Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

The Real Santa Claus
by Sarah Phillips

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 1:16 NIV

His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
~ "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore (1823)

My dad used to take my sisters and me down to Miller & Rhodes for a visit with the "Real Santa Claus." The trip made for some of my favorite childhood memories. This Santa wasn't some ordinary mall Santa. The "Real Santa" arrived via reindeer-pulled sleigh and -- you bet – slid down a chimney. His full, white beard was genuine, and his beautiful friend, the Snow Queen, glittered as she greeted each awe-struck child.

But the real clincher occurred when, after waiting for hours in a sea of overexcited children, Santa called my siblings and me by name to join him on his big, comfy lap.

Of course, come adulthood, I discovered the beloved "Real Santa" was actually a local man with a local legacy -- a kind-hearted, Christian grandfather who delighted in bringing joy to children like me. (And, if you're wondering, the friendly Snow Queen was wired so "Santa" could hear our names as we approached).

I suppose we all have to step off the Polar Express at some point and accept that Santa is just a mythological figure. Or is he? As it turns out, there really was a Santa Claus. He went by the less marketable title Bishop Nicholas of Myra. While he never wore a red suit, smoked a pipe, or slid down chimneys, his story actually has a lot to do with the true meaning of Christmas.

Stories of the Real St. Nick

Researching the life of St. Nicholas presents a challenge – he seems destined to be obscured by legend, even in the history books. But even if the facts are a bit murky, there are some things we know with relative certainty.

We first encounter Nicholas as a compassionate young man in 4th century Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Both of his parents had passed away, leaving the grief-stricken youth a substantial inheritance. Nicholas decided the money would go to charity.

It wasn't long after this decision that he encountered a family in need. The father had lost his daughters' dowries, and in those days this meant the three women had no hope for marriage. As a last resort, the father decided to sell them into prostitution.

When Nicholas heard of the family's plight, and the father's horrific solution, he did something very much in the spirit of Santa Claus: He secretly visited their home by night, throwing a bag of gold coins through the family's window. He repeated his covert act of charity three times, resulting in the marriages of all three sisters. During his third visit, the father discovered his identity and expressed deep gratitude for his kindness.

St. Nicholas went on to assist many others, often anonymously. His generous and creative commitment to the needy gave rise to many unconfirmed legends and miracles over the centuries, but one fact is known for certain: his virtue resulted in his appointment as Bishop of Myra.

Defender of the Faith

Though less magical sounding, Nicholas' role as Bishop gives us even greater reason to associate this Saint with Christmas.

That's because Nicholas' life unfolded during a pivotal era of Christendom. After years of terrible persecution, the rise of Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 A.D. brought legal acceptance of Christianity. Legend has it that Bishop Nicholas was among the many Christians who endured imprisonment and torture for the faith until Constantine freed him.

But the joys of freedom were short-lived because the Church faced a threat from within: A heresy called Arianism was spreading confusion among the faithful.

Arianism, named after its promoter Arius, denied Christianity's central doctrine of the Trinity by claiming that while Jesus was the Son of God, the Son was not one (united in essence, nature, or substance) with the Father. In other words, Arius claimed Jesus Christ was not the eternal Word made flesh (John 1: 14), relegating Him to a lesser status -- a sort of "secondary god."

St. Nicholas was one of the defenders of the true Gospel, clarifying Jesus' identity against Arius' confusing teachings. Some stories even claim Bishop Nicholas boldly confronted Arius at the historic Council of Nicea (although there are no official records of Nicholas' presence at the Council.)

Thanks to the devotion of Christians like St. Nicholas, St. Athanasius, and St. Gregory of Nyssa, Arianism eventually died out. But had it prevailed, we could not celebrate the true miracle of Christmas: the Incarnation, the Word made Flesh, realized in the birth of Jesus Christ. And without fully understanding Christmas we ultimately would have lost the meaning of the Cross, too.

When Did St. Nick become "Santa Claus"?

When did St. Nick trade in the Bishop's miter for a fuzzy, red hat? Not for a long time. Bishop Nicholas' generosity and devotion endeared him to the masses. After his death, churches were named after him, and artists portrayed him in their works, spreading his popularity throughout the Mediterranean, Europe and Asia. Over time, St. Nick's legacy was associated with love of children and gift-giving, but the widespread lore kept much of the original Christian context for centuries.

