New Year Time!

Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their latter end!
  -- Deuteronomy 32:29

If you are reading this and I am writing this, then once again, perhaps in spite of all expectations, we have made it to the end of another calendar year. Once more we have learned from the past while not dwelling in it. Joyfully anticipated the future meeting with our Lord and Savior while walking with Him in the Spirit each day. And by example or word we have spread the good news of Jesus even during the struggles we have faced with Him.

Wow, your halo really gleams today! Instead I feel like I have become crankier, fatter, slower, a bit stupider, and no better looking at all. Plus I'm pretty sure I have become what is called 'old' by most everyone. The year went from calamity to boredom to crisis and back to boredom. And at my age I kind of liked the boring parts.

So which is it with you? A funny thing is that by faith in Christ Jesus we walk a year both joyfully trusting in our Lord and at our wits end over the decline of what once were considered strengths. As the days pass, we come to know our need for Jesus all the more by way of weakness. We use the days that some would call boring to study His word and pray with Him in earnest. The passing years may slow us down to get with our Lord constantly as we prepare for that latter end.

Have a joyous New Year in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

Growing Up King

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

If a person were to visit the royal household a few years after the wise men from the east had departed, would that person's expectations be met. If a shepherd were to look up that same family he visited in Bethlehem some years later in their home in Nazareth, would his idea of how the Messiah should be raised be realized? Probably not in either case. However, if a person were to pray to God that His Son be aware of how most people have it growing up, then, yes, the young king knew struggles and poverty, and even growing up in a land occupied by a foreign power. Did Jesus the king suffer childhood illnesses? Scripture does not tell us, but Jesus probably had the usual childhood experiences of the time and place where he grew up. Jesus the young king of kings was probably shoved out of the way by a Roman soldier at some point. The Son of God may have even fallen down and cried.

Jesus knows us,

Bucky

The Young King Escapes

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2

It happened after the great events surrounding the birth of Jesus, but it is a story we enjoy each year at this time. The magi or wise men made an epic journey that may have taken as much as two years. They had a guide and knowledge of what it meant. However, their guide only led them to the largest city in a nation under Roman occupation. Only later did the star reappear and stand over Bethlehem and the house where the young king was growing up. From their distant home, those wise men were just a bit unaware of the jealous rage the current king would feel when presented with news of a newborn king. The wise men failing to return to Jerusalem provided an excuse for Herod to lash out his rage and murder many innocent children. As for the young king, he had a Father in heaven watching over him and they got up at night and escaped to Egypt.

I had a wonderful Christmas feast with friends and a jigsaw puzzle. I hope yours was wonderful too in Jesus Christ our Lord and King!

Bucky

Plenty of Christmas Surprises

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Luke 2:15-16

The day has come again as we celebrate our Lord's birth with those shepherds of long ago. The angel had said to them, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (v11 KJv). And the shepherd's response, let's go and see! Not only did they leave the flocks and come, they came with haste and found what they were looking for. Imagine having your first child and resting in the delivery room, when suddenly a bunch of working folks burst into the room, "We wanna see!" There were plenty of surprises to go around that first Christmas. When you heard what they had seen that night though, you might let them stay for a bit.

Praise God for the birth of His Son, Jesus the Christ!

Bucky

A Great Surprise In The Night

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Luke 2:8-9

One of the greater surprises in the Bible is that of those shepherds abiding. Night, probably early in the morning by our reckoning, and all was usual for them. The usual gave way to the highly unusual suddenly, without warning as they say. The shepherds didn't just get an angel visitor in a sudden moment like Zacharias, they got the glory of the Lord shining around them. No more usual for you guys tonight. Surprises out of the darkness will tend to make any of us afraid, and the shepherds were no different in that aspect. But that surprise out of the darkness was all good news for them and us. And as if the shepherds were not surprised enough, a multitude of the heavenly host appears. More good news. And of course they had to go and see this newborn Savior, Christ the Lord.

Have a joyous Christmas in Christ our Lord!

Bucky

Pray For Them Too

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Oy! What happened to the Christmas verses? This does seem to many like a time when this verse would be needed least. After all it's the few days before the big joyous holiday of Christmas. Not for everyone though. Whether it comes from loneliness, memories of the past, lack of sunshine, or just an odd bit of 'I don't feel it', some people do not look at Christmas as a time of joy. In a similar way to when the ministry of Jesus appeared to bring a host of demon possessions to people in Judea and Galilee, the time of Christmas seems to bring on the depression and anxiety for us in our days. And for me to write joy, joy, joy all the time may leave one of us feeling left out. So, in our joy for Christmas remember those in prayer who may not feel it yet. Lift up in prayer those who never seem to feel it and struggle to get through the holidays as an annual endurance test. As far as it is possible with you, gently lead them to the Lord. Who knows, perhaps this is the year the Lord will let them out of that prison.

