Inn

 She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.      Luke 2.7

 

Don’t think of a Premier Inn.

The ‘inn’ was nothing like that.

It most likely was a guest room in a house in Bethlehem. Perhaps Mary and Joseph went there because they knew the owners. Perhaps they were related. But we all know the result.

No room in the inn.

That’s not an incidental detail.

He was born like this so the humble might feel free to come to Him. The very manner of His birth, turned away from the inn, born in a stable,  means God invites the rejected, the abused, the mistreated, the forgotten, the overlooked, to come to him for salvation. ‘We might tremble to approach a throne, but we cannot fear to approach a manger.’ (Charles Spurgeon)

If Jesus had been in Paris or Beverly Hills, only the rich and famous would feel at home with Him. But since He was born in a stable, all the outsiders of the world (and there are far more outsiders than insiders) instinctively feel a kinship with Him.

Is there a hint here of His upcoming death? I believe there is. Turned away from the inn and resting in a feeding trough, he was already bearing the only cross a baby can bear, extreme poverty and the contempt and indifference of mankind.

This baby lying forgotten in an exposed stable, resting in a feeding trough, is God’s appointed ‘sign’ to us all. This is a true incarnation. God has come to the world in a most unlikely way. This is what Philippians 2.7 means when it says He ‘emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.’ Nothing about the baby Jesus appeared supernatural. There were no halos, no angels visible, and no choirs singing. If you had been there, you might have concluded this was just a baby born to a young couple down on their luck. Nothing about the outward circumstances pointed to God. Yet all of it, every part of it, every single, solitary, seemingly random detail, was planned by the Father before the foundation of the world. To the unseeing eye, nothing looks less like God, to those who understand, His fingerprints are everywhere.

There was no room for Jesus that night in Bethlehem. Will you make room for Him in your heart this year?

 

My Lord, though the world has no room for You, come and dwell in my heart today. In Jesus' name, Amen

 

Jesse

 Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.     Ruth 4.21-22

I wonder how different our family tree would look if we got to choose who’s on it.

Here in the book of Ruth, we see Jesse quietly perched on his family tree. God placed him between two Bible heroes, Boaz, his grandfather, a man of strong character, and King David, his son, a man after God’s own heart. 

God chooses who comes before and after us. We choose the kind of legacy we will leave the generations that follow, whether our family's or others'. In Steve Green’s words,  ‘May all who come behind us find us faithful’.

A legacy does not just involve material wealth. Timothy’s grandmother Lois left him a legacy of faith, (2 Timothy 11.5) which is ‘of greater worth than gold.’ (1 Peter 1.7) Proverbs talks of leaving a legacy of wisdom and righteousness. (Proverbs 8.20, 14.26)

Boaz left a legacy of kindness and integrity to his grandson Jesse. (Ruth 4)

Jesse left a legacy of hard work to his eight sons, including David the future king. 

A spiritual legacy is ‘an enormous value to the next generation....a priceless ‘imprint on the future.’’ Brian Dodd

Father, thank You for being with us and with those You’ve chosen to come before and after us. Help us live godly lives that will become a ‘heritage of faithfulness’ to pass on. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.   Psalm 71.18

Hope

 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong.    Hebrews 6.19

What does this verse have to do with Christmas?

At first glance, the answer appears to be nothing.

But this verse has everything to do with a promise God made to Abraham four thousand years ago. God promised to give him a land of his own, and he promised him a nation of descendants. He also promised that through Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12.1-3) From this stupendous promise came the nation of Israel and (2000 years later) the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate ‘seed of Abraham.’

Look at the first verse of the New Testament,

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Matthew 1.1

Starting with a genealogy doesn’t sound very hopeful. After all, Matthew contains all those ‘begats’ we like to skip over because the names are unfamiliar and hard to pronounce.

But that’s a mistake.

If you study the list, you soon discover that it reads like a rogue's gallery.

