Perez

 But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez.   Genesis 38.29

When was the last time you were surprised?

This is how the midwife and Tamar felt at the birth of Perez. He wasn’t expected to be the firstborn. Zerah, Perez’s twin brother, had the red cord tied around his wrist when his hand appeared first during birth. But, plot twist, Zerah pulled his hand back in, and then, unexpectedly, Perez made his entrance to the world before his brother.

I can’t even imagine being Tamar during this unexpected labour. Childbirth is scary and painful enough without your babies playing switcheroo. But God was with Perez in this unexpected situation, and Perez carried a reminder of that in his legacy and name, ‘he who bursts forth.’

God is with us in unexpected situations. The unexpected comes in both blessings and challenges. Sometimes they are both, and God is with us in it all. We need only to seek and ask Him to find Him. 

Father, unexpected things happen, and You are with me. Help me to trust and remember that nothing is unexpected to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.    Ephesians 3.20 

East

 “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?’”   Matthew 2.1-2

A great mystery surrounds the Magi.

Who are they?

Where do they come from?

The term ‘Magi’ refers to a special class of priests in the Persian Empire. We know from other sources that the Magi had existed for hundreds of years before the time of Christ. They had their own religion, their own priesthood, and their own writings. It appears from the book of Daniel that they existed in his day, and it seems Daniel was appointed head over the cast of the Magi in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel 5.11)

Who were they? They were the professors and philosophers of their day. They were brilliant and highly educated scholars trained in medicine, history, religion, prophecy and astronomy. They were also trained in what we would call astrology. 

These influential leaders served as advisors to the king. It would not be wrong to call them kingmakers because they functioned as political advisors to the Persian rulers.

Finally, they were highly educated men who thought deeply about life, and consequently, it is perfectly legitimate to call them ‘Wise Men'.

We know the Jews and Persians had intermingled for at least 500 years. It seems that they considered Daniel (who was Jewish) as one of their own. Since the time of Daniel, the Persians had known of the Jewish expectation of a Messiah. It is possible that they even knew from the prophecy of the ’70 weeks' in Daniel 9 the approximate time of his coming. What they did not know was the exact time. When they saw the star, they knew the time had come.

Think of how many barriers they had to cross to get to Jesus. There was a culture barrier, a distance barrier, a language barrier, a racial barrier, a religious barrier, not to speak of a hostile king and indifferent religious leaders. It wasn’t easy for them to find Jesus, but they did.

If they found Him, then so can you.

Lord Jesus, grant us the zeal of the Wise Men first to find You and then to tell others where they can find you too. In Jesus' name, Amen

Judah

 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come, and the obedience of the nations shall be his.    Genesis 49.10 

Jealousy, hatred, and a murderous plot stained the heart of Judah.

Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, was detested by Judah and his brothers. Their jealousy for the love of their father corrupted their minds and scarred their hearts. Hatred fueled the flames of destruction their envy could not resist. As these brothers plotted the death of their brother, God intervened. Judah’s desire to profit financially influenced the brothers to sell Joseph into slavery and cover their wickedness with a bloody lie. Little did Judah know the plan they devised for evil was part of God’s sovereign plan for good and his own survival.

God has a purpose for our lives. While Judah was plotting to kill his brother, God was planning the lineage of the Messiah. Judah was one of many sinful people God used to fulfil His purpose for salvation. Like Judah, we need to recognise our sin, repent, and humble ourselves before the Lord. Our past does not determine our future. God used Judah and his flaws to bring our Messiah. God invites us to surrender ourselves and partner with Him in His beautiful and divine purpose.

Father, thank You for inviting me on a journey of surrender and hope. I ask You to show me what I need to lay down at the cross to partner in Your purpose for my life. In Jesus' name, Amen

Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’   Revelation 5.5 

Dwelt

 The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us     John 1.14

‘Dwelt’ is an unusual word. It means to live among. One version uses the phrase ‘moved into the neighbourhood.’

Everything starts with this fact, that Christ was in the world. He left heaven for a remote village in a forgotten province, to join a despised race, to be born of an obscure teenage peasant girl in a stable, wrapped in rags, placed in a feeding trough instead of a crib.

He was one of us and walked among us. 

God himself came down and entered the human race. He moved into the neighbourhood and became just like us so that we could hear him saying, ‘I love you’.

Theologians use a particular word to talk about this. They call the birth of Christ the ‘incarnation’. That word means God came to earth and shared our humanity. 

The infinite became finite.

The immortal became mortal.

The Creator became the created.

The omnipotent lived inside a young girl’s womb.

The Almighty became a helpless baby.

The Deity was wrapped in rags.

The King of the Universe was born in a stable.

As Martin Luther put it, ‘He whom the worlds could not enwrap yonder lies in Mary’s lap.’

Read the New Testament again. Instead of flash and splash, there is a frightened father, an exhausted mother, a dirty stable in wintertime, rags for nappies, and a feeding trough. There he is, ignored by the world, a tiny, helpless baby. Immanuel, God with us. 

