In less than 8 weeks, on Chrismas day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Please join me every Saturday for the next 8 weeks to think about the coming of our Lord.

We begin our story of the birth of Jesus with a few things that the prophets of the Old Testament said about this remarkable event.

Prophetic perspective is something we often find difficult to understand. Frequently, the prophet who made the declaration did not himself fully grasp why he said something in that particular way. It’s like standing close to a low hill. What do you see? Only the hill in front of you, because it completely blocks your view. What you may not realise is that there’s another hill behind it, and further on a very high mountain. Prophetic perspective means the prophet speaks about the hill in front of him, but in fact he is describing the great mountain far away, often without being aware of it himself.

In the Old Testament we find many places where prophecies about Jesus are given, even though the original statement referred to something entirely different.

Read, for example, what Isaiah said to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: a young woman will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” King Ahaz was very distressed when the Arameans invaded their land. Isaiah reassured him and said he could relax because the Lord would save them. He would give Ahaz a sign that He would indeed deliver him: the young woman who would conceive and give birth. She would call her baby Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” But Isaiah’s declaration reached much further and it was in fact directed at Jesus.

In the next chapter (Isa. 8) the prophet announces judgment over Judah. But then he ends the chapter with wonderful comfort: “But there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress” (v. 23). And he begins chapter 9 with: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” This Light naturally refers to the Messiah who would come 700 years later. But first the exile had to take place and Judah had to suffer for their disobedience.

In verse 6 Isaiah describes this Messiah, saying that a Child is born to us, a Son is given. “He will rule,” Isaiah writes in jubilant excitement, “and He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah continues: “Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom.”

A hundred and fifty years later, while the people groaned under the weight of exile, another prophet writing under the name of Isaiah announced that deliverance had come (Isa. 40:1). He writes about John the Baptist, that someone cries out: “Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness!” Then the Lord gives, among other things, the command that the cities of Judah must be told: “Your God is here!” Yes, He is like a Shepherd who gathers His flock, carries the lambs in His arms and holds them close to His heart (v. 11).

In Isaiah 42 the prophet describes the Messiah as a “Servant”. He will make God’s will known to the nations. But His voice will be gentle, and He will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smouldering wick.

The book of Isaiah is filled with declarations about Jesus. Those mentioned here are only a few.

But Isaiah is not the only prophet who speaks about Jesus. A contemporary of Isaiah, the prophet Micah, also writes about the Messiah who would be born. Micah 5:2 reads: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Hosea 11:1 says that Jesus would go down to Egypt as a child.

Isaiah 53:4 tells of Jesus’ suffering.

Isaiah 11:1 and 10 declare that Jesus comes from the line of Jesse, David’s father.

Isaiah 42:1-4 describes how Jesus would be anointed with the Spirit of God.

Zechariah 9:9 describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.

Psalm 110:1 describes the kingship of Jesus.

Daniel 7:13 describes the coming of Jesus.

Zechariah 11:12 describes Judas’ betrayal for only thirty pieces of silver.

These are merely a few of the many prophecies from the Old Testament that foretell the coming of Jesus, His suffering and His work. Some of them were given as far back as 1000 BC. The chances that all these predictions would come true by mere coincidence are absolutely ZERO!

As believers we don’t need proofs to declare that everything written in the Bible about Jesus is true. Our faith in Him is more than enough. But God’s grace is so great that He strengthens our faith in this wonderful way by showing that everything is absolutely true.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the prophets who obeyed You thousands of years ago, writing about things they themselves often did not understand. Help me today to believe unconditionally.

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In part 2 we see how Luke begins his account of the story of Jesus - with the birth of John, the Baptist.

When we tell our children a story, we begin with: “Once upon a time......” That means that we have no idea when it happened or if it actually happened at all! Luke’s story is not just a fairytale! It is true and he tells us exactly when it happened – it has a definite place in history. It happened while Herod the Great was king over Judea. The main figure in this first pericope is a priest named Zechariah.

Zechariah was a religious leader who was devout and faithful to God’s Law unlike many of the religious leaders Jesus would later encounter. The great difference was that his piety came from his heart. It was a sincere love for God!

Zechariah and Elizabeth had one great sorrow: they were childless – something considered a disgrace in those days. The fact that both were already advanced in years made their plight seem hopeless.

