Advent Day 4 (a little late)

Advent Day 4

Read:

Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:15-6, John 8:12

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”  Isaiah 9:2

I love the lights of Christmas.  Tonight I was able to go and view the massive light display at Tanglewood with some friends and their dog.  The dog stood on my lap the entire time enamored by the whole display.  I confess that I did describe the scenes to her as we progressed through the park.  The displays were tasteful and enchanting.  I was really taken with the nativity scene – the Magi were yards away from the stable –on their way.  Lights – we have too often associated them with extreme commercialism – however, I believe the child of God can rejoice in seeing the lights, because they remind us of the One this season celebrates – the Light of the World.

Isaiah 9:2 describes how the darkness will be broken and Matthew 4:16 further describes how the Lord Jesus was the fulfillment of this prophecy.  He came to bring light to Israel, the light of truth and peace. In John 8:12, Christ proclaims Himself to be the light of the world, the One who enables us to walk in the light so that our lives align with what is pleasing to Him.  Light also dispels dark thinking and fearful images that prey on our hearts and minds.  This Christmas, may we celebrate the Light!

Advent Day 3

Advent Day 3 

Advent Day 3

Read Isaiah 7:14-15

            Matthew 1:23

The Messianic promise that we read today deals with the virgin birth of Christ.   Isaiah states that a virgin would give birth to a child who would be known as Immanuel.  This promise was given a time when Judah was at very low ebb spiritually. King Ahaz had come to power and under his rule, spiritual life in Judah sunk to an all-time low.  God instructed him through the prophet Isaiah to ask for a sign, but in a cloak of self-righteous piety Ahaz declined to do so.  God then promised a sign the whole nation (the “you” in verse 14 is plural.  He promised that a virgin (Gr. parthenos – in the Septuagint and in the NT passage.)   He is called Immanuel, which is a clear reference to the Lord Jesus—God come to earth to dwell among men.  The succeeding verses go on to describe His life. Verse 15 refers to his diet –“Curds and honey, which was the diet of the poor;  He is also described in the latter part of 15 as choosing the good, but forsaking the bad – a clear reference to His sinless life. [i]

The promise was made in a dark hour of Judah’s history and was fulfilled in a similarly dark hour.  He was born of a virgin so that He could be that perfect sacrifice, being born without a sin nature. As we look at these verses, we can be assured that we can withstand life’s trials even in our darkest hours. We can rejoice, because the Sinless One bore our sins.  Is it any wonder that embedded in our beloved Christmas carols is the aura of hope?  We rejoice because Christ came.  We live because He lives.  God with us!  Let us cling to that hope this Christmas.

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 [i]http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/12/17/The-Ultimate-Sign-Isaiah-7.aspx.

Advent Day Two

Advent Day 2

I am blogging my way through Advent. I neglected to mention my modus operandi. I am looking at prophecies related to the birth and life of Christ. The theme is God is faithful.

Today we look at a series of promises. In Genesis 12:1-3,  Genesis 49:10, God tells us through whose line Christ will come.  He would be that blessing spoken of in the promise to Abraham. More specifically He would come through the line of Judah, i.e.  He would be born of the tribe of Judah.  We see the veracity of this promise in its fulfillment in both Matthew 1 and Luke 3.  Too often we are tempted to yawn our way through the genealogical passages, but tucked away in them are important information about God – He is faithful.

The faithfulness of God is a bulwark in the storms of life. It’s a pillow for a weary heart. God’s promises are for forever.   God is faithful even we are not.  Abraham stumbled in spiritual walk when he lied about Sara being his wife in an attempt to save his own skin. He stumbled when he tried to make God’s promises come true in the birth of Ishmael rather than waiting and believing.  Yet, his faith was sterling on Mount Moriah as he and Isaac took that memorable journey (Genesis 22).  Judah stumbled, yet his progenitor of the kingly tribe and ultimately Christ.

I too have stumbled, yet God is faithful.  It is through the Promised One that I have hope – I can lift the candle of hope high, because of who He is --- the Faithful One.

 Read Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 49:10