In Gospel of John, there is a classic verse on Incarnation. Perhaps the best verse about Christmas in all the Bible. John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
The Word became flesh: The Word, that's what John calls Jesus because God speaks to us in Jesus. Became flesh, God became a baby, a human baby. The soverign holy God became a baby, it's the most amazing thing the world has ever seen. Like you becoming an earthworm.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us: He saw, knew, talked, walked, ate, and lived among us for thirty years.
And we beheld his glory: Glory! Right word for God! His power, majesty, love, tenderness, forgiveness, greatness, and truth. His glory!
Glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth: That's Jesus, a perfect blend of grace and truth. Love and Justice. Compassion and Holiness. Grace and truth.
John could remember that night; they were on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had stayed back on land, the sea was rough and windy that night. Around 3am a figure appears out above the water. We were terrified, then we heard a voice; "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." It was Jesus. Peter gets all fired up and decides to take a leap of faith and go out to Jesus. He steps out of the boat and for a while he was walking on water, but then he was the wind and started to sink. Jesus grabbed his hand and pulled him up, the wind dies. Who does this? Who walks on water? Who stops the wind? We saw it with our own eyes, we beheld his glory. Glory as of the only begotten from the Father.
One time we were headed into a village and there was a funeral procession. We found out it was a young man, an only son, the mother was a widow and now she was all alone and broken hearted. We watched Jesus go right up to her, the look on his face was full of compassion and tenderness for this woman; and he said "Don't weep." Then Jesus walked over to the coffin and the men carrying it stopped. That's when Jesus said, "Young man, get up!", and he does! The man gets up and starts talking. You should have seen his mother. Everyone else around was like "Whoa! Who is this?" We saw it with our own eyes, we beheld his glory. Glory as of the only begotten from the Father.
There was an early morning teaching, so we were all hangin out in the temple courts. People were hanging on every word that Jesus spoke. Then, a pack of religious types come barging in. They were dragging a poor woman, embarrassed and in tears, filled with shame. They said, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery, what should we do with her?" They were so self-righteous and condescending, they were trying to trap Jesus. But Jesus saw through the whole thing, then he kneels down and begins writing with his finger in the dirt. We never knew what it was, some thought it was the sins of those religious leaders or the ten commandments. Finally he stands up and says "He who is without sin, let him throw the first stone." It was brillant, what could they say, it silenced them. All of them left. Jesus looked at the woman and said "Has no one condemned you?" She said "No one, Lord". Then he says the most amazing thing, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." Life giving words, full of grace and truth. We saw it with our own eyes.
There are so many examples of his glory in the Bible. So many! But the best example of all is when Jesus died on the cross. Think about it: Here's the God of the universe. Perfect, infinite, holy, soverign God; hanging on a cross. Dying for our sin. You should have seen him: so full of grace and truth, compassion yet authority, forgiving yet just. Dying on a cross, and sin was paid in full once and for all. The cross, that was glory. The glory of God, full of grace and truth. We saw it with our own eyes.
That's what John saw with his own eyes.
Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-16)
The story of the Wise men is a much loved story in the Bible. They were men that came from afar, led by a star, came in contact with King Herod, found the baby Jesus, worshiped him and gave gifts, and then went back home avoiding King Herod because of a dream they had. To fully understand the story we need to know: Who was King Herod? and Who were the wise men?
Who was King Herod?
Who was King Herod?
- He is not the same Herod in the gospels, this is Herod the Great.
- He was appointed King by Caesar Augustus at 25 years old. He was King of the Jews, though he was not a Jew and was despised by the Jews.
- One of the great builders of the ancient world: rebuild Solomon's temple, wailing wall still stands, built Fortress of Masada on high cliffs in Israel, and the beautiful city of Caesarea on the coast.
- Wealthy. Powerful. Increasingly paranoid. He killed his favorite wife Mariamne and his two sons because of his paranoia. On one occassion he had 2000 people killed, and in Matthew 2 we see that he kills all male infants in Bethlehem.
- His main concern was: "hold onto the throne" above all else.
Read Matthew 2:1-3. If Herod was disturbed, then everybody else was disturbed too. Similar to "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."
Who were the wise men?
- Scholars, not kings. They were from the East, probably Babylonia. Studied astrology, science, medicine, and religion.
- Worshipers of the one true God. We see this in how they fell down and worshipped the baby Jesus upon seeing him.
- Daniel was considered a "wise man" in Babylonia as well.
- God speaks to them and tells them of a New King, led by a star they traveld 900 miles, 3 months each way, on camel; this trip was very dangerous and expensive.
The whole city is in a uproar as these wise men come into town talking of a "new king". Herod tries to play it cool as he hears the news. Read Matthew 2:3-6. Bethlehem is only a few miles away. Read Matthew 2:7-8. Herod is crafty, cunning, and conniving.
Read Matthew 2:9. God takes the wise men right to the place where baby Jesus was born. Can you imagine the excitement, after 3 long months of travel they are finally there and can see the New King! Read Matthew 2:10-11. Quietly, reverently, with hearts aflame inside they bow down before the baby who is none other than God incarnate, God in the flesh, Savior of the world, the hope of all mankind. The wise men fall down and worship this King, they cannot not worship. They give expensive gifts to this new born King, because they want to and considered it a privelege to give to this King. God will give two dreams: wise men and Joseph. Read Matthew 2:12-16.
God is still calling, seeking, searching for worshipers. God is looking for worshipers, not workers. People who love him, passionately, wholeheartedly.
