An Unexpected King
Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem? We know the miraculous reasons, and we can see the sovereignty of God clearly at work, but in a physical sense, what brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem?Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth, a city about 70 miles north of Jerusalem. Given this was their family home, it would make sense that Jesus should have been born in Nazareth. But He wasn’t. He was born in Bethlehem.We have to turn to the book of Luke for the reason. In one of the most beloved passages of Scripture found in the Bible, Dr. Luke begins telling us about the birth of Jesus with the words, “In those days a decree went out…”
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to 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, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem for the census. Bethlehem was the ancestral home of David, and all those who descended from him were required to travel to Bethlehem to register.Stop and think for a moment about the inconvenience this would have caused for Mary and Joseph. Most couples today would never travel out of state around the due date of their baby. They would stay close to home, close to their doctors and support network. Yet, Mary and Joseph had to travel 70 miles away from home as Mary’s due date approached.Travel was difficult in Bible times. A healthy man could travel roughly 20 miles a day on foot. Mary was very pregnant, and she likely didn’t walk the journey. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically, but tradition often pictures Mary riding a donkey. This makes sense given the options that were available. She could have rode a camel, but camel’s were the luxury vehicles of the day. It’s unlikely Joseph could afford a camel. A donkey makes sense, but it is still difficult to picture a very pregnant woman riding a donkey for several miles a day. Perhaps more likely would have been a cart pulled by a donkey, with Joseph walking beside the donkey.Regardless, it was a long trip—taking a week or more—and it was an uncomfortable trip for a pregnant woman. As one preacher once observed, “even though Mary had to ride on a donkey, it was better than a Ford, amen?”Sometimes our familiarity with a Bible narrative like the Christmas story causes us to brush past the details without fully appreciating the trial this must have been for Mary & Joseph.We can do the same thing when it comes to the celebration of Christmas. We allow our busyness and rush towards Christmas Day to often crowd out our appreciation for the meaning of Christmas. Take a few moments and reflect on all you have to be thankful for this Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.–Chris EllerThis Week’s Core VirtueJoy (John 15:11): I have inner contentment and purpose in spite of my circumstances.
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The Son of David
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. – Matthew 1:1, 16
This week during our devotional time together, we will get to know a man given an impossible task, but a man who met this impossible task with both grace and faith. His name is Joseph.When he traced his genealogy, as any good Jew would do, Joseph saw some significant names in his lineage.Like all Jews, Joseph could trace his ancestors back to the great patriarchs of old—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These were the common ancestors of all Jews throughout the world. But following Jacob, Joseph’s lineage took a fantastic turn. He descended from the tribe of Judah, and he saw the names of great heroes of the Jewish faith—men like Boaz. But one name stood out from all the others, and this name made Joseph special among the tribes of Israel. That name was David.Joseph was a direct descendent of King David and of his most famous and powerful son, King Solomon.[social_quote duplicate="yes" align="default"]Joseph came from the royal line of David, and this gave him a great sense of confidence and strength. The blood of David surged through his veins.[/social_quote]Reading the Psalms or Proverbs was not just a ritual for him, but it gave him great insight into his own family and his famous ancestors. His own father, Jacob, had diligently taught him the Scriptures from an early age, and had instilled within him the strength, character, and responsibility that was uniquely his as a direct descendent of King David.Words such as those found in Psalm 18, penned by David, took on special meaning as he contemplated his own existence and heritage as a man:
46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeanceand subdued peoples under me,
48 who delivered me from my enemies;yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;you rescued me from the man of violence.
49 For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,and shows steadfast love to his anointed,to David and his offspring forever.
“That’s me,” Joseph could think to himself. God will show his steadfast love to me, the offspring of David forever. Sobering words for a young man who was devoted to God.Joseph was content with who God had made him, and was forever thankful for the tremendous heritage that was his. He may live in the backwoods of Israel and eek out a living as a carpenter, but at the end of the day he was Joseph, son of Jacob, son of David.
