by Kelly Knowlden
If you had been a wealthy sky-gazer and had seen a new star in the sky, you would have immediately turned to the sources you had to find out what could it mean. Conjunctions of planets, comets, and sun disturbances were regarded as signs that had specific implications for people on earth. You would have turned to books and writings that only the wealthy could afford.
Then in looking through your sources, you would have discovered that there was a specific star mentioned in an ancient writing, perhaps the book of Numbers, an ancient Jewish text ... A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. ... A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.
Now comes the Big Question. What would you do with that information?
The magi in the story of Matthew, decided that they would take time away from their work, spend money on a long trip in a dry and dusty land and look for this new born King. They also decided to bring Him gifts worthy of a king! They counted the cost and said it was worth it.
If you read carefully through the passage (Matthew 2:1-12), you will read that they were convinced that this was no earthly king. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.” They went believing that they were going to see God-become-man.
What does it cost to seek Him today? Will it be convenient? Will it be comfortable? Will it fit with your work schedule? Will it make sense to anyone else? Will it be fun? Will it gain you anything? These are questions that we usually try to figure out before we venture into a new endeavor.
But the Big Question that we must answer is, “Do I really believe that I am going to find, know, understand the God-become-man?” If so, the questions I will ask will go like this: What is He like? How does He deal with the world? What about the tragic events that happen? How do I know Him? What does He require of me? Do I need to win His favor? What does it take to be good enough to see Him?
My prayer is that this Christmas season, you will ask these last questions and seek the wonder of the God-become-man. Wise men still seek Him.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
"Lying in a Manger"
by Charlie Brown
When Linus walks onto the stage during a rehearsal for the Christmas program in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” he quotes the story of the birth of Christ from Luke 2:8-13. “And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Of course the background music and the mood created by the production crew is to say, “Yes, this is the real meaning of Christmas.” And it is! However, because of those words being common to this time of year, I fear that we miss the impact of the drama.
I do not know the last time you were in a stable, but my experience of working on my in-laws dairy farm made me realize that that is NOT where I would want my children to be born. The cleanest barn I was ever in was one that kept the floor covered with new straw everyday. The purpose for that was to make it so that the manure (which is on all floors in a barn) was easier to walk on without getting your boots terribly dirty. Even scraping the floor daily leaves an unclean-able residue of manure that becomes commonplace. And then there is the manger. Often made of metal today, the sides of the top rung are covered with cow “slobber and snot.” The hay stuffed into it (not golden colored straw as in the pictures) is a mixture of dried grasses that are very scratchy. Of course there are rats (not the cute-eyed Disney kind) that are always part of a barn scene. It would not win any health and cleanliness awards!
Into that setting, the Lord of the Universe came. He was the long foretold Messiah. He was the One who created all things. He is the Being that commands the hosts of heaven. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the One older than eternity. He is the One for whom all people were made. He is the One we were designed to love and adore. He is the One that ought to be our heart’s delight. He is the Lover of men’s souls! He is the Savior of the world. And He was born into this world and laid in a cow’s food trough!
This was just the beginning of God’s thirty-three years on earth which ended in the humility of hanging as a common criminal on a cross. The Everlasting Father sent His only begotten Son into a dirty world in humble circumstances to share in our flesh and blood that through death He would conquer death and bring powerful life to us. O come let us adore Him!
When Linus walks onto the stage during a rehearsal for the Christmas program in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” he quotes the story of the birth of Christ from Luke 2:8-13. “And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Of course the background music and the mood created by the production crew is to say, “Yes, this is the real meaning of Christmas.” And it is! However, because of those words being common to this time of year, I fear that we miss the impact of the drama.
