Christmas Day Message & Prayer

Did you get any good gifts?

I wonder why such gifts were given to you, and what they might indicate. Maybe, that you mean something to that person, and that this is a symbol of their affection. Is this the criteria for giving? Having a special regard for someone?

Jesus got some good gifts!

Refer verse 11 – part of the glorious verses 10-12 of Matthew chapter 2.

At least three ways to look at these gifts:

They were … spontaneous, generous and prophetic.

Later, I’m going to suggest that our response to meeting Jesus can also be spontaneous (or, natural), generous and prophetic.

Firstly, spontaneous – no mention of these gifts earlier than verse 11.

As a result of their successful search (through the provision of a bright guiding star), the ‘wise men’ were “overwhelmed with joy”. At the sight of the Christ child, they fell to their knees in worship. They honoured the baby for who he was destined to become. Then, these ‘wise men’ then threw open their “treasure chests”!!

“What shall we give”, they thought … and here’s the generous bit … “the best of what we have”! These were very valuable gifts. Who gives gold away, as well as these other valuable commodities? But then, the ‘wise men’ had the privilege of meeting the Christ child!

Thirdly, these gifts were prophetic because of what each gift symbolised. They each said something about the sort of life that would be lived by this child Jesus. Did these ‘wise men’ understand fully the depth of meaning in their gifts … perhaps, perhaps not? We certainly do now! Gold … is a gift for royalty; frankincense … speaks of the priestly role of offering a sacrifice for sin; myrrh … used in the preparation for a burial. Put together – here will be a special kind of king who provides forgiveness for sin at the cost of his own life! This life of Jesus will be a life of kingly leadership, spiritual service, and ultimate sacrifice.

Now, if we read this text with an Eastern mind, we would know that this story is not yet complete (with the giving of the ‘wise men’). There would have to be giving in return; these gifts would need to be reciprocated! The reader’s breath would be held waiting to discover what gifts the ‘wise men’ would receive in return. How would their giving be reciprocated?

These 3 great gifts were not brought for the purpose of receiving back (because they were spontaneous and worshipful), but there would have been some anticipation as to what was going to happen next.

The whole Gospel that follows unfolds the answer! The reciprocal gift was Jesus himself.

So the giving didn’t actually start with the ‘wise men’, for it had already begun with God. [The gifts of the ‘wise men’ were actually the gifts in return.]

So these 3 gifts can actually mirror the sorts of gifts we can bring today. Such giving occurs in response to God’s gift of Jesus to us. We cannot give anything to influence God to love us more (for God’s love cannot be any greater than it already is). It is simply in response to God’s gift of Jesus … that we can likewise throw open our “treasure chests”.

Pictured here is a mutuality of giving and receiving, which begins with God’s love and his coming into the world in human form as a vulnerable baby, and then is responded to by the “treasure chests” of his followers being thrown open.

What then do we have in our “treasure chests”? We would look into our “treasure chest” for the most valuable things. This means the heart of who we are, and the deep resources placed within us. It is our very life that we give back to God! Having done this, all that we have and enjoy are ready to be shared (in the cause of God’s Kingdom).

This can grow to become a very spontaneous and natural response to what Jesus has and is doing for us. The ‘wise men’ were “overwhelmed with joy”, fell to their knees and worshipped. What we have we will share, not reluctantly, but with generous hearts – which points to something bigger and better in life. Wholeheartedness and generosity always looms large! This is the ‘prophetic’ bit … it stands out – and it points to something!

The lives of the ‘wise men’ were changed for ever. Previously they may have just gone with the flow and returned to Herod with the information he wanted. However, now there was something new in their lives, and thus they were able to correctly interpret their dream, and understand that returning to Herod would be a very bad idea. What did they do instead? They took “another road”; and thus avoided any further encounter with that tyrant Herod.

The ‘wise men’ had followed their star, gave their allegiance to their new king, opened their “treasure chests”, and thus experienced transforming grace.

Christmas Day Prayer

Loving God, we praise you for all you have shown us in Jesus.                         

Now we know for sure that you are not far away.                                                 

We thank you that, though we cannot see you, you have promised that, no matter who or what we are, no matter what we have done or failed to do, you will be very near to each and every one of us.

Living God, we praise you for the joy of Jesus’ presence in our lives.                

We praise you that he came into this world just as we did – as a helpless baby. 

We thank you that his coming has left us in no doubt about your love and mercy.        