An Unexpected Dream
There are times in life when we can see trials approaching like a storm in the distance. Other times, we are plunged without notice into the deepest, darkest oceans of pain and suffering. This is what Joseph experienced.The months of betrothal are when two strangers develop the deep bonds of love that will carry them through the long years of life ahead. It is not only the man and woman who are shaped and molded together during the betrothal, but their families as well.For Joseph, the suddenness of this dark night enveloped him in the span of time it takes to say three words—“I am pregnant.” Suddenly, without warning, all of Joseph’s dreams and plans for his family were shattered. He loved Mary. How could this happen?The pain of Joseph’s dark night was quickly equaled by an overwhelming sense of shame. Everyone knew that Joseph and Mary were to be husband and wife. Their families had celebrated their engagement in the synagogue, and Joseph now looked to Mary’s mother and father as his own mother and father. They were family.Joseph found himself in a difficult spot. As a righteous man, he knew the Law, and the Law was clear—the punishment for adultery was public shame and even death by stoning. Joseph couldn’t bear the thought of his beloved Mary being shamed and then stoned to death. In spite of her great sin, he loved her, too much to see her die.The other option was to quietly dissolve their marriage agreement. While less public, it would still be painful. Joseph didn’t know what to do. He knew what the Law said. He new what his heart was saying to him. There was no easy way out.Since hearing the words from Mary that she was pregnant, Joseph had not slept well. One night, however, Joseph fell into a deep sleep. While he was sleeping, Joseph had an amazing dream. An angel of the Lord appeared before him and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke, he wasn’t sure if he could believe the dream or not, but it was so real. And it made sense. Mary had insisted she had done nothing wrong, that the child within her was from God, and she, too, had a miraculous vision of an angel describing a Mighty King who would be born from her and who would reign on his father David’s throne forever.When Mary told this to Joseph, he scoffed at her. How incredible! Did she actually expect him to believe this. A child, born to a virgin?But now, for some unknown reason, he believed Mary, and he believed what the angel had told him in the dream. Suddenly, he remembered the words Mary had told him as she recounted what the angel had said to her: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”Without hesitation, Joseph immediately obeyed what the angel had commanded. He took Mary as his wife, but he did not know her. Joseph remembered an old rabbi once saying, “hope burns brightest in the midst of the darkest night.”This Week’s Core BeliefJesus Christ (John 1:12): We believe in Jesus Christ, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory. We are significant only because of our position as children of God.
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Contend for the Faith
We started our look at the one-chapter epistles of the New Testament by highlighting the importance of truth. A Christian would point to the Word of God as the bedrock foundation of truth. It is from the Bible that we learn and understand the essential elements of the Lord God that define our human understanding of morality and ethics. Our culture, from the constitution of the United States to the legal code that guides our daily life and interaction with each other was founded upon the bedrock truth found only in the Bible.Today, the very definition of absolute truth has become relative. Rather than identifying what is absolute based on the unchangeable Word of God, our culture believes that absolutes can be defined and redefined to accommodate the needs and necessities of society. As a result, absolute truth (the Word of God) does not define and guide culture, culture defines and redefines what is absolute truth!The church is guilty of the same fallacy. Many Christians shy away from hard absolutes because our culture has painted such beliefs as extremist and hateful. Moreover, we have allowed our “pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness” to slowly silence the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit in our life. In a 2009 end-of-year perspective, Christian pollster George Barna noted that “only one-third (34 percent) of [American Christians] believe in absolute truth. This is down from 50 percent in a 2002 survey. The consequences of this slide into relativism within the church is startling. Barna observes,
Americans typically draw from a broad treasury of moral, spiritual and ethical sources of thought to concoct a uniquely personal brand of faith. Feeling freed from the boundaries established by the Christian faith, and immersed in a postmodern society which revels in participation, personal expression, satisfying relationships, and authentic experiences, we become our own unchallenged spiritual authorities, defining truth and reality as we see fit.
