The Rest of the Story

A series on Isaiah 9:6 – The Child of Prophecy
 – Son of Man
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Daniel 7:1-18; Hebrews 4:14-16 

[Jesus was a child of prophecy. The Christmas story in the Bible was predicted in many Old Testament prophecies but the centerpiece of these is Isaiah 9:6. It was written nearly six hundred years before Jesus’ birth. In this series we’re going to look at the meaning and implications of this amazing prophecy.]

 

The story below was taken from a Paul Harvey radio broadcast in 2004.

 

During a winter storm one Christmas Eve, a man discovered that a flock of birds had flown into his picture window seeking shelter from the snowstorm. They were huddled outside under the window trying to survive.

 

Seeing their plight, he attempted to save them by getting them into his barn. First, he opened the barn door and turned on the lights. Then he made a trail of bread crumbs leading to the door. Finally, he tried shooing them into the barn. Nothing worked.

 

Suddenly, he realized that they were afraid of him. He thought, if only I could become a bird, then they would follow me into the safety of the barn. No sooner had this thought passed when he understood. That’s exactly what Jesus had done to save us.

 

In 605 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and defeated Judah. The king ordered that some of the best and brightest of the Israelites be deported to Babylon where they would serve him in his court. Daniel was among them.

 

Being uprooted was a challenge for Daniel and the others. They were forced to leave their family, their home and their Temple; to live in a land that they had never seen and amongst a people whose culture and gods they were in conflict with.

 

In chapter 7 Daniel has an apocalyptic dream about four beasts that represent four kingdoms that rise to power on earth. They were the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian alliance, the Greece kingdom and the Roman Empire. But then Daniel saw a vision of another kingdom.

 

¹³ As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.                    NLT

 

From these verses, Jesus chose the title that he most often used for himself… “Son of Man”. Like the man in Paul Harvey’s story, Jesus realized that he needed to become one of us so that we would trust him and not be afraid.

 

Isaiah prophesied, “For to us a child is born”. He became one of us… not a god or a king, but a child. The writer of Hebrews described what it means for the Messiah to be born a child.

 

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.    NIV

 

As Paul Harvey said at the end of all of his broadcasts, "And now you know... the rest of the story".

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Head Spinning

The five women in Matthew’s genealogy: Mary
A Series on Advent
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:1-17 

[In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah, there are five women mentioned. All of them were in some sense outsiders. In this Advent series we will be looking at these five women to gain a better understanding of “the word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us”.]

  

Have you ever felt disoriented? It might have been from something very simple. Like when you went to your favorite grocery store only to find out that they had totally rearranged the isles. Or, maybe while driving at night the street that you were expecting to turn on wasn’t where you thought it would be.

 

But it could also be something major. Maybe you had a crisis in your life that turned your world upside down and left your head spinning. Mary had a head spinning experience that not only changed her life, but the world.

 

Mary was a young, Jewish girl living in the small obscure town of Nazareth in Galilee. She was engaged to be married to a carpenter named Joseph. No doubt her family, friends and faith filled her life. She was following in the path of most young girls her age.

 

But then an angel appeared to Mary flipping her world upside down.

 

³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”        NLT

 

Because she was a virgin, Mary questioned the angel about how this could happen. He responded with a matter-of-fact answer that was anything but that.

 

³⁵ “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God”.               NLT

 

After two thousand years, the story of Christmas has become a cliché. It goes something like this: In a pristine scene of a clean stable with no manure or smelly straw, there’s a perfect newborn baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Shepherds and wise men surround the family with a star beaming brightly in the sky.

 

The story of the birth of Jesus has been told so many times that it’s been romanticized, homogenized and commercialized to the point that it has no impact. But for Mary… it had an immediate impact!

 

Somehow though, in the midst of this head spinning event, Mary managed to gather her wits.

 

³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”  And then the angel left her.           NLT

 

Imagine what Christmas would be like if it was a head spinning event for you and me. Immanuel: God with us. That’s anything but a cliché.

 

Below is a link for a song by Faith Hill with the title “A Baby Changes Everything”.

 A Baby Changes Everything

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Z’s Anticipation

A Series on Advent
The candle of joy – Zechariah
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:5-25; 1:57-80 

[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the story to one of the Advent candles.]

 

Last Christmas, my wife gave me this beautiful National Park Quarters Collector’s Map. There are fifty-six slots to fill, and after a year of collecting I still need eight!

 

Recently, I received an advertisement in the mail to buy the complete set. It’s tempting, but for me, the whole idea of collecting is that you do the collecting, not somebody else who sells it to you.

 

Plus, the anticipation of completing the set, results in greater satisfaction when it’s all done. There’s something special about faithfully waiting rather than having it handed to you on a platter. Such was the case for Zechariah… or Z as I will call him.

 

Z and his wife Elizabeth, are described as being “righteous in the sight of God, very old and childless”. On one occasion Z, who was a priest, was responsible to burn incense in the temple. While there, he encountered an angel.

 

Terrified, the angel comforted Z and told him to not be afraid. That his prayer had been heard and that his wife was going to have a son and that he should be named John. Even more amazing though, was what else the angel told Z about his son.

 

¹⁷ He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”     NLT

 

The phrase “prepare the people for the coming of the Lord”, was a direct reference to the Messiah! But, Z didn’t believe the angel. As a result, he was struck dumb and couldn’t speak until after the child was born.

 

As the angel had prophesied, Elizabeth became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When it came time to name him, Z confirmed the name of John by writing it down. Only then was he filled with the Holy Spirit and finally able to speak.