"Santa Claus" is actually a very modern and very American version of the Saint. It wasn't until Dutch and German settlers brought their magical tales of Sankt Niklaus (German) and Sinterklaas (Dutch) to the New World that St. Nick began to look a little like Santa. From there, St. Nicholas still didn't take on his plump, elfin appearance or slide down chimney's until the early 1800's thanks to a satirical work called Knickerbocker's History of New York by Washington Irving.

In 1823, the red-suited image of an elf transported by flying reindeer finally solidified thanks to the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (later renamed "'Twas the Night Before Christmas") penned by New Yorker, Clement Clark Moore. Popular culture and marketing by companies like Coca-Cola further ingrained the icon into American tradition.

While 4th century Christians would not recognize the modern Santa, it's hard to imagine a better candidate for the job than a man who helped preserve the real meaning of Christmas. Bishop Nicholas exemplified the Christian life by giving his all to Christ and to those in need. Hopefully, in the midst of all the glittery commercialism surrounding our modern holiday celebrations, we'll be able to prepare for Christmas '08 in a way that genuinely reflects the spirit of (the real) St. Nick.

Intersecting Faith & Life: : St. Nicholas' legacy demonstrates a balance often difficult to achieve: a life steeped in both truth and love. What ways can you show the love of Christ more effectively during the holidays? What ways can you stand up for the truth of the Gospel more effectively?

Further Reading

Is 40:1-5, 9-11
Ps 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14
2 Pt 3:8-14
Mk 1:1-8
The Real St. Nick - Dr. Warren Throckmorton

Ref

"St. Nicholas" http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=371
The St. Nicholas Center (http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35)
"Santa Claus" wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus)

[Judy Harder]

Where is Your Joy?
by Debbie Holloway, Family Editor, Crosswalk.com

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." –Luke 2:10-11

The winter season can be bleak for many. Students are preoccupied with their work. Others become easily stressed with the pressure to plan (and cook for) family gatherings associated with the various winter holidays. Some of us even struggle with S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder), a medical condition where melancholy and sorrow creep up, due in part to the lack of sunshine.

There is something special, then, about the coming of spring. About seeing daffodils peek their yellow heads above the ground for the first time.

I imagine the Jews of Jesus' day longed for the spring of the Lord's favor. No word from the Lord had come for a long time. Jews were living under a powerful, pagan Roman government. While the people were not necessarily miserable or oppressed, their joy perhaps had worn a little thin. They no doubt pined for something better.

Imagine, next, the Shepherds who were visited by Angels on the night of Christ's birth. The hum-drum of their evening duties, perhaps even their sleep, was interrupted in a big way.

And the glory of the Lord shone around them.

And they were terrified.

But the terror was short lived, of course. What terror can stand against such amazing, incredible, joy?

A savior has been born to you.

"Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about"  they exclaimed (Luke 2:15).

Is it any wonder that the third candle of Advent, the Joy candle, is called The Shepherd's Candle? Perhaps no other figure in the nativity story was blessed to receive such unblemished, unmitigated joy as the shepherds were. There they were, pegging away like every other day, when – for no reason other than God's favor – they were given the gift of joy. They were shown the Messiah, their looked-for Messiah, and had glimpsed into that eagerly-awaited spring of the Lord's favor.

This season, as Christmas edges ever closer, let us remember this joy. We too await another awakening: the Lord's second coming. We continue to fight through the pangs and groaning of a world which continually gives birth to sin. But, in this season, let us remember the Incarnation with as much joy as did those first witnesses.

"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." –John 16:21-22

Intersecting Faith and Life: Is your joy in Christ such that no one can take it away? If not, take some time to meditate on God's gift of an incarnated Christ to the world.

Further Reading:

Luke 2
Psalms 16
1 Peter 4:13

[Judy Harder]

The Thrill of Hope
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

"A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn." ~~ O Holy Night

Does Christmas thrill you?