We praise you that Jesus has opened the way to real life now and for all eternity.

Most wonderful God, we praise you for the story of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the angels, the star, the wise men, and their three gifts.          

We praise you for the carols we sing, and the joy we share in celebrating the arrival of Jesus.                                                                                                             

We are all the more thankful that it is not just a story, but a message of the birth of the Saviour of the world. Amen.

Good News!

The message was out – the Saviour of the World, the Messiah, the Lord, Emmanuel, King of the Jews … had been born.

The angel of the Lord had said to the shepherds, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”.

For the world of any generation this would be very good news – we had received the answer to all of our prayers.

God was up and about!

How do we respond to good news?

With celebration, by talking about it, by being thankful! Just like grand-parents when there is a new birth!!

What responses do we see in the bible accounts?

The Shepherds went and checked out for themselves what they had heard about; they could have decided not to bother, but they said to each other “Let us now go to Bethlehem”. They talked widely about what they had heard and seen. They went back to their job and daily lives glorifying and praising God – their lives changed forever. 

The Magi followed the star all the way to the Christ child – something had stirred in their souls; they certainly didn’t want to look back at their lives having missed this opportunity. They joyously worshipped Jesus, acknowledging him to be one of high rank (a “king”) worthy of their honour. They spontaneously gave the best (most valuable) gifts that they could to Jesus. Such gifts also seemed to suggest an understanding of the servant and suffering nature of Jesus’ mission. The Magi gave Jesus primacy (first place) … avoiding any return to Herod (to give him information).

THESE WERE RESPONSES OF KEEN INTEREST, UNDERSTANDING, JOY, HOPE, WORSHIP & COMMITMENT.

THE CHRISTMAS GOOD NEWS SEEMS TO BEG A RESPONSE: there is certainly encouragement to respond in a deeper way than ever before, and possibly to move beyond ourselves to a greater cause.

What is our response?

"Courage in the face of fear" (Matthew 1:18-25)

What do we fear? What things hit us for a six? What things become major disruptions?

What can we do about this?

When Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit (v.18).

For us now this is a marvellous statement. We might at times wonder about the nature of this birth, but in the cool light of day we realise that this was Creator God’s way of coming into the world in a personal way. This was the ultimate way for God to bring salvation to a lost people. Where rebellion from God’s ways had continued from generation to generation, this would be the way through which there could be real change. There would be a personal Saviour who would bring a permanent knowledge of God’s presence. The Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, taking up residence in the world, would ultimately save God’s people from their sins (v.21). This Jesus would also be known as Emmanuel, because in Jesus, God is with us. So, we are happy to read that Mary was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit (v.18).

However, without the background knowledge we have, this came as a shock to people of the time, and especially to Joseph. Put yourself in his shoes! Joseph was in a huge predicament! His world had been turned upside down. Mary, the woman he was going to marry was pregnant, and he Joseph was not the father! Joseph previously was no doubt envisaging a fairly normal marriage and family life with Mary. Mary was ‘betrothed’ to Joseph … a marriage-in-waiting, just the formalities to go through. He loved Mary so much – but now she was pregnant … and Joseph knew that he had had nothing to do with this baby’s conception. The sense of betrayal, the pain, the confusion!

What would Joseph do? This is a question we often face in the midst of fearful circumstances. What would Joseph do? The easy thing or the right thing? Joseph could publicly reject Mary and leave her to endure public disgrace or worse. That would have been perhaps what Joseph’s mates were advising him to do. Cut and run! Is this what Joseph would do? The easy thing … recommended by ‘common wisdom’? What a dilemma! If Joseph publically denounced Mary, then it would be assumed that she had committed adultery – bringing Mary untold suffering. But Joseph loved Mary! Yet, how could she have done this to him. Still, he loved Mary … but to take on the responsibility for this child as if it was his – this would open him up to a lifelong stigma … that he himself had acted in an immoral manner.

Joseph resolved to do the best he could for Mary in the circumstances (refer verse 19). This showed great character, and shows us why God had placed Joseph in this situation in the first place – he could handle it! Those of us who have shown that we can handle challenges like this, are likely to be the ones used by God in situations of great import. Are we able to respond appropriately when we are faced with persecution or opposition, or do we just strike back? Joseph would not seek revenge or even vindication … Joseph would just “dismiss Mary quietly”, seeking to spare her the worst of the public humiliation and shame. This is how Matthew’s Gospel can describe Joseph as a “righteous man” (v.19) – a man after God’s own heart … one who would do the right and generous thing. Despite the hurt and disappointment he felt, he wasn’t going to take Mary down for no good reason.

