John’s Mission Continues

Have you seen someone who is far greater than you? Have you worked to prepare the way for someone expected? Would you like to be sent ahead of someone who is important to prepare things ahead of them? Have you heard the story of John the Baptist?

Preparing the way for someone more important than yourself is not all it’s cracked up to be. Don’t believe me? Just ask any campaign worker. There are long hours of planning. Long hours of door knocking. Many hours of behind-the-scenes work. Often not much sleep.

Don’t know anyone working for a political campaign? Ask anyone who is trying grow your local church. Ask a pastor. Ask a dedicated committee member. It is a never-ending task of reaching out to new people. It is continually telling people about the ministries of the church, convincing people they need Jesus, and energizing the membership to get out into the community.

I imagine John the Baptist had many restless and sleepless nights. He knew his mission. He was to prepare the way for the most important person the world has ever seen. He was to prepare the way for the Messiah, the Christ. He was preaching, teaching, baptizing, and warning people of the coming of God himself into the world. Talk about a high-pressure job!

But John took it on with all the fervor he had. I’m sure he also leaned heavily on God to give him the strength, courage, and energy he needed to carry out his mission. We, too, must lean on God to guide us and provide us with the strength we need to carry out the mission he has given us, which is to continue to tell people about Jesus.

I pray we all take up the mission of telling others about Jesus. I pray we follow John’s example. I pray each one of us realize we are working for the most important person the world has ever seen—Jesus. Take on the mission. Ask God to guide you. Ask God for strength. Ask God for energy. Ask God for courage. Tell others about Jesus.

John 1:29-31 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Son of God

Do you sometimes question whether Jesus is really the Son of God? Are there questions that arise from time-to-time in your mind about His divinity? Do those questions come and go depending on your situation, mood, or discussions with others?

If you have questions about Jesus, God, or Christianity in general, you are not alone. It is common to wonder if we are following the right path. But those questions are less about God and more about us. After all, we often question whether we have made the right decision in many circumstances.

Questioning in an effort to understand is noteworthy. We should seek the truth, regardless of what it is we have heard. In fact, if we sought the truth more often, we would spread far fewer rumors and there would be less gossip. Seeking the truth about Jesus is worthy of our time.

The Scripture of the Jewish prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah. The gospels proclaim Jesus as the Messiah as eyewitness accounts. The Apostle Paul proclaims Him as the Messiah throughout his letters to the various churches. God, the Father, proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God and put the Spirit of God upon Him.

We have heard the story of Jesus’ conception and birth. We have heard of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. In both cases, the Holy Spirit is there. God executed his plan through the Holy Spirit to send Jesus into this world. The Father confirmed the Son through prophecy, spoken word, and action by the Spirit.

I pray we all seek to know the truth about Jesus. I pray we believe He is the Son of God. I pray each one of us see God at work through history to send his Son into the world as our Savior. Seek the truth. Read the prophecies. Hear the proclamation. Understand the Spirit’s work. Accept Jesus as your Savior.

Isaiah 42:1

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, 

my chosen one in whom I delight; 

I will put my Spirit on him, 

and he will bring justice to the nations.”

Worship the Savior

What does worship mean to you? Is your worship one of rote behavior? Does your worship come from a humble heart? Do you bow before the Savior, whether figuratively or literally? Have you spent time considering what it means to worship God?

Worship can mean different things to different people. However, there is one specific thing that must be included no matter what the tradition, actions, or thoughts. Humility. Without a humble heart, worship is all but impossible. We must admit God is greater than we are, if we are to worship him.

To worship God fully, we must humble ourselves before him. The wise men humbled themselves before the infant Messiah. They recognized Him for who He was. Perhaps we need to recognize Him for who He is. No, we absolutely need to recognize Him for who He is.

If we truly see Jesus as our Lord and Savior, see Him as the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” as stated in Isaiah 9:6, we will humble ourselves before Him, just as the wise men did more than two-thousand years ago.

Maybe we should ask God to open our eyes so that we will see him for who he is, our Creator. Maybe we should present our gifts to him on bended knee as the wise men did. Maybe we should shed tears of disbelief, awe, and wonder as they did. Perhaps we should recommit ourselves to God as we start a new year.

I pray we all humble ourselves before God. I pray we see God for who he truly is. I pray each one of us will recommit ourselves to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Recognize Jesus for who He is. Admit God is greater. Humble yourself before the Almighty God. Be in awe.

Matthew 2:11 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, frankincense and myrrh.

Be Watchful

Have you been party to a secret meeting? Was it exciting and exhilarating to be part of? Was the meeting to plan a surprise party? Or was it to plan a trick on someone? Have you been in a secret meeting when you thought the leader was up to something other than what they said?

Secret meetings can be exhilarating. Especially if they are to plan a surprise party for someone. There is a lot of excitement, joviality, and energy. Being part of that kind of secret meeting gives us energy. That energy may carry over for several days.

