A Star-Stopping Christmas

Each year at Christmas, the journey of the Wise Men grips me. Within my soul rests this insatiable longing to mine down and glean the wonder of their participation in The Story. Please join me for a 2020 consideration of their journey in Matthew 2.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-5, 7-11)

Yes, the Magi were relentless in their pursuit. They pushed and pressed. But when they arrived, they stopped! They did not keep searching. The star stopped, because their search was over.  

Two thousand years later, you and I battle the temptation to search the Internet, to text the tribe, to turn on the TV in pursuing meaning and purpose in life, in seeking genuine, authentic connectivity. We push, and we press in our own longing for simple soul satisfaction, don’t we?

Now, in the context of our season, the Lord lovingly, gently guides us to consider His truth, the Bottom line of Christmas: the star still stops … with Jesus.

The. star. stops. with. Jesus.

In our weary and worn 2020 set of circumstances: the star stops with Jesus.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28. (NIV)

In our search for security: the star stops with Jesus.

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” Hebrews 13:5. (NIV)

In our seeking significance: the star stops with Jesus.

“I am the vine, and you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:5. (NIV)

In our longing for intimacy: the star stops with Jesus.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love …” Jeremiah 31:3. (NIV)

With our need to matter somewhere to someone: the star stops with Jesus.

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me” Psalm 139:1. (NIV)

In our thirst for authenticity: the star stops with Jesus.

“I am the way, the truth and the life” John 14:6. (NIV)

With our pursuit of success: the star stops with Jesus.

“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor in life” Proverbs 22:4. (NKJV)

In our desperate hope for the future: the star stops with Jesus.

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:27. (NKJV)

His name is Jesus, Jesus.

Sad hearts weep no more.

He has healed the broken-hearted, Opened wide the prison doors,

He is able to deliver evermore. (Maranatha! Music)

In the Name of Jesus, may you and yours have a Merry, Blessed Star-Stopping Christmas! 

Living with Eternal Intentionality®

1. Which highlight concerning the Wise Men do you want to have influence on your Christmas celebration?

2. What do the Wise Men teach us about worship?

3. Is there an ongoing push or pursuit or longing in your life that needs to stop in the Person of Jesus? If so, what is it?

By God's grace, I will meet you again on January 20, 2021. You have no idea how much I appreciate the time we share here together. Lovingly in Christ, Debby

Joseph, Please Tell Us

Angels, Shepherds, Mary, and the Magi typically command our attention in the Christmas Story. But tucked between the Lines stands a man not to be overlooked: Joseph. His compelling life lends itself to an intriguing 2020 interview.

Joseph,

What was it like to have an angel interrupt your sleep on multiple occasions?

Lacking the benefit of text messaging, when did you and Mary have occasion to share your separate angelic encounters?

Furthermore, how did you muster the courage to take Mary as your wife when the local rumor mill must have made you look immoral?

Describe for us the journey to Bethlehem. Without an SUV and Starbucks Christmas blend, what comfort did you offer to Mary as the two of you traveled from Nazareth?

Did you pray or did you panic when no Airbnb’s were available?

Without 911 to call, how did you respond when Mary made it clear that the Baby was on His way?

When Jesus was born, you actually were the world’s very first witness. Did you tell the shepherds this Baby was the One to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21, NIV)?

Joseph, what advice do you have to offer 21st century Believers about choosing to trust God?

Though the interview questions must be postponed until heaven, the life of this man robustly inspires us today. Two character qualities make him a mentor in his own right:

Joseph was righteous.

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man … (Matthew 1:19, Berean Study Bible).

Joseph was obedient.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matthew 1:20, 24, NIV).

Thus, righteous, obedient Joseph was prepared for his part in the birth of the Son of God.

A modern day mindset tells you and me that preparation depends ultimately on leadership courses, doctorate degrees, or sophisticated seminars. But hold on; the best life coaching for God’s readiness in our lives actually comes from the Holy Spirit, Who cultivates righteousness and motivates obedience within each of us as Christ followers.

Just like Joseph, you and I possess the opportunity today to pursue righteousness and invest in obedience. As we persevere in Living With Eternal Intentionality®, these choices may well lead us to our own Bethlehem. One thing for sure, God’s Spirit will make certain we are personally prepared for God’s Greater Story, whether we find ourselves at a soup kitchen or a kitchen sink, a classroom or a boardroom, a changing table or a checkout line.

Righteousness makes us qualified; obedience makes us ready. I like that, don’t you?

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

What further question would you like to ask Joseph?

How does his genealogy contribute to God’s plan of destiny for him?

What if Joseph refused to obey God’s instructions?

The Shepherds: Glory to God in the Ordinary

The Shepherds: Glory to God in the Ordinary

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Ordinary Shepherds

Growing up, I raised sheep, fed sheep, vaccinated sheep, and in competition, exhibited sheep—a large flock of sheep. Daily, I took care of their never-ending needs. Yet for these shepherds, herding sheep outside Bethlehem differed drastically from my modern-day animal husbandry experience.

Their demanding vigil required living outdoors among their animals on barren hillsides. Did anything ever disrupt their ordinary lives or their ordinary duties? Seemingly, no. Yet, these ordinary shepherds, with an ordinary occupation, on an ordinary evening, became the first to hear an extraordinary announcement: The Birth Announcement of The Son of God.

Extraordinary Interruption

After 400 years of silence, an angel of the Lord broke the sound barrier. Without forewarning or introduction, a heavenly herald exploded on the serene pastoral scene.

Of course, the ordinary shepherds were terrified! But, the angel reassured them this was good news of great joy. There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Suddenly, backup voices appeared on the stage. An entire host joined the angel of the Lord to praise God and pronounce peace. When the heavenly performance ended, the curtain closed and the ordinary shepherds found themselves alone with their sheep. But they did not sit still.

Extraordinary Response

They discussed, they decided, and they departed. With a sense of urgency that fairly pulsates from the Text, they went, and they saw. Once the ordinary shepherds discovered for themselves that the announcement was true—The Baby was indeed in the manger—they spread the word of this extraordinary event. Ordinary individuals were entrusted with an extraordinary message…and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Extraordinary Reality

Good news, great joy: a Savior has been born to you. Down through the ages, the to you part of this story still grips me—ordinary you, ordinary me. Extraordinary, isn’t it?

 Living with Eternal Intentionality®

Imagine the silence of 4oo years being broken with the angel’s announcement! Put yourself in the place of a shepherd. What might your response have been that night outside of Bethlehem?

Consider the powerful potential of an interruption. Our tendency is to view an interruption negatively. When is the last time God interrupted your ordinary daily routine with His change of plans for you? How did you respond?

The angels’ chorus of praise says in v.14, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.  Why is peace so precious to those who know God?

When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child ( v.18).

What resulted from the shepherds seeing the Newborn Christ?  How does this apply to us today?