Your Daily Bible

MESSIAH FOR THE MAGI

 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” —Matthew 2:1–2

 Unlike Luke, Matthew does not tell us about the shepherds coming to visit Jesus in the stable. His focus is immediately on foreigners coming from the east to worship Jesus. So Matthew portrays Jesus at the beginning and ending of his Gospel as a universal Messiah for the nations, not just for Jews.

 Here the first worshipers are court magicians or astrologers or wise men not from Israel but from the East—perhaps from Babylon. They were Gentiles. Unclean. And at the end of Matthew, the last words of Jesus are, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”

 This not only opened the door for the Gentiles to rejoice in the Messiah, it added proof that he was the Messiah. Because one of the repeated prophecies was that the nations and kings would, in fact, come to him as the ruler of the world.

 For example, Isaiah 60:3, 

“Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” 

 So Matthew adds proof to the messiahship of Jesus and shows that he is Messiah—a King, and Promise-Fulfiller—for all the nations, not just Israel.

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NO DETOUR FROM CALVARY

And while they were there, the time came for her to

give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son

and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him

in a manger, because there was no place for them in

the inn. —Luke 2:6–7

Now you would think that if God so rules the world as to use an empire-wide census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, he surely could have seen to it that a room was available in the inn.

Yes, he could have. And Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to his aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from the cross and saved himself. The question is not what God could do, but what he willed to do. 

God’s will was that though Christ was rich, yet for your sake he became poor. The “No Vacancy” signs over all the motels in Bethlehem were for your sake. “For your sake he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). God rules all things—even motel capacities—for the sake of his children. The Calvary road begins with a “No Vacancy” sign in Bethlehem and ends with the spitting and scoffing of the cross in Jerusalem. And we must not forget that he said, “He who would come after me must deny himself and take up his cross” (Matthew 16:24). We join him on the Calvary road and hear him say, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20). To the one who calls out enthusiastically, “I will follow you wherever you go!” (Matthew 8:19). 

Jesus responds, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Yes, God could have seen to it that Jesus have a room at his birth. But that would have been a detour off the Calvary road.

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FOR GOD’S LITTLE PEOPLE

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

—Luke 2:1–5

 Have you ever thought what an amazing thing it is that God ordained beforehand that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem (as the prophecy in Micah 5 shows); and that he so ordained things that when the time came, the Messiah’s mother and legal father were living in Nazareth; and that in order to fulfill his word and bring two little people to Bethlehem that first Christmas, God put it in the heart of Caesar Augustus that all the Roman world should be enrolled each in his own town?

 Have you ever felt, like me, little and insignificant in a world of seven billion people, where all the news is of big political and economic and social movements and of outstanding people with lots of power and prestige? 

 If you have, don’t let that make you disheartened or unhappy. For it is clear in Scripture that all the mammoth political forces and all the giant industrial complexes, without their even knowing it, are being guided by God, not for their own sake but for the sake of God’s little people—the little Mary and the little Joseph who have to be brought from Nazareth to Bethlehem. God wields an empire to bless his children.

 Do not think, because you experience adversity, that the hand of the Lord is shortened, he rules the whole world! He is in control of all things, and he holds our universe together in real time! He is a big God for little people, and we have great cause to rejoice in that.

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THE LONG-AWAITED VISITATION

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited

and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of

salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as

he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies and from

the hand of all who hate us…” —Luke 1:68–71

Notice two remarkable things from these words of Zechariah

in Luke 1.First, nine months earlier, Zechariah could not believe his wife would have a child. Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is so confident of God’s redeeming work in the coming Messiah that he puts it in the past tense. For the mind of faith, a promised act of God is as good as done.

 Zechariah has learned to take God at his word and so has a remarkable assurance: “God has visited and redeemed!” Second, the coming of Jesus the Messiah is a visitation of God to our world: “The God of Israel has visited and redeemed.” For centuries, the Jewish people had languished under the conviction that God had withdrawn: the spirit of prophecy had ceased, Israel had fallen into the hands of Rome. And all the godly in Israel were awaiting the visitation of God. Luke tells us in 2:25 that the devout Simeon was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” And in Luke 2:38 the prayerful Anna was “looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

 These were days of great expectation. Now the long awaited visitation of God was about to happen—indeed, he was about to come in a way no one expected.

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MARY’S MAGNIFICENT GOD

 Luke 1:46–55

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me

blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 

Mary sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history. 

 And where is God? Occupying himself with two seemingly obscure, but humble women—one old and barren (Elizabeth), one young virgin (Mary). And Mary is so moved by this vision of God, the lover of the lowly, that she breaks out in song — a song that has come to be known as “the Magnificat” (Luke 1:46–55).

Mary and Elizabeth are wonderful heroines in Luke’s account. He loves the faith of these women. The thing that impresses him most, it appears, and the thing he wants to impress on Theophilus, his noble reader, is the lowliness and cheerful humility of Elizabeth and Mary.

 Elizabeth says, 

“Why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me?” (Luke 1:43). 

And Mary says,

 “He has looked on the humble estate of his servant” (Luke 1:48). 

 The only people whose soul can truly magnify the Lord are people like Elizabeth and Mary people who acknowledge their lowly estate and are overwhelmed by the glory of the magnificent God.

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PREPARE THE WAY

“He will turn many of the children of Israel to the

Lord their God, and he will go before him in the

spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the

fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the

wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a

people prepared.” —Luke 1:16–17

What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don’t let Christmas find you unprepared. I mean spiritually unprepared. Its joy and impact will be so much greater if you are ready!

That you might be prepared…

First, meditate on the fact that we need a Savior. Christmas will not have its intended effect until we feel desperately the need for a Savior. Let these short Advent meditations help awaken in you a sense of need for the Savior.

