Category: Devotions

Did you see it?

I don’t understand astronomy but I do like looking up into the sky, especially a clear African one.

Monday 21^st 2020 was the night when the planets Jupiter and Saturn came together to form what we have called the Christmas Star of 2020. It’s the closest that these 2 planets have got together for 800 years and if you missed it then just hang around as they will do it again around the year 2080!

Social media was alive with opinions about this being the same conjunction of planets the Magi saw, the star of Bethlehem. In the 17^th century a German astronomer, Johannes Kepler recorded that this same conjunction appeared in June, August and December in 7BC. Was it the same one the Magi saw?

Matthew chose in his gospel to include the story of the Arabian astronomers. That story included this Star of Bethlehem.

 “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.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him…Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. (Matthew 2: 1-3, 7-10)

To Matthew’s readers they would be fully aware of the commonly held views that the skies heralded the birth of a hero. A quick search in the history books reveal how certain stars and comets announced the death and the birth of new emperors and kings. This is probably one of the reasons why Herod was so afraid.

The prophecy of Balaam was definitely known to Matthew. “‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.” (Numbers 24:17)

Interestingly, the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy which was partly based on the gospel of Thomas and not included in the Biblical canon has this in verse 7: “And in the same hour there appeared to them an angel in the form of that star which had before guided them on their journey; and they went away, following the guidance of its light, until they arrived in their own country.”

This passage is not in the Bible, but the thought is.

Throughout the Old Testament there are references to angels being stars. Even Jesus refers to himself as the Morning Star in Revelation.

Matthew says this is a moving star that the Magi saw. That’s what made it different to what we saw on Monday 21^st.

Could it have been an angel?

One day we will know.

But Matthew records how God broke into His own order and the Magi saw it and this heavenly brilliance spoke to them of the entry of a king into the world. The King of the Jews at that time was afraid when he heard the gossip on the streets of Jerusalem. He was afraid of being usurped from anything from the east. He knows he is not the true King of the Jews, Rome had placed him there. His safety is in the west, his paranoia is in the east. Secretly he deceives the Magi. He pretends to be a worshipper.

The Magi was seeking the King. Herod was opposing the King and the Jewish priests which we will read, were ignoring the King.

As they started toward Bethlehem, they saw the miraculous star again and it led them to the place where Jesus was. Bethlehem a quiet little town, 6 miles south of Jerusalem, not a place for a King to be born and yet that is where God was.

Let us today make sure we are open to God’s interventions in our lives and that we follow His lead even if others rubbish or want to kill off our dreams.

Luke chose the story of the shepherds and for Matthew he chose the Magi. Why?

They were both unexpected guests.

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magifrom 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 v 1-2)

Almost 50 years ago a four-year (1972-75) investigation into the Mahd adh Dhahab (Cradle of Gold) mine, located midway between Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia, led scientists to believe it was the principle mine for King Solomon’s gold and known as the mysterious place of Ophir (1 Kings 9:28).

Matthew will write as we know that the Magi carried gold, frankincense and myrrh with them to Jerusalem.

In AD160, Justin Martyr (a Palestinian Christian writer) wrote that the wise men hailed from Arabia. Confirming what Martyr wrote, in what is simply a brilliant book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey writes, “In the 1920s a British scholar, E.F.F. Bishop, visited a Bedouin tribe in Jordan. This Muslim tribe bore the Arabic name al-Kokabani. The word kokab means “planet” and al-Kaokabani means “Those who study/follow the planets.” Bishop asked the elders of the tribe why they called themselves by such a name. They replied that it was because their ancestors followed the planets and travelled west to Palestine to show honour to the great prophet Jesus when he was born.

It might seem more than unexpected that ancestors of Muslims are bowing down to worship the Christ-child but let us be reminded that there is a day coming when Christ will return and “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11) Christian, Jew, Muslim, will bow the knee.

The gospel writers were more than familiar with this prophecy:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Who is this ‘you and your’? Is this Jerusalem, the city of God?

^“Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.” (Isaiah 60: 5-6)

Midian and Ephah are tribal lands in northern Arabia, Sheba is in southern Arabia and where the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon with her gold.

^“All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple” (Isaiah 60:7)

Shepherds are now involved. Why? Why are people coming from far away and very near? Who will receive these people?

“Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favour I will show you compassion. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—their kings led in triumphal procession.” (Isaiah 60:10-11)

Isaiah is thinking about Jerusalem and the wonderful things that would happen in the future. Yet by the time of the birth of Christ they had not happened. These things had never taken place in Jerusalem. There was no great shining light in the city. Nor did wealthy Arabs come with gold and frankincense. Jerusalem’s gates were never open during the day and night because of security.