On the other hand, secret meetings that discuss things not commonly known can seem to be out of place. If one party appears to be a little shady or wary or sneaky, the meeting can feel off. We may be wondering if it is just us who feel that way or did someone else notice it.

King Herod met with the wise men secretly to tell them where to find the infant Messiah. After their earlier meeting, when the wise men asked where He was to be born, King Herod met with the Jewish leaders to find out. He then met with the wise men in secret to tell them where and to instruct them to search thoroughly for Him. King Herod also instructed them to come back to report to him where they found Him. His sneaky little lie was that he wanted to go worship Him.

I wonder if the wise men had caught on and if they discussed it among themselves. If they did, they didn’t fully understand what Herod intended nor the extent of his ruthlessness. How do we know that? God intervened in a dream to tell them to return home a different way. God does that when someone intends to thwart his plan. He intervenes.

I pray we all seek to follow God’s plan. I pray we learn the lesson the wise men learned. I pray we see through the lies and half-truths others speak as they lay plans to undermine God’s plan. Follow God’s plan. Be watchful. See when others are being sneaky. Ask God to help you see through the lies.

Matthew 2:7-8 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.”

Hard Question

Have you been the outsider? Have you been the outsider who came in to point out the obvious that no one else saw? Have you been looked at as though you were out of your mind? Have you stood your ground and waited for them to acknowledge you anyway?

Some of us may have been an outsider whom no one on the inside gave any credit to. We may have pointed out something that made perfect sense and been looked at with eyebrows raised. Our thoughts may have been dismissed out of hand. We may have felt shunned.

That may be how the wise men felt in King Herod’s court. They came to ask a question. It was obvious King Herod didn’t know. In fact, he probably didn’t want to know. He also likely felt threatened by the question. After all, if there was a new king, he was on his way out. Little did he know Who the King was the wise men were asking about.

But take notice of the wise men’s action. They didn’t back down. They didn’t bow out. They waited for an answer to their question. King Herod had to summon the Jewish leadership so they could give the wise men the answer they needed. The wise men graciously accepted the answer and went on their way.

We might find a lesson in the actions of the wise men. Just because others may think we have lost our mind, if we know we are in the right, we need to stand our ground. Now, having said that, we need to be sure we are right. The wise men had heard at least some of the prophecies. We know some of the Bible. When we hear someone else make a misstatement, we should correct them with love and kindness. If we seek an answer from someone who is learned, we should wait for the answer—don’t give up but wait patiently. We may just find what we are looking for, just like the wise men.

I pray we all seek to know God’s Word. I pray we ask questions and wait for answers. I pray we stand our ground when we are sure we are right. Know God’s Word. Seek answers. Ask questions. Wait patiently. Stand your ground. Be sure of being right.

Matthew 2:1-2 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.”

Be Second

Have you been the town crier? Have you ever been the forerunner for someone else? Have you been the one who was telling everyone that someone more important than you was coming? Have you tried to put yourself in the shoes of John the Baptist?

Being the person who announces someone more important than themselves is coming is not an easy job. It requires the person to put themselves in second place. That is very hard for us, as Americans, to do. We want to win at all times. We want to be first.

Today’s culture, especially advertising agencies, do all they can to impress upon us that we should put ourselves first. We compete on so many different levels we cannot begin to count them all. We compete in beauty contests, even when simply going to a basketball game. We compete in how bad something happened to us. We compete in how good we are at something. We even compete within the church.

Perhaps we all could take a lesson from John the Baptist. He was doing what he was called to do. He was preparing the way for Jesus. He did his job well. But he knew, and freely admitted, there was someone coming who was greater than him. He didn’t try to put himself in the limelight. He didn’t try to compete with Jesus. In fact, he attempted to avoid any attention given to him.

Putting ourselves second is not easy. It requires us to admit we are not as important as we would like to think we are. It requires us to submit to God and simply be a tool he uses. It requires us to set our pride aside and do what we are called to do. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I pray we all submit to God and his plan for us. I pray we admit we are not as important as we think. I pray each one of us stops competing to be the top dog and simply do what God wants us to do. Submit to God. Be willing to carry out his plan. Stop competing. Start doing. Be second.

Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Seeing the Unexpected

Have you ever thought it would be nice to see something you have never seen before? Would you like to see someone more powerful than you can imagine? How does the idea of prophecy sound to you? Can you imagine how Anna felt when she saw the Messiah?

It is likely we all have dreamt of seeing something no one else has seen at some point in our lives. There is something exhilarating about it. We dream of it anxiously and with trepidation. We think it will be exciting and a bit frightening.

Some people spend their whole lives looking for something no one else has seen. Some look for it through science, attempting to discover something new about the human body or animal life or the earth. Some look toward the stars, hoping to discover a new star or comet or maybe even a new galaxy.

The prophet Anna was not necessarily looking for something new, but she saw something new anyway. As a prophet, she had prophesied about God’s plan—even if we are not told what her prophecies were. She did not expect to see God right in front of her. But that day in the temple she saw him as a babe in Mary’s arms. She knew exactly who she was looking at when she saw him and immediately told those around her who he was.

