Scripture Snippets

    Luke 2:19 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. There is no season of the year more festive, significant, and memorable than Christmas. The colors, the sounds, the family gatherings, the special meals, and the excitement of children and grandchildren make for happy memories. (In our house we have a special December calendar.) Secrets abound, touched by affection, only to be unwrapped on Christmas morning. For us, there are other memories as well that fill our minds—the things we unwrap, the gifts we give, and the joy we experience in giving are symbols of the greatest of all gifts, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The mystery of deity-in-flesh-among-us is as incomparable as it is incomprehensibly true. It is something that has captured our imagination, filling us with delight and appreciation. Mary is a great illustration, and model, in this regard for us. She was likely aroused from sleep by a group of shepherds who, somewhat perplexed, came to see her newborn.

  Luke 2:15-16 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. It was time for the Christ Child to be born—in the middle of the night and in a manger. The birth announcement came in spectacular fashion—not on social media nor to powerful leaders of the day but to lowly shepherds on the hillside.  Heavenly messengers proclaimed the news about the Savior who had been born (Luke 2:11). In their excitement, the shepherds hurried off to Bethlehem to see this miracle for themselves. But did they imagine this tiny baby was also their Shepherd?  We are compared to sheep throughout Scripture (Psalm 100:3). We stubbornly go our own way (Isaiah 53:6) because we think we can manage life without the Lord. But the truth is, we are lost without Him; w

    Luke 2:13-14 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Gloria in Excelsis Deo—Glory to God in the highest! We hear this highest praise given at Jesus’s birth, and it is reserved for only one. “Glory to God in the highest” was the praise given by the angels while the shepherds watched their flocks by night. The angel’s greeting and the heavenly host’s praise caused the shepherds to get on their feet and run to see where Jesus was born. Jesus’s birth brought about “highest praise” from Mary in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55), from Zechariah in his prophecy (1:68–79), and from Simeon in his prayer (2:29–32).  Everywhere the announcement of Jesus’s birth was heard, high praise followed. The higher one goes the better, like a sledge hammer hitting a bell at a carnival: high, higher, and highest! This reminds me of my grandfather’s phrase, “good, better, best,

   Luke 2:10-12 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Joseph and Mary travel a great distance for the census as Mary’s contractions increase. Upon their arrival in Bethlehem she goes into labor. Just in time Joseph finds a place of shelter. There is no room in the inn, so the back stable will have to do.  Meanwhile, the Lord prepares nearby shepherds as witnesses to the Savior’s birth. These simple herdsmen are familiar with sheep and stables, but they never imagine what would happen that starry night.  The midnight sky dims. The shepherds kindle a small fire, keeping watch over their flock. A veteran herder tells the story of fending off a wild beast. Wind-carried yelps echo in the distance. He lau

  John 1:1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The fragrant, lip-smacking aroma of breakfast made me feel hungrier than I really was. My buddy’s wife was frantically cooking up a feast. Eggs, juice, toast, apricot marmalade, and fresh fruit topped off the spread. Nevertheless, this effort made my “Spidey-senses” buzz, and I could not shake my suspicions.  Soon the reason came out in their words: “Would you come and visit our church this Sunday?” “Sure, I would be glad to come,” I said. It was really her church, where they got “points” for bringing visitors. Now, these are friends, but in the past, they never really agreed theologically on a lot of viewpoints with me, but they were going to a new church and I was curious what they were being taught now. I was right to be suspicious abou

    Luke 2:7 7 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. For a long time when I served as a youth pastor, every Christmas season I challenged the teenagers in my Sunday school class to take a Christmas quiz to demonstrate that much of what they think they know about Christmas may be incorrect. There are gift cards on the line, so they take it seriously. Most miss half or more of the questions because of assumptions and a lack of careful reading. One of the questions on the quiz asks, “What did the innkeeper tell Mary and Joseph?” There are five possible answers, but virtually every teen confidently chooses, “There is no room for them in the inn.” All are surprised to learn there is no mention in the text of an “innkeeper” or anything anyone might have said to Mary and Joseph. In fact, the Greek word translated here as “inn” is a more general word referring to any place of lodgin

