Author: alibates (Page 7 of 8)

December 7^th

John 1:10-14

Today’s reading begins with the sad acknowledgement that the world did not recognise Jesus for who he was, and his own people (the Jews) rejected him.  The Word was the agent of creation, and so the world was made by him yet, tragically, it did not receive him. That creation has come through the Son of God is an idea that appears in other places such as 1 Cor. 8:6, Col.1:16 and Heb. 1:2.

This is contrasted with the good news that those who did accept him received new life as children of God. Verse 12 tells us they were given the right or the power to become a child of God. The power to do this comes from God, we are not born again by our own initiative or resources, it is a gift.

John doesn’t bother to tell us anything about how the ‘Word’ became flesh but that he does become flesh, that is what matters, and it has huge consequences. We have beheld the glory of the one and only Son, sometimes translated as the ‘only begotten’ but the emphasis is on the fact that there is only one. John uses the same word (monogenes) in several places (Jn. 1:18, 3:!6, 3:18, 1 Jn 4:9). The same glory that once filled the temple in the Old Testament now lives in the Son, and we have seen him John says. We have also seen his glory expressed in his grace and truth. This is sometimes translated as love and faithfulness, an echo of Ex. 34:6-7. When Moses witnesses God’s glory he is proclaimed as ‘abounding in love and faithfulness’, that glory now dwells in the Son.

The story of Christmas is that of the ‘word become flesh’.  This is astonishing news – good news. The Word, there at the beginning of time has come and inhabited our times. The presence and power of God have been contained in human flesh. The creator has become the created.

Reflection

The hymn writer Charles Wesley wrote these lines:

 Our God contracted to a span,

Incomprehensibly made man.

Spend a moment reflecting on those lines. Jesus became the God/man. He was human, he experienced all that we do and there is comfort for us in that. At the same time, when we see Jesus, we are seeing the glory of God.

December 6^th

John 1:1-9

So, now we come to the gospel accounts of Jesus birth and, as with all witnesses to an event, their stories are both similar and different. Mark contains no birth stories and starts with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Matthew and Luke are our sources for how the nativity unfolded, but John does something very different. He writes a prologue starting before creation to explain Jesus’ eternal significance, and echoes the start of Genesis, ‘In the beginning’. John’s aim for his gospel (Jn. 20:31) is to show us that ‘Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and that believing in him you will have life’. Hence, Jesus’ eternal beginning matters, he has come from God and is himself God (Jn 1:1). He is God become human – a mystery. He has come to bring light into our darkness and that light will never be put out (Jn. 1:15), not even death will do that. One of Jesus ‘I am’ sayings in this gospel will be ‘I am the light of the word’ (Jn 8:12).

Darkness will not have the final word, the upper hand. One has come in whom there is no darkness, so that not even crucifixion can put out the light. Jesus was born into a world that was as evil and dark as ours is, yet he was not overcome by it. These days we are aware of the evil in our world well beyond our immediate community and it can be overwhelming. When we celebrate Christmas, we remind ourselves that there is light and hope even in our darkness, whatever that might be.

These days we can take being able to turn on a light for granted, it will be rare to be in a place where there is no light at all. Once when visiting an old mine, as we got close to the bottom of the mine, our guide turned off the lights and we experienced total darkness. It is disorienting, alarming and feels quite unsafe. In that moment you can understand just how important light is to life.

John describes Jesus as ‘the Word’ ( the logos) which was a very important and significant concept in Jesus’ time amongst many cultures. Those who read this when it was first written would have had some idea that the Word was to do with God. In the OT God’s word is creative and sustaining, in other cultures it would refer to divine reason or to the mind of God, sometimes in Jewish thinking it was also the Wisdom of God. It is a concept unfamiliar to us now but would have had a powerful impact at the time. For John it matters because the Word has become flesh and dwelt among us. In Jesus we meet the Father.

Jesus is distinct from God, yet one with him. Jesus is the mediator through which all things were created, and the one through whom our ‘re-creation’ will come.

Reflection

How has the gospel of Jesus Christ brought light and hope to you? How might you share that with others this Christmas?

If there is something in your world that brings a sense of darkness at this time then ask God to show you where he is in this, and how he is at work on your behalf.

