Day 4 "Jesus Paid the Price"

“HE WILL RETURN SOON FOR HE SAID HE WOULD; DO YOU SEE THE SIGNS?” 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, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matt. 2:1-2) The passage has been made famous by the nativity scenes, plays, and stories that have been told all over the world regarding Christ’s birth and traditionally celebrated as Christmas. Now would be a good time for me to make it clear that it is not my desire to crush anyone’s perception or understanding of the birth of Christ; however, I may unfortunately be the first to tell you our traditions have truly inaccurately depicted these events. The truth is the wise men or Majai, which means in loose terms astrologers, arrived when Jesus was about two years old, and He had long since moved out of the manger. It is also more likely than not what the Majai had seen was not a star that continued to remain in the sky, but rather a comet or some other terrestrial event that was a sign which they had long since been waiting for, possibly even generations. You see, for generations before the birth of the Messiah had been foretold, we see prophecy upon prophecy (Zechariah 9:9 for example) that foretells these events. Wouldn’t it make since, if the Lord were providing signs through men, He would also have foretold this to the Majai; after all, where would God have His chalkboard? The Majai came because of what had been foretold; they came to worship the King, and can you imagine how surprised they were when they realized no one else had recognized the fulfillment of prophecy? I would imagine they expected to see great fanfare and celebration. After all, the deliverer had come–people should be rejoicing and excited about their future, but no, they were not; they were rather continuing on as if nothing had changed. How could they be excited about a King born in a manger, running around in diapers, living in a common home with common parents? But, you see, they didn’t know the truth. They had not heard the prophecies or read the scrolls; they only knew what they were told, and far too many had no desire to seek out the truth. Much like the story we have all been told and the pictures seared in our mind from what we have seen and believed regarding the wise men, we simply accept things for what they appear to be. After all, why would anyone lie? Now, mind you, I do not want to make a big deal about the story of the wise men; however, I do challenge each and every reader of this passage and these writings: “Are you looking at the signs? Are you seeing the fulfillment of prophecy? Are you preparing the way for your King in your heart and in your mind? Or, will you, like many of the people of Jesus’ time, be caught not knowing, not recognizing, and not participating in the joyous celebration of His return?” MY PRAYER Father, I pray we would not miss the signs of the fulfillment of prophecy. May we be found ready and waiting at the return of our Savior Jesus Christ, Your Son. It is in His name we pray these things. Amen.

Known By Your Fruit

“IT IS BETTER TO BE UNKNOWN THAN TO BE KNOWN FOR UNFRUITFUL WORKS.” Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:18-21). Joseph and Mary, at the time being spoken of, are in the one-year betrothal period prior to living together and consummating their marriage. Mary is living at home with her parents, and Joseph, more than likely, is preparing their future home. Upon hearing of Mary’s pregnancy, the natural and lawful course of action would be for Joseph to publicly announce Mary’s unfaithfulness, which would more than likely lead to her death by stoning, according to Mosaic Law. Yet on his own, prior to the angelic visitation, Joseph displays his true character by purposing to keep Mary’s condition silent, an action that displays Joseph’s deep love and affection for Mary. It is possible Joseph was considering a quiet divorce from Mary; however, this was, of course, not to be so as an angel appeared to explain the need for this union to take place. Ever since the writing of this story, there have been countless efforts to extol the virtues and qualities of Mary. She was obviously a very special woman to be chosen by God to bear His child, but what about Joseph? Here is a man who, by all worldly accounts, has been shamed by his bride. Mary, by worldly accounts, has been unfaithful or at the very least surrendered herself to Joseph, both of which are culturally shameful acts on her part. Yet he remains by her side. The fact is Joseph, by his actions, has shown himself to be a Godly, faithful, and compassionate man–one determined by God to be worthy of rearing and providing for His Son. Little is said of Joseph in the Bible, and over the years, many have speculated about the character of this man. However, by his actions, he has shown himself to be a man of God, a man willing to be publicly humiliated for the sake of mankind. I would suggest Joseph is a man many of us would do well to emulate, and I look forward to the day when I can shake his hand or whatever it is we will do in heaven. To be a person of few words, faithful, humble, and unassuming is an admirable goal for each and every one of us. I don’t know about you, but as for me, I could stand to be a little more like this man. MY PRAYER Father, I do ask that You would help me to be short on words, long on thought, and capable of trusting You in all things, and I ask for these attributes in Jesus’ name. Amen.