Luke’s begins his story in the Temple in Jerusalem, and his story ends in the same Temple. For the Jews it was where God lived on earth – there He made His presence known among the people in the coming of the Christ. There is another crucial aspect Luke wants to emphasise: the importance and power of prayer. Luke’s story begins with Zechariah serving in the temple while the people outside are praying. Although they could not participate in the priestly acts themselves, they could be part of it through their prayers. Where people pray together, something very dramatic can happen. No, we cannot manipulate God through prayer, but through prayer we realise how dependent we truly are on God. And then we experience His love in its full intensity.

One day Zechariah was chosen to burn incense on the altar. Outside he could hear the people praying. It was an ordinary working day for him. With deep dedication he began his task and placed an incense offering on the altar as he had done for many years. Then suddenly he became aware of a presence that made his hair stand on end – he was not alone in the sanctuary. Someone was standing the right of the altar. Zechariah was terrified as he stared at the stranger in shock. Then the man spoke, and Zechariah immediately knew this was no ordinary person but an angel of the Lord – Gabriel. He is one of the throne-angels who may speak on God’s behalf. This happens only on very exceptional occasions, which is why Zechariah was so afraid.

The angel calmed him and announced that his and Elizabeth’s prayer for a child had been answered. They would have a son in their old age, and this child would occupy a very special place in God’s great plan. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and he would have the task of preparing the way for the Messiah – the Son of God. This child would focus the people’s hearts on God so that they would recognise the Messiah. The Holy Spirit would empower him to be a true prophet of God.

Zechariah shook his head in disbelief. “It’s impossible,” he thought. “How can I know this is true?” he asked the angel. God showed His power by making Zechariah mute.

The humanly impossible happened, and Elizabeth – an elderly woman – fell pregnant. Luke shows here that nothing is impossible for God. His power has no limits. While poor Zechariah could bite his tongue for doubting, Elizabeth rejoiced, for she knew God’s promise was being fulfilled.

Later we read in Luke’s account that John became a great prophet and that he indeed prepared the way for the Messiah thoroughly, despite much opposition. He would lay down his life for this calling.

Miracles did not stop with Zechariah or even with Jesus’ earthly ministry. Day by day I experience God’s incredible miracles in my life. Every day begins with a miracle for me when this devotional is born, because I am not able to write it in my own strength. His fatherly provision in my life is breathtaking – I am totally dependent on Him. I can only praise and thank Him.

Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that You carry me so lovingly every day of my life.

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The Messenger

Luke 1:26-80

VIDEO

Today I want to tell you the story of a young girl named Mary. She was about 15 years old and engaged to Joseph the carpenter. Luke emphasises that Mary was still a virgin. It was very important that a girl remained a virgin until the day she got married.

One day while Mary was working in the house, suddenly an angel appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of her. Of course she got a terrible fright. Then the angel greeted her: “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you,” What had she, a simple girl, done to deserve such great words? What could it possibly mean? Then the angel told her that she would become pregnant!

I can imagine that Mary’s knees went weak. The angel continued and described in detail things her young mind could hardly process. “He will be called the Son of the Most High,” she heard the angel say. Her Son would sit on the throne of His forefather David, and He would reign as King forever!

Mary’s head spun – it was all just far too much for her. “How is this possible? I have never been with a man,” she protested. But the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would bring life within her. Then he told her about her elderly aunt Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant. If such a miracle could happen to her barren aunt, then the miracle unfolding before Mary was surely also possible for God.

And so Mary submitted: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Many years later Mary discovered that what seemed impossible and unreal to her at the time, was absolutely true, down to the last stroke.

From the angel’s words it was crystal clear that Jesus, Mary’s Son, was the Messiah for whom the entire Jewish people had been waiting and longing.

To be pregnant surely stirs a great excitement in every woman. Within hours everyone knows she is expecting. And then there’s that clustering together of all the expectant mothers. All their sensations are shared to the point of weariness with their fellow expectant friends. The clucking and cackling can be worse than a brood of hens! That excitement is only natural, because every pr egnancy is a miracle in itself. A brand-new life is being formed in her womb – a life God has breathed into the tiny unborn child.

For Mary this excitement was even much greater, because not only was she pregnant, but the little life she carried was the Son of God – the long-promised Messiah for whom her people had been yearning. She wanted to broadcast it! She wanted to shout it to the world and she wanted to share it with someone who would feel as she did.