December 5^th

Micah 5:2

Old Testament prophecies made it clear that the Messiah would come from the lineage of King David and be born in the town that David came from which was Bethlehem Ephrathah in Judah (as distinct from the Bethlehem of Zebulun). The name means ‘house of bread’ and it was a fertile agricultural land. Ephrathah is the name of a clan who were allies of Caleb, it is the birthplace of Naomi and Elimelech (Ruth 1:2). It was a small insignificant town until David’s birth there.

In Matthew 2:3-6 this scripture is quoted when Herod starts to enquire about where the Messiah is to be born, and the religious rulers tell him it is in Bethlehem. Jesus’ birthplace causes some confusion later in his ministry as people question if he can be the Messiah; they are assuming he was born in Nazareth and no Messiah comes from there (Jn 7:41-42). However, as we know, a Roman edict means that Mary and Joseph must return to Bethlehem for a census since they are both of the lineage of David, and that is where Jesus is born. Sadly, the families of Bethlehem are going to pay a high price for this honour as Herod kills all the infants in the town once he realises the wise men have given him the slip (Jer.31:15, Matt.2:16-18). The kingdom of peace has not yet arrived, but it will.

What can we take from this part of the story? Perhaps firstly that God kept his promise to King David and Jesus is born there after all, despite Mary’s hometown being elsewhere.

Secondly, God is happy to choose the small and insignificant. When Jesus is born the shepherds will be invited to the birth celebrations, his ministry will focus on the weak, sick, oppressed and poor much more than the ‘significant’ people of the day. Jesus is going to open up the Kingdom of heaven to all who choose to believe, whoever they may be.

Both Micah and Isaiah are prophets of judgement, but also of hope. They both have a dream of a future where peace will reign, and oppression will end. They are both looking into the future when the Messiah will come.

Reflection

God is not a respecter of status or place. He is happy to use the nobodies and the disregarded places to fulfil his plans. We can easily feel like our lives and the place we live in is insignificant to God. If that is the case then I’d encourage you to ask God to help you see your life as he sees it. Every life has enormous value and importance to him, in Jesus he has given part of himself for us and filled us with his Spirit. You and your world matter to God.

December 4^th

Isaiah 9:1-7

Following on from yesterday’s readings here we find Isaiah speaking to the situation where the north of Israel which includes Zebulun and Naphtali have been conquered by Assyria and the people are in darkness. But Isaiah’s prophesy speaks  hope to them, and he is so confident he speaks as though it has already happened. The Messiah will come like light bursting out in Galilee. Matthew in his gospel draws attention to the fact that the start of Jesus ministry is in this very region Matt. 4 :12-17.

The pain of verses four and five will resonate for many in our world right now; slavery, oppression and bloodshed were their experience. Jesus came to defeat our most awful enemy and destroy the forces of evil forever. The people of Israel are to be released from oppression, war will cease and the perfect ruler will arrive. Where darkness has fallen light has come.

In our times of distress we have to choose what we will believe in. Do we remember God’s past action on our behalf, or do we forget? The references in verse four are to the yoke of slavery in Egypt, and the day of Midian to their defeat of the enemy under Gideon’s leadership. These two events were the result of acts of faith and trust in God; something we saw yesterday that Ahaz didn’t want to do. The darkness and distress that we may experience in life are real, but they are not the whole story. Isaiah goes on to tell us that the answer to all of this is going to be a child, a son who is born of a woman but given to us by God.

This child is to be a wonderful counsellor, literally wonder-counsellor, wonder being akin to supernatural or out of the ordinary.

He is the mighty God, a hero come as the one who will defeat the enemy.

He is the everlasting Father. This may seem strange in reference to Jesus but we know that he comes to represent the Father to us, but also to act as a father to his children.

He is the Prince of peace, making peace through his blood

There will be no end to the increase of his government and peace, there will be order, there will be fairness and justice in this Kingdom forever.

And finally, we are told that it is the zeal of the Lord or his passionate commitment that will achieve these things. God’s plan in action.

Reflection

Take a moment to reflect on the four different titles Isaiah gives to Jesus. How have you experienced these in the past, and what might you need to experience at this time? Pray for yourself and others that you may know Jesus in all his fulness.

December 3^rd

Isaiah 7:14

There are a few Old Testament passages that are important to us as believers as they point us to Jesus. As we look at these verses we are in good company, even Jesus on the Emmaus Road started with Moses and the prophets to explain himself to his disciples!

