Christ in Christmas

I just received the latest newsletter from Saint Augustine’s House, which is, I think, the only Lutheran monastery in the world (or at least in the United States). I lift this quote from Father Herbel’s Advent* meditation:

We are frequently exhorted this time of the year to “keep Christ in Christmas.” It is, of course, a welcome reminder of the “reason for the season” as another catchphrase puts it. As Christians we certainly ought to be concerned over deliberate attempts to empty this season of its traditional and specifically Christian content. But along with this concern we should also have confidence that Christ is able to keep Himself in Christmas. He entered into the first Christmas; He is able to enter into this Christmas too.

When we think Christmas is all about what we do, we worry and fret. But when we recognize that it is really about what He does, we enter well into the season of comfort and joy.

*Advent is the season of preparation to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world.

Christmas in Isaiah

Isaiah 40 is rich with Christmas, the coming of Christ into the world (Handel found it to be fertile soil for his Messiah oratorio). Speaking to a people who would soon be going into Babylonian captivity, Isaiah prophecies a wondrous future beyond. It begins:

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.” (v.1)

There is the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (v. 3). The Gospel writers reveal this figure as John the Baptist.

Then there is the promise of the Gospel, good news to Israel:

O Zion,
  You who bring good tidings,
  Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
  You who bring good tidings,
  Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
  Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” (v. 9)

There are four “Beholds” to consider. When God tells us to behold something, it is to fix our attention, our focus, our gaze upon something that our human eyes cannot yet discern. It is to look into the realm of the spirit and see truth “behind the scenes.” It signals something unexpected, something that is known only because God reveals it to us.

In verse 9, the command is to “Behold your God!” There is the dimension of the divine, but there is also the personal aspect, because He is called our God. After the time of captivity and darkness, the Good News comes: Our God is now here to deliver and take care of His people.

The second “Behold” immediately follows:

Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand.
And His arm shall rule for Him. (v. 10)

Our God comes exercising power and authority.

Then comes the third “Behold”:

Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him. (v. 10)

The NIV has the second line as “And His recompense accompanies Him.” These are the spoils of victory. For our Lord Messiah comes to destroy the works of the enemy and set the captives free, while making prisoners of those who held His people hostage. He lifts up the humble but repays those enemies who have lifted themselves up in pride.

• “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
• “Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.’” (Ephesians 4:8)

In Isaiah 40:11, we find that our warrior God, who prevails so powerfully against our oppressors, is also a tender shepherd:

He will feed His sheep a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.

Handel’s Messiah marries this text to Matthew 11:28-29:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I wil give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

But we are also drawn to the Good Shepherd in John 10:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (v. 11)

The fourth “Behold” comes in Isaiah 40:15.

Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
And are counted s the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

God is big! All the nations taken together cannot compare to Him. They do not even come close. Do not let the nations shake you, for God will shake the nations and bring them into line. For He is not like the false gods and idols of those nations. He is the true God and Judge who comes to set things right. Therefore, “lift up your eyes on high” (v. 26).

Why do you say, O Jacob,
  And speak, O Israel:
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
  And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
Have you not known?
  Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
  The Creator of the ends of the earth,
  Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
  He gives power to the weak.
  And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
  And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
  Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
  They shall run and not be weary,
  They shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:27-31)

That is why Jesus came, to deliver you and me, to shepherd us and restore us to God. Isn't that the promise of Christmas?

Christmas in the Old Testament

Just now I’ve been watching the CBS “Early Show.” Discussing the Presidential Christmas cards, one of the anchors brought up the Old Testament and mentioned that it does not mention Christmas.

No, not by name. But then, neither does the New Testament. But they both talk about the birth of the Christ, or as He is called in the Old Testament, Messiah. Consider these Messianic passages in the Old Testament:

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

(Isaiah 7:14)

For unto us a Child is born,
  Unto us a Son is given;
And the government shall be upon His shoulder.
  And His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
  There will be no end.
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
  To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
  The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 9:6-7)

Now compare with the New Testament account:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

But while he though 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. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and the shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

(Matthew 1:18-23)

Consider also the testimony of the Magi, who learned the when and the where of Christ’s birth because they paid attention to these Old Testament prophecies:

The utterance of him who hears the Words of God,
  And has knowledge of the Most High …
I see Him, but not now;
  I behold Him, but not near;
A star shall come out of Jacob;
  A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.

