Matthew 1:18-2:18: What is your choice? [short, 2014]

Presented to the Swift Current Corps on 25 December 2014, 23 December 2013 and 26 December 2010. Presented to Corps 614 Regent Park, Toronto on 27 December 2015 and Alberni Valley Ministries on 26 December 2021 by Captain Michael Ramsay

Read the extended 2010 version on-line here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2010/12/matthew-118-218-what-is-your-choice.html

 

Read the 2013 version here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2013/12/matthew-118-218-what-is-your-choice.html

 

Click here to read the 26 December 2021 Alberni Valley version: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2021/12/matthew-118-218-whats-your-choice.html

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Today, in Matthew’s version of the Christmas story, we are met with three responses to the miracle of the birth of Christ, that of:

1) Joseph[1] (his legal father),

2) Herod[2] (the king of the Jews), and

3) Magi (astrologers, astronomers, magicians or wise men, traditionally ‘we three kings’).

I want to look a little bit today at each of these responses to the news that Jesus was to be born and the news that he was actually born.

1) Joseph

First we have Joseph:  Joseph is a carpenter/stone mason. He is from the occupied territory of Judea and Joseph is righteous.

Matthew tells us also that Joseph is pledged to be married to a girl named Mary.[3] Now, betrothal in the first century is not like it is today. When you are engaged then you are already bound.[4] But even so before Mary and Joseph ever ‘know each other’ in the Biblical sense, before they ever come together in THAT way, Mary becomes pregnant.

Imagine this scenario with me, if you will – men in particular: you are engaged, you have not had relations with your fiancée and all of a sudden you find out that she is pregnant. What would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think? What would you think and what would you do if your girlfriend to whom you are engaged becomes pregnant – and not by you? Would you still get married? Joseph, when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, is planning to call off the wedding altogether. Verse 19 says that he wants to do this quietly so as to not bring any disgrace upon Mary.

Then something happens. Joseph has a dream. He dreams about an angel and in the dream this angel tells Joseph that he should ‘take Mary home as his wife’, Verse 20, ‘because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. He then dreams of the child saving people, even from their sins. Joseph thus has a number of decisions to make.

1.      Does he believe in visions and angels in general and does he believe this vision of this angel in particular?

2.      And how will he respond to this belief? Will he ignore his conviction that this vision is from God and press on with the separation/divorce anyway or will he accept the commission given to him from God through a messenger in a dream?

What would you do? Do you believe in your dreams? When Joseph awakes from his sleep, Verse 24, he does everything the angel from the Lord told him. Joseph is a righteous man.

2) Herod

The second character’s response to the news of Christ’s birth in our story today is Herod. Herod is a regional king. He works for the Romans and he is known throughout history as ‘Herod the Great’. Herod is a great political leader. He is a politician and as such is involved in all the political intrigue of his era in all the ways that political intrigue is carried out in his era (cf. Josephus, Bellum ii.10–13; cf. also Josephus, Antiquities xvii. 224, 229, 250, 304, 307, 340).[5] He is a king but his job is no more secure than that of a contemporary politician and Herod defends his title and his job no less vigorously: in order to secure his position, Herod needs to back the right horse and defeat all his rivals (cf. Josephus, Antiquities i.358). He – like many contemporary politicians – switches his allegiances more than once as to whom he backs for Emperor – first he backs Mark Anthony’s (and Cleopatra’s) coalition government and later crosses the floor to support Caesar Augustus.[6] Herod the Great is a king who leaves behind a good legacy of building and growth but he is also an adept politician, cruel and insecure. The title awarded to him by Caesar Augustus is Herod, King of the Jews.[7]

Imagine with me what it must have been like for him. Imagine you are King of the Jews and these privileged academics come to you from a foreign country and, Matthew 2:2, they ask “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” You haven’t just had a son; so what is going on? Imagine, you have this job that you have fought hard for all your life and your job title is ‘King of the Jews’ and these strangers come up to you and ask to meet your replacement, the new King of the Jews. How would you react?