In this passage Isaiah is speaking into his current context but in doing so, as a prophet, he also speaks into the future. So, let’s look for a moment at Isaiah’s situation. Syria and Israel have joined forces against Assyria’s empire building (735BC). They invite Ahaz, king of Judah, to join them but he refuses so they turn against him. Ahaz thinks he’s going to try and buy an alliance with Assyria, but Isaiah offers an alternative solution that Ahaz should trust the Lord and be firm in the faith. He is invited to ask for a sign from the Lord, but he doesn’t want to put his faith in God so he refuses in a rather sanctimonious fashion (Is. 7:11-12).

[We should note here that whether or not testing the Lord is OK depends on the heart. Israel in the wilderness tested the Lord out of unbelief and were judged for it. Gideon tested to be sure he heard right and was given his answer. Here Ahaz is being invited to trust but will not.]

So, Isaiah prophesies that God will give a sign. For Ahaz it means that by the time a young woman (we don’t know who) gives birth and the child reaches the age of discretion (13yrs) the two kingdoms against him will have gone (Is. 7:16). He just needs to trust. Syria was destroyed by 732BC (3 years later), Israel lost part of her territory a year later and in 13 years (722BC) had lost her national existence. Ahaz and Judah were to be overwhelmed by Assyria.

When Matthew was writing his gospel he saw in this passage a clear reference to the coming Messiah – the one who is ‘God with us’ Matt.1:23. The salvation needed here is not earthly but spiritual, our eternal salvation, and it was going to come through the child born of a virgin, the Son of God. There is a lot of dispute among theologians as to whether the word for ‘virgin’ should have been translated as such or as ‘young woman’. As far as I can see there is no reason not to accept the translation that Mathhew knew which referred to the ‘virgin who will conceive and give birth to a son’. This child was God’s son, one who would become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Matthew knew Mary and Jesus, witnessed the crucifixion and resurrection, and had no doubt who Jesus was and whose Son he was.

The call to us is the same as to Ahaz, to stand in faith, to receive God’s salvation and see his deliverance from sin; to be accepted into God’s Kingdom.

Reflection

There is the thread of a plan running through history so strong that it emerges out of the prophets’ mouth even when he is speaking into another circumstance. That plan for salvation runs through all our lives and we have a choice to respond to it in faith or not. Is there something that you need to respond to in faith today?

December 2^nd

Genesis 12:1-3

Once upon a time one man had a revelation of the God of the universe and chose to follow his leading. He wasn’t living in a monotheistic culture, and we have no idea how he came to this knowledge and experience of God; the Bible doesn’t tell us. Four thousand years ago, during the Bronze Age, Abraham decided to obey the call of God to leave his homeland and go to a new place God was giving him. His obedience brought with it a promise of land, descendants numerous enough to be a nation and a global reach. All the families of earth are to be blessed through this one man. This scripture is the first mention of a promise to be repeated many times at significant moments in Abraham’s life (Gen. 15:1,22:18, 26:4).

As we will read later both Joseph and Mary are direct descendants of Abraham and King David. This promise is about much more than just the formation of the peoples of Israel (through Isaac) and Palestine (through Ishmael), this is a promise to all of humanity. Abraham is a man of faith and obedience towards God. He understands that God is both sovereign and faithful, and Abrahms’s faith becomes the bedrock of this future blessing. It is cited by both Peter (Acts 3:25) and Paul (Gal. 3:8-9, 17-18) as the beginning of the promise.

We could go even further back to the beginning of creation and humanity’s fall into sin. In Gen. 3:15 God promises that the seed of woman will bruise the head of the serpent. Already there is a plan to deal with the devil, evil and sin’s consequences. That the serpent will bruise his heel hints at the cost of our salvation.

The Bible is clear that God’s word is dependable and will not fail; he will be faithful to his covenant for a thousand generations (Deut.7:9). Isaiah tells us that while everything around us may fade and die the word of the Lord stands forever (Is. 40:8). This plan to rescue humanity from its sin and make a way into the Kingdom of God has been there from the very beginning, slowly unfolding over thousands of years until we come to the revelation of God that we see in Jesus.

Reflection

Someone once said that God takes a long time to move suddenly! Are there moments in your own life where you have seen that work out? Perhaps there are events that you are waiting patiently to see happen. Why not bring them before God today, remembering that he is faithful to his word.

