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Dec 22 - Matthew 2:11

 

And when [the wise men

entered] into the house, …

and when they had

opened their treasures,

they presented gifts to Him:

gold, frankincense,

and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

 

What were the gifts that the wise men presented to Jesus?

 

You remember, right?

 

Gold was, of course, a valuable metal; it was essentially money. But do you know what frankincense and myrrh are?

 

Frankincense and myrrh are rare and valuable oils. In fact, these two balms may have been the most valuable of the gifts given to Jesus – worth more than even gold!

 

Each of these come from the natural resins in a couple species of trees … trees that you’ve probably never heard of! Frankincense comes from the boswellia tree. And myrrh comes from the commiphora tree.

 

Sometimes frankincense and myrrh were burned as incense (often in Middle Eastern religious rituals). That was one use. Often they were used for medical purposes, such as antiseptics, anti-inflammatories, and analgesics. That was the practical use for these oils. That’s probably what made these ointments valuable. But … there are two more important uses which surely made them appropriate gifts for the Messiah, the newborn Jewish King.

 

First, myrrh was often used as an anointing oil. And if you didn’t know, Messiah (in Hebrew) and Christ (in Greek) mean “the anointed one.” Thus Jesus the Messiah – the anointed one – received from the wise men the oil of anointing.

 

Second, frankincense may have been an almost prophetic gift – a gift that pointed to how his full kingship would eventually be reveals. Frankincense was also a perfume. And what was one common use for such perfume? It was one of the spices used when preparing a dead body for burial – to cover the stench. Now, why is this an appropriate gift for Jesus? Because Jesus didn’t fully become (or become fully revealed) as the Messiah until his life-giving death upon the cross. Thus, a burial spice prefigured the ultimate trajectory of his life and was a sign of his divinity.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who received

gold when he was born

– not real gold … no;

rather I was given an

inheritance of faith, and

Jesus is more valuable

than gold

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.    What is a favorite gift you’ve even been given for Christmas or a birthday?

2.    Why is Jesus a greater gift than any physical possession?

3.    Is Jesus that kind of gift to you?

 

Dec 25 - Psalm 98:4-9

 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King:

Let ev’ry heart prepare him room

And heav’n and nature sing,

And heav’n and nature sing,

And heav’n, and heav’n

and nature sing.

Isaac Watts

 

“Joy to the World” is a rather unlikely Christmas carol. It’s really not about the (first) coming of Jesus as a babe in a manger; it’s more about Christ’s second coming.

 

The words sing of the world’s joy, celebrating the Lord’s presence, but before we turn to the lyrics, let’s focus on the melody. The music that you and I associate with this carol is (kind of) from George Frederic Handel’s most famous work, The Messiah. Handel was composing in the 1700s, and in the 1800s, an influential Boston musician, Lowell Mason, published his own arrangement of some of Handel’s music. One of the Handel/Mason tunes – Antioch – became what we know as the music for Joy to the World.   

 

The music to this hymn is obviously beautiful and triumphant, but it’s the words that really sing God’s praise. In fact, they are a paraphrase of Psalm 98 – especially verses 4-9. Isaac Watts, a prolific 18^th century poet and clergyman, entitled these verses from Psalm, “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” Here a few phrases …

 

⁴ Make a joyful noise unto

the Lord, all the earth;

break out in praise and sing for joy!

⁶ Make a joyful symphony

before the Lord, the King! …

⁷ Let the earth and all living things …

shout his praise! …
⁸  Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
⁹ before the Lord, for he

is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with fairness.

 

Now, here’s the question: Is “joy” your natural expression when you contemplate “the Lord[‘s] coming to judge”?! How many in our world might be inclined to tremble in fear? Or hide? Or want to curse?

 

But joy should be our emotion! The King is coming to reverse the curse – a poignant word in verse 2 of the hymn and chapter 3 in Genesis. We live in a messy world, but we looking forward to Christ’s coming again to set all things right and make all things new. In our Lord’s eternal kingdom, there will be no more mourning or crying or pain, and death will be no more.

 

We can sing a second coming hymn at Christmas because the nativity has a similar joy! The Lord is come, indeed. He is eternally present – living and forgiving.

 

Today, Christmas, I pray that you sing with joy, gathering with whatever configuration of friends or family or dogs or caregivers or angels (who are always nearby).