There is Abraham who lied about his wife (twice),

Isaac who lied about Rebekah,

Jacob who was a congenital cheater,

Judah who slept with his daughter-in-law (thinking she was a shrine prostitute),

David who committed adultery and murder,

Solomon who had hundreds of wives,

And then there is Manasseh, a man whose name is synonymous with evil.

He was so wicked that he sacrificed the children of Judah to the pagan deities.

The list also mentions four women, Tamar slept with Judah, Rahab the harlot, Ruth who was a Moabitess, and Bathsheba who committed adultery with David. Three are Gentiles. Three are involved in prostitution. One is an adulteress. All four are in the line that leads to Jesus Christ!

In the end, the only name in the genealogy that matters is Jesus. Everything that happened before was meant to lead to him. God orchestrated centuries of history to bring His Son to the world at just the right moment.

That’s the good news of Christmas.

Is there hope in the world? Yes! Hope shines from the manger. If we want that hope to invade our lives, we must come to Bethlehem and now before the newborn King.

If you have a messed up past, you can still be part of God’s forever family. Reach out to Jesus, and you will find He has already reached out to you.

Father, You are a promise-keeping God. Thank you for making promises to the undeserving because that includes me. Thank you for everlasting hope that death cannot destroy. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Boaz

 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”   Ruth 3.9

Crossing the field, Boaz suddenly shifted his gaze from his foreman to a woman gleaning in the distance. 

Noting her difference, Boaz cocked his ear as his servant connected the stories of the hardworking woman. This was Ruth the Moabite. Impressed? He was more than impressed. Though an outsider, Ruth proved herself compassionate, humble, courageous, and loyal in caring for Naomi, her mother-in-law. Finding Israel’s God to be the true God, Ruth trusted Him for her own. The connection made, Boaz covered her with his provision and protection but soon discovered a greater need. As the harvest night neared its end, Ruth’s voice trembled as she asked Boaz to be her redeemer. 

His mind raced as he thought of her request. Seeking God’s guidance, Boaz knew He would be with him in these moments. Already aware of his desire to redeem Ruth, Boaz knew a closer relative had the right. Would this man take the risk, pay the price? Hardly waiting for the day to dawn, Boaz presented the redemption need, the other found the risk too great leaving Boaz to win the honour. Through his selfless act of love, Boaz met Ruth’s greatest need as her redeemer. Their story is just a part of a greater redemption story, yours and mine.

Our greatest need is a Redeemer. When we are separated from a holy God because of sin, the punishment for sin is death. Because of His great love, God sent His Son, Jesus, who became man and took all sin upon Himself. He paid our penalty through His death on the cross. With acknowledgment of sin and acceptance of God’s gracious gift of salvation, each person is redeemed, possessing an eternal hope and inheritance. By securing our redemption, Jesus made a way for us to be with the Father. Just as God was with Boaz in his act of redemption, God is with you as your Redeemer.

Lord, my greatest need was filled because of Your greatest love. Thank You for sending Your Son to die in my place, providing eternal security with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.     Romans 5.8

Glory

 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”     Luke 2.14

How many times have we heard those words?

How many times have we seen them printed on Christmas cards?

How many times have we repeated them?

These words contain three promises that are directly connected with the coming of Christ to the earth, 

1. Glory to God in the Highest. 

2. Peace on Earth

3. Goodwill toward Men. 

Unfortunately, it’s hard to find ‘peace on earth’ and ‘goodwill among men' nowadays. If you want to know what’s wrong with the world, look in the mirror. The problem is you, the problem is me, the problem is all of us together. 

There is no peace on earth because we are not peace-loving people. We are filled with anger, hate, lust, and greed. 

We were made for glory, but our glory faded a long time ago. First, we disobeyed, then we died on the inside, then we started dying on the outside, then we turned to our own devices, then we said, ‘God, we don’t need you at all. Leave us alone!’ And we wonder why the world is the way it is. Look in the mirror. ‘We have met the enemy, and he is us.’