The fact that Joseph had good character, to the extent of being described as a “righteous man”, also meant that he was the type of person who was ready to listen to God! Joseph was prepared to listen to God … even when what he was going to hear would be almost impossible to deal with … almost impossible to even believe: Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit (v.20). And this is not a birth that would allow Joseph and Mary to fade into the background – this child would be God’s Salvation. Joseph was able to hear and process that this special child Jesus would save humankind from their sins (v.21). God speaks to those who are ready to hear and respond! Joseph was ready to respond to what must have seemed amazing, but what was truly and undoubtedly from God.

This still could not have been easy for Joseph, and would’ve taken a lot of courage. What Joseph undoubtedly feared the most, was exactly what God was going to ask him to do. In going ahead with his marriage to Mary, Joseph was as good as admitting to the general public (even though it wasn’t true) that he was the father of this child. As mentioned earlier, this would mean for Joseph – a lifelong stigma. Would his reputation ever recover? And then those that thought that Joseph could not really have been the father, would have called Joseph a complete idiot for taking the sort of extraordinary action he did. Yet Joseph rose above all of this, seeing it all as secondary, to the primary role of fulfilling God’s will.

Joseph rose above all his fears and doubts in the service of Jesus. Joseph would endure the criticism of the crowd, in the joy of knowing he was doing the right thing. Joseph’s courage began when he heard God say, Joseph, do not be afraid (v.20). It was as Joseph got on top of his fear, that God’s plans went forward. What a remarkable response … “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he [simply and faithfully] did as the angel of the Lord commanded him …” (v.24)! Given his character and availability, Joseph had been chosen for this role, and he didn’t let God down.

Courage can be shown in the face of fear, e.g. police and emergency service personnel in Sydney this week, and the hostages themselves; and in the “I’ll ride with you” response … people finding courage to support others to maintain their courage.

The fear that Joseph could have suffered from, was the fear of what others might think. Such a fear could have made Joseph withdraw from his calling and retreat from being involved. Such a fear could have made Joseph neglect Mary’s needs. Such a fear as worrying about what others think, could have completely diverted Joseph from being the person God had made him to be. “Fear” is when the anxieties and feelings of alarm within us stop us doing what we know we should be doing. Fear stops us taking adventurous risks; thus fear tends to disrupt the discovery of all God has for us in life. For example, if Joseph had let his fear control him, being too worried about what others would think, then Mary, at the very least, would have been left destitute and vulnerable. And, if Joseph was at risk of caving in to the potential sneers of his community, this would have lost Joseph his very important role in history.

When Joseph heard the “angel of the Lord” say to him, “do not be afraid”, he found the faith within him to comply completely with God’s will. Joseph went on to adopt and affirm his role as human father to Jesus by giving him his name … “he named him Jesus” (v.25). There was probably unbelieving whispers around Joseph for the rest of his life, but Joseph knew that he had done the right thing … the God thing! Often missed in this text is how courageously and heroically Joseph acted (given the circumstances of his day).

So, where did all this courage and faith come from? God spoke … and Joseph listened! Basic trust!! God is speaking to us today, especially when we suffer fear. God speaks to us through his Word. God speaks to us when we pray. God speaks to us daily of his reality in his creation, and in his acts of re-creation. God speaks to us through other people, in particular events, and various circumstances. Sometimes we become fearful – however are we listening to the words “do not be afraid”, just like Joseph was? This might relate to who we are prepared to say Jesus is this Christmas. My Saviour! God with me! Emmanuel!

"Turning on the Lights" (Isaiah 9:1-7)

The first sentence of this passage is really like a heading. The lights are being turned on!!

What was the prophet Isaiah thinking? What did the prophet see? What was the prophet expecting? There will be hope, because God will respond to the people’s need! Isaiah is looking for (and indeed expecting) a turnaround! Where there is currently gloom for many, things will become brighter.

People want light in their lives, as can be seen by the publicity for the lighting up of Ireland Street and the new LED Christmas tree this Thursday night.

As we light advent candles, and put up street lights, and even in some cases adorn our homes with special coloured lights, we are saying that things at Christmas are being made brighter.

