On a Thursday, Jesus ate the Passover Meal with his disciples for the last time. The twelve had spent years listening, watching, and walking with their teacher and friend. Yet that night one of the twelve betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and led a crowd of chief priests, officers of the temple guard, and elders to arrest the Son of God (Luke 22:47-53). Later that night, Simon Peter disowned Christ by stating, “I don’t know him”, when a servant girl claimed that he was one of Jesus’ followers (Luke 22:56-57). The next morning, the Jewish religious leaders confronted Jesus, then took him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, in hopes that the Romans would crucify him (Luke 22:66-23:25). Eventually, Pilate surrendered Jesus to the will of the crowd and had Roman soldiers lead Christ to the place where he was to be executed (Luke 23:1-33). On “the place called the Skull”, Jesus was crucified with a criminal on a cross to his right and another criminal on a cross to his left (Luke 23:33 NIV). The gospel writer, Luke, shares this prayer from Jesus as he was hanging on the cross where he would die hours later, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NRSV).

 

Jesus’ prayer was said aloud on behalf of the soldiers who mocked, tortured, and crucified him, the Jewish crowd who yelled for him to be executed on a Roman cross like a criminal, the religious leaders who conspired against him, the disciples who deserted, denied, and betrayed him, as well as for you and all the people of the world. Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we could be forgiven. We didn’t earn it, and we don’t deserve it, but Jesus paid the price for the sins of the world, because God so loved us

(John 3:16-17).

John, one of Jesus’ closest followers, is believed to have written the Gospel According to John, Revelation, and three letters entitled, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Within the letters, the apostle’s major theme is “love” and he shares Jesus’ command for believers to “love one another” (1 John 3:11 NIV). As John wrote those words, he was sharing the message he heard from Jesus, saw in the life and death of Christ, and experienced with the Son of God. Jesus loved everyone, including his closest followers, as well as his enemies. And Christ commands us to love others. But what does love require of us? According to John, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16 NIV). Love requires giving, serving, and sacrifice. Love seeks what is best for others, no matter who they are.

Jesus surrendered his authority, power, and life to pay the price for our sins as a demonstration of his love for us. When you struggle with laying down your preferences, desires, and will, ask yourself, “Am I living in God?” During times of struggle in regards to loving others, remember that “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16 NLT). To truly love one another we must remain, abide, and live in God.

While in prison, the apostle Paul wrote letters including one to “all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi” (Philippians 1:1 NIV). His letter to the Philippians shares Paul’s appreciation for what the Christians there did to support him while he was being held captive in a Roman prison. Along with expressing his gratitude, Paul instructs the believers to rejoice no matter what circumstances they face (Philippians 4:4). Rejoicing at all times, including while suffering, is much easier said than done. Yet the apostle Paul shares that he experiences contentment even while in prison because “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV). You, too, can be content in the midst of your circumstances which includes now as we live through a world-wide pandemic. In and through Christ there is peace, contentment, grace, strength, and joy.

 

 

As he concludes his letter, the apostle assures the saints of Philippi that, “God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV). Rejoice! Our God will meet your needs too. Rejoice! The God of more-than-enough “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). Rejoice! “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5b NIV).

Luke, the gospel writer, shares that Jesus “selected seventy” of his followers, “and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge: “What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands” (Luke 10:1-3 MSG).

 

After their time of serving and sharing God’s message as they traveled in pairs, the seventy disciples returned “with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’” (Luke 10:17 NRSV). Jesus assured them that they had been protected by God, but the real reason to rejoice is “Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing” (Luke 10:20 MSG). Much like the disciples in Luke chapter 10 we can become focused on celebrating what we do for God and what we do to serve others in Jesus’ name. Yet Jesus’ message to them applies to us as well, our reason to rejoice isn’t in what we do, but what God has done for us through his Son, Jesus. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). What an awesome reason to rejoice!

The wise “Teacher” who wrote Ecclesiastes centuries before Jesus was born applied his “mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-13 NIV). He thoroughly reflected on what he had seen and experienced and came to the conclusion that, “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 NIV)?

