Giving Back This Christmas

“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11. 

Christmas is one of the happiest holidays for several reasons. First and foremost, the Son of God descended from heaven to “give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20: 28). Secondly, people are more generous at Christmas than at any other time of the year. The practice of giving is not a recent innovation—it began on the first Christmas when Jesus was born. Everyone in the Christmas story had something to give.

When Mary submitted to God’s plan, she surrendered her good reputation in order to fulfill the Lord’s calling for her life. (Luke 1:30-38). Joseph offered his love and protection to Mary and the child who was not his own (Matthew 1:18-25) And the wise men relinquished the comfort of home to seek the newborn King and give Him gifts. You can’t talk about the wise men without talking about the three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-11)  

Christmas and the holidays are the seasons of giving. But what about the reason for the season? What can we give to God? What do you give to God, who has everything? What does God want from us? Too often we think of giving as synonymous with giving money. While God doesn’t need our money, giving is a privilege out of love for the Lord and a desire to see His kingdom advanced. But this Christmas, consider giving an additional gift to God.

One of the greatest gifts you can give Jesus this season is the gift of you. The greatest gift you can give to God is to say, “Lord, I give You my life. I give You my talents. I give You my abilities. I give You my dreams. I give You my future. I give You my weaknesses. I offer myself to You. Here is my gift to You.” Jesus wants a closer, deeper relationship with you. Surrendering your life and allowing God to guide and direct you will lead to an intimacy with God. This starts by giving Him your heart. The Bible tells us, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Luke 12:34). Your heart is what you love, value and care about most. One way you can give Jesus your heart this Christmas is by giving your resources to His work.

 This Christmas, be committed to growing in your relationship with Jesus and doing all that you can to reflect His love and greatness to others.

Discussion Question:

  1. Matthew 2:2 says, “The wise men didn’t come to get something from God, but to offer something to Him.”What can we offer to God this Christmas season?

Wise Men and Worship

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!” – Psalm 150:1-6

Worship should be our highest priority, one that permeates every aspect of our lives. John 4:23-24 says, “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”Warren Wiersbe said that ”Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does.” The wise men were all about worship.

“…About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem…” (Matthew 2:1)  This is a small sentence with large significance. The wise men had to travel 600-800 miles to Jerusalem. What if they were wrong and following the star thing was a wild goose chase? It would have been like packing the kids in the station wagon in Alaska, driving all the way to Orlando only to discover that Disney World was only a rumor. Then with everyone angry and frustrated, you had to turn around and drive all the way back to Alaska. The wise men invested their time and resources on something that was worth the investment. The wise men were seekers. It was in their seeking that they saw something.  The wise men invested their time and resources on something that was worth the investment. They worshipped someone worth worshipping. They found God in the person of Jesus Christ.  

And when they found Jesus, they fell down before him and they worshipped him. “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.” (Matthew 2:2) The Scripture says that “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” They were full of the greatest joy.  Worship brings joy.  Worship and joy are inseparable partners.  And the wise men discovered it in Jesus Christ.

Worship, true worship, is our life’s expression of reverence and faith in God. The songs that we sing, the activities of our day, all that we do only becomes worship when those things are the expression of our faith in God.  A song is worship when that song is sung in faith because of the relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ. Worship happens when we mentally, emotionally and spiritually connect with the Lord, loving Him with our lives through song, actions, thoughts, and intentions, everything we think and do.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does worship mean to you? How did this story of the wise men help shape that definition?
  2. When you worship God, what percentage is at church? How could you surrender to God in worship every day of the week?
  3. Matthew 2:2 says, “The wise men didn’t come to get something from God, but to offer something to Him.” What can we offer to God this Christmas season?

A Change Of Route

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.” – Matthew 2: 10-12.

Sometimes life takes you in a direction you didn’t want to go in. You are not alone. There are a lot of people who know where they want to go but find themselves far from their desired destination. But that can change. You can change your heading, and steer away from what you don’t want, and towards the direction, you want to go in. Consider the story of the wise men. 

In Matthew 2:7-8 gives us the background:”Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

When the wise men encountered Jesus, it changed their route.  The wise men had found what they were looking for. But before the wise men could return to Herod, however, they were warned in a dream not to do it, and they returned to their country by another route. They were one of the first, of millions upon millions of people who have had their path changed after an encounter with Jesus.  In Acts 17:30, Paul said, “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.” Repentance is more than forgiveness. Repentance is a 180-degree turn. Repentance is a commitment to begin walking the correct way.  When we meet Christ, it should change our direction – once we were walking according to our own way, now we are walking according to God’s way; once we did as we please, now we seek to please Him.