(Numbers 24:16-17)

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
  Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
  Who will shepherd My people Israel.

(Micah 5:2)

Compare again with Matthew’s Gospel:

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. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
  Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
  Who will shepherd My people Israel.”

(Matthew 2:1-6)

Christmas is there in both the Old Testament and New. For it is all part of God’s eternal plan to redeem His people. Wisdom recognizes this.

(See also Wise Men Discern Kings)

Christmas in Zion

Hey, our new faith-building article is out for December 2005. It's called Christmas in Zion and is free to read and download at Walking Barefoot Ministries.

Stand in Awe of God and Fear Nothing

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

(Proverbs 9:10)

To fear the LORD is, in a word, to stand in awe of Him. We used to say “Awful” (read “awe-full”). Now we exclaim, “Awesome!”

When God and God alone is awesome in our eyes, we will not fear anything else. We find a classic example of this in Numbers 13, when Moses sent out a team of twelve to spy out the land of promise.

Ten came back and said that, yes, indeed it was a land of milk and honey and an abundance of fruit. But, you see, the people there were very strong: “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33).

They made the mistake of supposing that, because they saw themselves as grasshoppers in their own sight, the “giants” of the land must have seen them that way, too. But their view of God was small, and caused them to look only to themselves and, coming up short, they lost heart. They did not fear the LORD, so they ended up fearing everything else.

On the other hand, there were two spies, Joshua and Caleb, who stood in continual awe of the LORD. Listen to their report:

“Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:7-9)

They did not consider the “giants.” They did not even consider themselves. They considered the LORD alone. Their only consideration was, “The LORD is with us;” their conclusion was, “Do not fear them.”

The virgin Mary stood in awe of the Lord. When the angel announced the favor of God on her, and that she would give birth to the Son of God, she learned that there was not only nothing to fear, but that nothing would be impossible:

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this in now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:34-37).

Mary visited Elizabeth, who announced Mary’s pregnancy: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42). The Mary sang a wonderful song of praise which begins, “My soul magnifies the LORD.” She stood in awe of Him.

When you stand in awe of God, you will never have to fear anything else. There is nothing to fear, for nothing will be impossible.

(See also When It’s All About God)

Wise Men Discern Kings

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea I 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” (Matthew 2:1-2).

Two years have passed. The infant Jesus is now a “young Child.” Angels in the heavens had announced His birth to shepherds. A star in the East signified to the Wise Men.

The Greek word for “wise men,” magi, refers to a group of philosophers and priests, probably of Medo-Persia, who were interested in medicine, astronomy and related sciences. Though probably not kings, they would certainly have been sought out by kings for their wise counsel and insight.

The Magi in Matthew apparently had some access to the Hebrew Scriptures and developed an interest in Messiah. When they saw the star, they were put in mind of a prophecy in Numbers 24 spoken by Balaam. Balaam was a mercenary prophet hired by the Moabite king for utter a curse on Israel. But try as he might, Balaam was quite unable to perform that task. Instead, he brought forth a far-reaching declaration from heaven.

The utterance of him who hears the Words of God,
  and has the knowledge of the Most High …
I see Him, but not now;
  I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
  A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.

(Numbers 24:16-17)

This Star in Numbers is Messiah blazing with the authority of heaven. The scepter speaks of His rule over the earth from the midst of His people. In Matthew, the “star” is the Greek aster, and literally means “rising.”

The Magi stated their purpose: “We have seen His star [His Rising] in the East and have come to worship Him.” They came to honor the King of the Jews, to bow before Him, to reverence and adore Him, to kiss Him and honor Him with tribute

Now go to Jerusalem. Herod has found out about this trek. He gathers the Jewish priests and scribes to find out where this Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea” comes the answer, based on the prophesy of Micah 5:2:

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
  Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
  Who will shepherd My people Israel.

Having discovered the place, Herod then summoned the Magi to determine the time the star appeared. “That I may come and worship Him also,” he says falsely. His real intent is to kill this rival king, though this was not yet apparent.

The Magi followed the star on to Bethlehem, full of joy when they realized their journey’s end and set their eyes on the young King. They fell down on their faces and worshipped Him. Then they arose and opened their treasuries and presented Jesus with gifts. Do not suppose that these were three little jars, Whitman’s Samplers. No, the Magi dug deeply into their treasuries and brought out their gifts in great quantity — they were honoring a King!

