Jesus, Christmas, What’s It All About?

 

Christmas is December 25^th and is a time we celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus, but many think Christmas has lost its true meaning.  It seems we are all about decorating our houses and Christmas trees, Santa and reindeers, throwing parties, giving and receiving expensive gifts.  It has become a profitable holiday for many businesses.  Have we become greedy?  Have we lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas?                                   

We have many Christmas traditions which vary in significance and symbolic meaning.  We exchange gifts because God sent us the most precious gift:  His only Son.  Also the three wisemen visited Jesus and brought gifts as well.

We put our gifts under a decorated Christmas tree.  The Christmas tree started as a common pagan custom, but survived conversion to Christianity.  We use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life.  In Germany wafers were hung of the tree symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption.  Later candles were added symbolizing Christ as the light of the world.  The custom spread and the Christmas tree became one of our holiday traditions.

Jesus’ birth probably didn’t happen exactly on December 25th, but that is the day Christians chose to celebrate.  The important thing is to remember you’re celebrating a real event that happened about 2,000 years ago when God sent His Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God chose a virgin to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-34).  He was born in poverty to a virgin called Mary in Bethlehem of Judea and grew up in Nazareth in Galilee.  His earthly father was Joseph who was a carpenter.  Jesus’ name means ‘God with us’.  He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, and Savior of the World.

We don’t know what He looked like, but we know He was a Jew and probably had dark skin.  He wasn’t tall, dark and handsome, but His appearance drew people to Him.  He didn’t speak English; He spoke Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew. 

Jesus didn’t go to high school or college.  He never traveled more than 100 miles from His home.  He was not destined for greatest, never wrote a book, never held a government office, and never had a TV show or movie.  The only property He owned was the clothes He wore.  When He became an adult, He was rejected by most people and even His closest friends abandoned Him.  He was arrested by enemies, was tried and convicted, and nailed to a cross like a common criminal.

We learn in the Old Testament that God had planned His birth, life, death, and resurrection for a long time.  It was prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, would be brought gifts, and would flee to Egypt for a time for safety.  He fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament.  There are too many details to not be true.  He was truly the Messiah.

He didn’t come to earth in a powerful way, but in a humble way.  The King of the universe came as an infant, born in an animal shelter, set aside all His heavenly privileges to live a selfless obedient life and then die a selfless obedient death for our sins.

Philippians 2:5-11 tells us the Father revealed to the entire world that Jesus was God. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  There God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  

Jesus is God.  John wrote about Him in John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Jesus is the Word.  John 1:3 – “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”.

Jesus said of Himself:

“I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30.

“I am the light of the world.” – John 9:5

“I am the good shepherd.” – John 10:14

“I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live.” – John 11:25

“I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

So why did He come?  He came for the cross!  His story is one of truth, love, and hope.  God sent His Son because He loves us.  He was born so one day He could pay the price for the things we have done that are wrong.  We all are born with a sin nature and do things that don’t please God.  Through the sins of Adam and Eve we all have inherited that sin nature and have a broken relationship with God. 

Jesus came because we needed a Savior.  He could pay the price for our sins by dying on the cross.  He brought salvation to all of us; without him we would all die in our sins.  He is the Savior of the world.  Only through Him can our sins be forgiven and our relationship with God be restored.  Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on a cross.  After dying on the cross, He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the place where He was before becoming human and from there He is able to hear our prayers (Romans 8:34).  He promised to return and when He returns He will separate those who will live with Him forever in heaven from those who will be punished for their sins (Matthew 25:31-33).

He came to earth to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  He offers eternal life for those who believe in Him.  It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus still wants you to come to Him.  He waits patiently for you to accept and follow Him.

Jesus is humble, approachable, courageous, and full of love.  He changes lives.  He lives in heaven at father God’s right hand and will return to judge all humanity.  He is the Son of God. He and God are One.  Jesus forgives sin as only God can.  He is the only Savior and the only Way for us to spend eternity with Him.

Principle:  The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

It’s important that we all know Jesus and His love for all of us.  What matters is what happens when you die.  He is your only hope.  Christmas celebrates this amazing love and is really about the cross.  Jesus is not only the reason for the season, we are the reason!  Christmas is for us!

Merry Christmas! -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Kingdom Divided Lesson 13 – Amos

 

Amos 1-2 – Judgment of Nations

Amos was a shepherd farmer from a small Judean village of Tekoa.  He had no formal training. His name means burden or burden bearer.  He is not mentioned by name in any other books of the Bible, but his work is quoted two times in the New Testament in the book Acts.  His message, however, was important.  God called him to be a prophet to Israel, but he spoke to many nations.  When he served the people of God had been divided into two nations for 150 years.  The southern nation was known as Judah and the northern nation was known as Israel.