Our Redeemer comes,

Bucky

If Herod Only Knew

Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.  Luke 2:22

So, how long was that? In Leviticus 12 we find the days of purification law were 7 days, then circumcision on the eighth day and then continue in uncleanness for 33 days. Since I was one of those Gentiles not raised on the Law of Moses, does that mean 41 days total or just 33? In either case, Mary and Joseph, and the newborn king of the Jews went to Jerusalem and the temple. How far had the word from the shepherds spread in 33 or 41 days? Apparently not as far as Herod's ears. Did he realize after the wise men left that the child had to have been right there almost in reaching distance? Probably so, but the time it took the party from the east to make it to Judea gave the little family of God's son time to make their trip to Jerusalem and get back home. God managed the spread of the word and the travel of both groups so that the prophecy given through Jeremiah of Herod's murderous crime would be fulfilled.

Herod's part is one dark Christmas story among the glad tidings of great joy, but somehow God has it all worked out for us. Praise Him.

Bucky

The Reflected Innkeeper

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

The invention of an innkeeper in the Christmas story may not be wrong, but scripture does not tell us of one. However, along the way in those stories come prejudiced innkeepers, snobbish innkeepers, apologetic, greedy, kind, ruthless, rude, and about any other sort of person one might imagine. These are all of course reflections of the storyteller and those all around him or her who make up the culture of the time. Luke reports a fact, and we in later years run with it in all directions. If there must be an innkeeper, I like the kindly grandpa/grandma type who simply has no room in their inn but lots of room in their heart. They send Joseph and Mary to the stable with blankets, swaddling cloths, food and water, and even send a grandkid or two to help them bed down in fresh straw. In my version the usual decorations on the stable floor have already been removed by these kindly but overworked innkeepers as well.

May our version of that innkeeper reflect the work Jesus has done in our hearts!

Bucky

A Surprising Marvelous Season

And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  Luke 2:18

Joseph had an unexpected dream. Mary had a sudden guest. Zacharias received the shock of his life. Elizabeth got the desire of her heart long after it would seem possible. And the shepherds in our verse today got what may be the biggest surprise of them all. After hundreds of years of silence, the promised drought of the Lord's word ended in a surprising marvelous season. Angels were suddenly visible. Zach and Mary broke out in psalms. And shepherds, with no prior warning, came to town to spread the good news of a newborn king in Bethlehem. It was no wonder that people in Judea had a bit of trouble keeping up with the events blooming up all around them. 

May your Christmas season be surprising and marvelous in Christ our Lord and Savior!

Bucky

Another Mundane Tale

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. Luke 2:4-5

There was a decree from the Caesar in Rome, and that meant everyone had to go register in the man's family town. Without the rest of the story this is just a mundane note about a couple who had to travel to fulfill a government obligation. Mary may have been one month along or eight, making the journey normal or quite difficult for her. Joseph may have taken a donkey and a cart, or they may have walked all the way. Their story with a narrow focus is much like those shepherds hanging out in the field with their sheep. Mundane, daily stuff, no reason to get excited.

Have a wonderful week in the love of Christ Jesus!

Bucky

In The Same Country

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Luke 2:8

There are those days when we hear news that causes us to wonder if we are in the same country as some others. But this story of shepherds isn't about political disagreement. The same country means the same as where that little baby was just born in the preceding verse. Now at this time the shepherds had lived around Bethlehem for centuries doing pretty much the same thing day by day. The Roman occupation likely didn't change much about their daily life as scattered shepherds with a few sheep were not much of a threat. (I know, tell that one to Goliath.) The shepherds probably didn't think much of the coming taxes and the census that kicked them out of their stable, and the sheep said 'Bah!' 

It has been quiet in the countryside for so long that we can sit here today and feel the about-to-change tension in the air. Night by night should be the same as the days but darker, right? "What are all you future people doing here looking at the sky?" the shepherd would ask with some concern, if we could be there right now. 

We'll revisit those shepherds as the day comes closer.

Bucky

Specific Prophecies Of The Christ

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.
  -- Matthew 2:6 from Micah 5:2

Determining which is the most specific prophecy of the coming Christ may be no easy task, but the one of the birthplace lands on a specific small town. After Herod met the visitors from the east in search of Israel's newly born king, he quickly asked the chief priests and scribes where this event was to take place. And they quickly answered with the verse from Micah we read today. Which of course gave Herod an evil idea. That idea was also foretold in prophecy. The star seen in the east by these wise men would soon reappear to lead them to a specific house in Bethlehem. That prophecy of what Herod would do was the reason for the star not leading the eastern visitors straight to Bethlehem. That stop in Jerusalem, since the capital is where one would naturally search for and ask after the newborn king, set in motion the other prophecy. And a dream of an angel message sent Joseph on the way to Egypt to avoid Herod's murderous act and fulfill yet another prophecy. 

