Month: December 2020

Christmas Devotional: 21st December 2020

I wonder what it is that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘worship’. Perhaps it’s a memory of those joyous pre-Covid evening services when we’d all cram into St Oswald’s to sing our hearts out and leave sweating from our enthusiasm. Or perhaps it’s something quieter: a secluded space to spend time in awe of your Father. I’d guess, though, it wouldn’t be embarking on a 800 mile pilgrimage to find a little baby in a stable and present him with gifts. And yet, that’s exactly the worship we see modelled by the wise men in this passage. 

We read in verse 2 that the wise men, assured of Jesus’ status as the ‘king of the Jews’, have planned to come and ‘pay him homage’- or ‘worship’ – him (verse 2). These are men who have travelled for miles to bow down and acknowledge him for who he is. Their worship doesn’t stop at reverence though. When they reached the place beneath the star, they were ‘overwhelmed’ with joy (verse 10). Another translation puts it emphatically: ‘they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy’ (ESV). Imagine the open-mouthed awe and tangible elation when they got there – finally they’ve made it! They fall on their knees and worship him. 

Worship is more than just acknowledgement of Jesus as Messiah – even Herod knows who he is – or bowing down in reverence. Worship encompasses wonder, adoration and sacrifice. Their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were costly to them. Jesus demands sacrifice not because he is greedy but because he deserves it. Jesus inspires us to give because he lovingly longs for us to step into closer intimacy with the Father. What might God be asking you to lay down in order to intensify your devotion and enjoy Jesus more?

The wise men aren’t the only people in the passage who are interested in Jesus’ birth. Herod is equally in ‘search for the child’ but for a very different reason (verse 13). He is aware of who Jesus is – he calls him the ‘Messiah’ –  and is threatened that the long-awaited King of Kings has come to disrupt his earthly power (verse 4). Jesus’ birth is joyful, worship-inspiring news to those who welcome him but offensive news to those who worship themselves. While we may not be about to commit infanticide this advent season, I think there are temptations to be as self-centred as Herod. Are there places in your life where you are crowning something other than Jesus as Lord of your life? Jesus longs to reveal to you – again and again – who he is and how he can bring peace and comfort when you exalt him as Messiah. 

Pray with me: ‘Lord, I come to you as I am – with nothing to offer. Thank you that you welcome me with open arms and ask for the simple gift of my life. Help me to recover my wonder at Jesus’ incarnation. Soften my heart to be willing to sacrificially worship you. Holy Spirit, where I’m tempted to be offended like Herod by this radical news of Jesus the King, would you lead me back to a posture of bowing down in adoration of my saviour.’

Christmas Devotional: 24th December 2020

How many Christmas Services have you been to in your life? How long have you spent sitting through nativity plays, or singing carols that make lofty proclamations like “Come and behold Him, born the King of angels”. Perhaps, like me, you’ve become somewhat numb to the depiction of the incarnation – has the glory of it ‘worn off’ for you?

Interestingly, John takes a somewhat different approach to the other 3 gospels (the synoptics). Rather than describing the classic nativity scene at length, John spends just half a chapter on the incarnation – however, through this John helps us see the wonder of Christ coming down afresh.

It’s easy to skim over today’s passage without taking in the sheer magnitude of what it says – I know I did on my first reading of it. But let’s slow down and take a closer look at what John tells us. In verse 14 we read that ‘the Word became flesh and lived among us’. That God, creator of the heavens and the earth, chose to dwell amongst us – a deeply sinful people, living far from him. More than that, verse 16 shows Jesus didn’t leave us as we were, but instead lavishes ‘grace upon grace’ on us.  I find this tricky to wrap my head around sometimes – it just feels so radical, counter-intuitive, and even scandalous. Yet this is the incredible nature of Jesus’ birth – how might you be able to recognise this gospel truth afresh this Christmas?