I do not know the last time you were in a stable, but my experience of working on my in-laws dairy farm made me realize that that is NOT where I would want my children to be born. The cleanest barn I was ever in was one that kept the floor covered with new straw everyday. The purpose for that was to make it so that the manure (which is on all floors in a barn) was easier to walk on without getting your boots terribly dirty. Even scraping the floor daily leaves an unclean-able residue of manure that becomes commonplace. And then there is the manger. Often made of metal today, the sides of the top rung are covered with cow “slobber and snot.” The hay stuffed into it (not golden colored straw as in the pictures) is a mixture of dried grasses that are very scratchy. Of course there are rats (not the cute-eyed Disney kind) that are always part of a barn scene. It would not win any health and cleanliness awards!
Into that setting, the Lord of the Universe came. He was the long foretold Messiah. He was the One who created all things. He is the Being that commands the hosts of heaven. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the One older than eternity. He is the One for whom all people were made. He is the One we were designed to love and adore. He is the One that ought to be our heart’s delight. He is the Lover of men’s souls! He is the Savior of the world. And He was born into this world and laid in a cow’s food trough!
This was just the beginning of God’s thirty-three years on earth which ended in the humility of hanging as a common criminal on a cross. The Everlasting Father sent His only begotten Son into a dirty world in humble circumstances to share in our flesh and blood that through death He would conquer death and bring powerful life to us. O come let us adore Him!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Signs, and Wonder!
by Kelly Knowlden
I remember those days when as a young man trying to figure out life and what my part was in it, I wished that God would be more demonstrative in His statements telling me what vocation to pick, where to go to college and who to marry. “If only God would drop a sign on my head that said ‘DO THIS,’ I would be sure to not miss His direction.”
The shepherds were on a routine night of work. They may have been wondering whether they want- ed to be in the sheep-watching industry for the rest of their life, whether they could change vocations, or maybe thinking about whether the pretty girl in the village would be a likely wife. God DID drop a sign on their “heads” in the form of a heavenly visitation. They were basically told: “Here is what you are to do: Go into the town of David and find a baby lying in a food trough. That will be the sign of the long-awaited Messiah.”
Then the wonder of the moment was gone. All other questions concerning their future suddenly took second place. “We must go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has told us about.” They were impelled by the message of the angels to act on what they knew and to trust that God would fill in the blanks.
We do not get angelic visitations (though their intrusion into our lives is probably more common-place than we often think. See Heb. 13:2, Psalm 91:11) However, we have a different kind of “sign.” In II Peter 1:19, we are told that “we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place...” The answers we want, or our high school students want, about our lives is found in pursuing what is right in front of us that has been revealed, all the while believing God will fill in the blanks. As we are being faithful in the work we have to do, and the relationships that are immediate (not virtual), and in reading the “more sure Word,” God has promised to give us direction as we wait in wonder at the sign of the Baby in Bethlehem!
I remember those days when as a young man trying to figure out life and what my part was in it, I wished that God would be more demonstrative in His statements telling me what vocation to pick, where to go to college and who to marry. “If only God would drop a sign on my head that said ‘DO THIS,’ I would be sure to not miss His direction.”
The shepherds were on a routine night of work. They may have been wondering whether they want- ed to be in the sheep-watching industry for the rest of their life, whether they could change vocations, or maybe thinking about whether the pretty girl in the village would be a likely wife. God DID drop a sign on their “heads” in the form of a heavenly visitation. They were basically told: “Here is what you are to do: Go into the town of David and find a baby lying in a food trough. That will be the sign of the long-awaited Messiah.”
Then the wonder of the moment was gone. All other questions concerning their future suddenly took second place. “We must go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has told us about.” They were impelled by the message of the angels to act on what they knew and to trust that God would fill in the blanks.
We do not get angelic visitations (though their intrusion into our lives is probably more common-place than we often think. See Heb. 13:2, Psalm 91:11) However, we have a different kind of “sign.” In II Peter 1:19, we are told that “we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place...” The answers we want, or our high school students want, about our lives is found in pursuing what is right in front of us that has been revealed, all the while believing God will fill in the blanks. As we are being faithful in the work we have to do, and the relationships that are immediate (not virtual), and in reading the “more sure Word,” God has promised to give us direction as we wait in wonder at the sign of the Baby in Bethlehem!
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