That Christ child had a lot of prophecies laid down for him!

Bucky

Walking In Darkness?

The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
  -- Isaiah 9:2

Lots of time, no problem! Yes, Christmas eve is two weeks from this evening. Soon lots of time will turn to little time, and the annual mad scramble to get ready for Christmas will begin. That rush near the holiday can be a part of the darkness some walk in every year. It is possible to both dread and revere the holiday. The perfect present, the best yard light display, Christmas cards that say the right thing, and many other heavy-weight concerns may take us away from the light shining in the darkness. That light promised in our verse for today waits for anyone to remember Him even among those who believe. Because any of us may find ourselves walking in darkness in this season too. 

Trust in the Light, and turn around when you see darkness!

Bucky

Using The Government

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  Luke 2:1-3

One thing we do note about Mary and Joseph is their obedience to God's messengers, which is to obey the word of God. Such persons also tend to obey the government, and God used the ponderous Roman one to get His Son's parents down to Bethlehem. It is quite likely that Mary would rather have delivered at home in Nazareth with its access to familiar and familial people and places. Mary also seems to have been far along in her first pregnancy, as she delivered quite soon after arriving in Bethlehem. Why travel so close to the due date? Again the Roman bureaucracy might well have taken its sweet time getting census takers, tax collectors, and the proclamation out to the public. But you can bet there was a due date for people to be in place and Roman authority to make sure it happened. As we know, large governments tend to work in similar ways to one another - We slow, you hurry. A government at times may appear to be more problem than solution, but God can use that too.

Mercy and joy to you in Christ Jesus,

Bucky

A Mountain Toting Baby

He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17

Echoing the final words of the Old Testament, from Malachi 4:5,6, the angel takes little John and lays a whopper of a job on him. Moses griped about his stutter, Gideon complained of smallness, and Isaiah had those unclean lips, but John the Baptist hasn't been conceived yet. What is the not-yet-a-baby to say to, oh, turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just? Those who believe in Jesus today fight to walk that path constantly as disobedience always tempts us. One way to look at prophecy is not as a whopper of a job or an impossible mountain to tote, but as a promise of the Lord of where each of us will go. John did indeed grow up to go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah. The Christ Child himself would take John's job and run with it, and it continues in us today. The angel did not say that the baby with mountains to tote would have to do it alone, God went with John all the way.

The grace of God fulfills prophecy in us too!

Bucky

The Spare Part

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 1:18

In many marriage arrangements throughout history, we can safely say that the bridegroom looked with eager anticipation to participating in the small part he had to play in the 'with child' bit. For Joseph, he was just a spare part in the process as someone had already taken care of his role in that. A moral dilemma ensued for this prospective groom. If he believes Mary's tale, then he probably should not attempt to marry a woman God has already claimed for Himself. If he does not believe the tale, incredible as it is, then he must either raise the child as his own and perhaps get to participate in the next one, or walk away from the marriage and shame Mary. 

There is of course no mystery for us in this tale as the story of Mary, Gabriel the angel, and God's Spirit are told in Luke's account of the Christmas story. The dreams of Joseph reassuring him and telling him what he must do will also soon be told. Joseph will have an important part to play, beginning with getting a quite pregnant Mary to Bethlehem in time for the birth of Jesus. 

Faith and comfort to you this day in Christ!

Bucky

The First Parts

And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." Luke 1:19-20

My sense of humor is at times rather senseless, and people have shown me that now and then. At those times, I wished after the fact to be rendered mute. Zacharias had that wish fulfilled, though he may not have been wishing for it at the time. At a minimum, he got nine months of mute silence for saying the wrong thing to the angel. Zach may have noted that bit at the end, in their own time, which could cause a person of forced quietness some concern. How long is that, Gabriel? But he could not ask that question. Fortunately for Zach, the Lord had ended His drought of the word on Israel, and big things were happening quickly. We call these marvelous smaller stories the first parts of the Christmas story.

Grace and peace to you this Christmas season,

Bucky

The Christmas Season Begins

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  Luke 1:11

At times in a story a simple report does all we need for excitement. Right there, an angel of the Lord! Zacharias is troubled in the next verse, as was Mary later on, and then the shepherds in the field were greatly afraid. The best news heard thus far in human history came and nothing but troubled thoughts and great fear from the recipients. It would seem that this news was so different from the usual that glad tidings of great joy were tough to believe. And it was! Israel had fallen from a great nation to an occupied province of the Roman Empire. The people of Israel knew centuries of a drought of the word of God. Suddenly angels were popping up all over the place. And the best news of all would soon be born in Bethlehem! 

Love and joy to you in this Christmas season,

Bucky