The church of Christ on McDermott Road

The ascension of Jesus should not be interpreted as Jesus leaving, but as Jesus taking the throne to rule with complete and total authority over heaven and earth. From this point forward, Jesus—not Caesar—will be in charge of the world and will work to bring the world into subjection. However, he will not subjugate the world through power, might, and coercion, but through love, mercy, and grace. Jesus is an unstoppable Messiah and McDermott Road is joining him on his unstoppable mission. (Scripture: Acts 1:1-11)

Upon hearing a new “king of the Jews” had been born, King Herod was afraid his rule would be threatened. When he tried and failed to discover the child’s identity, he resorted to mass murder. He ordered the slaughter of all the male children in Bethlehem. This horrible story reminds us of another king. Over a thousand years earlier, when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, Pharaoh order the slaughter of the male children. But just as God had done before, he was planning an exodus. This would be an even great exodus, lead by One even greater than Moses. God loves to set his people free and wipe every tear from their eyes. (Scripture: Matthew 2:13-18)

Mary and Joseph were descendants of royalty, but you probably wouldn’t have guessed it if you had seen them. A descendant of David had not occupied the throne for hundreds of years and the land of Judah was ruled by foreigners. When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem,the city of David, there was no room for them. Mary had to lay her newborn baby in a manger. The Messiah could not have had a more humble birth. But God loves to exalt the humble. Just when God’s people are at their lowest, God steps in to lift them up. (Scripture: Luke 2:1-7)

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Upon hearing the news of her’s and Elizabeth’s pregnancies, Mary hurried to see Elizabeth. Maybe she wanted to avoid the gossip of Nazareth, or wanted confirmation about the angel’s message, or wanted to support and encourage her relative. Regardless of her motives, there is little doubt Mary had plenty of questions and worries when she arrived at Elizabeth’s house. However, when she arrived, her worries soon turned to praise. God loves to turn our worries into praise. (Scripture: Luke 1:39-45)

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Joseph’s fiancé was pregnant. What was he to think? What was he to do? Joseph likely wondered how he could save face and how he could help Mary do the same. But God was about to do something incredible. In our lives, we all have to endure similar situations. Whether through our choices or someone else’s, we will all find ourselves stuck in a shameful situation. The Good News is, God loves to turn our shame into honor.  (Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25)

Scripture: James 2:1-13

People have always tended to accumulate wealth not only for pleasure, but also for protection. Wealth often represents a sense of safety and security. However, not only is this a false sense of security, it is also the essence of idolatry. Followers of Jesus must refuse to put our faith in the false god of wealth. This is why the Hebrew writer contrasts “the love of money” with statements like, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear” (Psalm 118:6). Faith in the Lord is the only way to be content. (Scripture: Hebrews 13:5-6)

Not unlike today, there were plenty of people in the First Century who used religion as a way of trying to become wealthy. Paul condemned the pursuit of material wealth and commended a life of contentment. He said that a life of “godliness with contentment” was the truly wealthy life. What would it look like for us to take seriously Paul’s warnings about desiring to be rich and the love of money? What would it look like to truly be content with “food and clothing”? What might be the consequence of disregarding this admonition? (Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10)