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.

An Amazing Sight

Have you heard about something that made you so excited you just couldn’t wait to go see it? Was it as wondrous as you thought it would be? Have you received a message from the Lord? If you did, did you go where He told you? If not, would you go where He told you?

It is very likely we have all been told of something amazing and wanted to go see it. Perhaps it was a place, such as the Grand Canyon. Perhaps it was a musical group, and we wanted to go see them. Or maybe it was an amazing sports feat and we had to look for the recording of it.

Sometimes, those things are as amazing as we thought they would be. However, there are many times they are disappointing. Oh, they may be pretty good, maybe even close to amazing. Yet, they didn’t live up to our expectations.

The shepherds were excited after the angel told them about what had happened just a few miles from them. They agreed to take off at once to go see for themselves. They also recognized the message had come straight from God. So, they obeyed and headed to Bethlehem.

When they saw the babe with Mary, they were not disappointed. I cannot imagine what the scene looked like exactly, but I’m sure it was an amazing scene. There was something about baby Jesus that the shepherds recognized as God. They could not contain themselves. They told everyone they met along the way about the amazing thing they experienced.

I pray we all recognize Jesus as God. I pray we celebrate His birth with as much excitement as we can. I pray each one of us tell everyone we meet about the amazing birth of our Lord and Savior. Be amazed at Jesus’ birth. Recognize Jesus as God. Tell others about Him. God does not disappoint.

Luke 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

God’s Favor

Have you sought someone’s favor? Do you work to get on someone’s good side? Would you like to have someone leave you a handsome inheritance? Do you long for peace in your life? Where have you looked for peace?

There are times in which we long to be on the good side of someone. It may our spouse. It may be our boss. It may be our rich aunt, hoping she remembers us in her will. In other words, we long for their favor. We want them to favor us over someone else.

We have been promised to receive the favor of God. All we must do is accept it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is and it isn’t. To accept God’s favor, we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must commit our lives to being a follower of His. It is a simple, “Yes,” but not so simple to follow through on.

What do we receive if we accept His favor? We receive His peace. We receive a peace that goes beyond understanding. How do we know this? Jesus says, “Peace I leave you; my peace I give you” (John 14:23). We receive the peace of God when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. His peace continues to grow in us as we grow closer to Him.

There is nothing that satisfies more than the peace of God. When we have his peace within us, nothing can shake us. That peace is experienced and increases our confidence in God’s promises. It increases our faith. As our faith increases, we grow closer to God, and we receive more of his peace. That is a nice circle to be in.

I pray we all accept God’s favor. I pray we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I pray each of us will commit to being a follower of Jesus. Know that God desires to grant you his favor. He wants to give you peace. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Accept God’s favor. Accept God’s peace.

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, 

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

God as a Newborn

Do you like to hold newborn babies? Are you afraid you will hurt them? Do you think they are fragile? Are you over caring, overreacting to every sneeze, cough, or cry? How would you feel if you had been Mary holding the newborn baby Jesus?

We all react differently with newborns. Some of us can’t wait to cuddle them in our arms. Others don’t want to hold them; afraid we will do something wrong. We all know that newborn babies are to be handled with care. Yet, we do not need to be afraid of them.

The shepherds were told there was a newborn a few miles from where they were tending their sheep. But it wasn’t just any newborn, it was the Messiah, the Lord. The word translated into English as Lord, is Yahweh. This was one name the Jews used to identify God. In other words, the angel told the shepherds the newborn was God coming into his creation.

Can you imagine?! An angel says that God, the very God the Jews went to the temple to worship, was coming into the world as a newborn baby. How amazing is that?! Is it any wonder the shepherds rushed off to go see what was happening? God was coming to his people. He was coming to save them. He was fulfilling his promise.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should remember that He was God coming into the world. Jesus came with a purpose. He came to be our perfect Savior. He came to teach the meaning of God’s Word. He came to show us that God cares. He came to show God’s love.

I pray we all are amazed at the birth of Jesus. I pray we are in awe of God coming into his creation. I pray each one of us celebrate Jesus’ birth with thanks, praise, and love. Remember God came into his creation. Celebrate Jesus’ birth. Know that Jesus is your Savior. Accept His gift of love.

Luke 2:10-12 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Frightened and Overwhelmed

Have you been shocked? Shocked to the point of being terrified? Have you had a chill run down your spine? Has the hair stood on your arms? Have you been scared speechless? How do you think you would feel if you were to be in the presence of an angel?

I’m sure we have all been frightened at some point in our lives. A few of those frights may have been minor, just a brief scare from someone hiding and jumping out at us. Other frights may have seemed to last a lifetime. They may have been far more serious.

Being frightened happens to all of us. One of my most alarming shocks came when I received a phone call in Okinawa, JA. My aunt called to tell me my dad was likely not going to make it more than a couple more days. I knew he had not been feeling well but had no idea it was that serious. A shock rolled through my body for what seemed like several minutes.

