The Wonder of the Incarnation

There are times when I wonder over the wisdom of God and think to myself, "Wow, God thought of everything."  Of course this is no surprise to the believer, yet it is good to be brought to a place of adoration of our God who is over and above all things, the holy God unapproachable in glory who came down from heaven in the person of Jesus.  Just because we know these are the facts held forth by scripture and affirmed by many eye witnesses, it doesn't mean we have appreciated them as fully as we could or should.

The resurrection of Jesus and empty tomb provides quite a conundrum for secular historians because of the incredibly strong physical and textual evidence that supports it.  The evidence Jesus died, was buried and rose again is on par with the evidence Jesus existed at all.  The great lengths taken by the Pharisees to demand the Romans crucify Jesus, seal and guard the tomb supports the fact He was indeed dead and miraculously rose from the grave.  The virgin birth is another instance where God plainly did a miracle because of the devout Jewish families God chose who feared Him and kept His law.

In preparation for a Christmas-themed sermon, I was intrigued to learn more about ancient Jewish customs of engagement, betrothal and the wedding feast.  It was common for families to determine a match for their children while very young, and once betrothed (usually in their teens) it required a legal divorce to break the contract.  Mary was betrothed to Joseph when she was informed by the angel Gabriel she would conceive by the Holy Spirit.  After Mary consented and said, "Let it be to me according to your word!" she was found with child before she and Joseph physically came together.  During the betrothal period Mary and Joseph never would have been alone with each other and would have had escorts watching them carefully to uphold the honour of the family.  It was customary during the wedding feast for the marriage to be consummated, and the cloth that provided evidence of the wife's virginity would have been given to the wife's parents to protect her from any accusations she was "humbled" previous to marriage.

To this day it is still customary at some Jewish weddings for the newly married couple to be in a room alone for at least 8 minutes, and this would be the first time they would have been alone together.  With the great care taken to protect the virginity of husband and wife in a culture where a woman was never left alone with another man (future spouse or otherwise), the physical support of the virgin birth is very strong.  Both Mary and Joseph's families no doubt wrestled with the implications of Mary's pregnancy, and Joseph was not inclined to believe her despite her piety.  Matthew 1:19-21 shows how God intervened to affirm her claim:  "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."

Joseph was a just man, and Mary was a God-fearing woman.  Through them God would perform the sign He promised long before in Isaiah 7:14:  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  To people not expecting a sign God was faithful to give them a miraculous sign in coming to earth as baby Jesus.  "Immanuel" means, "God with us."  To Mary who was preparing to be wed and physically united with her husband God saw fit to conceive the Son of God within her Who would save His people from their sins.  May we marvel over the incarnation this Christmas, that God has kept His word and confirmed it with strong, historical evidence.  Great is the LORD and worthy to be praised, for through faith in Jesus we can become children of God--born again by the Holy Spirit Who indwells us.

Wisdom and Her Children

While Samuel was judge over Israel, the people demanded God give them a king to rule over them like other nations.  Samuel was angry the people rejected God's rule over them, and he warned them of many negative impacts of having their way in this matter.  God did as the people requested and Samuel anointed Saul of the tribe of Benjamin to be king.  After he was anointed king, we read in 1 Samuel 10:26-27:  "And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But some rebels said, "How can this man save us?" So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace."

The people were given exactly what they asked for, yet aside from a small band of men whose hearts God had touched despised and rejected him.  First the people rejected God, and then they rejected the man God set over them.  There is a parallel with Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son who was sent to the world in human flesh as a Saviour.  The people of Israel longed for the promised Messiah to deliver them from the oppression of the Romans and to establish rule over the nations with a rod of iron, yet apart from a few disciples the people of Israel criticised and rejected Jesus.  It is ironic the very people who believed God would send the anointed One and were schooled in God's word, largely did not recognise or receive Jesus Christ Whom God sent when He stood and spoke with them.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:16-19:  "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷ and saying: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament' ¹⁸ for John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."  In the illustration Jesus gave, the children playing were unhappy with everything:  they didn't want to dance to happy music, nor were they willing to mourn with sorrowful melodies.  John the Baptist--a devout man who shunned feasts and did not drink wine like a Nazarite--was sent to prepare the way for Jesus and was slandered by the Jews as being demon possessed.  His words were not believed though he spoke the truth.  Jesus went to feasts and drank wine and was wrongly condemned as a drunk!

People who wanted and needed a Saviour found excuses to reject God's messenger John the Baptist and Jesus Who is called Christ.  The point Jesus made could not be spoken against:  "But wisdom is justified by her children."  The children of Israel would someday realise the folly of rejecting God's rule and demanding a king, for God's word would be fulfilled.  Jesus is wisdom for us, and wisdom is justified by her children.  All who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God are born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, and transformed by the power of the Gospel:  people afflicted by demons have been set free and healed in the name of Jesus; gluttons and drunks were granted self-control to deny themselves, to take up their cross daily and follow Jesus.  Those who followed Jesus Christ as LORD were people who loved one another despite differences, served one another, and walked by faith in God.  As the children of God through faith in Jesus we are God's heritage, and may we glorify God Who has touched our hearts by the Prince of Peace.

The Attitude of Gratitude

In a Bible passage I read this morning, the people of Egypt expressed their gratitude to Joseph for saving their lives from a great famine.  After their money was spent for food, their animals traded for food, and their properties were given for food, Joseph freely supplied seed and land for the people to profit from.  The people were entitled to receive 80% of the produce of the land to provide seed and food for their families, and the remaining 20% was Pharaoh's portion.  The people were happy with this arrangement and pledged themselves to serve Pharaoh because he saved their lives, provided land and seed, and he gave them profitable employment and a future.

