarnate all of the godly Messianic personhood foretold for hundreds of years. This is the one. He is the savior of the world – and Lord of life.”

Jeff Frazier