The Christmas Story - What’s In A Name

 What is the Bible all about? Jesus and the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus is very important part of the Bible and most people think that Luke chapter 2 gives us the best picture of Jesus’ birthday.  But the Christmas Story is all over the Bible and we are going to try and bring a few other parts into the story this year and also look at another important part of the story - names.

 I want to start in Luke 1:26-32

A few months before Jesus was born God sent the angel Gabriel to talk to Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will have a son, and you shall call his name Jesus (which means God saves). He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High (God). 

I started here so we could see where Jesus got his name.  Now in those days names were very important and you could have other names that could tell people about you - kind of like nicknames. Here we see Jesus is also called Son of the Most High. So let’s see how many names we can see in the rest of the story.

Luke 2:1-14

The Birth of Jesus Christ

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary…who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Did you know that over 600 years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah talked about the birth of Jesus and told us just how special this child would be…

Isaiah said…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

See all the names that tell us Jesus is so special. Wonderful Counselor which tells us Jesus is our special help, our guide for life, Mighty God which means Jesus is powerful enough to overcome any problems we might have, Everlasting Father reminding us that Jesus will love us forever, and Prince of Peace which tells us that Jesus can calm any troubles. And there is more so let’s keep going.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 

More names, Savior (which means one who rescues) and, Christ the Lord ( which means King of Kings) and guess what there is more. Also did you notice that the angel said this special baby in a manger was a sign? Now Matthew a disciple of Jesus explains why we needed this sign.  Matthew tells us that all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, Mary shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 

Wow another name and there are even more. But in this Christmas story what does this mean for us? It means for a very long time people were waiting and waiting and waiting for a sign, waiting for the greatest gift, waiting for the best news ever, waiting for a baby to be born in a barn, wrapped in rags, a baby named Jesus who is great, who is the Son of God, who would be our wonderful helper in all things, who would be mighty and more powerful than any problems, who would be the one that will bring us peace and comfort. The one that will be with us and love us forever and ever…but there is a little more to the story that shows us how to react to this good news.

So let’s finish…And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”

Merry Christmas!

Thoughts On A Tuesday Before A Major Storm

Psalm 63:1-2, 6-8

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory…when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

My Take: Father God, my soul searches, my heart longs for you in this wet and hurricane infested land. Through the forecast updates and storms of the night that are in my mind it is clear you are our only hope. And because of that hope, that eternal and gospel hope, because you are our God, I will dwell in your presence, I will find joy in knowing it is you that upholds us!

Abba Father, we love you - Amen and Amen

Psalm 107:28-32

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

My Take: Father God, we cry out in the trouble of this storm and come what may we thank you for your indescribable love, for your wondrous works, the many blessings, the grace we have in Christ!

Daniel 3:17-18 

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

My Take: Father God, we absolutely know you are able to calm this storm, we don’t know if you will , but we know you can.  And if you don’t our faith, our love, our adoration for you will not be shaken.

Job 1:21b

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

My Take: Father God, it is so easy to praise you in the good times but so important to praise you in the storms of life.

Looking For Love (In all the wrong places)

  

Thessalonians 2:19-20

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.

This reminds me of the old song from the movie Urban Cowboy; ‘Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places.’ John Stott says that “In verses 19 and 20…Paul asks rhetorical…questions which expresses his great love…What Paul seems to mean is that his joy in this world and his glory in the next are tied up with the Thessalonians whom Christ…has so obviously transformed.”

I think Paul is reminding us that we often look for joy in the temporal circumstances of this broken world. We boast and find joy in the fish we catch, our conquests, masteries, our abilities. And while we may find some happiness in these things, these things shall surely fade away. Perhaps Our boast before the Lord should be, we are his! Perhaps we should find and give our love because Jesus first loved us! Perhaps we should live happy, joyful lives filled with love because of our transformation in Christ…

Grace and Peace!

Come and See

 

Psalm 66:5, 8-9, 20

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man…Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip…Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.

Derek Kidner says this Psalm shows us the “God of all-of many-of one.” It is an amazing and hopeful reminder. This remarkable Psalm shows us that we have a God that provides, for all even the broken like me, that we have a God that protects our weary and troubled souls, that no matter our circumstances God will not reject our prayers, that through it all God loves us always and anyway.

James Boice said of this Psalm; “For whatever our triumphs may be, they are always by the grace of God and we must say, “To God alone be glory.”

Amen and my response to this Psalm is a joyful praise to the God that helps me, that hears me, that loves me still…

Grace and Peace!