So why did Luke tell the shepherds story and Matthew the Magi story?

It is because they saw Isaiah’s prophecy, not speaking of Jerusalem, but the Christ-child.

Around Christ there was a great light and the glory of the Lord came. Shepherds visited the Christ-child.

Arab wise men came on camels bringing gold and frankincense (and myrrh).

The great hopes for Jerusalem were transferred to the Christ-child.

Hopes and expectations are now fulfilled in Jesus.

But it also has a future hope.

It is not the earthly Jerusalem that is of major significance, but the heavenly one that will come down as a gift from God when Christ returns.

And what does this mean for us?

When Christ was born he had unexpected guests. We see them as unexpected but from heavens view they were spoken of centuries ago. Always leave room within your faith for the unexpected divinely sent people and events to still occur.

Above all make sure your knee is bended towards Jesus for one day you will join Jew and Muslim who will do the same.

The 12^th day of Christmas, January 6^th, will be Epiphany, celebrated in the Western Church for the time when the Magi came and worshipped Jesus. Magi who were anything but Jews and who signified that Jesus has come not just for the Chosen people but for the whole world.

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magifrom 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 v 1-2)

Of all the times to come into His world, God chooses the worst time of all.

Born during the time of a King of the Jews who was not a Jew. He was from a mixed marriage, his mother was an Arab and the Jews welcomed his initial building projects but despised him as he continued to rule them.

Born during the time of a murderer of 2 of his sons, nearly all his wives and his father in law which led Caesar to say it was safer to be Herod’s pig (hus in Greek) than his son (huios).

Born during the time of one of the most wicked, self-absorbed, ambitious, and jealous rulers (even to the point of deciding to massacre innocent children).  

This was not bad timing. This was not a terrible coincidence. God chose to come during this time.

It matters not how dark the world can get nor who controls our lives, whether you feel oppressed, pushed back, anxious for your future, God has come.

In the midst of fear from the threats of man and the lies and manipulation of selfish people, God has come.

Born. A new beginning. Hope rising. Light dawning. An opportunity is here.

This year has been tough for you. You must welcome the Christ-child. He is here.

“And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1 v 25)

Saviour.

Why?

Because he will save his people from their sins.

As you worship God today and call on the name Jesus you are calling on the one who saves you from sin.

It was the most common name at the time, there were many with that name. Their parents all hoping their son would be the true Messiah perhaps.

It is incredible that God would choose such an ordinary name or a name that had been used by the many.

The truth was no one could save the people from Roman oppression.
No one could save the people from burdensome religious laws and duties.
Not one person could save.
Except Jesus. This Jesus. The Incarnated, virgin-born, Jesus.
It would be difficult perhaps to look at the Christ-child and see a Saviour. A baby does offer hope and a future but no one knows its true potential.
People still struggle to see the Saviour in this season.
How can this Jesus save me?
But just as in that first Christmas in order to see a Saviour one had to bow down and worship, in surrender and by faith to say, “I believe you are the Saviour, you are my Saviour.”
Nothing has changed. We still need to come that way.
The Saviour is still here. Faith has not gone from the story.

There are many ‘Greats’ in the world. There are many ‘Awesome’ ‘Look At Me’ posts.

Today we don’t have to run to those people or be intimidated by their claims.

We run to Saviour for that is who we need the most.

And we bow down.

We can all dream. But what we do when we wake up is what counts.

^“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son.” (Matthew 1 v 24-25)

Joseph doesn’t get a lot of mentions in the gospels. Matthew will speak of him in the next chapter and again it is because he has a dream. Joseph seems to receive lots of directions through dreams. But the important thing is he carries out those directions once he wakes up.

Can you imagine how life would be for him and Mary before the son was born? God has burst into their life and changed it forever. Their marriage is unlike any other. He has to learn so many things.

But the story has one vital detail. Joseph got out of the way of the miracle. “… he did not consummate their marriage until …” If this is going to happen then it will be totally without him.

However, he became the adopted father for the child. He risked the difficulties that were before him perhaps the dangers. Maybe those early years were not easy for him, is he really Joseph’s? Conceived out of wedlock? What must their family be thinking? Maybe the gossipers were always before them. People always talk about people.

The point is this: the dream can be perfect but the outworking of that needs courage.

May God give you the courage to be what you need to be so that the dream happens.

Christmas was in the making a long time before it happened.
The story was planned, prepared and told to man before Christ came to man.

David in Psalm 2:7 prophesied that Jesus is the Son of God
That was 1,000 years before Christmas.

Hosea 11:1 Jesus spending a season in Egypt
That was 750 years before Christmas.

