Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Good Morning! 

Hear the following Wesley hymn  of this season …

1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

2. Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

What a beautiful hymn for our Christmas season, reminding us of the coming of the Christ, the Anointed One who would save all people from our sin.  From the moment Eve looked upon the forbidden fruit until Christ cried out “tetelestai”, humankind was under the condemnation of sin.  But when Jesus cried out “It is finished”, the price for our sinful nature was paid in full by His precious blood.

This morning, I was looking at one other person in the Luke account of the birth of Christ …

Luke 2:36-38 English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, ³⁷ and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.^[a] She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Footnotes:

Luke 2:37 Or as a widow for eighty-four years

People in Israel had been waiting for over four hundred years … looking for the One whom they supposed would return Israel to the grandeur of the rule of David and Solomon.  Anna lived at the Temple, waiting to see the One.  And when He came, she rejoiced, giving thanks to God.

But the focus was mistaken … for God does not intend a kingdom of this world but of all creation.  This kingdom came with the birth of Jesus … who is the Messiah, Christ, Anointed.  But, because our minds are limited and our sight blinded, humankind could not conceive of such a kingdom.  When the physical restoration of Jerusalem did not occur, the people turned against Jesus … with the result being our freedom from sin.

We still await the Christ. He has promised that He will come again.  So … come thou long expected Jesus. We await that day.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, we await the coming of our Lord.  We know that the timing is Yours and Yours alone.  We know that the time will come when You know the last person who will receive Jesus as Lord and Savior has made that commitment.  May we continue to share Christ with all until His coming.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:36-38

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

Good Morning! 

Imagine waiting for years to see the Christ … and finally seeing Him.  In our Scripture passage this morning, we are going to look at Simeon. His story is simple … let’s take a look …

Luke 2:22-35 English Standard Version (ESV)

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, ²⁸ he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

²⁹ “Lord, now you are letting your servant^[a] depart in peace,
    according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation
³¹     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed ³⁵ (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Footnotes:

Luke 2:29 Or bondservant

Jesus was eight days old when He was first brought to Jerusalem.  Remember, Joseph was a devout Jew … and being devout, Joseph brought Jesus to consecrate Him to the Lord in accordance to the Law of Moses.  

Simeon was also a devout Jew. He spent his days at the Temple, hoping to see the “consolation of Israel”.  What does that mean?  Let’s take a look at the words of the Prophet Isaiah …

Isaiah 40:1-2 English Standard Version (ESV)

40 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that her warfare^[a] is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
    double for all her sins.

Footnotes:

Isaiah 40:2 Or hardship

Confused?  Well, Luke also tells us that Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit had informed Simeon that he would have the very special privilege of seeing the Christ before he died.  I believe the Holy Spirit had led Simeon to understand that the consolation of Israel was not an action but a person … the Messiah.  And thus, I imagine that Simeon spent his days at the Temple, searching each face as the devout fathers and mothers brought their first born to the Temple.  On this crucial day, Simeon sees a simple couple bringing their son to him … and his heart leaps within as the Spirit speaks to him, saying this is the One.  He takes this child in his hands and proclaims the words he had hoped to speak for years.

“… mine eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and a glory to your people Israel.” 

Did anyone other than Joseph and Mary hear Simeon’s proclamation?  It doesn’t appear so … or, if they did, they didn’t react.  It reminds me of the invitation at the end of a fiery sermon … where Christ is preached but the people do not hear.  Joseph and Mary did … and heard Simeon’s other pronouncement regarding the future of Jesus. Years later, after Simeon was dead and gone, Jesus would be opposed … and crucified.  Mary would know the pain of losing her beloved child because the religious leadership hated His message.

What about today? We are privileged to have the Holy Spirit living within … showing us the Consolation of Israel … the Messiah.  How will we respond?  Will we hear?  Will we praise? Have our eyes seen the salvation of all?

Jesus is our consolation … our salvation.  O, come … all you faithful … joyful and triumphant.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Day after day, dear Father, I can only say “thank You for my Lord and my Savior, Jesus.” May these words be ever on my lips … and may my joy be forever in my heart.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:22-35; Isaiah 40:1-2

Glorifying and Praising

Good Morning! 

I am sitting here listening to the rumblings of a thunderstorm and the sounds of raindrops landing on the chimney.  It’s Tuesday … golf day … but probably a wash for today.  That’s okay.  I still have some Christmas shopping to complete … so I will take this opportunity to accomplish that important task.  And I can also tackle some of the mess in Slobovia (my bedroom) … perhaps finding a place for some of the junk I have accumulated.