It’s so simple you know it must be true. Only God would have done it that way. 

One of the verses of a famous Christmas carol says it very well, 

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity. 

Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark, the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born King.’

Jesus moved into our neighbourhood. Have you met your new neighbour yet?

Lord Jesus, we are glad you moved into our neighbourhood. If you had stayed in heaven, we would never have met you. Thank you for making us part of your forever family. In Jesus' name, Amen

Jacob

 Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.    Genesis 28.16

When was the last time you had an encounter with God?

In the ancient land of Canaan lived a man named Jacob. He was the younger twin of Esau, whose birthright Jacob stole. While running for fear of retaliation, Jacob powerfully encountered God in a dream. Even in his running, God was with him.

His story is woven into the tapestry of biblical history through the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary about the baby she would carry. She was told her son would rule over the house of Jacob and its descendants. (Luke 1.29-33)

The story of Jacob reminds us God is faithful to His promises,  and there are so many of them in Scripture. 

Jacob’s story reminds us there are no perfect people.  He was a liar, runner, and cheater. But like God knows you, He knew Jacob. Just as God forgave Jacob, God will forgive you and bless you for His purposes. God knows who you are and has not forgotten you. He has a plan for your life, wants you to seek Him and be obedient to Him no matter the circumstance. When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate not only what took place in Bethlehem. We celebrate God’s plan, which started in Eden, flowed through Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob, and Jesus, and never ends!

God, You are always present and aware of my joys and sorrows. Help me to trust You more. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

Circumcised

 “At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb”     Luke 2.21

This may be the most forgotten verse in the Christmas story. But there is something here we need to notice. 

The baby was circumcised and officially given the name Jesus on the eighth day after his birth. 

What would it cost Jesus to provide for our salvation? He paid for our sins with the price of His own blood. Here is the vital connection. Jesus is just one week old, and already He enters into the pain of human existence. Eight days old and His blood is already being shed.

Joseph probably performed the circumcision himself. If that is true, then it is also symbolic. Jesus begins His life by shedding His own blood at the hand of His Father. Those few drops of blood point to the bloody way His life will end. The infant’s cradle is tinged with a crimson reflection from the Redeemer’s cross. 

A Christmas play asks the question, ‘What did Joseph do the day after Christ was born?’ We assume he helped with Mary and the baby, making things as comfortable as he could. But what about the next day? The play imagines that since Joseph is a carpenter, he begins making a crib for Jesus. As he does, he recalls the celebration the shepherds and says to himself, ‘If they treated Him like this when He was just a baby, how will they treat him when they find out he is the Son of God?’ At that exact moment in the play, the lights suddenly go off, and all you can hear is a hammer hitting wood as a spotlight splashes its beams on a bloody cross.

A contemporary Christmas card capture this well. A baby’s footprint appears on the cover with the words, ‘Unto you is born this day A Saviour.” When you open the card, the phrase, ‘Which is Christ the Lord,’ is superimposed over a grown man’s handprint, complete with a bloody hole in the palm.

There is a direct line from His birth to his circumcision to the cross. Circumcision foreshadows the blood He will shed for the sins of the world. 

How far is God willing to go? We can’t even imagine the answer to that question. There is no pit so deep that the love of God is not deeper still. At Christmas, we don’t celebrate the birth of some aloof God who stands afar off. No, we celebrate the birth of Immanuel, God with us.

How far is God willing to go? Whatever pit you’re in, God is willing to enter that pit and meet you there. That’s what He did 2000 years ago.

Almighty God, You did not spare Yourself from anything. You came all the way to the bottom because that’s where we were. Thank You for Jesus Christ, whose blood has set us free. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Isaac

 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”    Genesis 22.7

Questions raced through Isaac’s mind as he climbed Mount Moriah with his father, who assured him God would provide the lamb. When Abraham began binding Isaac, chills ran down the young man’s back. As a teenager, Isaac could have overpowered his aged father, but Isaac was obedient. Besides, he couldn’t die. God had promised many descendants to him.

Abraham laid Isaac on the wood and raised his knife. 

Suddenly, Abraham seemed distracted. Isaac sighed with relief. Something was rustling in the thicket behind them. It was the ram God provided. With joy, father and son offered it to God.

And Abraham called the name of the place, The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”    Genesis 22.14

God was with Isaac when his father was commanded to sacrifice him. Abraham heard the sound of a ram caught up in the thicket, unable to free itself. This became the substitute offering in the place of Isaac. 

God is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. 

You may have a need in your life God has not met. Don’t allow the waiting to shake your faith. God will provide for you as He did as He did for Issac. God meets the needs of His children in His own timing. 

Father, I know You are my Provider, but I get impatient waiting. I lift these needs to You again today, and I trust You to do what’s best in my life. In Jesus’s name, Amen 

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.      Philippians 4.19