Amos wasn’t a prophet or a priest.  He was just a shepherd from Judah.  So who would listen to him?  But instead of making excuses like most of us do, he obeyed and became God’s powerful voice for change.  God has used ordinary people like shepherds, carpenters, and fisherman all throughout the Bible.  So whatever you are in this life, God can use you.

Amos’ mission was directed to his neighbor to the north, Israel.  It was a message of impending doom and captivity for the nation because of her sins.  Israel neglected God’s Word, worshipped idols, were greedy, had corrupt leadership, and oppressed the poor.  He pronounced judgment upon all the surrounding nations, then on his own nation of Judah, but the hardest judgment was given to Israel.

These first  two chapter describe the judgment of the Lord, first against the Gentile nations then against Judah and Israel.   He said six foreign nations would be judged for their brutally of the people.  They enslaved captives, murdered pregnant women, and desecrated human bones.  They would receive back what they had inflicted on others.

God sees all and judges according to His holy standards.  His is fair and just and His judgments come out of His holy and just character.  He is patient with sinners, but He will finally judge them for their disobedience to Him.  He is always willing to pardon those who repent and place their trust in Jesus.

Amos warned Judah and pronounced judgment on them for rejecting God’s law and seeking false gods.  Because Judah sinned like the other nations, they would be judged like the other nations.   God is fair and just treating all sinners alike.  Amos warned Israel and pronounced judgment on them because they violated natural law and God’s holy law that was entrusted to them.  God gives us warnings today and we often disregard them.  We then receive the consequences of our rejection of God’s mercy.

Principle:  God judges according to His holy standards.

Amos 3-4 – Refusal to Repent

Amos made it clear the great privilege God had given Israel and the great responsibility this privilege brings.  He spoke with the authority of God who had rescued them from Egypt.  When God brings judgment against the cities, everyone should know that it was the hand of the Lord who did it.  They had every opportunity for years and years to repent.  He invited nations to see the sin of Israel so they could understand the judgment.  The altars of idols will be destroyed.  His judgment would extend to places built and enjoyed through oppression and robbery, but offered hope.  God would preserve a remnant of His people showing mercy by not destroying them completely.

Amos reminded Israel several times that God had called them to repent.  Israel sinned through pride, self-reliance, greed, and self-righteousness.  They sinned through injustice and oppression.  They sinned toward God by disobeying His laws and rejecting Him as God.

Israel had more privileges and prosperity than any other nations, but this privileged position would not save her from judgment.  People today are just like Israel.  We have many privileges, but still reject and disobey God.  Our privileged position won’t save us either unless we turn from sin and turn to Jesus for salvation.  Just like Israel, we are hard-headed.  God is disregarded and even forbidden to be mentioned in schools and governmental bodies.  The truth is suppressed.  The truth of God is exchanged for a lie.  The world is filled with unrighteousness. There is pride, hate, greed, self-righteousness, injustice, oppression, idolatry, murder, deceit, violence, and immorality everywhere. 

Principle:  Our God is a God of love and mercy, but also a God of justice.

Amos 5-6 – The Verdict

God didn’t enjoy the coming judgment.  He grieved because of their refusal to repent.  He said of 1,000 only 100 would remain in a city and only 10 would remain out of a town of 100.  He grieves our sin and rebellion, too.  He wants us to trust Him for salvation.  He longs to restore all sinners and for them to have a relationship with Him.

God tells them to, “Seek the Lord and live” – Amos 5:6.  “Seek good, not evil.” – Amos 5:14.  “Hate evil, love good” – Amos 5:15.  If they did these things, maybe God would change his mind like He did in Nineveh.  But they chose evil over good and His judgment over salvation.  Now they would face judgment.  The only source of life is God Himself. 

Is your life a reflection of God’s heart? 

Do you love the things God loves?

What is keeping you from seeing people the way God does?

Are you looking for ways to share His mercy and grace with others.

Principle:  The way we live our lives matters to God.

Amos 7-9 – Future Judgment and Restoration

God gave Amos five visions of the coming judgment. Each showed God intended to completely destroy the kingdom of Israel if the people didn’t repent.

The vision of locust (Amos 7:1-3).  God would send locust swarms to destroy Israel’s crops. 

The vision of fire (Amos 7:4-6).  Fire would consume the land.  Amos prayed and begged God to spare Israel and God relented.

The vision of a plumb line (Amos 7:7-9).  Amos saw the Lord holding a plumb line by a straight wall.  He measured Israel against His plumb line and they failed His holy standards.

The vision of a basket of ripe fruit (Amos 8:1-14).  Israel’s sin had made them ripe for judgment.

The vision of the Lord by the altar (Amos 9:1-10).  The Lord stood beside the altar and declared there was no escape for His judgment.