The wise men were changed by their encounter with Jesus.  When they approached the house in Bethlehem, they were wealthy men, at least wealthy enough to buy expensive gifts.  They were certainly confident as evidenced by their willingness to undertake this long and dangerous journey.  But when they entered that house and came face-to-face with the Christ child, they bowed down and worshiped Him.  Imagine that for a second.  These wealthy, wise men – bowing at the feet of a little boy.

When we meet Jesus, we are faced with a choice – to accept Him or reject Him.  If we reject Him, then there is no need to change direction or alter our path.  But if we accept Him, we cannot remain unchanged. We need to change our direction toward Him.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you the kind of person who asks for directions quickly or is it a last resort for you?
  2. What can we do to make a more permanent change of direction toward God? 

What Makes Wise Men Wise?

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2.  

Ah, the wise men. No nativity play would be complete without the three wise men. They are portrayed as wealthy men coming from the east, dressed in richly colorful garments with beautiful turbans, riding in on camels, looking for the newborn King. We don’t know a lot about them, but the details are not as important as the message.  

There are a number of lessons we can learn from the wise men. For example, the wise men show us how to be willing to accept God on His terms, not on ours. When the wise men found Jesus, He was far from what they must have been expecting. They likely expected to find the newborn king in a palace, not in a stable; wrapped in royal clothes, not in swaddling clothes; surrounded by staff and attendants, not animals and shepherds. Yet when they found Him as He was, they didn’t turn back. They were willing to let their own perceptions be changed by God rather than to fit God into their own perceptions. 

They needed to change their ideas about power, about God, about man — in short, they had to come to grips with the fact that God’s ways are not as we imagine them or as we might wish them to be. Likewise each of us today must learn God’s ways and how to conform our ways to His. 

We all have expectations when it comes to God. And what happens is rarely what we expect. God has His own plan and it’s often different from mine and always better. I might expect Him to give me answers on a question I have, and instead, He just gives me more to think about. I might expect Him to guide me to a specific route He wants me to take in my life, but instead, He reminds me to seek Him first just as the wise men did.  I might expect Him to take my setbacks and trials away, but He instead just tells me to trust Him and wait patiently. I might expect Him to help me in one area, but He helps me in a completely different part of my life. Whatever it is, Jesus has it under control. So when we come to Him, we should learn to expect the unexpected and accept Him on His terms rather than ours. 

It is important to have our view of God right, to see Him as He really is. Only then will we be able recognize what’s true around us and what is false. Our salvation is not just in jumping through some religious hoops or praying for things the way we want them, but in actually learning to follow Him as He draws us into His orbit and teaches us how to live in His ways.

Discussion Questions:

  1. If you were one of the wise men, how do you think you would have reacted when you saw the king you sought was a child? 
  2. What does it mean to accept God on His terms rather than our terms?

Seek And You Will Find

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” ― Matthew 7:7. 

They’ve got a song. They’ve got a bumper sticker that is also an idiom. They’re always dressed like royalty with flowing robes and glistening crowns. They ride camels and have a fascination with the stars. Who are they? The wise men.  Matthew is the only one of the gospel writers that write about them. Matthew 2:2 says, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” They were true Jesus seekers.

The wise men came in search of a King greater than themselves. They were committed to seeking truth over a very long trip that scholars believe could be 600-900 miles. It was an expensive and difficult journey, but their desire to know was stronger than their desire for comfort. It makes you wonder what they were thinking when they met the young Messiah who was probably several years old by that time.  

You also have to wonder what Joseph and Mary were thinking when some men from a distant land, got down on their knees in front of their child. They were obviously wealthy and learned men who traveled great distances to worship their son and give Him extravagant gifts. Perhaps nothing surprised Joseph and Mary at that point, but you have to think that they were still asking why?  Their son would not ordinarily have received such gifts. The wise men knew this child was different.  And they were right.  

As His life plays out before us on the pages of Scripture, we marvel as He makes “…the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear…”  (Matthew 11:5) Our breath is taken away when, with the words, “…the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5) Our heart breaks as nails are driven through His flesh for our sins. His resurrection secured our victory over death and “…raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6). It is no wonder that wise men past and present seek Him.  

The wise man sought and found Jesus as a young child. When we seek Him today, we find Him today as the living Christ, clothed with glory and honor and seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. Does it surprise you the sacrifices the wise men made to see the child Jesus? What do you think motivated the wise men to journey so far from home and their refusal to be diverted from their mission?

God With Us

“So God throws open the door of this world—and enters as a baby. As the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you. What religion ever had a god that wanted such intimacy with us that He came with such vulnerability to us? What God ever came so tender we could touch Him? So fragile that we could break Him? So vulnerable that His bare, beating heart could be hurt? Only the One who loves you to death.” -Ann Voskamp.