The attitude of gratitude that marked the Egyptians ought to be found in God's people, for He has saved us from eternal ruin and given us everything that pertains to life and godliness forever.  Despite all God has graciously done for us, we can more resemble the older brother in the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son.  In the parable, after the wayward prodigal son came home and his father organised a feast to celebrate his return, the older brother was angry and left the party.  When the feast was in full swing and the father realised his older son was absent, he left the joyous celebration to find him and persuade him to return.  The older brothers response to his dad is recorded in Luke 15:29-30:  "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'"

The older son refused to even enjoy the festive occasion because he obsessed over all his contributions for years and the lack of recognition he received for his faithful service.  His negative judgments of his brother spilled over to criticism of his father, and he allowed feelings of envy, anger and entitlement to ruin a feast he ought to have enjoyed--and by doing so would honour his generous father.  But the older son cared more about himself and his honour than his father.  Unlike the Egyptians who were glad to serve Pharaoh for saving their lives, having given them food and profitable jobs, the older son overlooked all his father gave him and did for him from his infancy.  He saw himself as without fault and accused his father of being stingy toward him.  This petulant behaviour sprang from an envious, selfish heart that desired his brother to be punished rather than celebrated.  Yet the party came about, not due to the worthiness of the returning son, but the goodness of the father.  The older brother was invited and urged to enjoy the party, and I am sure his friends were welcome to enjoy the feast as well.  The problem was not in the father but in the heart and mind of the son.

Luke 15:31-32 tells us the father's response:  "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"  It was right to make merry and be glad, to celebrate the return of a son who was lost but then was found.  The favour of the father extended to both his sons was gracious and loving, for neither one deserved the kindness, mercy and generosity of heart shown by the father.  The father said, "All that I have is yours."  At times the younger and older son both divorced themselves from the blessings of their father by their own waywardness, envy and pride.  One left home in the pursuit of fleshly lusts, and the other withdrew from the feast due to his own self-righteousness and anger over offences.  As children of the most high God, let us be those who rejoice in God our Father because of Who He is and all He has done.  It is God's good pleasure to give us to the kingdom, and we are entirely undeserving of any honour.  What is our service to God in comparison to all He has done?  May we have an attitude of gratitude to be included in God's family, the joy of the LORD being our strength (Neh. 8:10).  By embracing joy and gladness in service to God we honour our Father.

The Cure for Bitterness and Bonds

In Acts 8, Simon of Samaria is an interesting case and by no means a unique one.  He had once made a living through witchcraft and was described as believing in the Gospel and being baptised after he observed miracles and signs done by Christians with amazement.  It seemed more than he desired the Holy Spirit to come upon himself, he desired to obtain the power that upon anyone he laid his hands they might receive the Holy Spirit.  This horrendous offer of money received a stern rebuke from Peter who basically said, "To hell with you and your money!" (Acts 8:21)

Peter continued in Acts 8:21-23:  "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."  Peter's response to Simon has led to some to suggest Simon was not a genuine Christian but a false convert.  Since we cannot perfectly know the hearts of men, better than wondering if Simon was genuinely saved it is more profitable to emphasise there is no doubt there was forgiveness, pardon, and salvation available for Simon and all people who repent from their sin and turn to Jesus in faith.  To write off Simon as unregenerate because he did not have a right heart in the sight of God potentially puts all genuine believers under a microscope of legalism, for who among us can claim to be upright and righteous except by grace through faith in Jesus?

Because of repeated warnings to Christians throughout the New Testament, we can say without a doubt it is possible for a genuine Christian to be "poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."  This is not ideal and ought not be the case, but God's people can sin and even be bound by sin as Simon was.  I believe this personal point of application is much more useful for us sinners who need a Saviour than debating whether Simon was saved.  A lack of humble repentance that keeps people from coming to Christ in faith can render us bound by bitterness after we have known Christ.  Praise the LORD He is able to break all our bonds and chains by His divine power, yet if we deny these bonds exist and are proud to wear them He will allow them to burden our souls.  In a moment they can fall from us as the burden did from the back of Christian in Bunyan's allegory when we bow in humility before Jesus.

After choosing to follow Jesus, all Christians have made more bad choices than we can count; our hearts have not always been right in the sight of God.  Peter had insight to recognise a heart that was not right before God because he had been there himself.  We have sinned, and we have neglected repentance and prayer for forgiveness.  The most damning statement made by Simon was in response to Peter's rebuke, whether it betrayed simple ignorance of the Gospel or unwillingness to repent himself in Acts 8:24, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me."  Simon seemed to put the onus of his standing before God upon Peter when repentance was Simon's personal responsibility before God for spiritual regeneration, forgiveness and salvation.  If Simon remained bound it was not Peter's fault, nor was it the fault of Jesus who provided pardon, freedom from sin and is the Way of salvation for all sinners.

If the LORD reveals we are poisoned with bitterness and bound by iniquity, let us be the first to desire hearts that are right in the sight of God shown by repentance for our wickedness and ask God in prayer to forgive us.  We can pray confidently and boldly to this end as we by faith enter God's throne room of grace through Jesus, knowing He has satisfied the justice of God by His shed blood.  1 John 1:9 says to believers, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  God who made the bitter waters of Marah sweet and the undrinkable water of Jericho refreshing can transform our hearts by His goodness and grace.