 

⁷⁶ “And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
⁷⁷ You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.        NLT

 

You can feel the pride and joy in his words. His son was going to be an integral part of the coming Messiah on whom the nation of Israel had been waiting for centuries. However, Z was most joyful about the coming Messiah.

 

As you prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, do so with great anticipation. Not the anticipation of giving or getting gifts or being with family. But with Z’s anticipation, that God sent his son into our world to bring redemption.

 

Jesus… Immanuel… God with us. That is worth waiting for. That is worth lighting the candle of joy.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

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

 

 

 

Nurse Ratched

Personal reflections on Advent: Love
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
John 1:1-5; 1:14

In the 1975 movie, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, Nurse Ratched was a cold, heartless tyrant. She was the antithesis of what a nurse should be. 

Speaking of nurses…

I mentioned in my post last Saturday that I had major reconstructive foot surgery this fall. My wife has been a gem during my recovery. She got up in the middle of the night to give me my pain meds; she administered my daily blood thinner injection; she propped my foot up in the morning, the afternoon and night.

 

Eventually, I began to lovingly refer to her as… “Nurse Ratched”. She kind of liked the nickname, I think. When we got married 46 years ago, I had no idea who I was marrying. I thought I knew; but I didn’t. Turns out, she is so much more than I could have ever hoped for; which brings me to the Advent theme for this week… love.

 

John was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. He wrote a lot about love; how much God loves us, how to love Him and how to love others.

 

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… ¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.                        NLT

 

When I think about the love of God... my wife, Nurse Ratched, comes to mind. During these past several weeks, for me, she has been the “word became flesh and blood”.

 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.           1 John 4  NLT

 

During this Christmas season, continue to meditate on how God has shown His love to you. Not just as a baby two thousand years ago, but how He has shown His love to you today through those around you. And, how He can show His love to others through you.

 

 

Won’t You be My Neighbor?

A Series on Advent - Love

Isaiah 9:6; John 3:16-17; John 1:14; 1 John 4:9-10

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%209%3A6%2CJohn%203%3A16-17%2CJohn%201%3A14%2C1%20John%204%3A9-10&version=NIV;NLT

 

If you haven’t seen the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” - you should.

 

 

There is a scene where Mr. Rogers is having lunch with a journalist by the name of Lloyd Vogel in a busy New York City restaurant. Vogel has been driven throughout his life by his deep seated anger towards his Father, who deserted his Mother when she was dying.

 

During the conversation, Mr. Rogers leans over the dining table, looks him in the eyes and says this to Lloyd Vogel, “Take a minute to be still, and to think of all the people who loved you into being”. As he did this, the whole restaurant grew quiet; as did the theatre.

 

When I took a few minutes to think about Mr. Rogers’ advice, my parents came to mind. My Mom always supported me and believed in me no matter what. Like a momma bear with her cub, my Mom would have defended me to the death. She loved me without limits.

 

My Dad didn’t really know how to express his love, but he did provide for me. And, he took me places on Saturdays. He took me to the bank; to his office; to sporting events. It may not sound like much, but that was how he showed his love.

 

Christmas is a good time to think about “who loved you into being”. Psalm 139 tells us this.

 

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful, I know that full well.     NIV

 

Indeed, He did create us into being, and yet something is missing in our life unless we have discovered the truth of Christmas.

 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.           NLT

 

The lyrics from the theme song from Mr. Rogers’ TV show begin like this:

 

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor?

 

That’s what Jesus is saying to you this Christmas. Won’t you be his neighbor?

 

¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.            NLT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary: A Willing Servant

Christmas Character Series

Luke 1:26-38; 46-55

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38%2CLuke+1%3A46-55&version=NIV

 

God has a habit of using ordinary people to do extraordinary things!

 

Consider Moses, who wasn’t good at talking, but led the nation of Israel out of Egypt. Or David, who was a young, shepherd boy, but became the king of Israel which eventually led to his Messianic lineage.

 

A classic example of this was Mary; a teenage girl, living a hard scrabble life, who got pregnant by someone other than her betrothed, only to give birth to, and raise, the son of God.

 

But if you think about it, God could have chosen anybody that He wanted as the Mother of Jesus. It was His choice to set the criteria for her. If God had only used ZipRecruiter to find the best qualified mother then his ad might have appeared something like this:

 

Looking for a young, mature female with parental experience, either as a current mother or possibly a nanny or au pair. Needs to be able to deal with high stress, emotionally painful and complex situations. Must have the financial means to provide, not only for the child’s material needs, but also for his emotional, educational and missional needs. Should have a spouse who can provide the stability and security of a nuclear family that is necessary for a child to thrive.

 

Instead, God called Mary who was so insecure; so unstable; that God had to send an angel to build her up; to reinforce her; to give her the confidence that she was capable of actually doing the job.

 

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

 

To Mary’s credit, she asked only one question. Following this, she was ready to commit to the job. She was ready to follow God’s calling; to be His servant no matter what it would mean.

 

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”           NIV

 

Are you able to give such an unconditional commitment to follow Jesus? Mary has set the bar high. She has set a great example for us to follow. Despite the fact that, in many ways, Mary was unqualified for the job, she plowed ahead by faith.

 

When God calls you to what seems to be an insurmountable, unachievable task – remember how Mary responded. And then, like Mary, take the first step; say yes.

 

(Here’s a link for the song “A Baby Changes Everything” by Faith Hill. I hope you enjoy it.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y0_wNPSOaw