Second, engage in sober self-examination. 

Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24) 

Third, build God-centered anticipation and expectancy and excitement into your home—especially for the children.  

If you are excited about Christ, they will be too. If you can only make Christmas exciting with material things, how will the children get a thirst for God? Bend the efforts of your imagination to make the wonder of the King’s arrival visible for the children.

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Daniel had every reason to hide away and wait for exile to end, he didn’t. He had every reason to just give in and live like the Babylonians, he didn’t. 

Daniel had every reason to lament, to give up, to be mad at God and give in…but he didn’t instead the opposite happened….He thrived.

I think Church we need to be reminded. Just like Daniel we too live in exile. This is not our home so like Daniel how can we live our lives in the midst of our culture and circumstances in a way that honors God that changes our work place, transforms our neighborhoods. How do we in the midst of all of this chaos be faithful to our calling?

Daniel understood that God is sovereign

Daniel knew that God was in control of everything. Daniel knew that God is sovereign.  

Daniel 2:20-23

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. 20 He said,

“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
     for he has all wisdom and power.
 21 He controls the course of world events;
     he removes kings and sets up other kings.
 He gives wisdom to the wise
     and knowledge to the scholars.
 22 He reveals deep and mysterious things
     and knows what lies hidden in darkness,
     though he is surrounded by light.
 23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,
     for you have given me wisdom and strength.
 You have told me what we asked of you
     and revealed to us what the king demanded.”

This is very important for us to remember. God is in control! No matter what it looks like out the window God has a plan, he’s never caught off guard or asleep at the wheel.  He has a perfect plan and though we don’t always see it…it’s still true

 Ephesians 1:11(NLT)

11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Gods in control. That thing you’re struggling with, that person at work, that neighbor, family member…God’s in control.

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The Bible is not silent about the end times — that is, what will unfold on the earth shortly preceding Jesus’ return to the earth. Daniel is among the prophets who record visions of what will happen when Jesus returns.  

Whether we're reading the prophecies in Daniel, Matthew 25, or Revelation, the sense of chaos is dispelled by a simple repeated truth: God is in control and our ultimate victory through Jesus is assured. 

Even though we know how the story ends, we, like Daniel, are left with more questions than answers (Daniel 12:8). The curtain is pulled back but not completely. There remains a veil in place that obscures the details. 

What is the tribulation? How does it affect Christians? How can we maintain our peace of mind in the midst of so many unknowns? The angel’s assurance to Daniel is our assurance as well. 

“‘Go on about your business, Daniel,’ he said. ‘The message is confidential and under lock and key until the end, until things are about to be wrapped up. The populace will be washed clean and made like new. But the wicked will just keep on being wicked, without a clue about what is happening. Those who live wisely and well will understand what’s going on’” (Daniel 12:9-10, MSG). 

The promise in Daniel’s prophecy, and so many others, is that those of us who know Jesus will endure no matter what. We can live each day without fear because we were washed clean and made new the moment we asked Jesus into our lives. 

We won’t understand everything about the end times, and that’s OK. We take comfort, not from having all the details, but from knowing that eternal life began when we started a relationship with Jesus (John 3:16 and John 17:3). We are His, and we will be with Him in the end. 

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A recent study found that most people would rather know for certain that they are about to receive an electric shock than to not be able to predict it. This confirms what we have all probably experienced to be true in our lives. We fear the unknown and want to feel in control of our lives and circumstances.

Uncertainty looks different to each of us, but it is always stressful. For some, uncertainty is trying to find a job or waiting to hear if you have been accepted into a specific college. For others, it is not knowing if you’ll be able to provide for your family or wondering how your health will change as a result of a recent diagnosis.

Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem. He was living in a very uncertain time. The Israelite's had been taken into captivity and their holy city was in ruins. Their future looked bleak and dismal at best.

Yet, Jeremiah was able to find hope. He writes, “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” (Lamentations 3:31-32). 

Often, the best way to trust God in our present uncertainty is to consider God’s faithfulness in the past. The punishment Israel received was the result of their disobedience. However, God had also promised future blessing and restoration. Seeing God keep His word in the past allowed Jeremiah to believe with confidence that God would keep His promises in the future. 

The same is true for us. Trusting in God’s faithfulness day by day grows our confidence in His promises for the future. 

God is always working for the good of those who love Him, and His love and mercy never run out (Lamentations 3:23-25, Romans 8:28). So even when nothing around us looks “good” yet, we still have a reason to hope. God is not done and He does not abandon us. And for that, we can be thankful. 

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Do you remember where you were on 9/11? An overwhelming sense of uncertainty and fear dominated our country that day and for many more after. Church attendance spiked as people searched for a way to cope. 

In seasons of instability, our hearts long for a sovereign source of stability. We want answers, leadership, and clear direction. When the world is in turmoil, even those who don’t pick up a Bible on a regular basis are much more likely to listen to Scripture and pray. 

As Daniel gains insight about the future of the nations around him, he is reminded that with difficult times comes an opportunity to share the reason for our hope.  

In Daniel 11, the heavenly being tells Daniel that those who are wise will take the opportunity to instruct many. Hundreds of years later, the apostle Peter shares a similar message with early Christians, writing, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter 3:15). 

The reality is not everyone will want to hear what we have to say (Daniel 11:33). In those situations, it’s important to remember that God uses times of difficulty to refine and purify us as well (Daniel 11:35). Sometimes, refinement comes through receiving an uncomfortable or unpopular correction. Sometimes, refinement comes as we persevere in faith despite persecution. 

No matter how great the opposition we face, we take heart in knowing that if we will stay faithful to God, He promises to deliver us and to bring glory to His name.  

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