Discussion Questions:
1. Is there any part of you that is similar to King Herod? Paranoid? Fearful? Wanting to "hold onto the throne" of your life?
2. The wise men were true worshipers who listened and obeyed the Lord. What have you been hearing from the Lord lately that you need to obey?
3. What do you think of this quote: "I found a great deal of zeal for God's work; but very little passion for God."
4. God is looking for true, passionate, wholehearted worshipers. Are you in? What areas in your life do you need to change in order to become more of a woshiper?
The Bible (Psalm19:7-11)
The Bible is completely different than any other book, it is alive, it has life in it, it has spiritual power, and it is infused with the presence and power of God.
Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." It is perfect because it is God's book, not a human book. It revives, refreshes, restores, invigorates the soul. Nothing else can do what this book does, no hobby, vacation, get a way, shopping spree, tv show, or book can do what this book does. Psalm 19:7b "The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." Do you need wisdom on.... Decisions? Marriage? Parenting? Relationships? Finances? Ministry? Future? The Bible is the source, it gives us wisdom for all life's complexities.
Psalm 19:8 "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart." If anything, want more wisdom, for that is joy. Joy does not come from things that give short term highs. Real joy wells up from within, it is deep and lasting and comes from God. Psalm 19:8b "The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." The Bible gives us perspective on life. Augustine said: "The Holy Scripture are our letters from home." His word is radiant and gives light to our eyes.
Psalm 19: 9 "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever." Reading through the Bible usually evokes a response of fear and reverance. It endures forever. In our world today there are so many words, some are timely and some are timeless the Bible is both. Read Isaiah 40:8. Psalm 19:9b "The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." In every field of learning, some things we are sure of and other not so sure. The Bible does not change, it is a sure foundation to stand upon. Abraham Lincoln once said "I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."
Psalm 19:10 "They are more precious than gold, than pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." The Lord hits on two things we seem to value in our world today; food and money. Think of all the time and energy we spend on these two things. A wise man or wise woman values this Book and the words that are in it more than money and prizes it more than food.
Psalm 19:11 "By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." In this verse we are warned of danger; of spiritual, emotional, and relational dangers. He tells us to keep his commands, to not hurt ourselves by not following the commands that he has laid out before us. We are warned. However, if we do keep his commands and follow in obedience we will be rewarded. God's hand of favor, blessing, joy, and peace will follow us whereever we go if we obey.
The Bible is a priceless treasure. Take time every day to get alone with God and meet in his word. If you want to be close to God, walk with God, and be one of his intimates you need to do this. Make it a priority above all else.
Discussion Questions:
1. In what ways has God used his word to refresh, restore, or revive your soul?
2. Are you looking for other things to refresh, restore, or revive your soul right now? (kids, marriage, shopping, vacation, etc.)
3. Knowing that the Bible is "trustworthy, and makes wise the simple" where is the first place you go for wisdom? Is it the Bible? Or something/someone else?
4. What does "Fear of the Lord" mean to you? Do you believe you have a healthy fear of the Lord?
5. Do you value the word of God more than "pure gold" or "honey from the comb"?
6. If someone where to look at your life what would they say you prize?
Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." It is perfect because it is God's book, not a human book. It revives, refreshes, restores, invigorates the soul. Nothing else can do what this book does, no hobby, vacation, get a way, shopping spree, tv show, or book can do what this book does. Psalm 19:7b "The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." Do you need wisdom on.... Decisions? Marriage? Parenting? Relationships? Finances? Ministry? Future? The Bible is the source, it gives us wisdom for all life's complexities.
Psalm 19:8 "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart." If anything, want more wisdom, for that is joy. Joy does not come from things that give short term highs. Real joy wells up from within, it is deep and lasting and comes from God. Psalm 19:8b "The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." The Bible gives us perspective on life. Augustine said: "The Holy Scripture are our letters from home." His word is radiant and gives light to our eyes.
Psalm 19: 9 "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever." Reading through the Bible usually evokes a response of fear and reverance. It endures forever. In our world today there are so many words, some are timely and some are timeless the Bible is both. Read Isaiah 40:8. Psalm 19:9b "The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." In every field of learning, some things we are sure of and other not so sure. The Bible does not change, it is a sure foundation to stand upon. Abraham Lincoln once said "I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."
Psalm 19:10 "They are more precious than gold, than pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." The Lord hits on two things we seem to value in our world today; food and money. Think of all the time and energy we spend on these two things. A wise man or wise woman values this Book and the words that are in it more than money and prizes it more than food.
Psalm 19:11 "By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." In this verse we are warned of danger; of spiritual, emotional, and relational dangers. He tells us to keep his commands, to not hurt ourselves by not following the commands that he has laid out before us. We are warned. However, if we do keep his commands and follow in obedience we will be rewarded. God's hand of favor, blessing, joy, and peace will follow us whereever we go if we obey.
The Bible is a priceless treasure. Take time every day to get alone with God and meet in his word. If you want to be close to God, walk with God, and be one of his intimates you need to do this. Make it a priority above all else.
Discussion Questions:
1. In what ways has God used his word to refresh, restore, or revive your soul?
2. Are you looking for other things to refresh, restore, or revive your soul right now? (kids, marriage, shopping, vacation, etc.)
3. Knowing that the Bible is "trustworthy, and makes wise the simple" where is the first place you go for wisdom? Is it the Bible? Or something/someone else?
4. What does "Fear of the Lord" mean to you? Do you believe you have a healthy fear of the Lord?
5. Do you value the word of God more than "pure gold" or "honey from the comb"?
6. If someone where to look at your life what would they say you prize?
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