    Luke 2:6-7 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 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. The nativity sets that we see in homes, offices, and even on lawns during this season capture a still frame, a moment in time, but offer little to awaken our senses. I often read this passage in Luke and fail to linger in the process that brought Mary to the time when she gave birth to Jesus. We must call on our senses of taste, touch, and hearing to fully appreciate the process.  “The time was completed”: Those words are filled with many sights and sounds—Mary’s water breaking and her shrieks from labor pains as she tried to balance herself and stay upright, Joseph’s heart racing as he cared for his family, and finally a sigh of relief from the couple as a spot was chosen for the birth.  “She brought forth (gave birth)”: Mothers pa

    Luke 2:7 7 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. What’s a manger? A manger is a feeding trough for animals. In the first century, a manger was often made of limestone, not wood, and had an elongated, concave depression carved into the top surface. This “bowl” could contain grain, hay and, if necessary, water for the animals. On the night Jesus was born, a manger would function as a cradle for our Savior.  Some scholars have made a claim that the manger was a special feeding trough for the Jewish sect.  Some believe that since the firstborn lamb was to be set apart in order to remain “without blemish” that the manger was used as a special trough for that lamb only.  While that would have great beauty and parallel with the lamb of God, I have not been able to get that theory substantiated. Why a manger? The birth of Jesus was no surprise to the Father. The prophet Micah ha

    Luke 2:4-5 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. Jesus’s birth offers a promised certainty in the midst of our doubtful times. We’ve all had to face the sudden and long-lasting impact of COVID-19. Culture has been rightfully challenged through elevated conversations about race, yet we are more divided than ever. Our politics, economics, and society appear dubious and unstable. Personally, we might have experienced troubles related to health, finances, or family. But Luke’s Christmas story calls us to pause and deepen our assurance in a credible and stable truth. Luke began the Christmas story with Joseph and Mary on the move to Bethlehem in response to the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Yet, for Luke, this was not just about a census. It was about setting a place, Bethlehem

    Matthew 1:24-25 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Joseph and Mary were pledged to be married. Their wedding had not yet taken place when Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant (Matthew 1:18). Matthew doesn’t tell us how Joseph knew; most likely, Mary told him. How did Joseph respond? Joseph knew the child was not his. According to the Law of Moses, he could have exposed Mary to disgrace, and even to death (Deuteronomy 22:20–21). Facing the potential conflict between justice and mercy, Joseph chose the merciful option of a quiet divorce (Matthew 1:19). Of course, such a ceremony could hardly remain private. As her pregnancy progressed her condition would have been obvious, and probably his own reputation would have been impugned because of their relationship. A nighttime visit by an angel changed Joseph’s de

  Matthew 1:23 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” The year 2021 has been a difficult year. I don’t mean to dampen the mood again by reminding you of that. It’s Christmas after all! You know very well it was a tough year. We had everything from national protests, a global pandemic of variant this and variant that, to strange phenomena like mass toilet paper panic. It truly was a difficult and confusing year! And so, it is understandable that many this year would ask the question: Where was God in 2021? Well, I’m glad you asked because our verse today provides an answer to this natural query; it stirs up comfort you’d do well to remember this Christmas season, given the year we’ve all had. Matthew 1:23 declares a great truth that brought assurance to Joseph when he heard it first on the heels of the difficult news that his fiancée, Mary, was pregnant. It encouraged the faithful on that fi

    Matthew 1:23 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Jesus, Emmanuel, the God who is with us—that is who this Jesus is. The Creator fully participates in His creation. The fact that God does not abandon us.  The fact that God has always wanted to walk alongside HIs creation.  Remember in the creation account it said that Jesus walked in the cool of the garden. I love that thought! But it’s more than just God coming near and closing the geographical gap. Even as far back as is recorded in Exodus 3:6, Moses learned that God desires to be known as the God of the people. With God, it’s always been way more personal, more relational, than we might first have anticipated. He has always been a “with-us” kind of God. Isaiah recorded something specific about this “with-us” characteristic of God (Isaiah 7). Isaiah seems to suggest that God makes His “with-us” quality particularly well known by His

    Matthew 1:19-20 19 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. Three days before Christmas, a young couple retires for the evening in separate bedrooms to care for their restless toddlers. That night, in a dream, the husband sees a woman standing behind his children. This startles the husband until he makes eye contact with this woman. He realizes that she wasn’t there to scare him but to save and protect his kids. The husband is then startled awake at 3:00 a.m. by the sound of glass breaking— likely the sliding patio door. He jumps up, runs down the hall, and encounters a thick wall of smoke. He wakes his family. They run outside barefoot and watch as their house is

    Luke 1:68-79 68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in dar