Amos ends the book with a message of hope.  He promised a blessing after the impending doom.  He described how miraculous and amazing God’s blessing and restoration would be.  God would continue to build up the faithful remnant of Jacob and rebuild the house of David.  He also promised to preserve a remnant of Israel.  God will establish a kingdom at Jesus’ return to earth.

Principle:  God justly judges all who persist in sin, but provides the way to salvation through His Son Jesus.

Lessons from Amos:

God calls and commissions ordinary people.

God’s calling cannot be easily ignored.

Worship must be on God’s terms, not ours.

God is sovereign over all nations.                                                                                              

Key verses:

“Seek the Lord and live.” – Amos 6.

“Seek good, not evil.” – Amos 5:14. 

“Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.  Perhaps the Lord God almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph” – Amos 5:15.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Just.  He told Israel how to be saved from evil, but they didn’t listen.  Still, God never stopped loving them.  His justice is perfect because it’s based on His righteous character.  He never will punish His children for their sins because Jesus already paid the price on the cross.  He is a just judge who offers life to those who repent.  “Seek the Lord and live.” – Amos 5:6.

My next post will be after Christmas – around January 9th.  See you then when we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided in the books of Joel and Obadiah.  Until then have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Kingdom Divided Lesson 12 – Jonah

 

Note:  For clarity the Kings of Israel are coded in Orange and Kings of Judah are coded in Blue.

The small book of Jonah is just four chapters.  They reflect what happens when we run from God, run to God, run with God, and run ahead of God.  We can learn a lot from this book, because it demonstrates to us that these are the seasons of our own lives. 

Jonah 1 – Jonah Runs from God

Jonah was a prophet to Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II.  2 Kings 14:25 tell us that Jeroboam II did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  But the Lord showed great mercy to the evil king and the disobedient Israel so He allowed the boundaries of Israel to be restored.  Jonah had prophesied that Israel would expand her boundaries and it happened just as he said it would.   So Jonah was respected and had God on his side.

God came to Jonah asking him to go to Nineveh and preach against its wickedness. Nineveh was an Assyrian city located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq.  Jonah didn’t want to go so he immediately ran away.  Scripture doesn’t tell us the reasons he ran.  Perhaps he didn’t want to go because Nineveh was a large violent evil city and their sins repulsed him, it was a Gentile city, or he was simple afraid of what they might do to him.  This is an understandable response when God asks us to do something difficult. 

Jonah got on a ship sailing for Tarshish.  Then God sent a violent storm with a great wind that even the expert sailors aboard the ship where terrified and they threw their cargo overboard so the ship wouldn’t sink.  They cried out to their gods for deliverance.  What was Jonah doing while all this was going on?  He was down in the bottom of the ship asleep.  It seemed he doesn’t care and wanted to die.

Jonah was singled out as the one whose God was responsible.  Jonah finally confessed and admitted his guilt choosing to protect the others rather than himself.  His solution was for them to throw him into the sea; then the sea would become calm.  The logical solution should have been for Jonah to say, “Turn around and take me to Nineveh.  That’s were God wants me to go.”  Jonah was willing to sacrifice his own life to save the others.  Why a change of heart?  Maybe he saw their fear and he took compassion on them; maybe he had the desire to serve God; maybe he felt anything was better than resisting and running from God; maybe he had now truly repented.

They didn’t want to throw him into the sea, because they believed his God was real and they feared the consequences.  Finally they did what Jonah had asked, but before they did, they did something surprising.  They prayed to the Lord because they knew He was in control.  The sailors feared the Lord and offered a sacrifice to him and took vows.  They threw Jonah overboard.  Then the storm became calm and the ship and sailors were saved.

God saw Nineveh’s wickedness.  Nothing is hidden from God.  God knew what Jonah’s reaction would be.  He knew all Jonah’s rebellious plans.  He had prepared a great fish to swallow up this fleeing prophet so His plans and purposes would be carried out.  God had a job for Jonah and He wasn’t going to let him get off that easy.  So by God’s grace He sent a miracle to keep him alive and give him a second chance.  Jonah was swallowed by the great fish and stayed inside the fish three days and three nights.

God sent the fish to punish Jonah and also to save him.  Three days and nights in the dark of the belly of a fish is too disgusting and disturbing not to be a punishment.  But without God sending the fish, Jonah would probably have drowned in the sea.  God saved him despite him running away and despite his disobedience.  God still wanted to use him.

If God wanted to, He could have saved Jonah from the sea without the fish.  His life preserved in the belly of the fish is like the burial of Jesus in the tomb.  Jonah was in the fish for three days and Jesus was in the tomb for three days.  The fish represented the grave of Christ and the spitting of Jonah represented the revival of Christ.

Principle:  God patiently seeks us even when we rebel and run away.