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who spells “joy”

… Jesus. Others. You.

 

Discussion:

 

1.    What have been your most joyful traditions of Christmas?

2.    What is even more joyous about Christmas – as in, in what ways does Christ coming bring hope, peace, and joy to a broken world?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 23 - John 3:16

 

For God

so loved the world

that He gave His

only begotten Son,

that whoever believes

in Him should not

perish but have

everlasting life.

John 3:16

 

“To give.”

 

It’s a verb.

 

It talks about the moment of handing something over. Well, Christmas was the moment that God the Father handed over Jesus.

 

It was glorious and exciting. Angels sang. Shepherds went with haste. Wise men rejoiced the moment they saw the star.

 

But think about that word “gave,” “handed over.” God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. What does that mean? It means that God loves each person in the world so much that he handed over his Son. But handed over his Son for what? To all that the world eventually do to him. And we were awfully cruel.

 

Giving is a gift. God’s people rejected that gift. We crucified him.

 

Knowing that this was coming, would you have given your son? God did … out of love. In fact, Jesus – who was eternally an “adult” in heaven – insisted on it. His sacrificial death on the cross was the only way to cover our sins and win salvation for us. Thus, God gave his Son to us as a gift. And the Son gave his life to us as a gift.

 

The official Merriam-Webster definition of “to give” is “to hand over [something] to be kept.” In other words, there’s no take-backs. That’s the way Jesus’ life was. If he came, he’d see this journey through to the cross. And we can live because he lived.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who sings

“In the Bleak Midwinter” …

What can I give him

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part.

Yet what can I give Him?

Give Him my heart.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.      What has God given you?

2.      What should you give him this Christmas?

 

 

 

 

Dec 21 - Matthew 2:11

 

And when [the wise men]

had come into the house,

they saw the young Child

with Mary His mother, and

fell down and worshiped Him.

Matthew 2:11

 

Worship is a key word in today’s verse. This prompts me to ask: What is worship? It is showing reverence toward God. It is adoration. Praise.

 

Worship is obviously a common word in Scripture, but it is perhaps most uniquely prevalent in Revelation. Why? Because Jesus kept giving John glimpses of heaven. John sees God in his majesty and he sees the proper response of all living creatures when they encounter the Lord’s glory.

 

“Day and night” says the Scripture (7:15), “they worship him in his temple.”

Chapter 4 is John first glimpse of the throne of God, yet the title in my Bible isn’t “God” or “the Throne,” it’s “Heavenly Worship.”

We keep seeing glimpses of those who after they encountered God, “fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped” (7:11, 11:16, 19:4).

With a voice as loud as a trumpet, the angels offer final, desperate cries, hoping to turn stubborn hearts to God: “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth” (14:7).

And finally when all things are restored, we hear: “Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him” (22:3).

 

Worship … what is it? It is showing reverence to God. It is adoration. It is praise. It is humbling ourselves. It is bowing down – maybe falling down – in an awestruck expression of fear and love, wonder and praise.

 

When the wise men encountered Jesus – though he was but a child – what did they do? They “fell down and worshiped Him.” It was reverence and adoration and praise and thanksgiving. Revelation wasn’t written yet, but as they were worshiping, they could have been singing a Revelation sentiment: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (4:11).

 

Did this baby create? John 1 tells us that Jesus is more than a baby. “¹ He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life.”

 

The wise men bowed because they discovered life. This Christmas season and this coming year, will you worship him “day and night”? Will Sundays and special services be your priority … or will you let life keep getting in the way? And I ask it this way because the busyness is not life. Jesus is life and worship is what links us to living.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who loses his balance

more easily than he did

in previous decades …

but clumsiness is not why

I ought to fall down

 

Discussion Question:

 

1.    This Christmas season will you worship Jesus “day and night”?

2.    This coming year, will you strive to worship Jesus “day and night”?

3.    Will Sundays and special services be your priority … or will you let life keep getting in the way?

4.    I ask it this way because the busyness is not life. Jesus is life and worship is what links us to living. Therefore, what might you choose to do to prioritize worship more fully (and discover life more wonderfully)?

Dec 20 - Matthew 2:2

 

[the wise men said]

“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 2:2

 

Have you ever stopped to ponder how some distant Middle Eastern wise men knew to come looking for a Jewish King?

