Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas friends!

Christmas Day is a great day for kids of all ages. This is the day that seems to take forever to get here and doesn’t last as long as we think it should. There will be times of reflection, food to be eaten, presents to unwrap, stories to share, prayers to be prayed, carols to be sung, and much, much more.

This year my kids have decided that they will show up in our room to make sure we’re awake at 7 AM. They’ll jump on our bed, with stockings in tow, and make their way through the fun little treasures within. Before we head downstairs for a special Jesus Birthday breakfast, unwrap some presents, and play, we’ll read the final chapter of Jotham’s Journey, by Arnold Ytreeide, the book we’ve been enjoying throughout the season of Advent. We can’t wait to see how it ends!

The funny thing to me about Christmas this year is that as much as it can seem like it’s the culmination of what we’ve all been waiting for, it’s really a lookout along the way where we pause, remember, and celebrate each year. The waiting and longing continue for the promise of God to be fulfilled in Messiah Jesus. As you wait, keep your hope alive as you walk in love, jump for joy, and pursue peace.

So at the lookout this year let’s celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Here’s a song to help you do that. Hit play, turn it up, and sing and dance with your family! If you’re looking to know more, click here to discover the story behind the song.

The Peaceable Kingdom

Today is the final day of the advent season, and that means tomorrow is Christmas Day. As we wrap up our journey through the themes of hope, love, joy, and peace I’d like to take one last look at what this peaceable kingdom might be like that Jesus Messiah, the Prince of Peace, will establish upon his return.

The book of Isaiah found in the Hebrew Scriptures is full of imagery. The first ten verses of chapter 11 invite us to imagine the peaceable kingdom, the worldwide government of peace that Jesus Messiah will usher in. In the NET Bible these verses have a caption that says, An Ideal King Establishes a Kingdom of Peace. I love that phrase! What a powerful statement about the purpose of the role of the king. To be honest, I don’t think you’ll see that statement on any job descriptions for kings in the kingdom of the world…just sayin’.

Below you’l not only find those ten verses to encourage you and give you hope, but below that is a painting by artist John August Swanson entitled The Peaceable Kingdom. As you read, I encourage you to allow yourself to be drawn into the painting to discover the peaceable kingdom for yourself.

One last thing, if you click on the link in the above paragraph regarding the painting, The Peaceable Kingdom, you’ll find yourself at a site specific to these verses in Isaiah. It’s a great read and gives you a chance to see more artwork specific to the imagery surrounding the peaceable kingdom.

“A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock,
a bud will sprout from his roots.
² The Lord’s spirit will rest on him—
a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom,
a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans,
a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord.
³ He will take delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by mere appearances,
or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.
⁴ He will treat the poor fairly,
and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and order the wicked to be executed.
⁵ Justice will be like a belt around his waist,
integrity will be like a belt around his hips.
⁶ A wolf will reside with a lamb,
and a leopard will lie down with a young goat;
an ox and a young lion will graze together,
as a small child leads them along.
⁷ A cow and a bear will graze together,
their young will lie down together.
A lion, like an ox, will eat straw.
⁸ A baby will play
over the hole of a snake;
over the nest of a serpent
an infant will put his hand.
⁹ They will no longer injure or destroy
on my entire royal mountain.
For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty,
just as the waters completely cover the sea.
¹⁰ At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, and his residence will be majestic.” – Isaiah 11:1-10 (NET)

Prince of Peace

I have to admit, I never gave the title Prince of Peace too much thought before this week. Sure, I’ve used that phrase many times in conversation with others, singing songs, or even in my times of prayer, but I really didn’t take the time to understand the significance of it until now. Because of this, I would like to make a few comments to help us gain a little bit of a handle on its importance for us today.

The term Prince of Peace is familiar to many of us because it is listed among other titles attributed to the Messiah found in Isaiah 9:6 & 7 n the Scriptures. This passage is typically highlighted at some point during the advent and Christmas seasons as a reminder to us of how God promised deliverance to His people, Israel. You may also recognize it because it’s been popularized in a small part of a most famous oratorio written by George Frideric Handel entitled The Messiah.

“For to us [Israel] a child is born, a son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulders. His title will be ‘Wonderful,’ ‘Counselor,’ ‘Divine Hero,’ ‘Father of the Coming Messianic Age’, ‘Prince of Peace.’ There will be no end to the increase of his government and peace. From the throne of David he will reign and order his Kingdom, establishing it with judgment and justice from that time onwards forever…The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will see that this is carried out.” – Isaiah 9:6-7

There is a lot that we could go into regarding these two verses. Quite frankly, it’s hard to find any more hopeful verses in all the Scriptures then what is communicated here. No matter how bad things got for Israel, God continued to remind them of their hope that is found in the promised Messiah and their future inheritance.