Children get excited at the coming of the season, and often we might feel a bit of a charge through experiencing their amazement, but the chores we go through to provide that for them are often the very things that rob us from knowing the wonder for ourselves. Plan the party, trim the tree, max out the MasterCard, wrap, ship, take a trip. And that's assuming we aren't one of the multitudes who find themselves with a case of the Holiday Blues.

So if Christ's coming into this world offers hope, and hope, as the song says, provides a thrill, how do we locate that experience amid the distraction and disillusionment of December?

Well that's the cool thing about Hope. Just as total darkness can't hold back the light of a tiny flame, so does even the smallest increment of Hope provide joy and purpose.

Here are a few scriptures I've been mulling over on the subject:

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
Notice the parallel between "things hoped for" and "things not seen." Talk about a paradox; try applying "assurance" to something your five senses can't detect. It's a challenge. The plus side is that hope, through Christ, is available to you no matter what you see, hear, or feel. It's above your circumstances.

"We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance [brings about]proven character; and proven character [brings about] hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).
Do you ever hear people say, "I don't want to get my hopes up" because they're afraid of being disappointed? What would you make of Paul's claim that "hope does not disappoint"? Might the disconnect have something to do with what we're hoping for or expecting? Max Lucado thinks so:

"Hope is not what you'd expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming ending... Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction."

"Love... hopes all things...but now abide faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:7,13).
Ever wonder why faith, hope, and love are the greatest virtues, and apparently in that order?

Maybe hope isn't actually something we do, but something we receive, like grace. If it's true that "without faith it is impossible for us to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6), perhaps it's conversely true that without Hope it would be impossible for Him to please us. The same verse says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Is hope that reward?

I mean, if faith is what we give to God, and hope is what He gives to us, then we have the dynamic of a relationship. With that in place, we can love. So love is built on hope, which is built on faith.

For hope to exist, unfortunately it looks like there has to be hopelessness first. A perfect world wouldn't have any need of hope. Deliverance arrives undeservedly and perhaps unexpectedly, just as in the unlikely way God came to earth to provide a once-and-for-all substitute for the sins of all men on the first Christmas. That's why things can look bleak, but that's where hope lives.

The good news is: you simply can't hope big enough, which goes back to the idea of our minds and senses being inadequate to judge God's design and methods, and hope being more a function of God's involvement than our desires. I readily acknowledge I could not have conceived of the plan of salvation or the virgin birth. I couldn't have imagined the plan for the walls of Jericho to crumble, for hungry lions to turn into Daniel's pet kittens, or the Red Sea to part and offer up dry land. So neither do I know how my problems will be solved, or what miracles I'll be blessed to see this Christmas.

Isaiah 9:6-7 concerns the hope of the prophecy being fulfilled that brought us a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace." The last sentence of verse seven says it's "the zeal of the Lord" that will accomplish this. God is excited! He's zealous (enthusiastic, passionate, obsessive even) to bring us this hope!

Romans 15:13 is my Christmas prayer: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Why is there hope? Because Jesus was born. O holy night. What a thrill. God is at work. 

From God Came Near, page 89

Intersecting Faith & Life: What does hope out of despair look like? There are lots of examples in any Christian's life, but in terms of contemporary cinema, I know of no better example than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Go back and watch those movies again over the holidays, keeping an eye out for allusions to hope and hopelessness. 

Further Reading

Isaiah 9:6-7
The Promises of God 

[Judy Harder]

Sometimes It Takes Two Christmas Trees
by Laura MacCorkle

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6, NIV

If you want to put up your Christmas tree one more time again this year, raise your hand.

I didn't think so. And I didn't want to put up my trusty, artificial Christmas tree again this year either, but I had to. You see, when I put up my first tree right after Thanksgiving, I knew that the rigging I had done to make sure the top half of the tree stayed in place was on its last leg and that I would need to break down and purchase a new tree next year.

But then something funny happened on the way to December 25. A couple of days later, the top half just fell off. As in, completely toppled over and onto my living room floor. For a second, I thought about just abandoning having a Christmas tree at all this year. I was frustrated and had already put in so much effort. Why go through this whole rigmarole again in the very same week?