Is there such a thing as peace on earth? The answer is Yes. But the peace Jesus brings is not won around a conference table or at the point of a bayonet. His peace goes from heart to heart to heart.  

The angels’ message is true. There is such a thing as peace on earth and goodwill toward men. It comes when Jesus Christ comes into a life.  

Is it possible to have his peace at Christmastime? Yes, it is. 

When Jesus enters your life, He will remove the hatred and bitterness, and He will redeem the hurts of the past.  

My prayer for you at Christmastime is that you might experience the peace that Jesus brings. 

The glory of God shines forth from that manger in Bethlehem. 

His glory still shines today. 

One day His glory will fill the earth. 

Lord, come and fill us because we are empty without You. Shine through us and fill this dark world with Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Salmon

 Nahshon was  the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz.   1 Chronicles 2.11 

Salmon had a role in the ancestry of King David and Jesus and was the father of Boaz.

Although little is said of him in the Scriptures, Salmon was a link in the chain to fulfil the promise. We often search for significance in our titles and roles, but this simple line referencing Salmon reminds us our worth is in our connection to Christ. Our role can seem but hold great significance in the kingdom. After all, have you heard of Salmon? We may feel our roles are insignificant and people may not have of us, but through us will they hear of and know Jesus?

Salmon's small reference shows that our significance isn’t measured by the size of our influence but by our faithfulness to God. We are called to serve God where we are, finding value in every season and role even if it is a simple one. Let’s be encouraged that as the seasons of life and our roles change, we can cling to God and be steadfast that our impact for the kingdom never wavers and our significance is not found in how big or small our influence. 

This simple mention of Salmon could remind us of the importance of the small, the significance of the simple, and the sweetness of being the mother, father, or spouse of, because that role for Salmon helped bring about our greatest gift. 

Jesus, help us to find our significance in You and not in our roles and accomplishments. Remind us that even the smallest acts of faithfulness can have a great impact in Your kingdom. Grant us peace and assurance in every season of life, knowing that our value comes from our connection to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that  you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is  the Lord Christ you are serving.    Colossians 3.23-24 

Fullness

 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” Galatians 4.4

 

The word ‘fullness’ speaks of something complete and fully developed, like a ripe apple ready to be picked or like a pregnant woman feeling labour pains, ready to deliver her baby. It describes the moment in history when the stage was perfectly set. At that moment,  not earlier and not later, God sent forth His Son.

Think of how unlikely it all seems,

A decree from Caesar Augustus.

An angel appears to Mary.

A virgin becomes pregnant.

An angel comes to Joseph in a dream.

A baby called Immanuel.

A mysterious star in the east.

Wise Men showing up in Jerusalem.

Angels appearing to shepherds.

A trip to Bethlehem.

No room in the Inn.

A stable that was available.

A babe wrapped in rags and placed in a feeding trough.

A star that led the Wise Men to the right house in Bethlehem.

Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

A dying king who tried to kill the baby.

A desperate journey to Egypt.

 

None of it happened by chance.  A pagan emperor issued a decree at just the right moment in history,  when the Pax Romana was in full force and the world was yearning restlessly for deliverance. Angels showed up to a young man and a young woman who believed what they said. When the virgin became pregnant, Joseph decided not to divorce her. A star began to shine in the east that led the Wise Men to travel hundreds of miles seeking the baby. All of it finally focused on a stable outside an inn in the ‘little town of Bethlehem,’ where the most incredible event in history took place.

C. S. Lewis says it this way, ‘The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares the way for this, or results from this.

Sometimes we focus on peripheral questions (how did Jesus turn water into wine?) that distract us from the central truth of our faith. We believe God became a man.

The Creator became part of the creation.

The infinite became finite.

Almighty God took on the form of a man and was born as a tiny baby.

 

This is the central truth of our faith.

When everything was just right  God sent His Son to be our Saviour. That’s what Christmas is all about.

 

Lord, thank You for arranging all the details centuries in advance. You set the stage, then Christ was born. Open our eyes so that we may see Him clearly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.