As I read this passage I get a sense that the overall theme that God is trying to communicate is that He has a dream for His people and the reality of that dream will be when He establishes His Messiah as king of the first and only successful world government, the kingdom of God. Wow! What a God-sized dream!

This government of peace will never end because its ruler will be “‘Wonderful,’ ‘Counselor,’ ‘Divine Hero,’ ‘Father of the Coming Messianic Age’, ‘Prince of Peace.’” As promised, I won’t go into the meaning and importance of each of these titles, with the exception of Prince of Peace. (But let me encourage you to dive in on your own to see what you can discover. I’m hopeful to do the same sometime soon.)

If you think about it, the majority of kings and rulers throughout the world would rather be known for being a conqueror than a peacemaker. But not God’s Messiah. He’s going to do things differently. He’s going to lead this world in a kingdom that will be marked by everlasting peace. We have a foretaste of this peaceable kingdom during the three or so ministry years of Jesus. He showed us how to pursue peace in our relationships with each other in the here and now. Consider how Jesus offered his peace to his disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John 14:27

Every time I read these words I find them refreshing, because I’m reminded just how upside down Jesus’ kingdom principles are from the ways of the world. The way that Jesus offers his peace is far different then the how the world offers it. The world typically attains peace through violence and destruction. The peace that Jesus offers is given through relationship. He offers himself to us. And that’s how we’re to operate with each other. Our pursuit of peace has everything to do with our willingness to share faith and life with each other. As we embrace peace with one another we will find ourselves experiencing joy like never before.

Allow me to share one more passage that is a great reflection of what we read earlier in Isaiah about the type of kingdom that the Messiah will rule. Jesus is speaking with his disciples about leadership and attempts to help them see that the way things work in the kingdom of God are different from that of the world.

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. ²¹ He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” ²² Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” ²³ He told them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. ²⁶ It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:20-28 (NET)

I love what Jesus says in verse 26, “It must not be this way among you!” He’s telling them that leading and interacting with people isn’t a top/down kind of thing, but rather bottom/up. This peaceful approach of serving others is a mark of the kingdom of God.

Tomorrow we’ll engage with Isaiah 11:6-10 in a unique way to help us understand how universal peace is a result of the Messiah’s successful global government.

Peace is Here!

I love listening to Christmas music, do you? From Thanksgiving Day until Christmas Day it’s pretty much the only music I listen to. That’s about 30 days or so out of 365. By the time Christmas Day arrives, I’m definitely ready to start listening to my other playlists.

The thing that’s fun for me about Christmas music these days is the variety there is to choose from. I’m a fan of instrumental albums, classics, like Bing Crosby, fun songs like Rudolph and Frosty (with the exception of I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas), and all the great Christmas carols I grew up singing in our church gatherings and throughout the nearby neighborhoods with family and friends.

The other great thing about Christmas songs today is the new albums that are released by our favorite artists. Whether you’re into country, big band, piano solos, or rock ‘n roll, there’s plenty of new music to choose from.

By far, one of my favorite Christmas albums of all time is the Jars of Clay Christmas Songs album released on October of 2007. The main reason why this album ranks among the best for me is because the sound is far different then what we’re used to when it comes to Christmas music. Typically, Christmas music is bright and cheerful and filled with lots of joyful sounds. Jars of Clay created a Christmas album that defies the norm. From start to finish I find myself drawn in to deep, dark sounds that create an atmosphere of mystery and contemplation. Most people that I share this album with aren’t as impressed by the more somber sounds as I am, but that’s okay…I’m still a fan.

i find all the songs on the album enjoyable, but I certainly have my favorites. Among them includes the song, Peace is Here (below are the lyrics and the song on youtube).At first glance it may appear as if there’s not much to the song, but as I allow the music to surround me, I find myself impressed by how they are able to tell such a profound story with minimal lyrics.

As the song unfolds I’m reminded of Isaiah 9:2-7. Despite the darkness that is all around us, and at times seems to be closer then our skin, “Love has come and peace is here.” The birth of Jesus Messiah changes everything. Hope, justice, and mercy will have their day as God continues to work His plan of salvation through His faithful son, Jesus, the promised Prince of Peace.