Then a thought struck Mary: “Aunt Elizabeth! She also has a miracle pregnancy like mine – the angel said so himself!” B Bubbling over with excitement, she hurried off to Uncle Zechariah and Aunt Elizabeth’s little house in a small town in the hills of Judea,.

The elderly Elizabeth was startled when she heard a woman’s voice at the door: “Shalom, Aunt Elizabeth!” At that moment the baby leapt and moved in her womb, as if he had heard the voice and was excited about the visitor.

A wonderful feeling welled up in Elizabeth, and suddenly the Lord’s presence was so overwhelming that she could do nothing but burst into a song of praise. Filled with the Holy Spirit she cried out: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

Mary’s mouth fell open: “How did Aunt Elizabeth know what had happened to me?”

Mary was so carried along by Elizabeth’s hymn of praise that she herself burst into a song from deep within her heart: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.” She sang of the great things the Lord had done for her and extolled His holiness. She praised the greatness and power of the Lord and His great mercy.

Mary stayed with her aunt for three months, and I can imagine what their conversations were about. Of course there was much wondering and guessing about the two babies on the way. But nothing on earth could have prepared them for what awaited these two unborn boys. John became a prophet who lived wholeheartedly for God. In the end he was beheaded by Herod, purely to gratify the gruesome whim of his cruel wife! And Jesus? We know the path He had to walk.....

Prayer:
Thank You for this wonderfully inspiring story, Lord. Please cultivate in me the same bubbling excitement about the return of my Lord.

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The Emperor’s Census

Luke 2:1-3

VIDEO

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Luke's story now moves fleetingly to the other side of the world of that time, to the sumptuous city of Rome. He does not linger long there, because it is of less importance. In just two short sentences he sketches the whole situation because everyone in his time knew exactly what it was all about. However, I want to explain because we live in a totally different time.

In the lavish palace of the emperor in Rome, an upset man in an off-white robe and adorned with gold trimmings, impatiently walks up and down while half a dozen officials, also in white robes, are already walking behind him. Suddenly he stops and in the process he almost causes a chain collision of officials. "Yes, I understand that we do not usually do that, but I want to know how many subjects there are in the whole Roman Empire!" He cannot understand why his officials cannot immediately carry out his order!

The officials are very uncomfortable with his brand new fancy, wanting to hold a census throughout the Empire. Does he ever realize what he is asking for? But Augustus is the emperor after all, and no one questions the emperor! “Get Sirenius to organize the thing! After all, he is the governor of Syria, he will make things happen!” ordered August, and with that it was settled. In his "wisdom" Sirenius decides that it would be a brilliant idea if everyone was sent to the hometown of their ancestors for this census, because then everyone who is related to each other is together. It just makes things so much easier!

Now Luke's story shifts to the year 7 BC. The place, the relatively unknown Bethlehem, also known as the city of David, in the Palestinian province of Judea. In a single sentence, Luke tells us that Joseph and his fiancée Mary of Nazareth went to Bethlehem. Sounds simple, just quickly go over there! But it was indeed a gruelling journey across dangerous, inhospitable mountain passes that lasted a full week.

A large crowd flocks into the town. Walking in the long line of people, is Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth and his highly pregnant fiancée, Mary, on a donkey. No one even notices these two simple people.

In just a few short sentences, Luke describes the breathtaking story of the birth of Jesus, as if it were an everyday event.

However, there is much, much more to this story than meets the eye. First the main players. On the one hand, two powerful political figures, the mighty Emperor Augustus and his accomplice Sirenius, governor of Syria. At the other end of the spectrum, we see two ordinary people without any status, Joseph and Mary. Augustus' power was astronomical, and many people even saw him as a kind of god. Joseph was a simple carpenter and the status of the young girl Mary was completely meaningless.

Augustus announces a worldwide census. It was an unusual order of astronomical magnitude. Such a census was completely unheard of because the logistical problems surrounding such an action were simply too great. To make things easier, every resident had to go to his hometown, something that meant a total disruption of society.

Despite the scale of Augustus's operation, the event has completely disappeared into oblivion, and even in the annals of history it is not even mentioned. The parallel event, the birth of the baby of two virtually unknown people in the unimportant hamlet of Bethlehem, is considered the greatest event of all time.

Why?

The answer, in short, is that it is all the work of God.