Yesterday’s worship service at Gateway Rehabilitation Center (a.k.a. nursing home) was a real hit for the residents as two of the families brought their talents to lead the service.  Banjo, mandolin, violin (fiddle), piano and guitars played.  The children are very well-behaved and so motivated to serve Christ.  What a blessing to all … giving hope for our future as believers sharing God’s Word. 

Well, let’s take a look at some Scripture this morning about some witnesses …

Luke 2:8-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”^[a]

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Footnotes:

Luke 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men

Any one of us who has watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” remember Linus reciting the above passage.  It is the crux of the gospel message … “unto us is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”  It seems to me that the angels stated it pretty plainly. The child is the Christ … the long awaited Anointed One promised by God to Israel. The shepherds got it … and hurried to Bethlehem to see.  And, when they had seen, they didn’t JUST return to their work … they went GLORIFYING and PRAISING GOD!!!  I don’t imagine they did so silently.  I don’t imagine we would either.  Imagine being awakened from your slumber by the voices of thousands of angels (like the sounds of the thunderstorm that interrupted my sleep today).  Imagine being told that Jesus is on His way … and you can see Him come.  Would you just roll over and go back to sleep? Or, would you get up and call your family and friends and let them know?  I think we would be so excited that we couldn’t contain ourselves from rejoicing.

Before you say it, yes, I know … Jesus has told us that His coming will be as a thief in the night. But the point is that the shepherds didn’t just respond with a ho-hum, the Christ has come.  They rejoiced.  How about us?  Christmas has been celebrated for centuries. Has it become so commonplace that rejoicing is just a concept and not a reality?  Do we really glorify and praise God for the coming of Jesus? Are we true witnesses of the coming of the Christ?

In just a week, many of us will gather at our local churches on the Eve of Christmas … some will celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist, Communion) in remembrance of His life and death and resurrection.  Some will baptize new believers.  Our focus will turn from decorations and gifting and the other trappings of the Christmas season to the real reason we celebrate … Emmanuel; God is with us. As we leave our places of worship, let us go rejoicing … glorifying and praising God … just like the shepherds did on that night so long ago.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, I admit that I have in times past failed to really celebrate the coming of Christ. Forgive me for not my spiritual blindness … and open my eyes again this Christmas to the enormity of the coming of my Savior and my Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:8-20

Lifted Up

Good Morning! 

A word of congratulations to Jim, Jr. and Angie as they celebrate their 25^th wedding anniversary today!!!

Jesus said:

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. – John 3:13-15

You may be wondering where this is going on a Monday morning that is just a few days away from our celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus. I did too when I reviewed the Bible study lesson for this coming week.  The Scripture to be studied is from Matthew, chapters 1 and 2, and from Numbers 21:4-9.  Let’s take the Numbers passage first …

Numbers 21:4-9 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. ⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” ⁶ Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. ⁷ And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze^[a] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Footnotes:

Numbers 21:9 Or copper

When Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus in the garden that night so many years ago, He already knew His earthly fate.  The incident that occurred in the wilderness wandering was very familiar to a devout Jew.  From our study in Numbers, we know that the wandering Jews often complained about their food and their water.  Time after time, God had punished them … even to the point of destroying some.  But this time, it seems God had had it!  The impatient Jews spoke against both God and Moses.  So, God sent serpents to bite the people.  This time, the people GOT IT.  They acknowledge their sin and ask Moses to plead to the Lord on their behalf. God’s response was to instruct Moses to create a bronze serpent and lift it on a pole.  Those who looked on the image (in faith) would live.  Those that chose not to look would not live.

So, we come to the Matthew passage … particularly the passage concerning Joseph’s reaction to finding out that Mary was with child.  Matthew recounts …

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ^[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed^[b] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). ²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵ but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Footnotes:

Matthew 1:18 Some manuscripts of the Christ

Matthew 1:18 That is, legally pledged to be married

Put yourself in Joseph’s sandals … how would you handle the news that this woman that had already committed herself to you was found to be pregnant … and you knew that you were not the father.  Better yet, imagine an angel of the Lord comes to give you the low down of what is going on.  What would you do?

Returning to our Numbers passage, how often do we become inpatient with our Lord … and with His provisions for us? While we may not confront our “Moses”, we may find ourselves envious of others … and wonder why God doesn’t bless us with the same things.  We forget the rich blessing God has already provided in the life and death of the Son of Man … the One we know as Jesus. It is He who was lifted up.  It is He on Whom God has told us to trust.  Look upon the cross … see the Christ … and believe.