John goes on to draw a clear contrast between Moses and Christ (v.17), between the Old and the New Covenant. Moses was probably the closest anyone came to ‘seeing’ God in the Old Testament (take a look at Exodus 33 & 34). Yet even he could only see God’s back, and for the rest of Israel their worship of the Lord was codified through complex & ritualistic temple practices. In these few verses, John showcases the vast superiority of Jesus over Moses – ‘grace and truth’ are made available to us through Christ, far surpassing the law that preceded it. 

In John 14, Jesus explains that “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” – the temple curtain is split in two, access to God is no longer restricted but instead through Jesus we have a new & great high priest. God longs to be in relationship with each of us and made way for that through Jesus coming down. Christmas offers such a great opportunity to reach out to people – who is God calling you to share this with? How can you invite them to see more of who God is through the person of Jesus?

As we come to the end of our Advent devotionals, I’ll leave you with the first verse of today’s passage – in this, John tells of the beauty of the Christmas message better than I ever could. Spend some time in quiet, meditating on these words and asking God to reveal new wonder in Jesus’ birth.

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

Christmas Devotional: 23rd December 2020

Have you ever stared at the Sun? Okay, maybe not the best question. If you have, you’ll know why and if you haven’t then it’s best not to! But have you considered the Sun? How our everyday lives are the way they are because of our planet’s relationship to it? It not only gives us light and warmth, but the right amount. Our seasons, years, and daylight hours are defined by it. And why? Because it sits at the very centre of our Solar System.

Why talk about the Sun you may ask? Well, because here, at the start of his gospel account, John is trying to help us understand the cosmos-shaking reality that he is about to introduce. A reality, or more specifically a person, who will redefine Creation, God, and us. This person is of course Jesus.

John starts at the beginning: “in the beginning was the Word”. Suddenly we are whisked back to the Creation Hymn of Genesis 1 – but it’s different. It isn’t just God there but also His ”Word”: Jesus. And more than that Jesus wasn’t just there but “without him not one thing came into being” – he was the source of all of Creation! The whole of the Creation story is retold around him. Think again of the Sun but instead there is Jesus, and instead of the planets, it is the whole of the universe in orbit around him! 

And John doesn’t stop there but goes on: “and the Word was with God and the Word was God”. Jesus is Emmanuel – “God with us”. Suddenly everything we as humans knew about God is on the line, as here He is! When we look at Jesus, we see God. Have you ever realised that everything Jesus ever says or does reveals the unseeable, unfathomable “I am”? How often do you comprehend that Jesus is the one around whom our entire knowledge of God is now centred?

If redefining Creation and God isn’t enough, then John tells us one more thing that Jesus’ coming redefines. Except this time, he comes to bring about something new and not just reveal something that already was. “To all who received him, who believed in his name he gave power to become children of God” who are “born of God”. Whether it be just genetics or our whole upbringing we are somehow shaped and defined by our parents. But now Jesus offers to redefine us in the image of a perfect parent, so that we are no longer defined by our previous identity, experiences, joys, pains, and brokenness that came along with our first birth. But now our fundamental identity can be as beloved, chosen, and redeemed children of God.

In just a few sentences, John has revealed to us how Jesus has changed everything. How can we begin to make sense of this earth-shaking revelation that begins at Christmas? It may help to begin with these questions: 

Do our lives have Jesus at the centre? Because Creation does. 

When we hear Jesus’ words, do we hang on every syllable? Because they carry the full weight of God. 

When we look at ourselves, do we see people redefined as children of a loving Father? Because Jesus does.

Christmas Devotional: 22nd December 2020

This passage has two parts to it, separated by both the chapter titles and the parts of the story it addresses. Verses 16-18 tell us about the tragedy that comes as a result of king Herod’s anger at being tricked, and fear of being usurped by the baby Jesus. It leads him to attack hundreds of innocent families, and Mary, Joseph and Jesus only just escape. Unlike other passages that address this part of the Christmas story, Matthew references part of the Old Testament, some prophesied scripture, that really emphasises the tragedy a community goes through. Verses 19-23 however jump to years later, after Mary, Joseph and Jesus have escaped Herod and fled to Egypt. Here we see their journey back from exile, and how through communication from God they are guided to Nazareth.