The fact is that God used Emperor Augustus to make this unusual thing happen, because otherwise Joseph would never, ever have taken Mary to Bethlehem in her condition. Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem, the City of David, so that everyone would realize that He is the long-awaited Messiah, the descendant of David.

Secondly, it was also very important that He should be born in a stable, and that His first bed should be a manger from which animals eat. In this way, He would already at birth begin the path of suffering that would eventually lead to acquittal and redemption. Hence the census and also the horde of people so that there would be no place for them anywhere else but in a dirty stable. Absolute Divine intervention!

Many people want to explain these things by saying that it was a wonderful confluence of circumstances. No! The whole event was meticulously planned by God to work out to the second and the exact, right place. Elsewhere we see that even the stars and planets responded exactly right according to God's command.

We often stare blindly at the Child in the manger, forgetting to see the bigger picture, how Almighty God made everything happen as He planned it. To make it even clearer to us as human beings, He had these things recorded in Scripture by His prophets, hundreds of years before they took place. Before such a God we can only fall into worship.

Prayer:

Lord, this morning we stand in awe of Your omnipotence. We praise and glorify Your great Name.

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No Room for Jesus

Luke 2:1-7

VIDEO

A worried and very upset Joseph saddled the donkey early that morning. Upset because he and his very young bride had to dance to the Emperor’s tune at such a critical time. And deeply anxious, because under the best of circumstances this was not an easy journey. It was made worse by Mary’s condition. She was nine months pregnant, and her special Baby could make His appearance at any moment. What if the Baby was born while they were in Bethlehem? Or worse still, while they were on the road to Bethlehem? It would be a disaster!

It was still pitch dark when he lifted his fragile bride onto the donkey. Fortunately they weren’t the only ones from Nazareth travelling in that direction. For safety and company they set off with about a dozen families.

Joseph would much rather have taken the shortcut through Samaria, because it was far safer and certainly less exhausting. But his fellow-travellers flatly refused. Through the land of the detested Samaritans, they definitely would not travel! What if they came into contact with unclean Samaritans! Then they would be unclean too! No, they would rather take the long detour down the Jordan Valley and face the terrible mountains up to Jerusalem than risk bumping into a Samaritan.

The first leg wasn’t too hard. It took them down a valley all the way from Nazareth to the Jordan Valley, just south of the Sea of Galilee. There they had to spend the first night on the riverbank. Early on the second morning they crossed the Jordan and now travelled along the eastern side of the river towards the Dead Sea. Somewhere in modern-day Jordan they set up camp for the second night.

Day three was still an easy stint. It took them to the lowest city on earth, Jericho, where they crossed the Jordan again towards Jerusalem. Joseph couldn’t help thinking of the day when God brought down the walls of Jericho. To this day those impenetrable walls have never been rebuilt. Joshua had said that anyone who dared rebuild Jericho’s walls would be cursed!

At the same time Joseph couldn’t help staring anxiously at the inhospitable mountains looming behind Jericho. Those mountains had to be crossed the next day to reach Bethlehem.

It was still pitch dark the next morning when the group tackled the final leg. At first light they were already struggling up the foothills. The road was terribly rough, and the donkey stumbled again and again. Joseph’s nerves were stretched to breaking point. If the donkey were to fall now with Mary... he didn’t even want to think about the consequences!

Hour after hour the group pushed on - up, up, up - from the lowest city on earth to Jerusalem on the mountain ridge. Bethlehem is not far from the great city.

The road was dangerous, and it was terribly hot. There wasn’t the faintest hint of shade or any greenery - only rocks and dust. What’s more, this stretch was notorious for robbers waiting behind the rocks for unwary travellers.

“Tonight we’ll sleep in a soft bed somewhere in a cosy inn,” Joseph sang, while Mary clenched her teeth through the bitter discomfort. The journey was almost over!

At last the walls of Bethlehem came into view. But then Joseph’s heart sank when he saw how this sleepy village had been flooded by thousands of people. “Where are they all staying?” he wondered anxiously.

And his concern was not unfounded, because when they began looking for accommodation, they were turned away at every inn and guesthouse. “Sorry mate, everything’s packed to the rafters. You won’t find a place anywhere - every little nook is already stuffed full.” And it didn’t help in the least when they saw Mary on the donkey - that spelled big trouble. Who wanted a young woman in your house if she might go into labour that very night?

