Why Christmas? #4

Why did Jesus come? #4

It is good to look around and see the way Christmas is celebrated in different lands. It is surprising to some of us to realize that for well more than half the world a white Christmas is ridiculous. Here on Guam, there is an event that has been going on for decades,Operation Christmas Drop.  An Air Force specialist told me that participating in this annual event is a highly desired opportunity. Kathy found out about another local Christmas tradition. Some new friends of hers told Kathy that they couldn't go anywhere on Christmas morning because the Baby Jesus might come by. They were probably referring to this practice. Around the world, Saint Nicholas has evolved into a personage very much associated with Christmas. His image has morphed into various shapes that fit the various cultures.  In the USA we are familiar with the image made famous by Clement Moore in his poem. Consider though: In the UK, Father Christmas wears a hooded blue cloak. Father Frost, in Russia and Ukraine, is accompanied by young women, snow maidens, rather than elves. The Dutch Sinterklass rides a white horse instead of a reindeer propelled sleigh. In parts of Germany, it is a female, Christkind, who brings gifts to good children.   Around the world, Christmas, and the various traditions associated with it, have taken on looks and feels that are at home in those places. I'm not saying that we are any more likely to find the truth behind Christmas in those other lands than we are in the jangling of sleigh bells in an American shopping mall, but looking at Christmas around the world does serve to remind us that Christ did not come for just one nation or people. He came to call out a people from every people group. Not only did Jesus come. He sent. The task He began is not completed. As we celebrate Christmas 2017, let's do so in keeping with Christ's mandate to make disciples where ever we are and go. Where ever you are, MERRY CHRISTMAS. It's STTA (Something To Think About).

Christmas, On the Road Thoughts

While You Are "On the Road":

More Christmases than not, Kathy and I have been on the road.  For the early part of our family life, we lived away from our parents.  Now we live away from our sons and grandchildren.  Because of other responsibilities we frequently ended up driving on Christmas Eve, sometimes all night. We'll be home this Christmas, but one of our sons is traveling.  Some other relatives are traveling here to be with us.  Friends of mine are already on the road; more soon will be.  Airports and bus stations are full.  the traffic can be intense.  I'm reminded that right before the first Christmas Jesus' family was on the road.  Countless Christmas programs--bathrobes and all--show the Holy Family making the journey.  We feel sorry for Mary.  If we guys think about it, we can feel the knot of responsibility in Joseph's stomach as he neared the City of David, wondering if they would make it on time.  What were their thoughts as the amazing words from heaven that had come to them mingled with the immediate and urgent?  There were three on that first Christmas journey, Mary, Joseph, and, as we say using the beautiful, familiar words, the Babe.  Christ's journey began well before Nazareth from whence Mary and Joseph embarked. In broad, cosmic terms John said, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  Paul adds, "[H]e gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being" (Philippians 2:7, NLT).  Isaiah had predicted, "Unto us a Son is given" (Isaiah 9:6).  God the Son, Who became the God-man Jesus Christ, existed for eternity.  He came to earth.  It was a journey. As you pile into the family car, wait for your flight or bus, or look at your watch wondering when your loved one will arrive, be reminded of the journey that began it all, and know that "[T]he Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  That would be me and you. It's STTA. Merry Christmas. Explore more about why the Son of God came to earth, here.

Jesus Was Born Into A Family

Family and Christmas:

My family is pretty spread out.  Kathy and I have six living siblings.  They live in five different states.  Our two sons live just under, and a bit over, a thousand miles from us.  Our two oldest grandkids have moved out of their parent's house.  They aren't far away from them, but it does complicate visiting.  For a third of the year Kathy and I live on the other side of the world. Everybody is busy.  When we can get together with family we really appreciate it.  We had a wonderful week-long visit with family around Thanksgiving, we've seen all our siblings except one in the last couple of months, and one of our boys and most of his family are stopping by after Christmas. : ) One of the joys of the Holiday Season is family. That is intirely appropriate, because when God the Son came to earth He not only became human; He became part of a family.  The church tradition I grew up in probably doesn't make enough of that.  Luke records these summary words about Jesus growing up in Nazareth.   “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. . . . [a]nd Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:40 & 52).   We get some idea of how Jesus appeared to His neighbors when we hear their objection to His claims to be Someone other than what He appearted to be.    "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him” (Mark 6:3). Though the church fathers argued as to whether it was appropriate to refer to Mary as the "Mother of God," there was never any doubt that Jesus was the son of Mary.  Though we know from the fulness of the Bible record that Jesus was not biologically the son of Joseph, in the social sense he was the "Carpenter's son" (Matthew 12:55). One of my students reminded me this morning about another way that family and Christmas are related.  Christ did not come to earth for selfish reasons.  Though His career as Savior of the world will result in great Glory to God, The Trinity had no lack before Bethlehem and would not have suffered loss had the Son never been given.  Philippians 2 points out that the coming of Christ was an act of humilty.  John 3:16 holds it up as the supreme act of love, and Jesus, Himself, said that He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).  Neither I, nor my family, can save the world, but we can be part of the process.  God chose family--wife and husband--as a miniture model of the relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:21-33).  One of the greatest things we can do, to impact the world for Jesus is to have a Godly family before a watching world.  Christmas is a great frame for that picture. (I didn't include my family's picture in this STTA, for a reason that is totally in line with what I'm saying.  One of my family members is sometimes involved in serving the Lord in some places that don't embrace the message of Christmas.  If someone reposts the picture and mentions his name, and someone traces it back to this ministry, it could create problems.  What I have done instead is to, with permission, include some lovely pictures of some lovely families, friends of mine who are seeking to do family God's way and for God's glory.)  It's STTA. Merry Christmas.