 

Let me tell you a story …

 

In about 600 B.C., the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzer, conquered Jerusalem. In battle, he killed many. To reduce Jewish power, he scattered thousands and thousands throughout his vast kingdom. And as a trophy, he took many noble Jews back to Babylon as captives.

 

When the best and brightest of the Jews came to Babylon, he taught them all of the decadent Babylonian customs. He also trained the best and the brightest alongside his own scholars and astrologers.

 

Daniel was one of these young men. (Daniel, of course, from the famed lions’ den story.) Anyway, young Daniel soon rose in rank within the Babylonian kingdom. Eventually, Daniel rose high enough to rule over who? The wise men! The magi!

 

So … how do you think the magi knew about the Jewish traditions?! Many scholars believe that it was Daniel (and perhaps other Jewish exiles) who taught the Babylonians the prophecies! And the Persians too … as the Persians, during Daniel’s lifetime, conquered the Babylonians, and Daniel was a ranking official the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians too.

 

Thus, many believe that Daniel taught the prophecies. Many – including you know – also know that Daniel was one of Israel’s great prophets himself. The first half of the book of Daniel is history concerning this time period. The second half of this book are Daniel’s prophecies – some are about Jesus’ life and ministry on earth, others are apocalyptic visions of Christ’s coming again.

 

So, how did the Magi know to come looking for a Jewish Messiah?

 

Because … somebody told them! (And that person was so influential, that they honored his king!)

 

In our world today, how will people know how to find Jesus the Messiah? Somebody has to tell them!

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who loves telling

… over the hills and

everywhere

 

Discussion questions:

 

1.    Daniel’s faith caused others to honor his God. Who’s faith have you followed over the years?

2.    Is your faith inspiring anyone to worship your God?

3.    What might you do in the coming year to

Dec 21 - Matthew 2:11

 

And when [the wise men

entered] into the house, …

and when they had

opened their treasures,

they presented gifts to Him:

gold, frankincense,

and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

 

What were the gifts that the wise men presented to Jesus?

 

You remember, right?

 

Gold was, of course, a valuable metal; it was essentially money. But do you know what frankincense and myrrh are?

 

Frankincense and myrrh are rare and valuable oils. In fact, these two balms may have been the most valuable of the gifts given to Jesus – worth more than even gold!

 

Each of these come from the natural resins in a couple species of trees … trees that you’ve probably never heard of! Frankincense comes from the boswellia tree. And myrrh comes from the commiphora tree.

 

Sometimes frankincense and myrrh were burned as incense (often in Middle Eastern religious rituals). That was one use. Often they were used for medical purposes, such as antiseptics, anti-inflammatories, and analgesics. That was the practical use for these oils. That’s probably what made these ointments valuable. But … there are two more important uses which surely made them appropriate gifts for the Messiah, the newborn Jewish King.

 

First, myrrh was often used as an anointing oil. And if you didn’t know, Messiah (in Hebrew) and Christ (in Greek) mean “the anointed one.” Thus Jesus the Messiah – the anointed one – received from the wise men the oil of anointing.

 

Second, frankincense may have been an almost prophetic gift – a gift that pointed to how his full kingship would eventually be reveals. Frankincense was also a perfume. And what was one common use for such perfume? It was one of the spices used when preparing a dead body for burial – to cover the stench. Now, why is this an appropriate gift for Jesus? Because Jesus didn’t fully become (or become fully revealed) as the Messiah until his life-giving death upon the cross. Thus, a burial spice prefigured the ultimate trajectory of his life and was a sign of his divinity.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who received

gold when he was born

– not real gold … no;

rather I was given an

inheritance of faith, and

Jesus is more valuable

than gold

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.    What is a favorite gift you’ve even been given for Christmas or a birthday?

2.    Why is Jesus a greater gift than any physical possession?

3.    Is Jesus that kind of gift to you?

 

Dec 16 - Luke 2:13-14

 

And suddenly there was

with the angel a multitude

of the heavenly host

praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace,

goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:13-14

 

Whole Family Devotion

 

“Peace.” Do you see that word in today's angelic proclamation? “On earth … peace!” Before I really started paying attention to scripture, I wondered: if Jesus is the Prince of Peace, why isn't there true peace on earth?

 

Did you ever ponder that? Why are there still wars? Why is there still violence between friends and neighbors … and even in some families? 