At last someone took pity on Mary. The husband had already turned them away when his wife stuck her head out the door and saw the poor girl already showing all the signs that her baby was on the way. “I’m so sorry, but our house is jam-packed. If you don’t mind the smell... there’s room in the stable. No one else wants to sleep there!”

Gratefully Joseph accepted the offer. He hurried Mary down to the filthy, stinking stable. He made her a comfortable bed on a pile of clean hay, and then unpacked the donkey.

An hour or two later Mary knew that the night had come in which her special Baby would be born. Her labour pains had begun, and she was very afraid of what lay ahead. “Thank You, Lord,” Joseph murmured, “You have brought us here in time!”

God’s timing is perfect. His planning is perfect.

Prayer:
Lord, today I realise once again that we worship a God who planned everything perfectly - You have planned my life in just that way too.

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Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-12

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When one hears the words “Bethlehem star”, your heart gives a little leap, because it stirs childhood memories - a Christmas play in which you once took part. But it also grips the imagination as you try to picture three wise men following a star. How is that possible? By the way, the idea that there were three wise men is a myth - nowhere does the Bible say so. We simply drew our own conclusions!

Matthew’s account goes far deeper than a star and wise men. The story is full of striking contrasts - these men first meet a false king (Herod) in his luxurious palace, surrounded by his advisers. And then, a little later, they meet the true King (Jesus) in the simplicity of a stable where it certainly didn’t smell pleasant. Herod, under false pretences, speaks piously - he supposedly wants to pay homage to the new King, but in fact he is trying to find out where Jesus is so that he can eliminate Him! On the other side stands God, who sends His Son out of love, not to condemn but to save from death.

The heart of the story is the wise men who come to honour Jesus, the Son of God. Is it not ironic that God uses pagan magi to bring homage, while the Jewish scribes and religious leaders as wele as King Herod want to kill Jesus.

But who were these “wise men”, and how did they manage to follow a star? They were stargazers from somewhere in the East. We can only surmise, but they were likely from Persia (modern day Iran). They were men occupied with deep questions about life, humanity and nature, coupled with the positions of stars and with magic, and so on. In Judaism they had a bad name, but in the wider world they were highly respected.

Astronomers say that in 7 BC there was a triple conjunction: the earth, sun, Jupiter and Saturn aligned three times in a straight line, as happened again in 2003. This occurs only every few thousand years. The next year Mars joined as well. In April of the same year Jupiter was occulted over Jerusalem by a crescent moon. The meaning the wise men attached to it was that a mighty Messianic King would be born in Judea.

But that’s not the end. According to Chinese records, a comet appeared in 5 BC, moving from east to west over 70 days. This was probably the final sign the wise men were waiting for.

Natural phenomena? Perhaps - but planned in the finest detail by God millions of years beforehand to work out precisely right.

The Babylonians were leading mathematicians and astrologers, and they knew of the Jewish belief that a star would herald the coming of the Messiah. The path that the comet followed would have led these men straight to Bethlehem, where the star would have been visible in the south in the early morning. The comet was visible for 70 days - roughly the time a journey from Babylon to Bethlehem would take.

I can imagine how excited those men must have been when that comet appeared. For three years they watched the changes in the stars and planets with bated breath. Their superstition about planetary movements was shaken to the core when they saw something supernatural unfolding. Perhaps they speculated and argued late into the night about what was happening. And then the excitement when, three years later, a comet finally appeared that confirmed all their calculations. How disappointed they must have been when they reached Herod and saw his hostility. He said he too wanted to pay homage to the new King, but they could see right through his hypocrisy - he didn’t mean a word of it. And then that heart-thumping thrill when the comet led them to Bethlehem and they found the Child there in the stable.

Interestingly, Matthew does not portray these magi in a negative light; rather, he shows that the elite of the pagan world recognised Jesus as King, while Herod and the whole of Jerusalem were deeply disturbed by the same event. God prepares praise for the Messiah through the actions of simple shepherds sleeping in the fields near Bethlehem and through pagans who follow His star across great distances - while His own people, especially the leaders, show no understanding at all. Thirty years later Jesus would say to these Jewish leaders: “Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matt. 21:31).

And you and I? Do we give Jesus, the true King who reigns at the right hand of God, the honour that is truly due to Him?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, together with the wise men I also want to bring You homage this morning - to praise and glorify You with all that is within me.

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