She also knew what it meant for him to be in the world. He was bringing redemption to Jerusalem, Israel, and the entire world. He had come to take away our sins. He came to call all people to himself. And Anna knew all of it the very moment she laid eyes on him.

I pray we all see Jesus as Anna saw Him. I pray we see Him as our Lord and Savior. I pray each one of us tell everyone in our sphere of influence who Jesus is and what He means to the world. See Jesus as Lord and Savior. See Jesus as God. Tell others about Jesus. Tell them He will redeem them.

Luke 2:36a, 38 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old;… Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anticipation Satisfied

Have you ever had to wait for something? Was the anticipation agonizing? Were you waiting for something you were promised? When the time finally came, were you overjoyed when it arrived? Will you be overjoyed when Christ returns?

We have all waited for something. It may have been a Christmas present we had asked for. It may have been an engagement ring. It may have been a newborn baby. Whatever we have waited for, if it was something we thought was very special, we were overjoyed when it arrived.

I can remember the joy I felt when my son was born. I don’t think the smile left my face for days. There have been numerous joyous days with him since. There is something about a newborn that brings those smiles to our face. There is also something special about raising our children.

Simeon was a man especially blessed by the Holy Spirit. He had been given a message that told him he would see God’s Messiah before he died. He was led to the temple on the same day Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus to be consecrated to God. The moment Simeon saw the babe in Mary’s arms, he knew he was seeing the promise of God.

Simeon took the baby in his arms and praised God. He spoke about Jesus as the salvation of all nations. He told God that he could release him to die because of what he had just seen with his own eyes. Simeon prophesied that Jesus would be a revelation for non-Jews. (Luke 2:29-32)

We, too, can be overjoyed at seeing Jesus. No, He won’t be a newborn babe. No, we won’t see Him in person until we are called home, or He returns. But we can be overjoyed in seeing Him in our daily experiences as He works in our lives. How? By knowing Him through Scripture, prayer, and asking Him to open our eyes to see Him.

I pray we all seek with anticipation seeing Jesus. I pray we all will be overjoyed to see Jesus when He returns. I pray each one of us actively seek Him in this life through Scripture, prayer, and experiences. Anticipate seeing Jesus. Be overjoyed to see Him. See Jesus in your daily life. Read Scripture. Spend time in prayer. Experience Jesus.

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

Do As God Commands

Have you been consecrated to the Lord? Have you been dedicated to the Lord? Have you been baptized in the Lord? Do you know where the consecration of the firstborn originated? Do you know why God commanded it to be done?

We do not think much about consecration in today’s culture, especially to God. Yet it was part of the Jewish culture from the time of the Exodus. As God freed the Israelites from Egypt, he commanded Moses to consecrate the firstborn male to him (Exodus 13:2).

If we look back to Abraham, we see when God made the covenant of circumcision. This covenant included the changing of his name. God renamed Abram as Abraham. He then promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. God also renamed Sarai and called her Sarah. He said that Sarah would have a son in her old age and was to name him Isaac and God would establish his covenant with him as well.

So, on the eighth day after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary took the baby to the temple to consecrate him to the Lord. He was circumcised and named on the eighth day. Jesus was consecrated to God as the firstborn male. Joseph and Mary were dedicated to following God’s commands and did so shortly after Jesus’ birth.

I pray we all commit to following God’s commands. I pray we dedicate our children to God. I pray each one of us will follow through on our commitment and teach our children about God. Commit yourself to following God’s commands. Dedicate your children to God. Teach your children about God.

Luke 2:22-24 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Christ is Born!

What do you think of when you think of Christmas? Do you think of all the glitz, glamor, bright lights, a tree, and presents? Or do you remember it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus? Do you celebrate His birth on Christmas Day?

Christmas has become very commercialized. We all know it. We all see it. We may be caught up in all of it. But it is far more than just bright lights and giving presents to loved ones. It is far more than a family dinner and watching football.

Christmas Day is the day set aside for the world to remember the most wonderful birth of all time. Despite whether it is the actual day Christ was born or not, it is a day to celebrate His birth. In other words, it is not about us but about Him.

We hear the phrase, “You can’t have Christmas without Christ.” But how many people live just the opposite? Far too often, we make Christmas about us rather than Jesus. After all, how often do we have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas on Sunday and how empty will our churches be?

God sent His Son to be our amazing Savior. He was born to a poor couple in a lowly stable. God went to an extent most of us would not even think about to save us. Should we not celebrate with Him and make Him the object of our celebration and worship?

I pray we all celebrate the birth of Jesus. I pray we put Him first on this Christmas Day. I pray each one of us will take time to give thanks to God for the amazing birth of His Son. Celebrate Jesus’ birth. Remember His birth this day. Put Him first today. Remind others of His birth.

Luke 2:6-7 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.