Had not the compassionate God responded when the people of Israel were under bondage in Egypt? Yes, they were liberated into freedom in a “spacious and fertile land”. But human beings being human beings … would this be enough!?! No, people still found their way back into trouble. So God repeatedly acted out of compassion and faithfulness to his promises; and this, despite his love often being thrown right back in his face. Why? The psalmist King David explained why: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (24:1). We have so much to appreciate about God!

The year is around 734 BC. What will God do this time, in the time of Isaiah, some seven centuries before Jesus, with his people under the power of Assyria? The northern and southern kingdoms of Israel were divided, being ruled by separate kings. The north was being threatened by the military might of Assyria. According to the prophet, this was because, even though they were prosperous, they had taken their eyes off God, leading to all sorts of superstitious practices, social corruptions and economic injustices – such disintegration leaving them as ‘sitting ducks’. In a similar situation, the south was unsure whether to align themselves again with the north, or throw themselves in with Assyria (come what may). There certainly was confused thinking here! These peoples faced complete ruin – loss of life and land, exile, and loss of spiritual connections.

Under such conditions, Isaiah believed that God, who could only take so much of this, would raise up a new king, one who would unite the people under God’s reign. This is the necessary outcome – this is what is required. Isaiah is so confident of this, so assured that God will act, that he writes these words in the past tense as if it has already happened; and then says, “The zeal [i.e. passionate commitment] of the Lord of hosts will do this” (v.7). God will not allow people to endlessly dwell in despair and “darkness” without providing some source of “light”. Perhaps this would be Hezekiah, the son of the current king in the south, or perhaps another future king that would come in the line of David.

Isaiah, one of the greatest and most recorded prophets, was able to interpret God’s ways, and think God’s thoughts, and speak God’s message. Isaiah also well understood the problems of the society he lived in, and the root causes of this situation. When people eliminate God and defer to their own agendas, then we see all sorts of quests for personal power.

Isaiah was actually looking toward more permanent change (so that the people would not simply float from one disaster to the next as they had been).

The brightness that comes at Christmas is not meant to fade away by ‘Boxing Day’, or by the 2^nd of January, but rather last forever. What sort of happening will make a real difference? What will God ultimately do, when generation after generation of God’s people continue to rebel despite so much evidence of his love? Isaiah in effect asks, ‘If God was to act in the best way imaginable – what would this look like’? This prophet had faith that God would act again, and act in a remarkable way. Isaiah understood who God was … God would try again (just like the father in the prodigal son story) to reconnect and rebuild relationship with his beloved children.

Isaiah was correct in his understanding of God, yet these words would NOT be ultimately fulfilled for another seven centuries. Good and bad kings came and went, but no-one who lived up to the described and desired one here. Actually, no purely human leader was going to be able to pull this off. So, when would the damage of a “former time” be truly repaired? Not until … Jesus! Isaiah’s vision projects further forward to that ultimate of Godly responses to human need. And Jesus would physically walk “the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (v.1) – and bring the good news of God’s love and mercy to not only Jews, but to Gentiles as well. Isaiah’s words transcend the realities of his own time into another time; and then into all time!

Isaiah speaks into his nation’s current dilemma, longing for a national king who would act like he describes. Yet, the king that God sends to complete the task is not a political king who reigns over a particular nation, but necessarily a Servant King who leads a spiritual kingdom. This will be the path to a complete turnaround in human affairs. We should note that Jesus did not express his ‘kingship from on high, but rather as a ‘suffering servant’ dwelling in the midst of the people … in the press of the crowds, in a fishing boat, in a leper colony, amongst the blind, lame and demon-possessed, having his feet washed by a prostitute, dining in a tax collector’s house with the rejected, hanging from a cross.

Can we present a view of Christmas that will really brighten people’s lives? Those walking in darkness seeing a great light! People living under anxiety finding joy! People living under severe economic difficulties receiving help! The selfishness of the past gives way to a more equal and generous distribution of resources. The weight of the burdens and baggage pulling people down is relieved! The conflicts that depreciate our lives come to an end! Violence becomes a thing of the past. These are the signs of a new reality. Life can be celebrated again. This is Isaiah’s vision of Christmas. We can, if we want to, join in with this radical vision of Christmas.

The people of Israel had problems! The Egyptians, now the Assyrians, then later the Babylonians. But what was their real problem? Largely, their lack of integrity in the face of any challenge!