Little children born to chaos
Sojourn by the stars appear
Though your fears wrap all around you
Love has come and peace is here

Men to men in violent rapture
Wars lay sons in fields unknown
Hope to quell the disappointment
Justice born and mercy shown

Gloria, gloria, peace is here
Gloria, gloria, peace is here

Angels sing in righteous envy
Kings of earth kneel by the throne
Born to push against the Fall
Far as the curse is found

Gloria, gloria, peace is here
Gloria, gloria, peace is here

How do you promote peace?

Yesterday’s post was a great lead-in to the topic of this post today. Peacemakers are not typically the ones who capture the headlines and become front page news. Those places are unfortunately reserved for the unrest and terror that is all too common around the world.

However, if you look closely and tune your ears to hear something different, you may begin to catch a glimpse of the peacemakers at work around you taking a stand to see that harmony is restored wherever their lives are stationed.

The wisdom of God found in the Scriptures when it comes to peace is quite simple. Consider what King Solomon wrote thousands of years ago:

Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. – Proverbs 12:20 (NET)

Throughout the Bible, we find God intent on drawing lines like this to ensure that those who read it cannot be mistaken regarding how the godly are to live their lives. I love how these nuggets of wisdom not only give us direction regarding how we are to navigate relationships with each other and with God, but they also, at times, offer us promises. Some may see joy as a byproduct of promoting peace in the Scripture above, but I choose to see joy as a promise to those who wholeheartedly embrace peace as a way of life.

As we turn to the New Testament, the letters that were written by the Apostle Paul, we come across his encouragement to pursue peace. Paul was a peacemaker, and you’ll often see him “passing the peace” of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in the introductions to his letters.

Paul, messenger of Jesus Christ by God’s choice, to all faithful Christians at Ephesus (and other places where this letter is read): grace and peace be to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 1:1-2 (PHILLIPS)

Not always, but now more than ever before, I find myself completely encouraged when I read this part of Paul’s letters. The offer of peace is a simple way to remind us that God offers us peace and we should offer it to one another as well. Passing the peace brings unity and the promise of joy.

Writing, “Peace be with you” is one thing, but passing the peace in person has, unfortunately, become a thing of the past. It’s very rare to come across someone who offers peace as part of their greeting. You may see it being done as an element in a worship gathering, and that is still a foreign concept for most people. But no matter how awkward it may be, I’d like to challenge us to become a people of peace who pass the peace to one another as we shake hands and say, “hello.” I’d be curious to know how adding this to how we greet one another would alter the way we connect and relate.

At least twice in his letter to the Romans, Paul encourages his readers to be a people who pursue peace. Not only is it specific to being at peace with others who follow Jesus, but also pursuing peace with everyone.

So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another. – Romans 14:19 (NET)

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. – Romans 12:18 (NET)

So, how do we pursue peace? What does it look like in the midst of the mundane? How do we maintain peace on the mountaintops of life as well as the valleys we all walk through?

I’m not going to pretend to have the answers to these powerful and necessary questions apart from the encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on the life of Jesus as recorded in the gospel accounts. Paying attention to the way that he related to people and promoted peace is like no other. His example of putting off all of the attitudes that prevent peace from reigning and ruling in our hearts and then putting on faith, hope and love is always worth imitating.

I’m not a great peacemaker…especially when it comes to being a Dad. I have good intentions to establish my home and the relationships therein as peaceful, but that’s not always how it happens. However, when i take my own advice, as mentioned in the above paragraph, I find that peace is far more present then at any other time.

Jesus is quoted as saying,

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. – Matthew 5:9 (NET)

It’s obvious that peacemaking is to be a mark of those who are following Jesus and who long for their promised inheritance, his establishment of the kingdom of God when he returns to reign on earth as king.

In the next few days we’ll take a look at Jesus and what his title, Prince of Peace, means for him and for us.

P.S. – If you’re interested in reading a short article about a current day peacemaker, click here and be blown away by how one person crosses religious boundaries to extend peace.

Gathering for Peace

Because of all of the hatred and violence throughout the world, it’s hard for me to imagine a world at peace. I know that all of creation will be made new when Jesus returns to establish his kingdom and that there will be world peace at that time, but is it something that can become reality in the here and now, even just a little bit?

I believe so…

I came across an article a week or so ago that encouraged me as I was thinking about peace. On December 4th over 500 Muslim and Jewish women gathered together for peace. Click here to read more about this amazing conference that gives us all a glimpse of the Kingdom of God here and now.

The pursuit of peace in our world is real. Tomorrow we’ll take a look at what it means for us to be peacemakers.

