The Final Word

A series on the book of Hebrews:
Christ is greater than the prophets and angels
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Hebrews 1-2:18 

[When you first start to follow Christ, often it’s done with great excitement. It’s like falling in love when all you can think about is the other person, and you want to tell everyone you know. But then life settles in and can push out those feelings. The day-to-day pressures of living can dull your enthusiasm. In this series, we will look at how the author of Hebrews tried to counteract falling out of love with Jesus.]

  

Caitlin Clark has been in the news constantly during the current WNBA season. In case you’re unaware, she’s a 2^nd year phenom basketball player who seemingly is being targeted by other players for hard and flagrant fouls. What makes it worse is that the refs aren’t calling them.

 

The referees are the authority in every game. They have a whistle and a striped shirt. They have access to replay monitors. They’ve been trained and are certified by the WNBA. They have the final word on what gets called… or not called.

 

Jesus, the Son of God, was the final word from God. In the past, God spoke to the nation of Israel through the prophets and his nurturing angels. But now he spoke through his Son who has the authority that goes far beyond a striped shirt.

 

³ The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.          NLT

 

The letter to the Hebrews was written during the first century to Jewish Christians who were struggling possibly because of being persecuted. They had come to a crossroads in their faith where they were considering whether it would be better to return to their old religion of Judaism, or continue to follow Christ.

 

¹ Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.           ESV

 

And what was it that they had heard? Based on the Law and the sacrificial system that God instructed Moses to set up, the High Priest was the only person who could enter into the presence of God in the Temple. He did so to offer sacrifices for the sins of Israel.

 

However, what they had heard was that Jesus changed everything. He was the fulfillment of that ritual. He was the High Priest in the New Covenant. He made the sacrifice for sins so that no further sacrifices were needed.

 

¹⁷ Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.           NLT

 

Jesus did this not just for the Jewish Christians in the first century, but for all of us. It was the only way to provide forgiveness of sins once and for all. Jesus had the final word.

 

¹⁴ Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. ¹⁵ Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.         NLT

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Routine or Upside Down?

A Series on Advent
The candle of peace – the shepherds
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:1-20 

[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.]

  

Life can feel upside down at times.

 

Since I retired, I’ve developed a pattern in life that has a certain ebb and flow to it. It includes working on this devotional blog, practicing piano, picking up my granddaughter on Tuesdays, meeting with friends for breakfast or lunch and going to choir practice. It’s pretty routine.

 

The shepherds probably had a routine to their life also. Most likely this included feeding the sheep and giving them water. Or if one got lost or caught in a bush or wandered from the herd, a shepherd would search and bring them back to safety. For the most part it was fairly mundane.

 

The only time there would have been any real excitement is when a predator would try to attack one of the sheep. It doesn’t take much imagination to visualize a shepherd jumping to his feet with adrenaline rushing and doing whatever it took to protect his sheep.

 

The night the angel appeared to the shepherds was no doubt just like any other night... routine. However, they were totally unaware of the life-changing drama that had taken place in Bethlehem. They didn’t know anything about the couple who had come into town in the ninth month of her pregnancy, only to give birth in a stable to a son.

 

But then the angel appeared to them and told them this news. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

 

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 among those with whom he is pleased!”         ESV

 

This is the news that the shepherds brought to Joseph and Mary. It was a message about peace. Not outward peace, but inward.

 

⁶ For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.              Isaiah 9:6 NIV

 

Christmas is often routine. We sing the same carols; put up a tree with the same ornaments; listen to the same Christmas story. But for the shepherds, it was anything but routine. In fact, their lives were turned upside down.

 

So… where are you in the Christmas spectrum? Are you settling for the routine? Or embracing the Prince of Peace with the risk of turning your world upside down?

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

When Angels Sing

 

When Angels Sing
Personal reflections on Advent: Peace
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:8-15

 Every time that an angel appeared in the Christmas story, the first words from the angel’s mouth was, “Do not be afraid”. It didn’t matter who it was… Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, the shepherds; all responded with fear.

Fear is not one of those feelings that we associate with Christmas. Hope, peace, joy and love; these are the themes of Advent. These are the nice warm feelings that we like to picture when we think about Christmas. Not fear!

 

In the above passage in Luke, the angels made their presence known to the shepherds.

 

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”               NLT

 

Recently, our church choir sang a song titled, “When Angels Sing”. Here are some of the lyrics.

 

Within each lifetime an angel’s voice is heard;

celestial sounds pierce time and space.

For just a moment, the breathless beauty

of heaven’s song reveals God’s grace.

 

Peace in our hearts, peace when angels sing,

peace, be still and listen heart.

Listen when angels sing.

 

Despite our sorrow, the dawn brings life anew;

and raging storms begin to cease.

For just a moment, the breathless beauty

of heaven’s son brings us peace.

 

Think about that last verse. Listen when angels sing, and despite your sorrow… despite a worldwide pandemic; despite your isolation; let the breathless beauty of Christ bring life anew, cease your raging storms and bring you peace.

 

Listen when angels sing, and fear not, for this is Christmas.

 

The Shepherds: Unexpected Servants

Christmas Character Series

Luke 2:1-21

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202%3A1-21&version=NIV;NLT

 

 

Many years ago, we went to a Christmas program called Journey to Bethlehem. It was a series of scenes leading up to the birth of Christ. The manger scene was in the

sanctuary where there was a young couple playing Mary and Joseph. What made it especially touching was that their newborn baby was with them as Jesus.

 

As we walked into the sanctuary, the baby began crying, as babies will do. Just like that, the theatrical scene suddenly became a real-life scene. It took me back two thousand years to the real baby Jesus crying in his mother’s arms.

 

For over sixty years, I’ve celebrated Christmas with outdoor decorations, a Christmas tree with lots of presents, a big Christmas meal with family and a special Christmas Eve service. Despite all of that, it only took a little baby seconds to make Christmas real. It was unexpected, just like it was for the shepherds.

 

On that very first Christmas, the Shepherds were in the fields minding their own business. They weren’t aware of Caesar Augustus and his big plans for expanding the Roman Empire. They’d never heard of Joseph and Mary, and had no idea of what had been happening in their lives.

 

All they knew was to watch their sheep. That was their world. That is, before it was turned upside down when suddenly an angel appeared to them. Surprise!

 

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”    NLT

 

Once the angels left, the shepherds decided to go into Bethlehem to find the baby. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, except for the hint given them by the angel. Look for the sign. After all, how many new born babies would be lying in a feeding trough?

 

The crying baby was an unexpected sign for me. The angels were unexpected for the shepherds, as well as the baby in a manger. Are you ready for what God has for you that is unexpected?