Jesus was an exile from the very beginning of his life. Just as we see his birth in the stable, a meagre, humble beginning, he begins his first few years of life living outside his home country, displaced. At the beginning of first year I, like many students, experienced a lot of imposter syndrome. I wasn’t sure where I would fit in or if I was really good enough to be here. 

God is our Father and cares for us so much, but sometimes this can be hard to remember when we are feeling lonely, left out, or displaced for something as simple as not being able to hug friends anymore. But God himself, as Jesus, human, like us, experienced not fitting in, not quite belonging, (later in life as well as at this time). 

How wonderful it is that we have a God who has really understood how we can feel. And what’s more this is followed by God leading Mary and Joseph back to a place of safety, to a home. Think of some of the things you’ve found hard this term, this year. What are you hoping for over this Christmas? Maybe it’s seeing family, having a rest from work? Ask God to grant you his hope and safety, his feeling of belonging as one of his children.

Let’s also look at how Matthew references Old Testament scripture in this passage as well, demonstrating how Jesus and his family ended up right where they were supposed to be, in Nazareth, as had been prophesied. But Mary and Joseph wouldn’t have necessarily known this was the endgame. They had to trust God to tell them where it was safe to go, one town, one journey, one step at a time.

How often, as we long to be guided by God, are we hoping for a neatly laid out plan of how our career and personal life should progress? How could we be encouraged by Mary and Joseph’s faith at taking God’s guidance one step at a time? 

Why not take some time today to reflect on something specific you would like God to guide you in?

Christmas Devotional: 20th December 2020

What can we learn from Joseph, “a righteous man”?

In this passage, Matthew emphasises the role of Joseph in the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. Matthew’s birth narrative contrasts with Luke’s account, which includes more about Mary and her conversation with the angel, Gabriel. In considering Joseph’s role in the story, we can find good spiritual lessons for our own faith journeys – the way he listens to God, his obedience and how he shows faith in actions.

When in a crowded room, where lots of conversations are going on, it can sometimes be difficult to focus on the bit which is important, without being distracted by what else is happening around us. Before Joseph has the dream, he comes up with the plan to dismiss Mary quietly to avoid public disgrace (v19), and yet just before he acts, he has a dream where an angel of the Lord speaks to him. Joseph is able to listen to God’s message, amidst the chaos going on in his life, and realises that this is what he needs to tune in to. It can be a challenge for us, in times of pressure to listen to what God might be saying.

During his dream (v20-v21), Joseph is told that the child conceived is from the Holy Spirit, he should still take Mary as his wife, and that the child is the Messiah! The easy option for Joseph here would be to ignore the message and follow through with his discreet plan. It would’ve been a lot less demanding for him, but despite the size of the task of adopting the Son of God, he obeys. He, unequivocally does as the angel commanded him, showing that not only did he listen to the Lord, but that he was prepared to act upon it. Joseph demonstrated that God’s plan for us can sometimes be the harder option, even more so when we think we already know what’s right.

In Luke’s account of this story, Mary’s portrayal and the description of the events leading up to the birth, are communicated almost entirely by the words Mary uses. In particular, we have the song of Mary – the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Despite no words from Joseph being included in Matthew’s account, his faith in God is shown through his actions. They speak incredibly loudly. The differences between the two accounts are striking and yet neither narrative is better or more important. Often we can find it difficult to find the right words to express our faith. Let brave Joseph be a reminder to us that actions can speak just as loud as words.

Wherever we are on our faith journeys, Joseph reminds us to take time to listen to God; to be courageous in our obedience; to show faith in actions as well as words, as we seek to travel righteously. Best of all, “God is with us” (v23).

Christmas Devotional: 19th December 2020

This passage is a rundown of Jesus’ heritage. The results of Jesus’ ancestory.com search if you like. Although it may seem tedious to work through, not to mention unpronounceable, it is worth reflecting upon as it reveals a lot of truths.