 

Well, if we're looking for peace down on earth, we’re looking in the wrong direction. Too many people seek power; therefore, there has proven to continually be wars and abuse. (And it’s occurred both before and after the birth of Jesus.) Because of sin, there is no peace. (Now, we certainly do better if we follow Jesus' principles, loving neighbors -- and enemies -- forgiving seventy times seven times, etc. Nevertheless, because of sin, there will never be perfect peace between all individuals.)

 

So what is the correct direction to look in life? 

 

Upward. 

 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace because he came to create peace for us with God. We are sinful. God is holy. We cannot approach an utterly holy God on our own merits; therefore, starting with Christmas and culminating in the cross, Christ came to pay our debts and purchase our freedom. And this is God's "goodwill toward men."

 

And this is why the angels were singing: The Son of God was coming to defeat death. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who's crooning

"Hark the Herald Angels' Sing"

"Glory to the newborn king.

Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"

Discussion Questions:

 

1. Have you ever wanted peace on earth and peace in families? Why?!

2. Why won't this ever happen perfectly on earth?

3. How can following Jesus help bring more peace?

4. Do you know what to do to discover your own personal peace with God? Click here: https://peacewithgod.net/

 

Dec 15 - Luke 2:12

 

The angels said,

And this will be the sign

to you: You will find a babe

wrapped in swaddling cloths,

lying in a manger.

Luke 2:12

 

There's a children's book called The Three Trees. It's about a trio of living hardwoods. But when a man approaches with an ax, rather than lamenting being cut down, they contemplate with excitement how a craftsman might use them. 

 

Now, what would be an honorable use of your tree-life today? Might you like to help build a ceiling under which songs of praise are continually sung? Might you like to be a family table, around which ten thousand meals and a hundred thousand stories of life are told? Might you like to be part of a sailing ship, gliding free in the breeze? 

 

It seemed immediately like the second tree won the lottery. It was indeed part of a boat on the sea. With this story set hundreds of years ago, a boat would have been part of important world commerce. It would have been used for fishing, cargo, transport. This tree was glad. It had a great purpose. (So ... would that be a worthy purpose for your tree-life?)

 

The first tree also had a purpose as it was pulled from the lumber yard. Its trunk was soon hewn into boards. But soon this tree lamented. It had a purpose, but it was lowly. This tree was going to be used in a musty barn. It would be a food trough for cattle and sheep. 

 

Now, you may be guessing that this tree's lowly function was ultimately redeemed when, one night, a very pregnant woman came into the barn. Suddenly this lowly tree, carved into a humble manger, was the throne of the King of kings. (Can God use you in glorious ways from a position that seems to start as humble?)

 

The second tree started fast. It was a swift ship. But it could have grieved. Surely a boat would fall short of that manger's ultimate purpose, right? Nevertheless, from the decks of this simple vessel, the King of kings one day would command the heavens and still the storm. Thus, it too became a temporary throne during Jesus' earthly life. 

 

So what about the last tree? The final log lingered for decades in a forgotten wood pile. (Have you ever felt forgotten?) Well, one day it was remembered. It was hastily grabbed by a group of course soldiers.  It was cut once. Its two pieces were pounded crudely together. And it became an instrument of death - a Roman cross. And as you are surely knowing, this tree too became one of Jesus' earthly thrones. From our Lord's final royal seat on earth, he saved the world. 

 

The point? In God's hands nothing is forgotten or worthless. Some of us may start fast. Some may start slow. Some of us might seem to have a mighty earthly job and purpose, but do you believe that God purposes to use all of us. We may not see it immediately, but if you trust in God’s purposes – and surrender your life to being used – you will inevitably have a starring role in God's divine drama.  

 

In Christ's Lord,

a thin and twisted branch 

who's been used as a

shepherd's crook

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1. The tree that became manger thought it had been destined for a lowly purpose. Have you ever discovered lowly gifts that God has used for his glory?

2. The log that became part of a great ship once thought of its purpose in utterly worldly ways. Our earthly jobs can matter greatly, but in what ways might our earthly roles be used for kingdom purposes?

3. For thirty years, the final log felt forgotten, and when it was finally used, it was twisted into a seemingly inglorious role. But God can use even those who seem forgotten by the world. God, indeed, wills to redeem those who were once on the edges of respectability. In what ways has (or might) God use your weaknesses or failures for his glory?