There are mysteries that will never truly be solved. Christmas is one of those mysteries because it causes us to reflect and ponder the idea of Immanuel: God with Us. God entered the world as a baby. God entered our little corner of the universe. How do we make sense of that? 

We try to understand the mystery of God with us. But it’s humanly impossible to understand what happened on that first Christmas. The Bible explains what Jesus did this way: “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form.” (Philippians 2:5-7). He took the humble position of a slave: imagine the president of the United States leaving all his position and authority and moving to an impoverished third-world country as a slave. But that example doesn’t even come close to what Christ did. Jesus didn’t just look like God, He was always God. Jesus took on human form without changing who He is innately and eternally. How do we understand that? 

What kind of knowledge, creativity, and power did it take for God to become an infant, without becoming one less bit God than He was before? How could He “who fills all things everywhere with himself.” (Ephesians 1:23) confine Himself to a human womb and yet still be able to fill all things?  

Another mystery is that our Savior did it all in order to die in place of the human beings He created. How can we truly appreciate or understand all the lengths He was willing to go to bridge the chasm so we could be called “children of God” (1 John 3:1 ESV)  The fact that, as Christians, we are adopted by God and are his children is amazing. And not red-headed step children, either. In Romans 8:15-17, we read: “…Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory…”  I’m not sure we can comprehend this side of eternity what that means fully.

So on Christmas, consider what our Savior has given up and to what lengths He has gone for the sake of love.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do we put the mystery of God with us in perspective? 
  2. Name one way you can live differently based on the fact of God being with us? 

Christmas Is A Time Of Worship

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'” Luke 2:13-14 

It’s that time of year again. Here we are, just 12 days out, looking forward to Christmas, again. Looking forward to Christmas is different for different people. Now that you are an adult the Christmas experience is different. You look forward to the presents, you look forward to the excitement, you look forward to spending time with family. But there is also the hustle and bustle this time of year brings that leads to irritability and depression. So we have a decision; we can choose to get bogged down with stress or we can choose to remember the reason for the season.

Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of praise in Luke 2:13-14. When Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds sharing the good news. Then many other angels joined together and praised God. That’s not the only place the Bible records angels worshipping the Lord. In Hebrews 1:6 it says, “And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, ‘Let all of God’s angels worship him.'” And Revelation 5:11-12a says, “Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus.” 

Christmas is ultimately about Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings, and the only right response to Jesus is worship. Angels are role models for worship. Angels intentionally and deliberately spend time praising God. Intentional may be a Christian cliché, but it truly cannot be overstated. Our Christian walk is about following Jesus in a broken world, which takes every ounce of our attention, plans, and desires. So let’s be intentional about seeking Him this Christmas.

God provides us many opportunities to worship Him during the Christmas season and every season for that matter. We can worship Him listening to Christmas music; working on a report for work, or when things are quiet and no one is around. Worship is not about us but about God. Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live. In every daily activity, in every encounter with people, in every circumstance, in every conversation, in every relationship, and in every choice that we make, we learn to increasingly focus on God’s Kingdom, His will and purpose for our lives.   

Today, there are many good things that can distract us from the main point of Christmas: the worship of Jesus Christ. Rather than allow these things to distract us from Christmas, may they be catalysts to propel us toward the worship of our Lord and Savior.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do we worship God?
  2. What can we do this Christmas season to better worship God? 

Fully Engaged

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things…” – Luke 1:46-51. 

Some years ago, I was invited to a Christmas party. The invitation had one request: “Please don’t bring a gift. Your presence is gift enough.” It sounds easy. Just be present and be engaged. We all have the ability to focus our attention on the present moment and what is before us. But we don’t often do it. We have slowly but surely given up or been conditioned out of full engagement. Who hasn’t sat at their desk working on the computer while their mind wanders off, perhaps planning a summer vacation, or considering restaurant options for dinner, or worrying about the kids, the remodel, the doctor bills—the list is endless. It is difficult to be fully engaged with others and God.

Consider Paul’s advice in his Epistle to the Colossians: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)  Joseph is an example of someone who was fully engaged. He readily obeyed the angel’s command to take Mary as his wife. A further example of Joseph’s obedience is seen in Matthew 2:13-14. After Jesus’ birth, he was told by an angel to take his family to Egypt–quickly. That was still quite an undertaking. To travel by donkey with Mary and young Jesus to an unfamiliar country at least 300 miles away over wilderness terrain was not a Sunday stroll. But Joseph obeyed–promptly (2:14). After they were settled in Egypt, however, Joseph was told to move again–back to Israel. Again Joseph obeyed without raising any questions about practicalities or God’s timetable.

