An Incredible Annoucement

This past week has certainly been exciting for me personally. Let me first set aside the trivial by mentioning the incredible job the Celtics did winning the NBA finals. It is probably not wise to share about my personal elation over my favorite sports team winning the championship, but I am sure there is a way of weaving this into a Bible truth later on. Though it won't be this week, I just wanted you to be forewarned.

The more significant news has to do with the arrival of my grandson who was born this past Thursday. I am a new grandfather and had the privilege of holding him for quite awhile on Friday. Since we are looking at Luke chapter 2 with the birth of Jesus and the proclamation to the shepherds, it will be fairly easy to relate this particular event to the discussion this week.

Luke 2:15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Our verses pick up after the angels that appeared in the sky and proclaiming the birth of Jesus returning to heaven. The shepherds now discuss with themselves what to do. It is decided that this momentous announcement must be checked out. God has communicated to the shepherds. This visit by the angels brings a spotlight on the shepherds being important to God. As we discussed last time the shepherds were not members of acceptable society. As a matter of fact they were on the fringes of society and tended to group among themselves. They are amazed at the privilege God has given to them by making this news known to them. It appears they did not wait to the end of their shift or the next time they were in town. Luke records that they came in haste, and found the Baby Jesus just as they heard from the angel. This is certainly not a contrived story, since this is certainly not the way we as humans would have written the script. We wouldn't have picked Mary or Joseph as parents. And the shepherds would not be the first to hear from angels what was going on. But this is God's approach and with 20/20 hindsight we can see the effectiveness of making the arrival of Jesus centered on our relationship to God, His love for all people, His desire to exalt the poor in spirit and the way in which he touches each of the lives involved in a very personal way.

Next the shepherds share what the angel has told them, not only with Mary and Joseph but with all who were there. Just like today, people want to gather and celebrate with parents when a child is born. Most of the time it is just to recognize the miracle of a new birth. But imagine the amazement and shock to hear the shepherds sharing what was told them by the angels. Wow!! Really? Did the angels really appear in a cloud?? Did the angels really say that?? Is this really the savior? Is this really Christ the Lord??

As Mary heard these things she didn't just shrug them off. But she remembered and thought about what did this mean. Because of this verse, I believe the account we have of Jesus birth was possibly given by Mary herself as a witness to these events to Luke or by someone very close to her.

The shepherds heard the angels proclamation, they checked it out and it was even as they were told by the angels. So they returned to work with praises and glorifying God for what he has already done. They believed that what the angel shared about Jesus the savior.

So last Friday as I held my grandson and looked into his face, I prayed that God would use him to bring joy to the hearts of those around him, as he grows in the fullness of his relationship to Jesus his Savior. I have been struck by how much a birth brings us together as a family, as I waited with my son-in-laws family in the waiting room we were drawn closer together and then bonded together by this shared experience. So it is as we share in the joy of Jesus birth we are bonded together with God and the family of believers.

If anything you have read in this blog has caused you to wonder, and ask questions please feel free to leave comments. I don't care how challenging the questions, I believe the answers to all that can be asked lays in the words of scripture.

To All People

Well this week we will be starting a new chapter in Luke. We have basically spent 2 months on chapter 1 the introduction, and even with that barely scratched the surface of all that we could learn from that chapter. The first 20 verses of chapter 2 is the very familiar story read at Christmas about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:1-7 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her first born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Why is it so important to know who ordered the census and who was governor of Syria? Remember Luke is writing “an orderly account… that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed”. The reference to the rulers gives an account of what time this census took place. Luke wants to show that the birth of Jesus is not a rumor or a myth. It is not a legend about something that might have taken place. It is a historically grounded fact. This is a very common practice in scripture and even more so in the Old Testament. For God’s desire is to make His message clear and not to be obscured as a collection of vague stories with people who might or might not be real. The Old Testament is filled with genealogies, used to establish the real identities of the persons who God interacts with.

Last time we discussed the “Pax Romana” or the peace of Rome. This is the idea that a single empire comprised of multiple cultures could live in peace and security as long as they obeyed the will of Rome. Here we have an example of the will of Rome. In order to optimize the tax that would be collected for Rome, the Romans needed to identify everyone to avoid someone from telling officials from one town that they paid taxes already in another town. So everyone was required to go to the town of their ancestry. This was a massive inconvenience for an entire culture.

Though Mary was close to her time, there appears to be no excuse to obeying the requirements of the census. Being very pregnant the travel might have been slow and thus they arrived in Bethlehem after the inns were full from all the other people who also needed to be there for the census.

Then Jesus is born, just as prophesied in the Old Testament. Praise God!!