I was a dishwasher once, for about a week as a teenager; the job didn’t go well and I didn’t get along with my co-worker and one day I meet a friend for coffee; he is excited as he tells me that he has just been hired for a job at this same restaurant. When we talk for a while it becomes apparent that they have hired him for my job. That is how I found out that I am going to be fired. This could be what it is like for Herod when he hears this news that a there is going to be a new king of the Jews. This news is a shock to him. This news is a threat to him. Current kings can be killed when new kings take over. Herod is the current king. He hasn’t just had a son; so who is this new King of the Jews that has just been born? If you were Herod, what would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think?

Herod is determined to eliminate his would-be-rival so Herod sends in the troops. The military massacres male babies two years old and younger in order to wipe out any possible rival king of the Jews who may have been recently born. This is Herod’s reaction.

3) Magi

The third response to the news of the coming King of the Jews which we are looking at this morning is that of the Magi. Magi are astrologers, astronomers, or wise men (cf. Daniel 2:2,10; Acts 8:9; 13:6,8). Our word ‘magic’, interestingly enough comes from the same root as ‘magi’. In Acts 13:6,8, this same word, ‘magoi’, is actually translated ‘magicians’.[8] In the Christmas story these magi are traditionally known as ‘we three kings’ (ca. 225 CE Tertullian called them kings).[9] Now – of course – there is no mention about how many of these magi there actually are in the story. The Bible mentions that they bring three different kinds of gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh – but does not mention how many magi there were (Matthew 2:11). The word ‘magi’ is plural so presumably there are at least two of them but there could be 2 or 102 of them. We don’t know but we do know that they are learned people.

These learned people see this thing in the sky. They see this ‘star’. These magi, they probably aren’t Jews.[10] They come from the east (cf. Philippians 2:10-11). Remember that travel isn’t easy in that day and age: they can’t just hop a flight or drive the Trans-Palestine superhighway to Jerusalem. These wise men realize somehow from their studies of the world around them that the King of the Jews has been born (cf. Numbers 24:17, Daniel 9:25, John 4:25,Romans 1). [12] What do they do when they discover this? Remember that they probably aren’t Jews and they don’t live in the area. They probably are men of privilege; who else has time to devote to study and travel in this way in this time in this place? What do these privileged foreign academics do when they find out a king of the Jews has been born? They come to worship him (Matthew 2:2; cf. TSA d. 2,4).

They go to the palace in the capital city of the Jews and ask the current king if he has had a son or where else one would find a new king. After an interview or two with the current king of the Jews, these learned Magi realize that not only is the new king of the Jews not with the current king of the Jews but they realize that the current king of Judea has no immediate idea of what they are talking about and King Herod even asks them in a subsequent interview to tell him where he is when they find him (Matthew 2:8). Herod is up to something (Matthew 2:16). But the Magi are warned by God in a dream; they avoid Herod’s trap and they follow God’s star to where God is taking them and God is taking them to a house in Bethlehem where these gentiles meet the King of the Jews and present him with the gifts they brought with them (Matthew 2:11). These foreigners see the signs; they leave their homes and their lives to track down the young king in a foreign country and worship Him. These are the Magi.

What is your response?

These are the three different responses to the birth of Jesus that Matthew intertwines for us in our text today. What is our response to the news of Christ? Are we like Herod? Herod is a man of power, prestige and privilege in society. He doesn’t believe in the power of the Almighty God. Herod thinks he can take matters into his own hands and disregard the truth of what God has preordained. Instead of worshipping the Lord, he tries to rule his world himself. His plans are frustrated though and he is furious. Likewise today if we deny the reality of the Kingdom of God and the return of Christ, instead trying to control our own world, in the end we will be frustrated because in the end every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord – whether we want to our not (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10). Jesus has already defeated sin and death. We do not want to make the same choice as Herod.