Now, understand that we do not know how many Magi were on this mission. Traditionally, they are numbered as three, but there is no real indication of this in Scripture. There were three gifts presented, but there may have been many wise men presenting them. There may well have been a whole company of Magi, along with an entourage — quite a conspicuous caravan.

The gifts of the Magi were very significant, demonstrating the wisdom and prophetic insight of these men.

• Gold ~ a gift befitting a King.
• Frankincense ~ a gift that honors the deity of this King.
• Myrrh ~ a gift that recognizes the humanity of this King.
  

Having worshipped Jesus and bestowed their gifts upon Him, the Magi departed. But they were warned by God, in a dream, that they should not return to Herod, and they returned to their home by another way.

Joseph, a dreamer himself, was warned that Herod was out to destroy Jesus. God told him to take Jesus and Mary into Egypt. When Herod’s men came to Bethlehem, they found the Holy Family had departed.

Herod was furious. He commanded the slaughter of all young boys in Bethlehem, two years old and under, “according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

The Magi were men of discernment, studying the Scriptures, believing the Word and following wherever it led them. They correctly discerned the kings. They offered no worship to Herod, brought him no gifts. They held their honor for the true King only and worshiped Him alone. As they honored God, God honored them, and brought them safely home.

Truth Lying in a Manger

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 1:7)

What happened to all the wonderful promises of God which had been announced to Mary by the angel Gabriel? This child was supposed to be a king — the eternal heir to the throne of David. He was the Holy One of Israel, the Son of God. How could He be making His entrance into the world in a lowly stable. How could He be wrapped in commons strips of cloth and cribbed in the feeding trough of animals?

Mary was unperturbed. In the natural realm, all these things simply did not add up. Ah, but Mary was no longer meditating on the natural. Her heart was fixed on the spiritual. She lived in the natural, but she dwelt in the Spirit. She was unmoved by physical circumstances. She pondered the promises of God.

The manger and the stable and the lack of accommodations in the inn were merely facts. But Mary was tapped into the truth. The truth was everything that had been spoken to her by the Lord’s messenger. She received that rhema word and rejoiced in it. She magnified the Lord and let the things of God so fill her heart that there was simply no room for anything else to come and disturb the calm state of her soul. The facts mattered little to her, for facts change and must eventually come into alignment with the truth. When Mary cradled her infant Son, she held onto the Truth, and so possessed herself in the peace of God.

Rejoice in the promises of God. Let His Words fill your heart. Embrace the Truth, for Truth is a Person — the Lord Jesus Christ — and He has come to deliver you and restore you to full and complete fellowship with God.

The Rhema of God

Let it be to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)

The angel Gabriel continued his answer to Mary concerning how this great prophecy would be fulfilled. He drew upon the testimony of Elizabeth:

Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:36-37)

The Greek word translated “indeed” is actually the word translated “behold” in verse 31. Gabriel was calling on Mary to behold something again, only this time, it was something she could verify with her natural senses, though its significance still required spiritual understanding. Mary certainly understood that Elizabeth’s conception was miraculous. For Elizabeth, who even in her younger years had been barren, was considerably beyond childbearing years — and yet she was now in her sixth month of pregnancy.

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Instead of “nothing” read “no thing.” Same meaning in English, but I want to reveal the underlying Greek word. That word rendered "thing" is rhema. “With God, no rhema will be impossible.”

So, what is a rhema? It is a word that is acutely spoken or articulated. It is an utterance or saying that has a personal application meaning. In the Bible, it is often a word directly delivered from God. That is why, with God, no rhema will be impossible — because it comes from Him in the first place. His Word will not return fruitless but will be fulfilled in all His purposes.

No wonder Gabriel twice enjoined Mary to behold, for he was bringing a word from the Lord, a rhema that required her full attention and spiritual vision.

Mary’s reply to this was quick and succinct: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary was speaking very directly — “Behold!” Gabriel, who had brought a revelation of God’s heart, was now receiving a revelation of Mary’s heart.

Mary presented herself as the “maidservant of the Lord.” She had seen the servant-heart of God, and now she responded to Him in kind (the initiative always belongs to God). Surely, this is one of the mysteries angels intensely desire to look into and are craning their necks to see (1 Peter 1:12).