There are many figures that you may recognise, familiar from various different passages in the Bible. Like Abraham (v.1) who appears right at the beginning in Genesis, and King David (v.6) who appears so many times throughout the Old Testament that he is the second most mentioned man in the Bible. And there are many who are less well known too.  

What makes these figures so important is not their familiarity, but their significance in promising Jesus. The book of Matthew marks the beginning of the New Testament and the beginning of Jesus’ appearance in the Bible.

What this passage demonstrates so clearly though, is that Jesus has been promised right from the beginning. From the garden of Eden, to Abraham and the promise of many descendants from his barren wife Sarah, to David and the promise of a King on this Earth. None of the people mentioned are particularly special, and definitely not perfect, but they make up a lineage that points right to the Son of God.

For forty-two generations (v.17) Jesus was promised. God’s people waited 700 years. Though God appeared silent, He worked through every individual to deliver His Son to Earth. In retrospect this lineage makes it so clear for us to see that Jesus was coming. It shows God as a diligent Father who delivers on his promises and has a perfect plan, far more thought out then we could ever imagine. This hope shows the significance of our identity in Christ.

I saw a Christmas advert for ancestory.com the other day. They help you to work out which countries your ancestors may be from. Their tag line for this year is ‘This Christmas bring your backstory to life.’ Most of us would root our identity in the people and places who make up our genetic backstory. That is a hugely important part of establishing our place and sense of security in the world.

Although so important, a greater place of safety and love is found in our identity as children of our Heavenly Father, who have Jesus as our brother. Being adopted as sons and daughters of God means that we have an ultimate safety, and our identity is based in the security of an eternal home.

I guess what this passage made me think about was the importance of being God’s daughters and sons. We too are made in the image of God. We too have a lineage and an importance. It has nothing to do with our own actions or decisions, but all to do with who our loving Father is. You are perfectly and wonderfully made, and God promised His Son, and then sent Him to die for us.  

I so hope that you all feel and know the peace of God’s love today and I trust that the celebration of Christ’s birth reminds you of your identity and security as a precious child of God.

Christmas Devotional: 18th December 2020

This passage is about Jesus as a child, I don’t know about you, but I somehow find it difficult to imagine our God, the saviour of the world, as a twelve-year-old boy in all his humanness. In these verses Luke describes Jesus growing up, and then tells the story of Mary and Joseph not being able to find Jesus after Passover and then discovering him in the temple courts. 

Let’s not forget that this Jesus we are reading about is a real human; in my mind at least, a twelve-year-old boy with grazes on his knees, grubby clothes, running around and smiling. Luke tells us that at even this age Jesus was ‘filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was on him’ (verse 40). 

I think this passage tells us something about the extraordinary nature of our king. In this passage we see that Jesus’ response to his parents’ questions is simply “Why were you searching for me…Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (verse 49). Whilst Jesus understands the value of his earthly parents (we later see that he ‘was obedient to them’ (verse 51), his eyes are ultimately cast upon His heavenly father. 

This is big stuff, whilst twelve-year-old me was maybe mostly focused upon persuading my parents to let me get my ears pierced, we see that twelve-year-old Jesus’s natural instinct is to seek out the Father in his dwelling place, wanting to grow and understand. 

I think there’s a call for us here. Where are the places in our lives where the Lord wants to lift our faces upwards towards Him and call us to look beyond our circumstances? I’d encourage you to spend some time pondering this, maybe find a quiet space and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. 

With this in mind, I particularly love the part of this passage that makes reference to the way in which Mary ‘treasured all these things in her heart’ (verse 51). As the Holy Spirit gives us fresh revelations, let’s meditate and delight in these truths just as Mary did whilst she watched Jesus grow up.

At this time of year let’s praise God for what He has done in sending His son and let’s run to the Father, surrendering every area of our lives to his kind and faithful hands.

Christmas Devotional: 17th December 2020

2020 has been an incredibly long and difficult year for many of us. Is there anything that you are waiting for that is bringing you hope as we head into 2021?