But something in me wouldn't give up. I WILL have a Christmas tree, I thought. And I'll find a way and the time to get a replacement tree bought and decorated this week!

So I regrouped, purchased another tree and started all over again. Now, what I don't enjoy about putting up my tree is the unfurling of all of the branches that have been smashed up in the tree's box. And then even more unenjoyable than that is when I have to wrap the lights around the tree. The fake needles and branches scratch up my hands as I'm pushing lights into all of the nooks and crannies. It stings my skin, but I do it so that there's a beautiful glowy backdrop for all of my ornaments.

Once I get past all of that, then I actually do enjoy putting up my Christmas tree. First, I put the tree skirt in its place. Next, I lace around the sparkly garland. And then, since I have multiples of many ornaments (glass icicles, dangling bells, painted balls, etc.), I strategically place them first so that not all of one type of ornament is having its own holiday gathering on one branch of the tree. After I've done all of that, then I can place the one-of-a-kind ornaments here and there, pop the tree topper on the tree top and Christmas is good to go.

So then, there was great rejoicing when the Christmas tree was completed (and no, that's not a Bible verse). I just love looking at this beautiful creation. And to see it sparkle and glow... well, it makes for something glorious in my home.

Perhaps that's how the Father feels when he looks at us, his divine creations. How many times has he had to pick us back up when we've toppled over our lives? Or unwind the tangled mess we've made because of our disobedience to him? Somehow, in his great love, he never gives up on us. Because Jesus made a way for us to come to the Father, God is faithful and continually works to make us radiant and pleasing to him.

I'm thankful God doesn't tire of putting me back together each and every day of the year. In fact, if I know him, and I do, I think even if it took putting up a gazillion Christmas trees that he will never tire of working in our lives so that we might glorify him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: How has the Father shown you his kindness, his patience and the ways that he is long-suffering toward you this year? Thank him for the gift of his Son this Christmas and that because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed (Lam. 3:22).

Further Reading:

John 1:3-4, NIV

Rom. 2:4, MSG

Heb. 13:21, NIV

[Judy Harder]

Tell Everybody!
by Anna Kuta

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds (Luke 2:15-18).

Every December my church puts on an event called Bethlehem Walk, an interactive living nativity of sorts that takes people through a recreation of first-century Bethlehem and then through scenes of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Thousands of people from the community and even all over the state come each year to hear about the real meaning of Christmas. I've been a cast member almost every year, but this year for the first time I played the part of a guide, who leads groups of people through the city and from one drama scene to the next.

If I thought it would get monotonous saying the same lines, hearing the same story and seeing the same things acted out on repeat for 20 hours in one weekend, I could not have been further from the truth. One of my favorite parts was seeing the reactions of people in my groups to each of the scenes, especially the kids.

After the group watches the angels appear to the shepherds in the field and tell them of Jesus' birth, we hurry with the shepherds to the stable to see it for ourselves. After we learn that this baby really is the Messiah, the guide is supposed to tell the group, "Come, let us go tell others what we have seen!" (From there, the group stumbles upon the three kings and points the way to them.) One night, however, I had a group of kids who were as enthralled with the whole story as anyone I'd ever seen. When we got to the manger, they crowded in close, eyes wide, like they'd never seen anything like it. They watched with awe as Mary sang "Silent Night" and rocked the baby Jesus in her arms. And just when she finished and I opened my mouth to speak my lines, I was upstaged – one little boy in the front jumped up and shouted, "It's Jesus! We gotta tell everybody!"

Sure, we all crack a smile, but the little boy had it absolutely right. Tell everybody! The shepherds did just that after the angels pointed them to baby Jesus – they made it "widely known," according to Luke 2:17. How could they keep quiet, having seen what they had seen? How can I keep quiet, having been redeemed by Christ?

If you, like me, ever feel unqualified or unworthy to share the Gospel, remember the shepherds. They were the most unlikely messengers of the Messiah's birth – rough, poor, dirty; outcasts of society. God could have sent the angels to proclaim the news to anyone, but he chose the shepherds. He used them as the first-ever preachers of the Gospel.

Just as the shepherds could not keep quiet about what they saw when they found Jesus, so it should be for us. This Christmas season, share the good news – not just of Jesus as the baby in the manger, but of Jesus who came to save us from our sin.