God's Son

Something To Think About God's Son:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave* his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16, New Living Translation) For the first several years of church history theologians wrestled with the truth they saw in scripture, about Jesus Christ.  One of His names. Emmanuel, means God with us.   When the angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary, predicting Jesus' birth, he said, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High," and, "the holy Child shall be called the Son of God"  (Luke 1).  Jesus, Himself, did such a good job of claiming Divinity that the religious leaders of His day were prepared to stone Him.  He said, "if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”  When He said, "I am He." literally, "I am."  He was equating Himself with God, using Judaism's most revered name for Diety (Exodus 3:13-15).  Here are Jesus concluding words, and His opponents reaction, from John 8,  a Theologically rich chapter.    “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:58–59, NASB95).  As these early church leaders wrestled with these, and other Scriptural statements about Jesus, and laid them down side-by-side with the clearly presented truth that Jesus was fully human, they scratched their heads in holy wonder. The bottom line is that God did not send someone to save us.  God came Himself.  It's Something to Think About.. (The theme of today's STTA was also part of yesterday's article.) Find out more about this greatest of all gifts, here.

Profoundly Mundane:

Something to Think About for December 24, 2014:

Something To Think About, Simplcity:

I often start my day, doing what I'm doing now, in the predawn on Christmas Eve.  I look for something that jogs the mind--the unexpected twist--or something cute--the kind of thing that brings an "aww," especially from the ladies--or the holy grail, something profound.  I'm not even sure how to adequately define profundity.  It has to do with great power and wisdom being packed into a few words.  The Book of Proverbs is packed with the profound.  To hijack Judge Potter Stewart's words.  "I know [profundity] when I see it."  This is what I mostly see:   Most of Life is not profound. The word mundane was invented to describe the day-to-day process that we call life. Some two Millennia ago the life into which God the Son enteredwas mundane, profoundly mundane.  Jesus' home was not one where daily existence could be taken for granted.  Later, when He taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."  He spoke not only from the perfect knowledge of Divinity--pray this way, because in the grand scheme of the universe this is what you should say--but from an understanding that came from human experience.  Joseph, and almost surely Jesus, after Joseph's death, knew the daily concern for making sure that there was food for the family.  I think Jesus had prayed that prayer on occasions when the cupboard was bare.  When He spoke of going the extra mile, rendering to Caesar his due, turning the other cheek, and being ready to forgive, profound as those concepts are, we need to remember that all of these virtues had been practiced thousands of times in the very mundane setting of a home and small business that had to deal with unreasonable people in a land controlled by foreigners. In describing the incarnation, here and here, the Bible presents no "wink,wink" version of God becoming man.  He was, and continues to be, in heaven, human.  As I think about the totality of that "emptying" (Philippians 2) of Himself, I find great encouragement to come to Him.  That is a point that is powerfully made in Hebrews 2 and 4. Jesus did not just come and visit the high-points of human existence.  At the end of most of His of His 12,000 or so days, the answer to the universal question was, "Not much." On Christmas Eve 2015, that's profound. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

I want to know more:

A couple of events, totally unrelated have been parked side by side in the parking lot of my mind.  One is the birth of Christ, the other is the tragic death of a young friend.  Why would two events, seperated by two millennia, and about as opposite as two happenings can be separated by just a white line one graypavement that passes for my brain?

Beside the fact that my friend died near Christmas, surrounding both events I can hear cries for more information.  It is said that nature abhors a vacuum.  Make a container strong enough, give it a sufficient seal, and keep little boys with screw-drivers away, and a near vacuum can be maintained in the world of nature.  It is much more difficult in the realm of ideas.  Luke 2:1-7 gives the story of Christ's birth.  In the translation I read, one-hundred-forty words.  How can such a momentous event be recorded so sparsely?  In the case of my friend's death little is known.  In Luke's case, since his primary source is the third person of Trinity, everything is known.