May God bless you this coming week.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: “Beneath the cross of Jesus, I fain would take my stand. The shadow of a mighty Rock, within a weary land.  A hope within the wilderness … a rest upon the way; from the burning of the midday heat … and the burden of the day.”  O Father God, thank You for reminding me of my need to always be grateful to Jesus, the Christ.  Thank You for Jesus and His life.  Thank You for His sacrifice for me and for all humankind.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: John 3:13-15; Numbers 21:4-9; Matthew 1:18-25

Where is He?

Good Morning! 

Matthew 2:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

2 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, ² saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

⁶ “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Today’s posting is about Herod who was inadvertently alerted by the Magi of the coming of the Christ child. Why did the coming of the Christ trouble Herod, the Great?  A little search of his history reveals a man who was extremely paranoid about the possibility of being overthrown and killed.  He even murdered some of his own relatives.  If we read on, we find that, when the Magi did not return, Herod had all male children two years old or younger murdered in an attempt to kill this “king of the Jews”. 

I am also befuddled by the lack of reaction by the chief priests and scribes.  Think about it … one of the most desired acts these religious leaders awaited was the coming of the Messiah (Christ).  But, when Herod inquires about where the Christ was to be born, it appears they did nothing more than just tell him where.  There is no indication that they did anything more.  REALLY!!!

One would think that a people who were waiting for the One who would set them free would have immediately gone to Bethlehem to find Him.  But it doesn’t appear that they did.  To me, it would seem almost an imperative to seek out the Christ.  I wonder … did their religion get in the way?  You see, “religion” focuses on self … not on a Savior.  A person relying upon religion looks at the sins he (or she) has done and weighs it against the “good” he (or she) has accomplished.  The thought is that if one can balance the scales, he (or she) can deserve heaven.  This is NOT how God works.  I can be the kindest, most generous, best person in all the world … and still be nothing more than an sinner in need of a Savior. 

The reaction … or lack of reaction … of the religious leadership leads me to take a look at my own motives.  Do I seek the Christ … or do I just acknowledge that He was born, crucified, and arose … and do nothing else?  In short, am I trusting in Him or in me? 

Well … I want to share a prayer request this morning.  A good friend asked me to pray for him and his handling of a child who is in need.  As a parent, it is always difficult to know if I am doing the right thing in how I handle issues arising with my children.  Both he and his child need your prayers … which I ask that you pray without knowing anything more than what I have just said. I believe in the power of prayer … especially from you.

Have a good weekend … and God bless each one of you.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Allow me, dear Father, to see in my own life where I seek out the Christ and His will in my life. In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today: Matthew 2:1-6

The Fullness of Time

Good Morning! 

The fullness of time.  What is the “fullness of time”? 

Paul, writing in his letter to the believers in Galatia, writes …

Galatians 4:1-7 English Standard Version (ESV)

4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[a] though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles^[b] of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Footnotes:

Galatians 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 7

Galatians 4:3 Or elemental spirits; also verse 9

A little background to the opening statement:  Paul is pointing out the difference between being under grace versus being under (Mosaic) law.  His point is that the law only enslaves a person while grace entitles a person.  John, the beloved, makes a similar statement in his gospel when he states that anyone who believes is empowered to become a child of God. 

What is Paul saying?  The law is given as a guide until the Father decides that it is time for His children to reach maturity.  The Mosaic laws were … and, may I also say, are … not designed to redeem but to instruct and guide.  The application of grace and mercy found in Christ does not invalidate the purpose of the law … but rather uses the law to lead us to Christ.

In his analogy, Paul comes to the conclusion that when the time was appropriate, God sent Jesus in His mercy and grace to pay the necessary price to redeem humankind. Those who believe in Christ then become children (expressed as “sons”) and thus, heirs, of God.  The principles of the law should be observed … but not relied upon for salvation.

By the way, there is another “time” that will be determined by God.  After Jesus had arisen and appeared to many, when it became time for Him to ascend into Heaven, He was asked …

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. – Acts 1:6-7

God has appointed a time when Christ will return.  Many of us look forward to that time … but our real task is not to focus on His return but rather on the mission He has given us.  We walk in faith, realizing that when the appropriate time comes, God will act … and bring all of His children to His side.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, keep me focused on the mission You have given me while I await the time You have chosen to have Christ return and establish His kingdom. In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today: Galatians 4:1-7