Luke 2:8 – 12 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager”

The angel did not want the shepherds to be afraid, despite the sudden appearance of the angel and the presence of God’s glory. The angel has come to announce the most significant event in the history of the world ever. The birth of a savior, who is Christ the Lord. With these verses we are given a choice, to truly believe or to deny who Jesus is. Here are the choices put forth by human wisdom.

• There are many religions and they all are valid ways to know God
• Jesus came and died on the cross for those who were already predestined to be chosen by God for salvation.
• Jesus was a good man, who had teachings we should all listen to.
• Jesus was a myth

In this passage we hear the angels proclaim that the birth of Jesus is great joy for all people. The way that this is used in scripture is to mean all nations, people groups and tribes. This isn’t just good news for Israel or western civilization but for the whole world. Not only is Jesus a Savior, He is “Christ the Lord”. The one and only savior! The expected Messiah!

This appearance was to shepherds out in their fields attending their flocks. Shepherds were not a revered class of people. Just the opposite they were essentially tolerated, isolated and yet a great example of God’s compassion by being chosen as the first to hear the wondrous news of a miraculous birth.

I want you to know that you are included in the proclamation, that there are good tidings to you and great joy for your savior has been born. He is Christ Jesus the Lord.

All We Are Asking is Give Peace a Chance

In the early 70s while I was still in high school their was a planned peace March which I think was national, though it could have been regional, to protest the war in Vietnam. Of course my friends were going, we got a ride over to a meeting place in a nearby town and then marched (walked) carrying candles and singing peace songs the only one I remember of course is “All We Are Asking is Give Peace a Chance”. The news cameras caught my friends and I marching, though I didn’t see it myself, many adults in my life commented on it. That was at a time when to end up on the news was a big deal. Anyway we arrived at the local High School where local ministers made speeches on how we needed to end the war in Vietnam and then we would have peace. Well the war ended, but the cold war went on, the cold war ended, and then we had terrorist attacks which eventually let up to 911 and the war on terror, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq. Of course this is only an American perspective. There have been numerous wars in Africa over the past several decades. We have again begun to see small groups in America calling for peace and the old song has been revived “Give Peace a Chance”.

Well what does this have to do with this blog?? Isn’t this a blog about searching for a Savior? Well let’s look at the culture of Israel at the time we have been reading about in the first chapter of Luke. The nation of Israel was occupied by the Romans. What was this occupation like? The Roman’s allowed the Israelites to worship as they liked, they could have their own king, they were free to travel and live normal lives. They were required to pay taxes to Rome, their were Roman soldiers occupying the country and the citizens were subject to Roman law. During the 1st and 2nd century AD is the period of the “Pax Romana”. When the interior of the Roman Empire remained largely untouched by warfare, the Pax Romana was an era of relative tranquility in which Rome endured neither major civil wars, such as the perpetual bloodshed of the third century AD, nor serious invasions, such as those of the Second Punic War three centuries prior. During this time, Roman commerce thrived, unhampered by piracy or marauding enemy troops.

Yet the nation of Israel was one of the most troubled of the countries under Roman rule. The Israelites resented the Roman occupation, and their small rebellions. The people looked for God to provide the Messiah that would deliver them from the Roman’s and set their country free to live in true peace, protected by the forces of other countries. We all are desiring to live in freedom, with peace from conflict. We are all looking for a savior to save us from our enemies. So now lets look at a couple of verses again in Luke in light of this desire for peace.

Luke 1:47 And my Spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior

This is part of the song that Mary sang that we studied several weeks ago. God is viewed as the Savior providing the promise to the people of Israel of a Messiah.

Luke 1:79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

This is the proclamation by Zachariah at the birth of John the Baptist. We again see the desire for salvation that leads to peace. Now lets look ahead at a couple of more verses in Luke

Luke 2:29 Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to your word: 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.

These are the words of Simeon as he took the baby Jesus into his arms. He was a man that spent every day waiting for the promise of God’s Messiah. His use of the word peace is not the kind of peace that comes from lack of war and armed conflict. But a peace from knowing the fulfillment of God’s promises. Of knowing God’s salvation.

As Israel looked for peace from Rome, the same as we look for peace from those who hate America. We both run the risk of missing the true peace from God. The peace of being right with Him, by accepting Jesus as our Savior.

Finally Jesus promised to His disciples.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

It is clear that we through our human endeavors can not ever achieve the kind of peace we imagine where all the nations get along together. This is a false hope embodied in the Paul McCartney song “Imagine”. This will not happen with a world in the midst of spiritual warfare, in rebellion to God, where in a sense every man is pursuing his own desires.

I would ask you to give peace a chance, by not running away from God, but running to God for salvation and accepting Jesus death on the cross for your sins. If you have any questions please post as comments and I will do my best to lead you to see the truth as revealed in God’s Word.