Why are we not told the precise location of the Messiah's birth?  

Just why was their no room?

How many shepherds came?

Were animals present?

 What song did the little drummer boy play?

Etc, etc. etc.?

One can hear the air of information, so-called, rushing in.  For hundreds of years artists, writers, preachers, Sunday School program directors, and others have filled the blanks with speculation, conjecture, culturally incorrect conclusions, and fancy.  

In the case of my friend, at least for now, I have to come to peace with the information that I have.  With the birth of my Savior I conclude that I have been given what I need to know.  The Holy Spirit's plan was not to give me a complete guide to setting up a historically accurate creche.  It is, in the words of the angel, to tell me there is "good news of great joy . . .  there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  (Luke 2:10-11)

 

That is enough!

 

With a wish for the best of Christmases,

it's Something To Think About,

from the Covington Bible Church.

  

 

This will be my first Christmas without my mom.  Mom made hundreds of  little angels, like the one on the left.  They are literally around the world.  I don't have any handwork for you, but on our website, covingtonbblechurch.com, you can find recordings of messages, including some recent messages on thanksgiving, and there is a lot of information about the One Who came to earth to be our Savior,covingtonbiblechurch.com.  Click on "Life's most important question."

In The Fullness of Time:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT Galatians 4:4 says when the time was full Christ came.  He didn't come before, because it was not yet, "the fullness of time."  To delay was impossible because the time was right for God the Son to take on human flesh.  God does not rush, and He is never late.  He acts when the time is right.   Out of all the things that we do at Covington Bible Church, the one event that comes nearest to involving everyone in our congregation--the nail drivers, recruiters, goat wranglers, cookie bakers, costume sewers, advertisers, organizers, cd labelers, scene setter-uppers, "go-fers," wire and light stringers, greeters, teachers, actors, hosts, and (breathe deep) many more--is the Live Nativity.  Most of the work to make the Live Nativity happen has already taken place.  Now we are waiting on the weather.  We are scheduled to have three nights of visitors at our event.  I can't remember the last time I have seen a "100% chance of rain" prediction.  That's the forecast I just saw fortomorrow night.   When does God send rain, and when does He bless little churches with totally gorgeous weather like we had for last year's Live Nativity?  I think those things happen at the same time as Christ came, in the fullness of time.   I'm not nearly arrogant or foolish enough to try to explain why God does things, when He does.  Reading the end of Romans 11 will kind of humble you that way  I do know that several conversations that I have had, including a couple with myself, have already revealed that working on the Live Nativity has been a great blessing.  We have been motivated to pray.  We have been able to offer a love-gift to our Lord.  I continue to pray that God will grant us the opportunity to share the message of the incarnation with our community.  There is absolutely a 100% chance that God will remain in control over the next seventy-two hours.  I confess, some of the conversations I have had with myself have been about trying to treat God like a Divine pop-machine--deposit my change in prayer, and demand the result I want.  The problem is, this Live Nativity is all about the coming of the One Who said "Pray like this: . . . Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  He followed that example when He prayed, ". . . nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."   Lord, I'll be honest with you.  I don't want it to rain.  I want us to be able to take guests through our Live Nativity event.  But, Lord, thank You for helping me to be honest with me.  You do things in the fullness of time.  I'm 100% sure that whatever the time is full for You to do will be best.  So even more than I want good weather, I want a good heart--a heart good enough to yield to You. Amen With a wish for the best of Christmases, it's Something To Think About from the Covington Bible Church.

Mud!

My older son is fond of reminding me that I married over my head. He is right. One of the qualities my lovely wife possesses is her "togetherness." When she goes out of the house--and most of the time when she is in it--she looks together. Today was an exception.


Her shoes were coated with mud and her pants splattered with the same. Her hair, usually well coifed, was suffering from the effects of humidity. It has nothing to do with her giving it all up, rather the explanation is that she was involved in something messy, but important.

Friday evening, 12/9, 6:00, we present the first night of our Live Nativity. Kathy is in charge of a significant portion of the set up. We just came through a three day soaking, so mud abounds. There was an important task to be done, and in order to do it she had to get muddy. We are remembering, celebrating, and encouraging our community to consider the meaning of the coming of Christ to earth. The Apostle Paul says about that unique birth that "Christ Jesus, who . . . existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped [selfishly clung to], but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8) The book of Hebrews says that He became, other than sin, completely like us (Hebrews 2:14, & 4:14-16).

He got down in the mud with us, that He might lift us out.

It's STTA.