People at the time of Jesus had a problem. The Romans! But their problem too went deeper than what the Romans could dish out. They had deep unmet spiritual need!

People in today’s world have a problem or two. There is violence and conflict. Any violence and conflict has it origin deeply within the human heart. There is resultant poverty and injustice. There is also unhappiness and addiction. This is where we need to be touched. Where the bitterness and regret dwells! Where selfishness has taken root! Where there is darkness!

Isaiah had a vision of the sort of king we needed. And this turn-around of which the opening sentence speaks, is more than a recovery – it’s more like a new start. This new start brings with it God’s presence, God’s power, God’s love and God’s peace.

This king, known from his childhood, to be the Saviour of his people, is described in four ways. To say “he is named”, is to describe who he is, or to sum up his character. We then reflect on how these attributes are a gift to us. We can focus on what these words/names/character traits can mean for us.

A “Wonderful Counsellor” – literally “a wonder of a counsellor” – rather than living in the dark, we will be given insight, clarity, perspective, understanding, wisdom. So where we might have acted in one way (and not the best way), we would now act in a different way! If we act out of a compassionate and generous heart, this would bring a very different result than acting out of a selfish heart. With the “wonder of a counsellor” by our side, we can prayerfully grow into better decision-makers. Any counsellor worth his or her salt sits patiently with another and listens carefully, providing gentle feedback and sensitive support to help them move forward. The “Wonder of all Counsellors” can go further and share the burdens and calm any fears. This should be very good news for any human spirits caught in dark, confused, angry places, such that they can hardly function.

Jesus is not only human born of a woman but also “Mighty God”. This is the crux of the Gospel. God himself entered personhood to save us. In the end, God would have to deal with the human sin problem (that leads to all other problems) in a very personal way. Being “Mighty God” means that, there is all the power necessary for our re-creation. Jesus will perform a mighty act of sacrifice (on behalf of all people); one that God will honour with a subsequent resurrection. In our lives, and in the lives of others, prayers can be answered, and mountains can be moved, and outcomes can radically change.

The next name also connects the Son with the Father – “Everlasting Father”. This speaks of an ongoing loving personal relationship with our creator … here is all the grace, care, provision, encouragement, discipline and nurturing that we could ever need. Any honourable loving father would do anything that their child required to grow well; and always be there when needed. So where we might have felt alone, we now have company. [Those with dented or deficient father images should remember that God is NOT like the negative examples you may have experienced.] When speaking of relationship, we can look at the way Jesus befriended people, all sorts of people, and how he loved them; and also how he grouped his key disciples and travelled closely with them for three years.

And then, in this world of conflict, big scale, and smaller scale relational conflict, Jesus is named “Prince of Peace”. This means an “administrator of peace” – one who makes peace a reality. This should make all the difference, as a lack of peace is what results in people living in perpetual turmoil. Through having our guilt and shame dealt with we start to feel at peace with ourselves and experience peace with God. As this happens, we can be more at peace with others. We are less judgmental, more tolerant, more compassionate; for we are more content in our own skin. Our lives are thus de-complicated and de-stressed. The “Prince of Peace” gives us his peace, and then calls us to be peace-makers. We might still shudder at what we witness in the world and around us, but the solution begins with us, as we embrace the “Prince of Peace”. The “Prince of Peace” breaks any cycle of bitterness and works toward forgiveness and reconciliation. The Gospel of Jesus is about quelling conflict, reconciling people to each other, and bringing a new harmony into various situations.

Verse 7 speaks of “endless peace”, which seems a long way off from where we are at. Especially so, as we see this “endless peace” being established with justice and right living! Isaiah, for his time, saw this “endless peace” in more national and political terms. But when we factor Jesus into this text, we think of an “endless peace” based on an experience of forgiveness and salvation. This “endless peace” happens as the Son’s “authority” grows. So we might say that, as there is a greater experience of salvation amongst the world’s peoples this will lead to the sort of peace envisaged here. This also speaks I think of that eternal peace that we have to look forward to.

And so today, all of Isaiah’s vision is yet to be realised. The full potential of what God has done in Jesus is still to be maximised. It can only be further realised as we allow Jesus, the ultimate King described here, to have full sway in our lives, and as we identify with these aspects of his character. As we turn on the Christmas lights, we can expect a turnaround. We can expect any “gloom” around us to give way to a brighter future. We can expect that other people will also come to meet Jesus, and gradually sense that their “anguish” is being replaced with peace and hope.