Peace: Comfort, Comfort Now My People

Yesterday I had the great privilege of singing my new favorite advent hymn with my second oldest daughter, Zoie. This was a first for us, and I was so very proud of her. The song we shared is called Comfort, Comfort Now My People by Pages CXVI.  I have placed the original lyric video at the end of this post so that you can enjoy listening to the song.

I chose this song specifically because it matched so well with our focus around the theme of peace on the fourth Sunday of advent. The song was inspired by an old hymn written by Johann Olearius, in 1671, which is a creative expression of the first five verses of Isaiah chapter 40.

Comfort, comfort my people,
    says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
    that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.
³ A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isaiah 40:1-5 (NIV)

These few verses, like the entire Biblical story, reveal a God who is constantly pursuing peace with His people. Isaiah is one of many prophets that God spoke through to remind the Israelites that His offer of peace still stands and its fruition is on the horizon. This offer of comfort and peace is simply a reflection of God’s promise to make all things, His entire creation, new.

Ultimately, this message that the prophet Isaiah spoke was intended to stir up hope in the people of God so that they wouldn’t give up on believing that God was still intent on keeping His promises. They were encouraged to put off fear and doubt, and rather embrace the peace of God as they awaited the advent of God’s Messiah, through whom the people of God could say, “the Kingdom of our God is now here!”

Offering/Receiving Peace: Examen

It’s hard to believe that it’s already the fourth and final Sunday of the season of advent. For me, this has been a wonderful experience and a much needed break from the normalcy that I’ve grown accustomed to during this time of year. Choosing to focus on the hope I have in the second coming of Jesus as he ushers in the age to come has had many rewards, for which I’m extremely grateful.

As you recall, during the first three weeks we looked at the themes of hope, love and joy. This week we’ll consider how God’s offer of peace to us through His Messiah, the Prince of Peace,  encourages us to not only be peacemakers ourselves, but also to look forward with great anticipation when Jesus will return to rule and reign with an everlasting peace that the world is so desperately longing for.

To help us become acquainted with this theme of peace, I’d like to recommend that we consider a daily examen where we focus on the parts of our days where peace was offered to us or when we had opportunities to offer peace ourselves.

Remember, the practice of an examen is to give you an opportunity to slow down, pause, and prayerfully reflect on your day. Here’s a simple outline for you to follow as you close out each day.

Preparation

1. Make yourself comfortable. Light a candle and/or play some soft instrumental music if you like to help with the atmosphere.
2. Rest into silence for a few minutes.
3. Ask God to lead you through your day or week.
4. Review and reflect.

Reflection

1. When did I offer or receive peace to/from someone today?
2. When did I refuse to offer/receive peace to/from someone today?
3. When was I aware of living out of the fruit of the Spirit today? (Galatians 5:22-23)
4. When was I aware of the absence of the fruit of the Spirit today?

Three Joys

On this final day of the third week of advent I thought it would be fun to take a look at three different passages that encourage us to be a people who embrace joy. I believe that the joy of belonging to God, the joy of knowing God, and the joy of understanding His promises can all help us remain devoted and faithful to God as we await the return of Jesus when all God’s promises will be fulfilled and we will reign and rule with Jesus in the Kingdom of God.

Belonging to God

As children copy their fathers you, as God’s children, are to copy him. Live your lives in love—the same sort of love which Christ gives us and which he perfectly expressed when he gave himself up for us in sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2 (PHILLIPS)

This passage doesn’t use the word joy to describe anything, but I believe that there is great joy in knowing that when we choose to believe in Jesus as Messiah that we are adopted by God into His family as His children and, therefore, belong to Him. We not only feel secure, loved, and protected, but because of our joy in belonging to God, we therefore choose to live our lives in such a way that imitates God.

The best way that we can know how to imitate God is to fix our eyes on Jesus and pay attention to how he lived a life of love. Jesus told us that he only did and said things that he saw his Father doing. So, when we look at Jesus we see God and can imitate Him.

Jesus said to them, “I assure you that the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. What the Son does is always modeled on what the Father does, for the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he does himself… – John 5:19-20 (PHILLIPS)

Knowing God

“After Jesus had said this, he lifted up his eyes to heaven. ‘Father,’ he said, ‘the moment has come. Glorify your son, so that your son may glorify you. ² Do this in the same way as you did when you gave him authority over all flesh, so that he could give the life of God’s coming age to everyone you gave him. ³ And by “the life of God’s coming age” I mean this: that they should know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, the one you sent.” – John 17:1-3 (NTE)

The passage above has always been a favorite of mine. Over the past year or so my joy in knowing God has increased primarily because I have been learning what it means for me to love God with all of my mind.