When you are fully engaged with God, it means that you have the faith to obey Him even when things don’t make sense. It means when we are uncertain about our future, worried or afraid, God’s power will come into our lives and give us peace. And unlike our tendencies, God’s engagement is not dependent on our circumstances or how much we are distracted. God does not disengage, we do. God remains fully engaged in our lives at all times . 

Discussion questions:

  1. How can we take responsibility for our engagement with God?  
  2. What can we do this week to become more engaged with God? 

Not That Joseph Either

Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.” – Mark 15:43-46. 

There are three men in Scripture who share the name, Joseph. There’s the Old Testament Joseph, whose amazing story from abandoned brother to Egyptian lord is chronicled in Genesis. Then there’s the New Testament Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, and a third Joseph, who took a risk on faith. 

Jesus had just been crucified. The disciples of Christ were left wondering if the signs and wonders they had seen and the amazing teaching they had heard were not so wonderful and amazing after all. If Jesus truly was the Son of God, how could He die? If Christ really possessed the divine power He claimed to possess, why didn’t He use it. None of it made any sense. 

Joseph of Arimathea probably had these same questions, doubts, and fears. Like everyone else, he had no idea what was going on. He didn’t have the ability to see the future, so he had no way of knowing that the worst thing that had just happened – the death of the Messiah – would become the best thing to ever happen?  He had no way of knowing that this defeat was actually the ultimate victory. At that moment it was not a good time to be associated with Jesus. But Joseph of Arimathea loved his Lord too much to let His body rot on the cross or be ignominiously thrown with other criminals into some shallow public grave. So at great risk to himself and his reputation, he went to the Roman governor Pilate to request Jesus’ body. He gave the crucified Christ a tomb and buried his Lord with honor without knowing that it would all make sense in the long run. 

It’s tempting for us to believe that we would have a lot more peace, obedience, and courage in life if we could only see what God was doing. If only we knew why we had to lose that job; if only we knew why we had to experience that trial; if only we knew why we had to endure that unfaithful spouse. If only we knew then we would live more obediently like Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus and act more courageously like Joseph of Arimathea.

We all experience those moments when life doesn’t make any sense. In these moments, it’s very tempting to question God’s power, goodness, wisdom, and love. When we allow ourselves to doubt the character and commitment of God, we need to trust God.  The tomb that Joseph offered was not a final resting place, but rather the ultimate symbol of God’s complete and final victory over sin and death and His delivery of the forgiveness and new life to all who put their trust in Him. Joseph’s tomb is a sign that points to the grace and redemptive work of God.

Discussion questions:

  1. Why was Joseph of Arimathea taking a risk to ask for the body of Jesus? 
  2. Sometimes we struggle to understand the events of our lives. When life is difficult, how can we make sense of what doesn’t seem to make sense?

Not that Joseph

“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” ― Matthew1:24. 

There are three distinct Josephs in the Bible; the first and probably most well-known is Joseph the son of Jacob. This is the Joseph who is sold into slavery by his brothers, spends years in prison and eventually becomes the prime minister of Egypt. His story is told in the book of Genesis 37-50 and is mentioned in John 4:5: Acts 7:9-18; Hebrews 11:21-22  and Revelation 7:8. The second Joseph was the husband of Mary and the surrogate father of Jesus. The third was Joseph of Arimathea in whose tomb Jesus was laid to rest.

Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus is somewhat of the silent, passive voice in the Christmas event. He doesn’t have a line in the Christmas narrative. In fact, there are no words of Joseph recorded in Scripture. Yet the Gospel accounts remind us that God’s plan for the Incarnation, and Jesus’ birth, included Joseph from the beginning. Joseph is a faithful husband and a caring father. He is a man of faith who listens to God’s messages and then obeys God’s commands, trusting in God’s promises.

He was not passive but focused and intentional in his actions. The quietness of people like Joseph can be overwhelmed by the noise of Christmas music, concerts, television specials, parties, celebrations, and endless advertising. Through all the clamor and sounds of this season, Joseph reminds us of how important it is to hear God’s voice. Through the harried pace of life in this season of the year, Joseph reminds us to be focused, intentional and obedient to Christ in our actions. The example of Joseph’s life also reminds us to trust God even when things don’t make sense.  

Joseph not only listened carefully but acted on God’s instructions. Joseph did exactly what God asked him to do. He didn’t wait until morning. He didn’t wait for better weather. He took immediate action. “Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:28) In another place, He said, “Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” (John 13:17) It was obedience motivated out of faith and love of God that moved Joseph to action.

God is still expecting our faithful response through obedient action. Joseph’s example should inspire and guide us to find hope and direction for living by taking time this Christmas to be quiet enough to listen to God’s voice and responding with faithful obedience.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. What impressed you most about Joseph’s character? 
  2. What makes it hard for you to obey God consistently? What reasons do we give for not obeying God? What does our unwillingness to obey say about our heart condition?