“Let it be unto me according to your rhema.” Her heart was lined up with God’s and she was in full agreement with His Word. She received this wonderful Word, believing it in her heart and confessing it with her lips. Heaven and earth were coming together. His Word would now be fulfilled in her. His kingdom would now come, and His will would now be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

“And the angel departed from her.”

Paul says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word (rhema) of God (Romans 10:17). Mary heard the Word of God delivered by the angel, and faith rose up within her. She believed it, she spoke it, it was done.

When God impresses His Rhema upon your heart, let it do its work in your spirit. As your heart fills up with it, begin to speak in agreement with it. Give yourself completely to the Lord. Let His servant-heart develop within you a like heart. Then speak out in full agreement with His promise for you: “Let it be to me according to Your Word.”

Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you” (Luke 1:34-35).

The angel Gabriel had spoken to Mary about wondrous things which would take place — things which would not only change her life, but change her world completely for the better.

“How can this be?” she asked. This was not a question of unbelief, or even doubt, as was Zechariah’s question. Zechariah asked in unbelief: “How shall I know this?” In mercy, Gabriel silenced his lips that he might learn to hear.

No, Mary’s question was faith seeking understanding. And so Gabriel explained: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.” In other words, this was not about man but about God.

This was a God-thing, and reminiscent of the Creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). The Holy Spirit was brooding over the earth, overshadowing it.

On the Sixth Day, God said, “Let us make man in Our image” (Genesis 1:26). The root of the Hebrew word for “image” literally means “to shade.” We can read this verse: “Let us make man in Our shadow. Let us overshadow Him with Our likeness.” When God created Adam, breathing into his nostrils the divine breath of life, He was overshadowing him.

Now the Holy Spirit would brood over Mary, and the power of God would overshadow her, to bring forth the Second Adam.

“That Holy One who is to be born,” the angel continued, “will be called the Son of God.” This was fully humanity and full divinity coming together, the eternal Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, taking upon Himself human flesh.

God overshadows us still. Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8). This was fulfilled at Pentecost, in Acts 2. The Greek words for the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary are the same words used for the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples.

Later, in Acts 5, we see this Holy Spirit power in action as people lined the way where Peter passed, bringing their sick out on beds and couches, that the shadow of Peter might “fall on” them. The Greek word for “fall on” is the same word for “overshadow” in Luke 1:35. In Luke, this overshadowing produced new life in Mary. In Acts, it produced healing in as many was were touched by it.

Jesus has come, and all who receive Him can now walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, overshadowed by the life-changing glory of God.

Christmas in Zion

For the LORD shall build up Zion;
  He shall appear in His glory.
He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
  And shall not despise their prayer.

This will be written for the generation to come,
  That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
  From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
  To release those appointed to death,
To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
  And His praise in Jerusalem,
When the peoples are gathered together,
  And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

(Psalm 102:17-22)

Is this not the promise of Christmas? Has not the LORD heard from heaven? Has not Messiah come to set prisoners free, to deliver lives from destruction, to declare the salvation of God?

The time shall come, and it shall be fulfilled that all peoples and nations shall gather together before the LORD, to serve Him and love His name.

O come, let us adore Him — Christ the Lord!

Beholding the Favor of God

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name JESUS. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

Having greeted Mary as the “highly favored” of God, the angel Gabriel begins to describe, in wondrous terms, what that favor was about to mean in her life.

“Behold!” the angel said. The word means “to see.” But in the Bible it is generally used to mean more than merely seeing with the natural eye. What the angel was telling Mary to behold had not yet happened and could not yet be seen in the natural.

No, the angel was drawing Mary’s attention to the spiritual. This is not less real than the natural, but more real, because the natural comes forth from the spiritual by the Word of God. To behold means to carefully consider, to focus on and give attention to. To behold in the spirit means to let the Word of God become more real to you than what you can see with your physical eyes. It is believing what God says more than what your senses say.

“You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son.” Gabriel was using the language of the prophet Isaiah, “Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son” (Isaiah 7:14). The messianic significance of this was not lost on Mary.

“And shall call His name JESUS.” His name literally means, “Salvation,” certainly a most appropriate name for God’s burden-lifting, yoke-destroying Anointed One.

“He shall be great and will be called the Son of the Highest.” An exalted Name used of an exalted Person, and in context is indicative of His divinity. Mary was called to envision the greatness of this Child.

