Who Has Your Back?

Personal reflections on Advent: Christmas
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25

  

During the 60’s, in small town America, about the only the thing to do on a weekend for fun was to cruise around “the strip”. That’s what they called the main drag where teenagers drove round and round looking for excitement. For me, that town was Alma, Michigan.

 

On one such occasion, shortly after getting my driver’s license, I was driving around the strip in my parents Buick Wildcat. It had a 325 horsepower and 425 cubic inch motor. Although it was as big as a boat, it had a lot of power… and it was fast!

 

Apparently, it was too fast because I was stopped by the police and given a ticket for pulling out of a parking lot in an “unsafe manner”. As a result, I had to appear in court with my Dad before a judge. It was all a very frightening experience but knowing that my Dad would be there with me helped a lot.

 

Growing up, I always knew that my parents had my back. They never told me that in so many words. They just did it.

 

One central theme that persists throughout the Bible is that God promises to always be with His people; to have their back. He promised Abram, Isaac and Jacob. He promised Moses and David. He even promised Gideon who was hiding in a winepress. Then in the New Testament, he promised Joseph… only not exactly.

 

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).       NIV

 

These words were written about 700 years before Jesus was born, as a promise to Israel that God would be with them. But they were also spoken to Joseph to convince him to take Mary as his bride. In fact, God was promising to not just be with Joseph and Mary, but to be with you and me.

 

In The Message, Eugene Peterson puts it like this.

 

^14a The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.      John 1

 

I’m sure my Dad wasn’t happy about me getting a ticket. There’s a lot of different ways that he could have handled the situation. The spectrum could’ve ranged anywhere from painfully punitive to superbly supportive. He was supportive. He didn’t make me face it alone but was there by my side.

 

God with us. What an amazing promise.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Peace on Earth

Personal reflections on Advent: Peace
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:1-20

  

Christmas is a time of peace. 

Many Christmas images are portrayed as idyllic such as the baby Jesus lying in the manger with Joseph and Mary kneeling at his side; or the three wise men riding their camels under the guidance of the bright shining star.

 

Yet, we live in a world that can never seem to achieve peace. To confirm this, all you need to do is be aware of what is happening in the world around you.

 

The recent school shooting in Michigan; the tornado tragedy in Kentucky; COVID and its continuing presence of variants; nationwide record numbers of homicides and opioid deaths; the death of George Floyd. None of these can be mistaken for idyllic pictures of peace.

 

Even Jesus did not bring peace. He brought chaos to his parents; conflict to the religious leaders; uprooted the lives of his disciples, only to leave them with unfulfilled expectations; and said goodbye to his mother from the cross, the punishment reserved for the worst kind of criminal.

 

And yet, there is no peace without Jesus. He brings peace to a world that is filled with fear, anger, guilt and shame. He brings peace when you have a stillborn baby; when your parents die; when your marriage is on the rocks; when an addiction takes control of your life; when the world is crumbling around you.

 

The angels pronounced it when he was born, and Jesus promised it when he was about to die.

  

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!”      NKJV

 

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14 NIV

 

We hear the verse from Hark the Herald Angels Sing… “Peace on Earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled”. 

The Prince of Peace has reconciled us with our faithful Heavenly Father. He loves us completely, is with us always and forgives us unconditionally. If that doesn’t bring you peace, nothing will.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

100 Shiny Pennies

Personal reflections on Advent: Joy
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:1-20

  

When I was a young boy, I tried very hard to catch Santa Claus bringing my presents.

 

One year I hid in a downstairs closet, close enough to the living room to hear Santa come down the chimney. Another year, I hid under my bed with a flashlight, waiting to hear the rain deer on the roof. I was very persistent and was always the first person awake to see the presents under the tree.

 

On another Christmas, my brother placed 100 brand new shiny pennies in 100 envelopes and strung them from the ceiling in groups of five. When I came downstairs into the living room, it looked like a mystical wonderland of stalactites. For me, it was an exciting sight that made for a joyful Christmas.

 

However, Christmas is not always joyful. Such was the case in the circumstances that surrounded the birth of Jesus. His mother was pregnant out of wedlock with a different father than her betrothed.

 

Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem to register so that Rome could squeeze every last penny out of them in taxes. Being in the ninth month of her pregnancy, the timing of the census couldn’t have been worse.

 

Finally, because there was no room in the inn, they stayed in a barn with the animals, where the baby was born. Not exactly a picture perfect, joyful occasion for giving birth to your first-born child.

 

But wait, this was the Son of God! There should be some great announcement of his birth. Who should God give that honor to? What about some common shepherds on the hillside? People who watched and cared for sheep; one of the lowliest jobs in society at the time.

 

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.             NLT

 

There are many reasons to be joyful at Christmas. For a little boy, it was the excitement of seeing presents under the tree or hanging from the ceiling. For a young mother, it was giving birth to her firstborn child. For the shepherds, it was the spectacle of a supernatural visit of an army of angels.

 

What brings you joy at Christmas? Is it buying presents, or maybe getting them; seeing the look on the faces of your children or grandchildren on Christmas morning; decorating the tree; listening to Christmas carols; going to a Christmas Eve service; being with family?

 

What is the Good News that brings great joy?

 

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.            John 1 MSG

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

A Baby Changes Everything

Personal reflections on Advent: Love
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:26-38; Romans 5:1-5

  

In the past, when a young single girl got pregnant, her family might have sent her away to a maternity home until the baby was born. That way, nobody had to deal with the embarrassment, guilt and shame. It saved the reputation of the family and the girl.

 

Nine months is a long time. Just ask any pregnant woman. But it may have felt especially long for Mary. She was engaged to be married when she apparently got pregnant by someone else.

 

Can you imagine as she tried to explain to her fiancé, Joseph; her parents; her rabbi? Can you picture the reaction of people as she told them the preposterous story of the angel, and getting pregnant by the Holy Spirt? How ridiculous it must have sounded; how ashamed she must have felt; how alone and isolated she became.

 

It’s not really surprising that shortly after she learned about her condition that she went away to visit her cousin Elizabeth. No doubt, her cousin was a great comfort and encouragement to her. But still, nine months is a long time!

 

Do you think there were times when Mary couldn’t remember the exact words of the angel? Did she ever wonder if it had even been real, if it had actually happened? Doubt can easily creep into our heart and mind when we’re feeling hungry, angry lonely or tired.

 

Whatever doubts Mary may have had, she persevered. She was able to do so because God had spoken directly into her heart and mind through an angel. He had promised to be with her; he had told her how special she was to him; how much he loved her.

 

²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.             NIV

 

Just like Mary experienced God’s hope and love through his word, we can too. And just like his word and his promises carried Mary through difficult times, he is still speaking to us, pouring out his love into our heart.

 

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.       NIV

 

There’s a song by Faith Hill called “A Baby Changes Everything”. It describes Mary’s experience of being pregnant with Jesus, the Son of God. The final verse shifts from looking at Mary to the song writer… and to us.

 

My whole life has turned around
I was lost but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything

 

If you would like to listen to it, click on the link below.

 A Baby Changes Everything by Faith Hill

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams