Do I Bring Gifts?

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 in the east and have come to worship him."

And the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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 and of incense and of myrrh. Matthew 1-2, 9b-11

The Magi brought their worship to the new King; they brought gifts worthy of a King.

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

Expensive gifts that showed their adoration.

Why did they bring these treasures with them? It was probably tradition, but God had another purpose.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. Matthew 13-14

Joseph and Mary were far from home. To escape Herod’s wrath, they fled to Egypt.

Being poor and alone in Bethlehem, how could they afford the trip, let alone support themselves in Egypt?

Isn’t God’s sovereignty amazing?

He used Magi from the Orient to provide for Joseph and Mary.

They brought gifts out of their wealth to offer to Jesus.

As I think about this story, I ask myself:

Do I marvel at God’s provision?

Do I obey God when He asks me to give out of “my” treasures?

For many of us, God has provided more than enough to meet our needs.

I confess I’m guilty of stashing His provisions away for a rainy day.

Yes, He commands us to be wise with what He gives us.

But He also commands us to offer help to those around us.

We hesitate to offer His gifts of grace and mercy to those who need it.

We often doubt God’s provision in the future and grasp our earthly possessions now.

What a picture of sacrifice the Magi paint for us. They sacrificed their time and wealth to travel far from home.

They gave out of their excess in adoration to the newborn King.

When have you given to others out of gratitude to God?
How did He bless you?

Why a Star? Why men from so far away?

My little glass ornament shines brightly in the tree lights.

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 in the east and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:1-2

Wise men from the east, guided by a star.

As I thought about the wise men, I found myself marveling at the star.

Was it a comet that streaked across the sky? Was it a rare alignment of planets that caught the astronomer’s attention? Was it placed in the sky by God at that moment in time? You know what—I don’t care! Any explanation confirms the power and sovereignty of God. Perhaps that’s what scares today’s scientists!

The wise men from the Orient saw the star and followed it.

My question is, were they the only ones who could see it? Obviously no one in Jerusalem, the site of the temple, saw it or Herod would've known about it. The chief priests didn’t see it; the teachers of the law didn’t see it. They had head-knowledge of the Messiah’s birth, but not the eyes to see the miracle right in front of them.

Why would God pick men from far in the east, probably Babylon, to give an exclusive announcement of the birth of His Son? It’s even more astounding that tradition has it that they weren’t even Jews.

So, God brought pagan men from hundreds of miles away to worship the King of Kings rather than bring the Jewish priests who were just a few miles away.

Wise men from the Orient knelt and worshiped Jesus; God’s own people rejected Him.

Down through the centuries, God hasn’t changed.

He still uses Light to draw men to Himself. Jesus is the light of the world – John 8:12

Jesus is the Light that draws people out of the darkness of false religions into His salvation. John 8:12

And people? We haven’t changed either.

The Jews still haven’t recognized Jesus as the Messiah.

People from “Christian” nations are turning away from Him.

Who is being drawn to the Light? Muslims in the Middle East, Hindus and Buddhists in the far east, the oppressed in countries here the government forbids Christianity, idol-worshipers in Africa and South America.

God is still using a Star to guide men who are hunting for the King of Kings and to bring them to faith in Him.


Are you following the Light?

Reach out to Him and allow Him to lead you from darkness into the light of His grace.

How cold it must have been...

A beautiful nativity set given to me by my sister.

I planned on musing about the 3 kings in today's post, but then I came across this poem. It stirred my heart and I hope it does yours as well.


How cold it must have been that night,
I can see the stars, if I close my eyes.
Listen!  I hear the soft night air, rustling the leaves.
Or is it the rustle of angel's wings?
Suddenly, the skies fill with exultant song.
And so He came to the shepherds.

An obscure carpenter begs shelter for his wife,
heavy with child, and is led to a stable.

When the tinsel and the tree are gone, look for Him then.
He is not confined to a day, a season, or a place in time.
He comes to each of us in His own way.
He meets us in the oddest places.
In despair, perhaps? He met me there.
And for me, for the first time, Christmas.
                                     Tommie Lenox


For the first time, Christmas.
For some of us, Christmas is the first time after a loss.
The first time after a new child.
The first time after a new love.

For me, it's the first time of a new awareness of God's great grace and love - so great He was willing to give His only Son.

How is this your first Christmas?

Christmas Question #2: Why Shepherds?

 

These little egg-shaped figures roll over easily but the detail is amazing.

 

If you’d been the angel God handpicked to announce Jesus’ birth, where would you have gone? Certainly, you would’ve been warned about King Herod, but, after him, the sky’s the limit, so to speak.

Of course, there was a synagogue in Bethlehem so you could’ve barged in there, quoted Isaiah’s prophesy, and then yelled, “What do you know, Isaiah was right! Come and see!”

 Surely, there were some of David’s proud descendants in the better part of town. You could’ve appeared in their bedrooms in the middle of the night and proclaimed, “The promised King is here, just down the street in a stable.” 

After they hauled you away in the first-century version of a strait jacket, your work for the night would be done.

Actually, any of those would’ve made more sense than the truth:

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…Luke 2:8

Shepherds?!?

To understand how ridiculous this is, consider the status of shepherds in Judah.

They were unclean in the full sense of the word. They couldn’t participate in any of the purification rituals.

They routinely handled dirty sheep and even buried dead ones, when necessary.

They wouldn’t be allowed on the temple grounds, not even in the outer courtyard with gentiles and women.

They were filthy and smelly. To be even grosser, they probably had sheep poop on their sandals.

And yet, this is where God sent the angels to herald the birth of the King of Kings, His only Son.

Glorious angels, surrounded in glorious light, sang about joy and peace. They told the shepherds to hurry to Bethlehem and see.

But the angel said to them, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12

The rabbis in the synagogue would've had thrown the angels out and the descendants of David would've had them committed. But the unclean shepherds heard the angels, believed them, and hurried to see the miracle.

With this act, God proclaimed his mission: To save the unclean, the sinners—US!

He didn’t come for the self-righteous; they wouldn’t be caught dead worshiping a baby in a manger.

He didn’t come to the proud; after all, what would their neighbors think if they were seen hanging around a stable?

Jesus came for the shepherds of the world; those who need a Savior.


How do you rejoice in the coming of your Savior?
Have you realized that you need a Savior?

Bethlehem or Nazareth?

Most of my nativity sets are very inexpensive - except this one. This is my Hummel set. It took several years of buying pieces when I could afford them to get the complete set, over 20 pieces. I will say, Hummel had quite an imagination when it came to those who visited the newborn King. Several musicians came, and even the town baker sent his daughter with a basket of warm bread. Whimsical, I know, but it's beautiful just the same.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to

Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

to a virgin pledged to be married to a man

named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's

name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27

Prophesy said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the house of David, Israel’s greatest King.

Yes, Jesus was born in Bethlehem but he was raised in Nazareth, the home of his mother, Mary, and his earthly father, Joseph.

This is it, my first Christmas Why?

Surely there was a righteous young woman and a devoted man who lived in Bethlehem and would’ve been great parents for the Son of God.

Wouldn’t that have been so much more convenient? To have the parents living in Bethlehem already?

When the call for a census went out, the family would already be there. No travelling a long way on a donkey when the mother was nine months pregnant.

Room at the inn wouldn’t be an issue - Jesus would be born at home, attended by the 1st century version of a midwife. The family would huddle around and wait anxiously for the Baby’s first cry.

Much simpler for everyone involved.

Apparently not, not in God's plan!

Why Nazareth and not Bethlehem?

Bethlehem was respected and honored as David’s hometown; the King born and raised in the king’s home city. That sounds perfect to me! God’s Son would be respected and perhaps given more credibility.

Nazareth was looked down upon as a wild town. People who lived there were rebellious and didn’t think much of the Jewish law. They were uneducated, unpolished, and of questionable morality. Devout Jews, like Mary and Joseph’s families, were not very common.

Not an auspicious beginning for the Messiah.

Bethlehem was important, Nazareth was inconsequential.

God didn’t do what we might think is best. Remember, every detail was perfect in God’s plan for the birth and life of His Son.

Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah:

He [Messiah] grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

A root out of dry ground.
He had no majesty.
Despised and rejected.
No one respected him.

Sounds like Nazareth!

Jesus Christ would live among men. God didn’t want his Son beginning his ministry with the honor and respect Bethlehem would afford him. He was to live the life of a common man, revealing God by complete obedience to his Father with every word and every deed.

We all live in “Nazareth,” a world that's wild, rebellious, and shows no respect for God’s laws. Because Jesus grew up in that world, he can stand before the Father, a High Priest that understands our struggles.

Praise God Jesus was born in Nazareth!


What comfort does it give you, knowing that Jesus lived in a place much like your world?

Got Any Questions?

 I have a small nativity set collection - 40 at last count. Over next few blogs, I'll post pictures of some of my favs. In this one, given to me by my closest friend, each figure is cut out of a different type of wood.

God's Son, born in a stable, heralded by angels, visited by kings.

We all know the story.

...there was no room for them at the inn... Luke 2:7

...And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby... Luke 2:8

...We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him... Matthew 2:2

And one more.
...When the time had fully come… Galatians 4:4

God chose the exact time to send His Son. Every circumstance of Jesus’ birth was perfect. Every minute detail was planned.

Being a curious person, I began to ask -

Why did God choose Jesus' parents from Nazareth and not from Bethlehem?

Couldn't the Lord of the Universe provide a room at the inn?

Why shepherds? Were they the only ones who noticed the angels?

Why a star? Why 3 Kings?

Over the next few posts I'm going to poke around for answers to my questions.

Read these beloved passages - anything strike you as interesting? Maybe you can answer some of my questions. ;>)

Inquiring minds want to know...


     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. 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 room for them in the inn.
     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. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
     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." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:4-20


     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 in the east and have come to worship him."
     When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "
     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 make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
     After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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 and of incense and of myrrh.
     And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:1-12

Never tire of the miracle!

Bit of Living Color

Leaves have been blowing all over the yards for weeks now. All the trees in the neighborhood are just about bare – a few dead leaves wait for a puff of wind to set them sailing.

Then I saw these, hanging from a bare branch on my neighbor’s tree. Still vibrant, still very much alive.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

As a believer, I want to be like those leaves. I want to be vibrant and alive in a world where so many are lifeless.

The faces swarming around me are blank. Not too many smiles, lots of stress.

I can be colorful. I choose to shine with joy, peace, and hope.

Most people hurry from day to day, struggling to live up to the world’s expectations.

I can be vibrant. I choose to draw on God’s energy and excitement and to focus on God’s purpose for each day. Life might still be a struggle, but I know God’s in it.

Many folks fall into bed, exhausted from today and tired out by tomorrow’s to-do-list.

I can dance in the wind.  I choose to spend a few minutes thanking God for the blessings of the day.

Too many lives are spent striving for success, searching for happiness, seeking self-worth.

I can be different. I choose to rest in God’s plan, rejoice in His love, find my worth as His child.

I choose…I choose…I choose…I choose.

I don’t always make these choices – but I can.

After all,

I am a branch on the Living Vine.

I’m filled with the Spirit, a spring of Living Water.

I am a light on a hill!


How have you been blessed by someone who chose to be a light?

Who in your life can you bless by being a vibrant light?

Does Your Face Shine?

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn Ps 37:6

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Her face lit up!”

with excitement.

with the sight of a loved one

with good news

But we don’t think about our faces shining with righteousness.

When we walk through difficult days, those around us see our faces shining with a peace beyond understanding - even though we are unaware.

When we struggle with tight finances, others notice the faint glow of trust in God's provision - even though we feel as if our faith is stretched too tightly.

In the midst of sorrow, many see an underlying joy - a joy we don't feel.

When I worked at Johnson Space Center, my coworkers were of various faiths. When my Mom died and I returned from several days off, many of them approached me to ask about the peace they saw, even through my sorrow. I told them the support of my Christian friends and my faith in the resurrection gave me the assurance that I'd see her again.

Peace, trust, joy. Those around us marvel at the faith they see in us. The shine on our faces causes them to want what we have.

God uses our radiant faces to draw an unbelieving world to Him.


When have you felt God's peace or joy radiating through you?