“And the LORD God will give Him the throne of His father David.” This is a reference to His humanity — for Jesus is fully human as well as fully divine. There is a throne and an inheritance which rightfully and legally passes to Him in the lineage of David. Again, it is of great messianic significance.

“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” This speak of His dominion and of His eternity. As we see later in the New Testament, there is a broadening of this house which is called the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

The angel was calling Mary to see in the spirit that which had not yet manifested in the flesh. Nor would it manifest in the flesh until she could see it in the spirit. The Word of God was being spoken to her, and that is what she was called to see. For that is how God works. The Bible says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). God speaks in the Spirit and then it is seen in the natural.

It takes spiritual vision to see the great things God desires to bring forth in the natural. If you will learn to see in the spirit that Word of God by which all things are made, then you will be able to see the world change before your natural eyes. How is your vision?

The Highly Favored of God

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)

The angel Gabriel had been sent to Nazareth, a city in the Galilee district, to Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph. He said, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

That was quite a greeting — to discover the great favor of God so fully upon her life. She did not know what to make of it. How could it be? She was just a young woman, a teenager.

The angel reassured her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Yes, God was for her, not against her. Not only that, He was ready to extend the full weight and authority of His goodness and power on her behalf. For that is what the word “favor” means. It is the Greek word charis — grace!

God’s grace was making an entrance into the world in a manner and fullness never seen on earth before, and it was now being announced to this young Jewish girl. This grace was not just for Mary, but for the sake of the whole world. Mary was blessed as the vessel of entry for this new and ultimate expression of God’s favor upon mankind.

Mary was highly favored of God, but so are you if you have received the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you ready to believe the favor of God and receive this great blessing? Are you ready to walk in the power of it, backed by the decree of heaven and the love of God?

The Expression of Joy Godward

You have filled my heart with greater joy
Than when their grain and new wine abound.

(Psalm 4:7 NIV)

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.

(Psalm 126:5)

The song of joy is inherently the song of thanksgiving. W. E. Vine defines thanksgiving as the expression of joy Godward (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).

Joy is the anticipation and celebration of harvest. The prophet Joel foretold a time of harvest joy for the people of God:

The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.” … Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice [shout for joy] in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:19, 23-24)

This speaks of the time of Messiah, who releases Pentecost. Pentecost was the harvest festival of Israel, a time of returning thanks to the LORD and celebrating His goodness. The Pentecost of God, prefigured by all other Pentecosts, was the promise of the Holy Spirit being given by the Father to His people.

Before Jesus ascended to His heavenly throne, He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this promise to be fulfilled: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This happened ten days later — fifty days after the Passover, when Jesus was offered for the sins of the world. (The word “Pentecost” means “fiftieth.”)

Because Jesus came at Christmas, and went on to Calvary, we can now live in the great harvest celebration of God. It is the time of feasting on the Living Bread — Jesus, of drinking deeply of the new wine of His Spirit, and of living powerfully in the oil of His anointing. Sing the new song and release the expression of joy Godward.

Songs of His Presence

In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(Psalm 16:11)

Christmas is a season of joy! It is about the presence of the Lord, so it MUST be about joy, because in His presence is fullness of joy. That’s why there are so many carols sung at this time of year. The word “carol” comes from kara, the Greek word for “joy.”

Isaiah prophesied of Messiah: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew’s Gospel declares, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23).

Jesus is “God with us.” Fully human, yet fully divine. He IS the presence of the Lord. As He said to His disciples, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Joy is all about the presence of the LORD. If you need joy, the answer is simple — get into His presence. Get in His Word, the Scriptures, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of the Father to you. An old rabbinic proverb says, “When two study Torah, there is the Shekinah.” In other words, when two get together to study the Word of God, the Glory-Presence of the LORD shows up.

So, get in the Word and let His presence begin to fill you. Then begin to lift up and exalt His name. The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and His salvation is nothing buy joy.

What is the name of the LORD, the name of salvation? It is JESUS! In Hebrew, His name is Yeshua, the word for “salvation.”

Sing the songs of joy, songs of His presence, the carols celebrating the birth of Christ, God with us. Press into His presence. He is there with you. He is at the malls and shopping centers. He is there in all the schools, secular and otherwise. He is there in all the office buildings downtown. Call out His name and give yourself completely to Him who gave Himself completely to you. There you will find Him, and He will fill you with the joy of His presence.