 

Life is a gift from God. Our time, experiences, relationships, health, and all that sustains us are gifts from our Creator. The wise Teacher commends the reader to Enjoy Your Life. There are many things outside of our control, but we can choose to enjoy our meals, work, relationships, and the time we are here. Each day provides new opportunities to choose JOY and to thank God for his gifts.

Hebrews 11 points us towards what was done “by faith” by the those who trusted in God. References to them are included throughout the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Abraham traveled by faith towards the Promised Land that had been described to him by the Lord. Eventually, he made his home there. Yet “God had planned something better” for Abraham than what he experienced during his lifetime on earth (Hebrews 11:40). The same is true for us as well. Through faith in Jesus, God has something greater for us too! There have been Christians for nearly two thousand years living by faith with an assurance of what they hoped for (Hebrews 11:1). Through his faith in Christ, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was given a Spirit-inspired dream of God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, with men and women, adults, teens, and children of all ages, economic levels, and different races living in peace, united in faith, experiencing the liberty and justice made possible by God. Dr. King and innumerable other believers have been part of the journey walking towards the Promised Land of God’s kingdom come and His will done here on earth as it is in heaven. Just as those who have come before us, we continue the journey towards God’s plan for humanity, a future when we know and love God completely, while loving others as Christ loved us. Thankfully, there are glimpses of it in our world, nation, community, and congregation. But we long for more than what we can see with our eyes during these days and times. So we continue to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” as we “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” knowing that God has something better for us in the future (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV). Amen.

The story of Jesus and the Wise Men (Magi) continues in Matthew 2:

“When they (Magi) had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt…for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.” -Matthew 2:13-15a NIV

Just as an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream when Mary was pregnant (Matthew 1:20-21), an angel revealed the threat of death coming for the Son of God during a dream. Matthew, the gospel writer, focused on helping his Jewish audience to understand that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah and somewhat like a new Moses. As a baby, Moses’ life was threatened by the Pharaoh of Egypt. His mother placed him in a basket on the Nile River in hopes that an Egyptian would find her Hebrew baby, save him, and raise him as her own child. By the grace of God, baby Moses was found and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter.

Parents and grandparents, what does the Lord want you to do to protect the hearts, minds, bodies, and souls of the children he has entrusted to your care? If you don’t know, pray for God to reveal his will to you.

If you are not a parent or grandparent, what can you do to help protect and care for children in need? Ask the Lord to reveal how you can help.

Matthew, one of the four gospel writers, shares the story of the Magi visiting Jesus as a young child:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2 NIV

 

Are you seeking the king of the Jews? He is the King of kings.

 

What led you to Jesus? If you are a Christian, God wants you to be a light that leads others to Christ.

 

The Magi worshiped Jesus. What or who are you worshiping?

 

The Magi offered Jesus gifts. What are you offering to the Lord?

“With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NIV). Those were the words our Savior shared with his disciples. The stories of Advent that we have studied during the past few weeks reveal the truth that “with God all things are possible.” During this Advent season we have been studying the stories of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Mary. Within their stories we find an older couple who had been unable to conceive, yet by the grace of God they were finally expecting a baby after an angel spoke to Zechariah. Not only were they going to have a child, but Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child had the unique role within history of being a prophetic voice preparing people for the arrival of the long awaited Messiah. Their son John was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth” (Luke 1:15 NIV).

 

The story of Joseph and Mary revealed an engaged couple who were told that they were going to be the parents of God’s Son. Mary was a virgin, so her pregnancy seemed impossible from a human standpoint, but “with God all things are possible.” During her pregnancy, Mary chose to visit her relative Elizabeth who was also pregnant. The gospel writer shares this detail of their stories coming together, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41 NIV).

 

The child in Mary’s womb was the Christ child, the Son of God who was sent to “save the world” (John 3:17). He was the greatest gift ever given! So, whatever situation, circumstances, challenges, or hardships you are facing and experiencing, know that “with God all things are possible.” You too can be filled with the Holy Spirit. You too can experience the joy of the Lord in your life and leap on the inside, even if you are unable to leap physically. Your can be comforted in the midst of mourning. Your mourning can even turn into rejoicing. You too can receive the greatest gift and be part of the multitude of believers who are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. On your own it may be impossible, but not with God. With God…all things are possible.