Intersecting Faith & Life: With whom can you share the good news of Jesus?

Further Reading

Luke 2

Mark 16:15

Ephesians 6:19-20

[Judy Harder]

A Revealed Savior
by Katherine Britton

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." -Jeremiah 29:13

I wish I could ask the Magi what it was like after they returned to their homeland. After watching the skies for years, journeying for weeks, and seeing Jesus with their own eyes, how did they return to the life they once knew? Did they ever hear about the rest of the Jesus's life? Did they realize the Jew who was killed on the tree was the same child to whom they offered gifts befitting a king? Did they understand that his birth was a precursor to a far greater event?

We don't know much with certainty about these men. They brought three gifts—gold, incense, and myrrh—but there may have been dozens of Magi who went on that journey. These wise men were certainly Gentiles, probably from Persia. They acted as something close to astrologer-priests in their homeland, we think, marking the movements of the heavens to find out its impact on man. Judging by their gifts and their titles, their status and wealth came close to royalty.

Now consider what we definitely know about them: these Magi considered it worth their time, efforts, riches, and worship to come worship at a Bethlehem house.

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." - Matthew 2:10-11

Matthew 2:10-11These pagans searched for the Messiah as no one else did. Their adventure is an extraordinary tale of God's grace mixed with man's hunger, as they followed the star God set up in the heavens with a single-minded devotion. They were on a search for God, who had given them the signs to find him. I think these men, who knew so much less than I do about the Messiah, sought him harder than I ever have.

Consider Matthew Henry's commentary on what transpired:

"They might have said, 'If such a prince be born, we shall hear of him shortly in our own country, and it will be time enough then to pay our homage to him.' But so impatient were they to be better acquainted with him, that they took a long journey on purpose to enquire after him. Note, Those who truly desire to know Christ, and find him, will not regard pains or perils in seeking after him."

Personally, I don't think the Magi were ever the same after their encounter in the Bethlehem house. They invested themselves to finding the King of the Jews, and he revealed himself to them. I think all other stars must have paled in comparison.

Intersection of Faith & Life: Like the psalmist sings, the "heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalms to each one of us. Those signs are God calling us to seek him with our whole heart, so he can reveal himself to us more and more. This Christmas season, I want to follow the Magi's example. I want to find the mystery of the Gospel so incredible that I pursue it with all my heart, and all my strength, and all my soul. I pray this mystery captivates your heart this Christmas!

Further Reading:

Matthew 2
Why Did the Wise Men Search for Jesus?

[Judy Harder]

Peace, Love, and Angels
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3).

Snow comes. Once twilight takes over, lights appear all over the city. People hum Christmas carols as they walk. The Salvation Army bell is heard clanging a block over. Christmas is coming; it's almost here. And it can be a swirling, hectic time. It can be easy to forget about the quiet importance of Advent Season, and the rich meanings in each Advent candle.

The fourth Advent candle is called the Candle of Love.

If we as Christians are so eager to keep "Christ" in "Christmas" and not surrender the holiday to commercialism, we had better remember to love during this season. Otherwise, what message do we send to the world? Lighting the Candle of Love during Advent season is a reminder of how great the Father's love is for us. The Incarnation embodied God's passionate pursuit of all humankind; it showed the depths to which our LORD was willing to go, in order to teach us, redeem us, draw us to himself.

The fourth Advent candle is called the Angel's candle.

The Angel who proclaimed the news of Christ's birth to the shepherds had a vital duty: to impart God's love and good news. For in a world swirling with legends of violent gods, bloody sacrifices, and warring nations, God's love is the best possible news. The birth of a Messiah was the best possible news.

Are we not to be God's emissaries, perhaps something like God's angels, today? Should we not exude joy and spread peace? Should we not glorify God in everything and serve him always?

The fourth Advent candle represents the peace of God.

In a world torn and ragged, Christ alone offers true peace. Let us soak in this peace as we remember the night he lay as an infant in a tumultuous world he would soon change forever. Let us soak in this peace as we partake of the Lord's Supper and remember that his body was broken out of love for us. Let us become this peace, in a world so full of violence, abuse, and ignorance. For we cannot change the world; but we can open up our own hearts to be transformed through Christ.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Even if you don't light the Advent candles each week in December, take a moment to reflect on each of their meanings.