Introduction

Advent is a word that is used to describe the arrival of an event, an invention or a person. In the Christian calendar advent is the 24 days or 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, a time of waiting and anticipation for the arrival of the Son of God. No doubt this time of expectation has already been filled with online and TV advertisements for all sorts of Christmas goodies that you couldn’t possibly do without, and supermarkets have been filled with foods to make your Christmas that bit more special. For the Christian, Christmas has a much deeper meaning that goes beyond the fripperies of a secular Christmas as we celebrate the arrival of one who is to become our Saviour and our Redeemer.

From the very beginning God had a plan for the salvation of humanity and that is where we will begin before going on to read how the story unfolds.

(The first 6 reflections are a bit longer than the rest, don’t panic they are not all that long!)

December 1^st

Galatians 4:4-7

Today’s reading tells us that in the fullness of time, or at the right time or the appointed time God sent his Son born of a woman, subject to the law to redeem us who are under the law. What made it the right time? The sociological view of this would highlight a number of reasons why it was the right time.

1. The Roman Empire has spread around the Mediterranean and we know that when the Romans moved in they built roads, very straight roads, and those roads facilitated travel. For the spread of the gospel this was incredibly useful.
2. Language. As people travelled further, and international commerce grew, Greek became the common language of business. From the point of view of spreading the gospel this makes life a lot easier, it also helps breaks the gospel free from Judaism and makes it more available to everyone.
3. There was a hunger for spiritual things. The belief in Greek and Roman gods and their mythology was losing its grip and people were searching for a God who could save them.
4. The Jewish law which was meant to be a positive aspect of Judaism had become a burden to many as it became more complicated and onerous as the years went by.

It was the right time, but there are also other reasons. Prophetically the Jews are looking for the promised Messiah, Daniel 9: 24-27 talks about the coming Messiah and suggests a date when this prophecy would be fulfilled, calculated to be sometime in the 1st century AD. Paul would have been aware of this prophecy and he, along with many others, would have been looking for the Messiah to arrive.

Jesus, the Son of God, comes to earth as a human being. He is subject to all the challenges that we face as human beings. He doesn’t stay at a distance. God is not distant; he makes himself imminent and he comes as flesh and blood amongst us. He is born of a woman and subject to the same laws (natural and religious) that we are. He lived under the Jewish Law, he understood it, but he also surpassed it. He was human and yet the perfect Son of God, the perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

He came to redeem us from the slavery of sin and the Law in order that we could be ransomed from our slavery and be adopted as true children of God. There was hope at the time that the Messiah was coming but of course we know that it wasn’t going to happen as expected.

From the very beginning God had a plan to redeem and restore humanity back to that Eden relationship that was so dreadfully broken. That plan included you and me. Moreover, there isn’t just ‘a Plan’ there is also a unique plan for each of us.

‘There is a plan’….. this makes my heart sing. Whenever the current woes of our time get you down remember there is a plan for salvation now and into the future, when God will reconcile everything in Christ (Col.1 :20).

Reflection.

Take a moment to thank God for his plan, think about how he has worked in your own life and the fact that he has not finished yet. Pray for those you know who need to experience the God who has a plan for them.

Well, it seems I took my own advice in my last post to ‘put your feet up and have a rest’ rather too literally. I have taken a year off! In my defence it was marked by study, taking on a new allotment and ill health which didn’t leave much energy for anything else. Sometimes we set off with good intent but can get derailed on the way by circumstances beyond our control. Learning to accept those moments with grace is not something I’m very good at. Since retirement I have discovered just how purpose driven I can be and it is one of the challenges of retirement; finding your purpose in a new context.

It is not long until Easter and my devotional reading today was about the cruelty that Jesus experienced at the hands of the Roman soldiers. It was terrible and as a Christian I can feel both horror and gratitude  that my Saviour went through such an ordeal willingly. However, his suffering is not unique; I wish it was. All over the world there are people suffering the consequences of man’s inhumanity to man. Whether it is an unkind word, domestic violence, the callousness of people smugglers, or the torture of prisoners under the rule of dictators; it is ever present. The gospel tells me that God, through Jesus, will show as much mercy to the traffickers, to the boat people and the Home Secretary who wants rid of them, as he has to me. None of us would deserve it yet it is there if we will avail ourselves of his love and forgiveness. I believe the gospel is the only way we can find enough grace and lovingkindness for one another. We must find it for ourselves first so that we can live it out for others, challenge our inhumanity and create a better society .

May this Lent and Easter time bring a fresh revelation of God’s unconditional grace towards each one of us.