Thursday - Act On It - The Night That Changed The Religious
We’ve mostly looked at one prophecy or prediction about Jesus this week, about his virgin birth and being God in the flesh (incarnate). But Jesus fit many other predictions as well, some of them relating to his birth.
He was born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2 ESV)
He was a refugee in Egypt.
Hosea 11:1 11 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
Together, they all form one picture.
The rightful king of Israel is God himself, he’s come to earth to fulfill the promise that Abraham’s descendents would bless the entire world. Jesus is a descendent of Abraham and King David. Jesus did this in dying for the entire world’s sins, and reigns now over his kingdom, which is coming in its fullness.
God has come to us, when we couldn’t get to him.
God has given us the gift of grace, when we have nothing to offer but thanks.
This is most challenging to religious people, because we can become accustomed to knowing about God at a distance, and the systems and codes we put in place for this all get thrown out when God shows up in person, and Knowing About God shifts to simply Knowing God.
Challenge: How can you and/or family focus on this central meaning of Christmas? Advent is the traditional time for the time before Christmas when Christians prepare themselves to truly enter into the story.
We’ll provide some Advent resources here you might use for you or your family:
Today we see why worrying is useless…for us, at least.
We can't make our lives longer. We can actually shorten our lives with worry. The line that Jesus used could even mean making bodies longer…which is definitely not something that happens after adulthood.
God provides in nature - not a direct drop from heaven - but he's readied nature.
UN: The greatest scandal of our age is the fact that just under 1 billion people on the planet go to bed hungry every night. This is despite the fact that we produce more than enough to feed every single person in the world. The problem is not a shortage but rather that the undernourished who need food most cannot access it.
God also provides through others – generosity
God does this in a world where trouble and accidents happen. We will not avoid them. This is not a promise you won’t meet with trouble.
But don’t worry, or become anxious about it. You were made for eternity anyway. Jesus is saying you are much more than that - made for heaven.
Think of a Panda - it eats bamboo almost all the time it's awake. We humans are made for much more than sustenance. In famines, this kind of single focus may be necessary. But this is not the usual condition for us.
More relevantly today in the West, we are meant for more than selfish ambition. We are made for loving, giving, caring, serving.
Question: What has God already put in our world to answer your worry concerns?