Consequently, more and more people are engaged in hybrid faiths, mixing elements from different historical eras and divergent theological perspectives. In some ways, we are creating the ultimate ecumenical movement, where nothing is deemed right or wrong, and all ideas, beliefs and practices are assigned equal validity. Everyone is invited to join the dialogue, enjoy the ride, and feel connected to a far-reaching community of believers. Screening or critiquing what that community believes is deemed rude and inappropriate. Pragmatism and relativism, rather than any sort of absolutism, has gained momentum.It is sobering to realize this is from 2009—six years ago—and the moral decay and confusion within our culture has accelerated at an increasingly alarming pace.This reality makes the warnings from Jude more critical than ever. Jude warns in explicit language that the teaching and acceptance of false teachers leads to destruction (Jude 13b). Jude encourages his readers to contend for the faith and to be people of faith, prayer, and the word. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 20-21).How can you tell if you have fallen prey to relativism, the false teaching of our age? Is the Bible your bedrock guide for how you live and conduct your life? Do you find yourself making decision to participate in things and not participate in things based on biblical conviction? Are you more concerned about biblical truth than about being popular or in with the crowd? These are all signs of a Christian life committed to following God and openly identifying with Jesus Christ.If these signs are not evident in your life, do you live a life of self-determined truth and beliefs. Do you find yourself seeking and searching for spiritual guides and teachers who support your view of life? Do you find yourself confronted with biblical truth yet internally arguing, “yes, but…” Do you find yourself listening to voices who say “judge not lest you be judged” when you see society running in the opposite direction of God’s declared truth? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you need to heed Jude’s warning!Oh, beloved, don’t fall prey to the false beliefs of our age. Ground your life and your worldview on the Word of God. Study the Word. Memorize the Word. Let the Spirit of God mold and shape you into the image of Christ through the Word of God. There is nothing of more importance to the Christian than this process of sanctification that produces the outward evidence of one’s salvation. “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25)–Chris EllerThis week’s R2R distinctive Authenticity (John 13:33-34): I know and understand biblical truths and transfer these truths into everyday life. Who I am on the inside and outside is a pure reflection of Christ and His Word.
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Paul's Thorn In the Flesh
There has been a lot of debate through the centuries regarding the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” He refers to it in 2 Corinthians 12:7: “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!”Many believe Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a physical ailment that caused physical suffering and hindered his work as an apostle. Some try and connect Galatians 6:11, in which Paul indicates he is writing large letters with his own hand to point to a potential eye problem or near blindness.I’ve always argued that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was not a physical ailment, it was a person, someone who caused great stress and contention in Paul’s life. John MacArthur argues that Paul’s thorn was in fact a demonic messenger of Satan who used the deceivers within the church at Corinth to cause a rebellion against Paul’s authority. This makes a lot of sense to me.This year I celebrated 25 years in full-time ministry. Over those many years, I can tell you without exception that the times that brought the most personal stress and strife were rooted in interpersonal conflict. During these times the voice of discouragement rings strong within my ears. I often tease my co-workers that I’m tempted to respond to the “Open Interview” sign on the door at the Kum & Go down the street. Nothing sounds better at that moment than to stand at a cash register and ask two simple questions: “cash back?” and “receipt?”In this week’s one-chapter epistle, 3 John, we meet first hand one of these “demons of discouragement,” a man by the name of Diotrephes. We all know him. He’s the man (or woman) in the church who loves the spotlight, hates accountability, speaks unkindly of others, gossips, criticizes others trying to serve, isolates and tries to run off those who resist his or her “leadership.” Yes, the “spirit of Diotrephes” is alive and well in churches all across the world today.As if recognizing that we needed a good example to follow rather than the evil example of Diotrephes, John gives us Gaius. Fortunately, churches see many more living examples of Gaius than of Diotrephes. Gaius focused on a godly spiritual life, was well regarded by other believers because of his life example, spoke truth, showed hospitality to both believers and outsiders, was generous and giving, cared greatly for the missionaries, did not aspire fame or the spotlight.Gaius stands as a shining example of Christian leadership and maturity within the body of Christ. It is my prayer this week that each of us seek to exhibit the qualities John highlights about Gaius as we live and serve together in this great mission endeavor we call First Family.–Chris EllerThis week’s R2R distinctive Faithfulness (Proverbs 3:3-4): I have established a good name with God and with others based on my long-term loyalty to those relationships.
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