I can only guess how the shepherds felt when an angel suddenly appeared before them. Not only would they have been surprised to seem someone suddenly appear, but the power of the presence of a heavenly being would have been overwhelming. Then, just as they might have been recovering, an entire host from heaven appears and starts praising God! The word interpreted as host literally means army. Can you imagine?! An army of angels appears!

I wonder if the original angel who appeared did not grant the shepherds some heavenly peace to calm their souls. They certainly left their fields celebrating joyously and in anticipation of seeing the newborn King. Their joy was so overwhelming they told everyone they saw what had happened.

I pray we all are overjoyed at the birth of Jesus. I pray we celebrate His birth as something extremely special. I pray each of us tell everyone we see about the wondrous birth of our Savior. Be in awe of heavenly beings. Be overjoyed at Jesus’ birth. Tell everyone about Jesus’ wondrous birth. Tell everyone our Savior came for us.

Luke 2:8-9 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.

Difficult Travel

Do you travel much? Have you had to travel in less than perfect circumstances? Have you traveled while being sick, under duress, or more than eight months pregnant? If you traveled under those circumstances, how difficult was that trip?

Many of us have traveled when not feeling well. We may have traveled with nothing more than a cold. We may have traveled feeling far worse. Some may have traveled while pregnant, and the further along you were the more difficult it likely was to travel.

I can remember one short trip when I did not feel well. It was less than thirty minutes from our house to the hospital. I felt so bad I could barely stumble my way to the vehicle with my wife and father-in-law helping me. As it turned out, I had a gall stone stuck in the tube between my gall bladder and kidney. Excruciating pain had me doubled over and nauseous. That short trip was one of the worst that I have ever experienced.

So, I cannot imagine being nearly nine months pregnant and having to travel more than 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Joseph, being a faithful husband likely secured a ride for Mary. Traditionally, Mary is portrayed as riding on a donkey. Yet, there is no indication in Scripture that she did. What we do know from history is they likely traveled in a caravan for safety reasons. We do know from indicators in Scripture that Joseph was not a rich man, which may have hindered his ability to own a donkey or a cart.

What we also know from Scripture is that Joseph and Mary were obedient to the commands of Caesar. They traveled to obey the directive to conduct a census. They followed the Jewish custom of being accounted for in the family hometown. Mary, specifically, was obedient to travel with her husband, or husband to be. Scripture does not tell us if they were married before or after she gave birth.

I pray we all obey the laws of the land. I pray we obey the commands of God. I pray each one of us digs deeper into Scripture to better understand the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Be an obedient person. Obey the laws. Obey God. Read God’s Word. Study God’s Word. Know the true story.

Luke 2:4-5 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

God Directs

Have you been accounted for? Have you partaken in a census? Do you know why a census is taken? Would you prefer not to have to worry about being accounted for? Would you like to better understand the difference between a census of the first century and today’s census?

Census taking has been going on for thousands of years. Governing authorities have taken them for a variety of reasons, which have included taxation, military, and voting. Most of us do not think about the census when its time comes around. We simply fill out the form and go on.

In the first century, a census was primarily dictated for taxation purposes. This was especially true of those areas of the world ruled by Roman Emperors. If Caesar wanted to build a new coliseum, he would get an estimate of the cost and conduct a census. The cost would be paid for by taxation of the people and spread across the Roman empire. It didn’t matter if the people lived in Israel or Spain or Gaul, they paid taxes to build a new coliseum in Rome.

The Jewish custom was to be accounted for in your family’s original hometown. So, since Joseph was of the lineage of David, he and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to be accounted for in the census as dictated by Caesar Augustus. If we remember well, or go back to 1 Samuel 16, we know that David’s father was Jesse and Samuel was sent to Jesse’s house to anoint God’s chosen, David, to be the future king of Israel.

It was no small trip for Joseph and Mary in those days from Nazareth to Bethlehem. If you could travel a straight line, it was about 70 miles between the two. However, as we know, roads are not straight, making it a much longer distance. Not only that, but the road was dangerous for anyone traveling alone, riddled with thieves. Joseph and Mary likely traveled along with a caravan for safety reasons.

Today, we might worry about family members traveling alone. Though we can travel much faster, we also travel much further. In the time it would have taken Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, we could drive from New York to Los Angeles. If our child were to take on that type of challenge, we would want them calling us every few hours to ensure things were going well. But God is with us as we go about our daily lives, just as he was with Joseph and Mary.

I pray we all follow the laws of the land, just as Joseph and Mary did. I pray we realize God is at work, even in those we least expect. I pray each one of us trust that God is with us at all times. Obey the authorities. Trust God is at work. Know that God is with you. 

Luke 2:1, 3 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world…. And everyone went to their own town to register.