I love how Jesus equates knowing the only true God with the life of God’s coming age. In some ways this seems to be kind of confusing, but in other ways it makes complete sense. For me, I have begun to understand how God’s promised inheritance to Abraham and all of his descendants and all who believe in Jesus is a huge part of my hope for the age to come. And so, there is no life in the age to come without the God who will make it all happen and His Messiah, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Knowing God is what it means to enjoy life in the coming age.

The Promise of God

“Surrounded then as we are by these serried ranks of witnesses, let us strip off everything that hinders us, as well as the sin which dogs our feet, and let us run the race that we have to run with patience, our eyes fixed on Jesus the source and the goal of our faith. For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering; and he is now seated at the right hand of God’s throne. Think constantly of him enduring all that sinful men could say against him and you will not lose your purpose or your courage.” – Hebrews 12:1-3 (PHILLIPS)

This well-known passage is our final stop today. There’s a lot for us to consider in these verses, however I only want to focus on the part about Jesus enduring a cross and thinking nothing of its shame because of the JOY he knew would follow his suffering.

So, what was this joy that Jesus knew would follow his suffering on the cross? It must’ve been amazing for him to endure such pain and sorrow, and not to mention, the end of his life.

My thought is that there were two main things that made up the joy that Jesus is talking about. First, I believe it’s obvious that part of his joy was knowing that through his faithful, obedient life and sacrificial death he was God’s agent to inaugurate and offer new life to those who believe in him and the coming kingdom. This is the new covenant God has made with the world through Christ.

I also believe that another part of Jesus’ joy was believing that God would do what he promised, raise Jesus back to life on the third day. This was part of Jesus’ hope and joy, that he would be the first of all creation to become immortal, and as God’s Messiah, he would then be given a place of honor and seated at the right hand of God the Father.

Jesus had great joy in the promises of God and we can follow his example and live with this same kind of joy believing in the promises of God that are yet to be fulfilled. As we await Jesus’ return and all things becoming new, we wait with a living hope and with great joy!

Jumping for Joy

As we wind down our focus on the theme of joy during this third week of advent , I wanted to share something special that I came across this week.

This amazing watercolor painting by Corby Eisbacher, entitled Jumping for Joy, captures a very special moment of joy shared among two women and one baby.

Recall the story shared by the gospel writer, Luke, when Mary visits with her cousin Elizabeth:

With little delay Mary got ready and hurried off to the hillside town in Judea where Zacharias and Elisabeth lived. She went into their house and greeted her cousin. When Elisabeth heard her greeting, the unborn child stirred inside her and she herself was filled with the holy spirit, and cried out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your child! What an honour it is to have the mother of my Lord come to see me! Why, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child within me jumped for joy! Oh, how happy is the woman who believes in God, for he does make his promises to her come true.” – Luke 1:39-45 (PHILLIPS)

I love the way Elizabeth describes what happened within her womb as Mary greeted her upon arriving at her home. She could have easily played it off as indigestion or simply the baby trying to get comfortable, but instead she became aware of God’s power and presence and allowed this simple moment to be an opportunity for joy that she could share with Mary.

This passage is rich with emotion and future hope. I can’t imagine the conversations that Elizabeth and Mary enjoyed during Mary’s three month stay, but I’m sure they laughed and cried together as they each were preparing for their lives to be turned upside down with the birth of their sons.

Below is what Luke records as Mary’s response to what Elizabeth shared about her baby jumping for joy. As you read, pay attention to Mary’s attitude toward God and how she seems to be fully aware of how God’s promises of hope and salvation to Abraham and his descendants will be fulfilled by her son to be born.

Then Mary said, “My heart is overflowing with praise of my Lord, my soul is full of joy in God my Saviour. For he has deigned to notice me, his humble servant and, after this, all the people who ever shall be will call me the happiest of women! The one who can do all things has done great things for me—oh, holy is his Name! Truly, his mercy rests on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has swept away the high and mighty. He has set kings down from their thrones and lifted up the humble. He has satisfied the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. Yes, he has helped Israel, his child: he has remembered the mercy that he promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and his sons for evermore!” – Luke 1:46-55 (PHILLIPS)

Before you go, I want to encourage you to not only look at the painting, but to take a few moments to gaze at it in light of the Scripture that it represents. Read the passage again, or ask someone else to read it, or use an app that will read it to you and as it’s being read, enjoy the painting and invite God to stir up that same joy within you that Mary and Elizabeth shared such a long time ago.