Further Reading:

Luke 2:14
Matthew 5:43-48

[Judy Harder]

The Audacity of Christmas
by Mike Pohlman

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. –1 Corinthians 3:21-23

This Christmas millions of children (and adults) will find under their Christmas tree a Wii or Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. When the wrapping paper is ripped and the contents revealed shouts of joy will fill the room. (I'm planning on this as our kids open their Wii!) Each of these game consoles will bring countless hours of pleasure to the players. But as amazing as these machines are, they in no way compare to the audacity of God's gift given at Christmas.

Consider the staggering promise of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:21. He says, "all things are yours" by virtue of being in Christ. And what does Paul include in "all things"? Things like the world, life, death, the present and the future. Breathtaking. How can this be?

Galatians 4:4-7 shows how the Christian comes to inherit "all things."

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Christmas marks the "fullness of time" when God, in his sovereign freedom, "sent forth his Son." The One who dispenses times and seasons determined that it was time to send forth the Son who had existed with the Father from eternity. Indeed, the second person of the Trinity "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:6-7). He was "born of a woman, born under the law." Here we have the wonder of the Incarnation: God of very God assuming a human nature.

Why would the Son of God take on flesh and dwell among sinful mankind? Why would divinity take on humanity and "become obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:?

He did it to secure salvation. In other words, "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:5). Christ came into the world not only to free us from the tyranny of sin, death and the devil, but also to crown us with unimaginable glory.

It is true that at the Cross Christ "redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). But we have not been saved only in this "negative" sense. We have been adopted into God's family and given all the rights and privileges of legitimate heirs. Paul captures this beautifully in 2 Corinthians 2:8-9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." And the riches that are ours in Christ are far greater than anything merely monetary. These riches are in fact "all things" for "all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1 Corinthians 3:23). This is the audacity of Christmas and it is intended to redound "to the praise of [God's] glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).

Intersecting Faith & Life: This Christmas I want to think and live as one adopted. One way to do this is to let every gift given to a loved one serve as a pointer to the Gospel. And when we consider how excited we are for the new Wii or Xbox or Playstation with its temporal pleasures, let us remember the eternal weight of glory that awaits the heirs of the King.

Further Reading

Disturbing Christmas, C.J. Mahaney
A Redemption Worthy of Our Worship, Peter Beck

[Judy Harder]

Blessed are You among Women!
by Sarah Phillips

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to the city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
Luke 1: 39 - 45,

You don't need me to tell you Christmas is here. Chances are, this past week, you've been rushing around trying to get last-minute errands completed. I had a mental list of "must do's" running through my own head.

So as I read the gospel for the final Sunday of Advent, I was struck by how Mary prepared for Christ's coming. Mary received the biggest news of human history, the coming of the Messiah (through her?!), and what did she do? Mary set aside her own agenda and "went with haste" to visit her cousin Elizabeth. At this point, Elizabeth's pregnancy is entering the final trimester and no doubt this older mother is tired and in need of assistance.

I imagine Mary must have had a lot of thoughts running through her head on the way to Judah. "Is Elizabeth really pregnant in her old age? She must be... but really? And how am I going to explain my situation to Elizabeth? Will she believe me?"

Mary's arrival is one of those great moments in history - a moment that reverberates throughout the ages that follow. This simple story of two pregnant women meeting carries so many implications. Some of the themes that stick out to me include:

1.     Mary's faith. Mary was obedient to God and put faith in him. She set aside her own comfort and questions to help Elizabeth. Mary's virtue shines through here, and God throws in a little reward - a miraculous and joyful greeting from Elizabeth.

2.     Elizabeth's selflessness. Elizabeth's news is a pretty big deal. Her husband receives a vision from an angel and she conceives in her old age after years of waiting. Yet, her first response focuses not on her big news, but on Mary's. This reveals Elizabeth's virtue and also adds emphasis to the reality that Mary's news holds even more profound implications for humanity than Elizabeth's miracle.