Jonah 2 – Jonah’s Prayer

Jonah was rebellious and resistant, but still a believer and God wasn’t finished with him yet.  So From inside the fish Jonah repented and prayed to God.  During the three days and three night Jonah boldly prayed to the Lord.  He praised God for His deliverance for by faith he knew God would deliver him.  He knew that the Lord heard his prayer and he knew that he was never out of God’s hands.  In his prayer he declared his commitment to God.  He had a new heart of gratitude and gave glory to God.  God spoke to the fish and the fish expelled Jonah onto dry land.

The three days and nights point to the Messiah to come, Jesus Christ.  We see that Jonah’s deliverance came after laying down one’s life.  Jonah gave his life for others just as Jesus did.  But death did not hold him; after three days and night of imprisonment, he was alive and free.

Principle:  God always hears our prayers.

Jonah 3 – Jonah Goes To Nineveh

God wanted obedience from Jonah and reminded him that there was an undone task.  So for the second time God told Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” – Jonah 3:1.  He was to tell them that God was coming to judge them for their evil ways.  Having learned that resisting God doesn’t work, this time Jonah obeyed.  He went to the city and proclaimed that in forty days Nineveh would be overturned in judgment if they didn’t repent.  Overturned means destroyed and annihilated like that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

There is an important lesson here.  God frequently asks us to do things we really don’t want to do and like Jonah, we run in the other direction.  Storms of life may come and most of the time God allows us to continue in disobedience.  But like Jonah we want to return to God and be used by Him.  We want to hear God’s voice, but we’re not reading our Bibles.  We don’t pray and we attend church only some of the time.

The people of Nineveh believed God.  The king called for national repentance.  A leader makes a nation what they are.  You may be the leader in your home, in your work, in your church, or in your community.  It is a leader’s responsibility to lead in vision and direction and also in repentance and holiness. 

The people fasted and prayed.  They had genuine repentance.  True repentance is to change one’s way of living.  God saw their repentance.  They were more than just sorry; they turned from their wicked ways so God changed His mind and didn’t destroy Nineveh at this time.  Even though they turned from their sins, it was not long before they returned to their wicked ways.  About 100 years later, the prophet Nahum pronounce judgement upon Nineveh.  This time they didn’t repent and God destroyed Nineveh.  Ultimately Jonah’s prophesy did come true.

Jonah 4 – Jonah’s Anger

Jonah didn’t understand the depth of God’s grace and compassion.  He still didn’t understand how wrong he was.  He resented God’s mercy toward the people of Nineveh.  He was full of pride and thought he knew better than God.  He was angry and upset that God granted repentance to the Ninevites.  He wanted God to bring judgment upon these people he hated.  Jonah had been saved from a storm, drowning, and death in the fish’s belly.  But prejudice blinded him to God’s mercy on him and Nineveh. 

He prayed to God in anger.  He became depressed and prayed for God to take his life.  He criticized God’s wisdom of grace and mercy.  He was defeated by his own selfishness, hate, and pride.  So much that he wanted to die.  The devil had gotten a foothold into Jonah’s life by using discouragement, which led to depression, defeat and then to a death wish.  

God responded to him by asking him simple question, “Have you any right to be angry?” – Jonah 4:4.  Of course the answer is no!  He had no right to question God’s ways and purposes for mankind.  The Creator has the right to do whatever he wants.  Jonah was so upset that he never answered.  Jonah left Nineveh.  He made a shelter and sat in its shade and waited to see if God would bring judgment on the city.

This chapter’s lessons are simple.  Jonah is like many people who think the gospel is only for deserving people.  We harbor anger, prejudice, and hatred toward others because they are different.  But like Jonah, we have been shown God’s love and mercy.  God’s mercy is for everyone.  We learn that God is compassionate, slow to anger, and has abounding love and patience.

Are you selfish thinking of only yourself?

In what ways do you harbor anger and prejudice toward others?

Are you like Jonah and rather die than obey God?

Do you think you know better than God?

Do you run from God when He asks you to do something?

Principle:  God lovingly extends mercy to all people.

Lessons from Jonah –

God’s mercy is extended to all people.

You can’t hide from God.

You can’t rush God.

Everyone deserves compassion.

God’s love can change people. 

 

I hope we all understand we are living in days of mercy.  Christ will return one day.  When He does, It will be to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5).  We are living in ‘Jonah days’ – days when God longs for us to repent. These ‘Jonah days’ won’t go on forever.  If we haven’t turned to Him by the time the Lord returns, we will not find ourselves with God’s mercy.  We will find ourselves in His judgment.

This week’s attributes of God: He is Impartial and Merciful.  He can save all people regardless of who they are or what they have done.  He showed mercy to the Ninevites, to the sailors, and to Jonah.  He offers His mercy to us, too.  He doesn’t show favoritism.  “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” – Titus 3:5a

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided by going back to the book of Amos.  Until then I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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