Micah 5:2 Jesus born in Bethlehem
That was 730 years before Christmas.

Isaiah 7:14 Jesus born to a virgin yet Immanuel
Isaiah 9:1-2 Jesus a light to the Gentiles
Isaiah 9:7 Jesus heir of David’s throne
That was 700 years before Christmas.

Zechariah 9:9 Jesus called King.
That was 520 years before Christmas.

We are still in Joseph’s dream. The angel is explaining how Mary is right. Matthew inserts the link back to the prophecy of Isaiah.

“All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” (Matthew 1 v 22-23)

For Matthew’s Jewish readers they know instantly the context of that prophecy. It is set in a tough time. The nation of Judah is under threat. This is the nation that held to the royal line of David, the Messianic line. The threat to Judah was from the northern kingdom, Israel and its ally, Syria. This was an anxious time for everyone in Judah. The prophet Isaiah encourages King Ahaz to remain strong and not be afraid. God will give Ahaz a sign. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 NRSV) The Hebrew word describes a young woman who is assumed to be a virgin and the Greek word used to describe Mary means virgin.

Isaiah says that before the son, Immanuel, grows up those that oppose King Ahaz, the kings of Israel and Syria will be dead. Who was the young woman? Who was the Immanuel that Isaiah was speaking about? Some suggest it might have been his wife and his own son. But was it also Jesus?

All prophetic fulfilment happens in the life of the prophet, or in the future, or in both.

Within Joseph’s dream Matthew is describing to his readers that what happened in the year 740BC when God told Ahaz not to be afraid for God will step into the messy world is now happening again. The Immanuel born in 740BC would die but the one born to Mary is different. The previous Immanuel would save Judah but this Immanuel would save the whole world.

These are definitely tough times that we live in. For many Christmas will be tough this year more than at any other. Seven hundred years before the first Christmas Isaiah saw something which would have a greater fulfilment in Christ. God with us, Immanuel, will come and Matthew’s gospel will tell us he came to save the world through his death but he never stayed dead and he is very much alive today.

Your Christmas may be tough but during these tough days remember Immanuel has come, God’s rescue act, God with us. So dont be anxious even if you live uinder threat as God is with you.

Many have had to make tough decisions this Christmas.

Joseph struggled, painfully so, with a decision he had to make.

He was known for his uncompromising obedience to the Law of Moses.

Mary had been secretly carrying this miraculous conception for some time, for at least 3 months. That’s how long she had stayed with her cousin Elizabeth also pregnant, with John. For 3 months she was away from Joseph. Enough time for anything to happen and for Joseph enough time for her to be outrageously sinful.

Can you imagine that meeting when Mary arrives back into Nazareth?

Mary was telling the truth and Joseph was holding to the truth of the Torah.

When both parties know the truth then the decision becomes so tough.

The marriage was over that’s what he knew. That’s the first decision. Not wanting to risk the public shame and destruction this would bring to Mary who he had loved and still cared for was the second decision. Finding a way to quietly divorce her was the third decision.

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1 v 20-21)

Why did God do it this way? Why didn’t he send angel Gabriel to Joseph in those earlier days also? He could have done. He chose not to and it made things so much more difficult. Why did He wait for Joseph to stressfully work through the decisions? Why didn’t He send the angel sooner?

There are lots of times in our lives when we wonder why God didn’t when He could have done and why He did when He didn’t have to. It feels like God is making life hard for us.

That night, Joseph goes to sleep and in a dream he has an encounter with an angel who tells him basically everything that Mary had told him.

It is during that dream that we discover why Joseph struggled with the tough decisions and it indicates why we do also. It is fear.

Most probably fear of losing his reputation. What will people think?

Most probably fear of letting God down. It wasn’t only what man thought but what would God think of him? He had been known for holding to the Law of Moses. Now he was trapped. Mary needed judgment but how could he be the one to expose her? And if he didn’t expose her then he would not be holding to the Torah.

Fear will prevent us making the right decisions.

Joseph take Mary as your wife, into your home.

Joseph believe what Mary has told you.

Joseph this son is not yours, it is of the Holy Spirit.

Joseph you must act like his father and name him as any parent would.

Joseph you need to believe in this son’s destiny of salvation.

At some point Joseph will wake up from the dream and the tough decisions will have to be made. Anyone can decide within a dream. But it is when we wake we decide faith or fear. What will you decide today?

Have you ever decided to do something that was wrong, incorrect or inappropriate knowing that actually it was the right thing to do in the circumstance?

Confused?

That’s exactly what Joseph did and he was probably a little confused also.

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1 v 18-19)

Joseph was faithful to the Law of Moses and yet … think about these words for a moment.