3.     The humanity of the unborn. In those days, pregnant women didn't enjoy the luxury of ultrasound technology. Yet, God makes the humanity of these little ones very clear here. Elizabeth exclaims, "And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Elizabeth refers to Mary as "mother" in the present tense and she refers to the growing baby inside of Mary (who probably wasn't even showing yet) with his proper title:  Lord. God was "with us" the moment Mary conceived, and even the unborn John the Baptist recognized this!

4.     God works through fellow human beings. God could have found any number of ways to communicate his message that day. He chose to speak through Elizabeth and John and the communion between Mary and Elizabeth. He also brought help to Elizabeth during her last trimester through Mary and comfort to the newly pregnant Mary through Elizabeth.

5.     God's love for women. How can there be any doubt that God has a special place in his heart for the fairer sex after reading of Mary and Elizabeth's stories? God could have arrived on earth in any form he chose... and while the rest of the world remained ignorant, two women basked in the presence and knowledge of the Lord.

I am sure great theologians can extract even more from this story, but I'll leave it here for today. As you celebrate Christmas today, imitate Mary who "treasured up" the mysteries revealed to her and "pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).

Intersecting Faith & Life: How has God been present in your life this holiday season? Think of the little ways God makes his presence known and brings you comfort and joy even in the midst of trials.

Further Reading

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10
Women of Advent and Christmas: Elizabeth
Women of Advent and Christmas: Mary, Not Just a Womb

[Judy Harder]

Nothing Wasted
by John UpChurch, Senior Editor, BibleStudyTools.com

When they had all had enough to eat, [Jesus] said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." (John 6:12)

In your house somewhere, there's probably one of those things. Although it looks like any other scribbled-up notebook or faded picture or crinkle-edged envelope, you know better. You know better because there's a ton or two of memories tied around that thing. You avoid it for years because you don't have time (or courage) to drag all that weight back out. It's best left dusty and dormant. You tell yourself you've forgotten. You don't really believe that, but it's what you tell yourself.

Then, that thing finds you. Okay, so technically you found it while you were cleaning or trying to decide what to pitch out from your overstuffed closet.  But whatever the case, it's there in your hand. You plop down in the floor and place it on your lap. Your fingers smooth down the edges. Maybe your gut tightens up a bit.

Once again—just like the last time you "found" it—the I-was-a-fool song zips into your head. It's a song that only has one verse, but that verse plays over and over. Usually, you turn the melody into a prayer that goes something like this:

God, what was I thinking? How could I not see? How could I have done that? Why didn't I say something?

Waste—eventually, it all comes down to that. While tracing pencil indentions with your fingers or taking in the smooth surface of the photo, you wonder how many years you wasted. What mighty things you might have done. At least, it seems like that now.

But there's another song that comes, too, and that one has many verses and many versions. One of the best sounds like this:

You were dead because you lost sight of Christ. But He never lost sight of you. Right when you needed it most, God made those nail-pierced wrists very real to you, and it crushed you to know what shame had been hammered to the cross—all our regret-filled yesterdays. (Colossians 2:13-14, author paraphrase)

And if you listen to that song (or dozens more like it), you won't fear that tattered thing in your hands, that memento too heavy to keep close by. Instead, you'll see how God never wastes anything. Not busted up plans, not years of prodigal living, and certainly not you. Instead, He picks them up—when He picks you up—and teaches you how to talk about His can't-believe-it's-possible grace.

So, talk.

Intersecting Faith and Life: If there was anyone who should have wanted to forget his past, it was Paul. This Christian-murdering, Jesus-denying man pretty much owned the record for most regretful decisions. But Paul never hides what he was. In fact, he keeps repeating it to believers, to governors, to kings. He never hides the years that we might think were wasted.

You see, Paul had it figured out. He'd done shameful things, but he'd received shameless grace. And all those years of not knowing Jesus became the foundation for his new life. He spoke from his weakness and God's ridiculous gift of salvation. Even for him.

And the same is true with your past. You may hate what happened or what you did. But it's not about where you've been or the wounds you inflicted on yourself; it's about showing God's love through your scars.

Further Reading:

Colossians 2
John 6