In Luke 2:22-38 we see Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord. Keeping with the culture at this time, they dedicated their first-born son to the Lord; rich families were to sacrifice a lamb, and poorer families sacrificed a pair of doves or pigeons. This was both a purification offering, as well as a promise that Jesus would be consecrated or set apart for God.

As this is taking place Simeon and Anna were also in the Temple. As we encounter Simeon, it is revealed to us that he is a righteous, God-fearing man who was filled with the Spirit to deliver a prophecy to Mary and Joseph. Simeon had been waiting for this moment for a long time and was obedient to the Spirit as it prompted him to recognise the Messiah.

Simeon sets us a wonderful example of how to live in the waiting.

It had been revealed to Simeon a long time ago that he would live until he met the Messiah, and as he waited for this moment, he continued to fervently pursue God.

I would like to encourage you to reflect on what promises or blessings God has spoken over your life that you are waiting for to come to fruition. How can you use this time to become more in step with the Spirit as you wait on God?

Simeon’s blessing is not just an abstract saying about the future of Jesus, but it has real-life, practical consequences, that goes on to bring us real hope today. Simeon’s blessing over Jesus speaks deep truth; that Jesus will bring salvation for all people; however, it will not be the conventional way that many at this time were expecting it to be.

Simeon also spoke into Mary’s life; that the cost of Jesus’ ministry would be significant for her. It must have been hard for Mary, a teenage Mother, to have these words spoken over her, knowing that she would spend her life anticipating this pain. However, we know that God’s presence would go with her through this period of waiting, and within our lives we can be assured that God goes with us too.

After Simeon’s prophecy, we meet the prophet, Anna. We are told that she is an elderly widow, who spent all of her time in the Temple completely devoted to God; worshipping him day and night.

This can reinforce this challenge to us; how can we best spend our time to honour God with our whole lives?

Both Simeon and Anna completely devoted their lives to worshipping God, which led them to be sensitive and obedient to the guidance of the Spirit.

As I reflect on this encounter with Simeon and Anna, I invite you to join with me in being challenged to invest more time into our own individual relationship with God, and ponder on how we can be more obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

Christmas Devotional: 16th December 2020

When was the last time you heard some really good news? 

In these strange times it seems we turn on the TV to a new worry or tragedy every day. This year has been such a rollercoaster, that I’m sure when the news of a vaccine finally started to break a few weeks ago, it came as a bit of a shock to some of us because we finally had something to celebrate!

In this passage, we see the long-awaited birth of Jesus and get a glimpse into the main event of the Nativity story. It’s a story we have probably heard countless times before in our lives (no matter how old we are) and could probably recite it word for word if we had to.

Although, I think the main take-away we can get from this comes from the shepherds – put yourself in their shoes: they are likely hard-working men who are suffering under the taxes and restrictions of the ruling Romans. They’ve heard prophecies of this Messiah and are eagerly waiting for his conquest to free them.

However, they now get to experience the fulfilment of God’s great promise first-hand! Even though they were “terrified” (v9) of the heavenly host revealing it to them, they still “went with haste” (v16) to find this “child wrapped in bands of cloth” (v12) – bear in mind that this image of the Messiah was not the great military leader they would have expected; it’s almost the exact opposite.

They had their good news, and all they wanted to do was share it (v17), and everyone they told was “amazed” (v18).

Could we not take this attitude this Christmas? We have even greater news than what these shepherds heard all those years ago. We know how this baby’s story pans out, with salvation for all! This was the real good news the angels were talking about in v10, and the real good news we can find comfort in during this tough period.

In this time where we often see family and friends, how great an example would it be if we can go into this period “glorifying and praising God” for what he has done for us (just like the shepherds in v20)?

Isn’t it easy to get caught up in the ‘storybook’ version of the Nativity? Images of a primary school Nativity play come to mind, with the fun songs that come along with it. I think the angel describes the true meaning of this passage perfectly in verses 10 & 11 though!

Let’s invite those who don’t yet know the true meaning of Christmas to rejoice in it with us, and let’s be praying this holiday season that we see God revealing his goodness to them – goodness that the world they live in seems to be lacking!