The Law said, “If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death” (Deuteronomy 22: 23-24)

He decided to break the Law of Moses and divorce Mary quietly. This was wrong. Every Jew would say so. Whatever interpretation of the Law the rabbi’s would hold to at the time of Joseph, one thing was sure, judgment was needed.

Other translations use the word ‘Just’ to describe Joseph’s faithfulness to the Law. But justice for Joseph was more than keeping the Law of Moses.

In one of the four Suffering Servant songs in Isaiah 42 the words are, “A bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.”

In the song, justice is not retributive or keeping the rules but it is compassion for the weak and the exhausted, the downtrodden and the outcast.

His decision to divorce her quietly reveals that His righteousness according the Law of Moses (the rules) would not become a stumbling block to what was the right action.

This ‘justice’ embedded in Joseph’s mind was instrumental to the miracle.

How do we develop such justice?

Joseph made decisions based upon grace. The divorce was the gracious door out of this terrible situation. Grace is the safest place to be. We need more grace.

Joseph’s wisdom knew what to fight for. What he could not understand or accept (miracle conception or a man involved?) he was prepared to dismiss rather than contend. We need more wisdom.

Let’s make sure our rules for life don’t trap us from doing the right thing.

The Bible is a history of God taking ordinary people and doing miracles through them. They weren’t special people but they became special through what God did through them.

God will use people who say YES to Him despite their circumstances saying NO.

 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1: 18-19)

This is how it all came about. What? The most amazing happening God ever did, the incarnation of Christ, happened because of a set of circumstances that were unpleasant, challenging, offensive and dangerous. God took hold of these circumstances of life and used them as tools in his hand. Don’t ignore or rubbish your circumstances. It may look so wrong but it can be so right.

Everything around you can be saying NO, but it is what you say that matters.

Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. It was a 2 year journey leading to the consummation of the marriage. The first year was as important as the second and the woman could only get out of it by a divorce. It was a fixed position. This announcement of a child would leave the circumstance saying NO.

Most women would be delighted to hear news they are pregnant, but not Mary.

What if the Holy Spirit coming upon you turns out to be life-changingly difficult?!

Mary the virgin conceived. Think about that for a moment. This cannot be a God thing. Who is the man?

It can look to others like God is no-where near and not involved with what He has in fact actually caused.

Mary was so available to Him that she was willing for God to seriously mess up her future? Are you? …

It can be difficult when the natural evidence is convincing.

Sometimes the wrong thing in people’s eyes who don’t know the full story is actually the right thing.

So we come to the end of Matthew’s genealogy. Matthew blasts into his gospel with the opening line: this book is about Jesus Christ who is in the line of Abraham. He belongs to our nation. He is one of us. He is also in the line of David. He is on the throne, a King in the royal line of kings.

“… and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” (Matthew 1 v 16-17)

Matthew’s genealogy is accurate but not complete, it was never intended to be that way. He arranges it into three sections of fourteen so that his readers can memorise them. In order for that to happen he omits some and he’s not that concerned if the word ‘fathered’ means ‘descendent of’ the person follows the other eventually and many of the historical Jewish genealogies do the same, this isn’t out of the ordinary.

A long line of kings, all sinful, even Abraham and David, some worse than others and every one of them ordinary.

Then we get to Joseph and Mary and Mathew is really clever here and we need to slow the verse down. We know what is coming and Matthew certainly does and so he sets his readers up by being careful with the grammar.

He could have said and Joseph the father of Jesus. But he doesn’t.

“… and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah”

I’m not an English expert by any means but we can see the difference. Not only does Matthew switch from the father to the Mother, it is Mary who is the biological parent. But one more important thing. “Mary was the mother of Jesus.” In the NKJV it says, “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” The whole genealogy it is the same except in this case. The verb ‘begot’ or ‘fathered’ is in the active tense meaning that Jacob was humanly involved for the birth to happen, without him, Joseph could never have been born. However, the only occasion in Matthew’s genealogy when the verb changes so that the subject is not the person who ‘fathered’ is with Mary. Here Matthew purposely uses the passive voice so that Mary is not the subject but she is acted upon. Clearly this is not Joseph, otherwise Matthew would have said so ‘Joseph fathered Jesus’. So who was it? Mary is clearly the mother but who acted upon her to bring about Jesus? He sets himself up nicely for what will follow next.

And so after a long line of sinful, ordinary people we get to the final ordinary person, not a king, not a man, a woman who would go through an action by someone in order for the King Jesus to be born.

God is still in the business of stepping into our ordinary lives and acting upon them to bring about extraordinary moments and events. May He continue to do so, Amen!