Category: Bible Challenge

“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” v.9-11

Jesus was probably 2 or 3 years of age when the wise men visited.  They never made it to the manger as many of our Nativity pieces at Christmas time declare.   When they arrived in Bethlehem, they worshiped and offered gift to the Christ Child.  Gold Frankincense and Myrrh, were all valuable gift.  These gifts were symbolic to who Jesus was and what would happen to Him.  The gold was a gift of royalty, the frankincense was a gift of deity, and the myrrh was a spice used to anoint the body for burial.

This causes me to think about my personal worship and what kind of gifts I am offering to Jesus?  Are my gifts convenient or sacrificial?  How far  and how long am I willing to travel to be with Jesus?  How well to I follow Gods lead, and trust that He is leading me in the right direction with absolute faith?  These are just some questions that are stirring in my heart right now!

“’Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!’”

Mary and Joesph took Jesus to dedicate Him to the Lord just as the Law of Moses stated should be done. While there, the Holy Spirit led two people to the temple that day to bear witness to Jesus. One was Simeon and the other was the prophet Anna. Both were old in age, and both had been waiting for the Messiah. On this day, they were able to see God promise of salvation fulfilled.

“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!” he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’” V. 9-11

The greatest event in history had just happened! The Messiah had been born! For ages the Jews had waited for this, and when it finally occurred, the announcement came to humble shepherds. The Good News about Jesus is that He comes to all, including the plain and ordinary. He comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can have Jesus in your life. Don’t think you need extraordinary qualifications – he accepts you as you are!

“This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:” v1

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’” v.23

Matthew starts his account of the life of Jesus by stating two very important details, 1) His Genealogy, and 2) His Virgin Birth.

First, why is his genealogy so important? Great question. In Jewish tradition a persons family line proved his or her standing as one of God’s chosen people. By showing that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and a direct descendant of David, thus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s line. The fact of this ancestry were carefully preserved. This is the first of many proofs recorded by Matthew to show that Jesus is the True Messiah.

Second, why is the Virgin Birth so important? Another great question. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to be free from the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings by Adam. (That whole Garden thing really messed things up for you and I.) Because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being, but as the son of God, Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

So why is this important to us? Because Jesus lived as a man, we know that he fully understands our experience and struggles with temptation. The Difference, He never sinned. Because He is God, He has the power and authority to deliver us from sin. This is great news, we have a God that understand our struggle, but has the power to help in any situation when we ask.

‘” And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.’”v.76-79

Even before he was born, John had a specific purpose and mission, he was to prepare the way for the Messiah.  That sounds simple, and many of us would say, “If God talked to me like that, I would know exactly what to do and then I would do it?”  Would you?  It’s easy to say and believe that God has a purpose and mission for each of us , but sometimes it is hard to stay on task.  When things get difficult, we begin to question ourselves, and Gods calling to a specific place or ministry!  We say things like, “If this is what God wanted me to do, why are things like this happening?”  The answer, we live in a fallen world!  As much as God wants to use us, the Enemy (Satan) wants to keep us ineffective.  If he (Satan) can cause us to doubt or be fearful, he knows that we might begin to question and slow down doing what God has purposed for us to do.  Thus, keeping others from hearing and experiencing the life changing message of Jesus Christ.

John was to be a voice to prepare the people the Messiah.  He had a purpose and a mission and he understood what he was to do and he did it faithfully.  This same God wants to use us.  Will we be like John and understand that we are to be a voice, a light, an example, declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ?

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!’” v. 26-28

Mary was a young, poor, female – all characteristics that tho the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you and unlikely candidate for Gods service. Don’t Limit God’s choices. He can uses you if you trust him.

“For nothing is impossible with God.” v.37

“Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.” v.6

Wow, God calls Zechariah and Elizabeth righteous.  They didn’t just do the things God instructed them to do through the law, it was apart of them making them who they were.

It is easy to look religious by saying the right things, doing the right stuff, and even praying great prayers.  That is a good description of how I grew up.  I could pray the prayers and say the right things around the right people, and act religious on Sunday at church, but the rest of the week . . . . my lifestyle didn’t match the person I pretended to be on Sunday.  I could DO what I thought were the right things, but I wasn’t BEING the person God wanted me to BE.  God is way more interested in who I am Becoming, not what I Do.  What I do should be a byproduct of Who I am, not the other way around.

Because of their faithfulness, even though they were very old, God blessed them with a son (John the Baptist) and revealed to them first, the coming of Christ.

Who am I trying to impress?  Am I more concerned about pleasing people (looking good on the outside – doing),  or am I more concerned about pleasing God (looking good on the inside – being)?

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” v.1-5

The coming of Jesus changed humankind forever. The reality that God, would come in human form was unheard of. Still today people don’t believe Jesus is who He says He is or that He was Fully God and Fully Human. Throughout scripture Jesus is referred to as light. As His Light pierces through the darkness (sin). When this light shine, we see ourselves as we really are, sinners in need of a savior. The harsh reality is that some people will accept this truth and others will reject it. Some people will come into the light while others may run from it. However, the way we respond to the the Light of Christ, says a lot about what we believe, and who and what we are trying to become!

How am I going to respond to the Light that Jesus shines in my life? Will I run away from it, or allow it to bring to light some of the dark places in my life where sin tends to hide?

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” v.14

“This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: ‘Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.’” v. 1-2

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God can forgive and rescue people that live as if there is no God. For us, we know the people that tend to get under our skin! When we are around them we tend to avoid them, we are short with them, and many times don’t extend grace to them. Jonah was the same way toward the Ninavites. He didn’t like their lifestyle therefore, he couldn’t stand them. They lived as if there was no God.

As people it is easy for us to share the good news with people we think want to hear it. It is harder to share with people that tend to look different, talk different, act different, and even live different than we do. It’s in these times that we have to depend on God’s guidance and power. Jonah went and declared destruction. But God doesn’t bring about the destruction that Jonah declared because the people were repentant, and God withdrew his wrath and extended Grace and Mercy. He does the same thing for us. Instead of giving us what we deserve, He extends to us His Grace and His Mercy.

Have you received Gods Grace and Mercy that is found in Jesus? If you have, are you telling others about the good news of Jesus Christ? If not, why?

God, I am so thankful that you have extend your grace and mercy to me, a sinner who needs it more and more everyday!

“On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: ‘Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!’  The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.”

Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

‘No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all.  People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.  Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.’” v.4-5; 7-9 (NLT)

Wow, a whole nation changed by the message Jonah didn’t want to share.  From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, the nation repented of its evil ways.  That is the power that is found in the Could you imagine if this would happen in our churches today, better yet, our nation or world.  It can!

When faithful people start getting passionate about the things of God and sharing their God Heart and their life with the lost, true repentance is likely to happen.  My prayer today is that God to use me to infulence this type of repentance in the arenas of life he has placed me.