Better are the choices of the Gentile Magi and the Judean Joseph in their responses to the news of the birth of the Christ. Joseph, a righteous man, has grown up in the faith. He knows that God can be trusted so when the almost inconceivable conception occurs, he draws on the teaching of his youth, he follows his dreams, he listens to God and he spends his life living with the Christ. This is a faith that each of us who grew up in the church should have. We have the Biblical record (cf. TSA d.1), we have the historical record, we have our personal experience, and we have a brain; so rather than chuck all that we have known and experienced out the window like Herod, let us lean not on simply our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) but let us trust instead in the power and majesty of our Lord.[11] And let us today and forever more, when we realize the power and majesty of the reality of Christ’s reign; let us, like the Magi, come and worship Him. This is my prayer for us today on this Christmas Day some 2000 years after the birth of our Saviour, that indeed that we will realize from all the evidence around us the reality of Christ, cast all else aside and come to worship Him forevermore (cf. TSA d. 2,4).

Let us pray

www.sheepspeak.com 

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[1] cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Luke 1:26-37: Do You Believe?' Presented to the Nipawin Corps 14 December 2008. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/luke-126-37-do-you-believe.html and Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Matthew 1:18-25: Do you believe?' Presented to each Nipawin and Tisdale Corps, 24 December 2007 and the CFOT chapel in Winnipeg, December 2006. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/matthew-118-25-do-you-believe.html
[2] cf. Captain Michael, 'Luke 19:11-27: Time, Talent and Treasure Series, Part 2: Employee Evaluation: What About the Slaves?'  Presented to the Swift Current Corps, 19 September 2010 Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/luke-1911-27-time-talent-and-treasure.html[3] cf. R. Alan Culpepper, Luke (NIB 8: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995), 51 and E. Earle Ellis, 71. Betrothal is not quite like engagements of today. In those days a man and his wife were committed to each other at the engagement ceremony. They did have a public ceremony with witnesses and the more. They did each gain a marital status, complete with rights and responsibilities and if Joseph had died after their engagement ceremony but prior to their marriage ceremony, Mary would still be considered a widow with all the responsibilities and rights (or lack thereof) of a widow. The betrothal was very different then anything we have today and even though Mary would be Joseph’s legal wife, after this engagement ceremony rather than going off to live with one’s husband, the wife usually returned to her father’s household for a period of up to a year.[4] M. Eugene Boring, ‘Matthew’ (NIB VIII: Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1995), 134.[5] Cf. R. Alan Culpepper, Luke (NIB 8: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995), 363.[6] Jona Lendering, 'King Herod the Great', cited 23 December 2010. Available on-line: http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great02.html[7] Cf. Leon Morris: ‘Luke: An Introduction and Commentary’, Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1988 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 3), S. 290 and Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Luke/Exposition of Luke/V. Teaching and Travels Toward Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)/F. Final Approach to Jerusalem (18:31-19:44)/4. Parable of the ten minas (19:11-27), Book Version: 4.0.2
[8] Douglas R.A. Hare, Matthew (Interpretation: Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 13.[9] Ralph L. Smith ‘Magi’ in Holman Bible Dictionary, Editor, Trent C. Butler, (Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville, Tenn., 1991), 910. [10] Walter W. Wessel and Ralph Earle, note on 2:2, 1467, and Douglas R.A. Hare, Interpretation:  ‘Matthew’, 13.
[11] Cf. Cf. Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (NTC: Baker Academic: Grand Rapids Michigan, 2007), 155: cf. also France, R. T.: Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 1), S. 76: In fact the aim of the formula-quotations in chapter 2 seems to be primarily apologetic, explaining some of the unexpected features in Jesus’ background, particularly his geographical origins. It would be a strange apologetic which invented ‘facts’ in order to defend them! 

Luke 1:46-56: Christmas is Coming 2014

Presented to Swift Current Corps, 21 Dec. 2014. Based on the 20 Dec. 2009 sermon by Captain Michael Ramsay

Based on the 20 Dec. 2009 homily available here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2009/12/luke-146-56-christmas-is-coming.html

Wayne Cormier told me a story the other day. He is currently the director of ECIP (Early Childhood Intervention Program); he used to work for the government. A few years ago he found himself driving around one of the cabinet ministers and his assistant was sitting in the back with his tape recorder taping everything the minister said as per protocol at that time in that situation. They were driving around sizing up the damage from all of the forest fires in the north when all of a sudden their vision became impaired. It became more and more impaired. Wayne was chauffeur and he could barely see anything in front of him and it wasn’t winter so it wasn’t snow – it was smoke from the fire. The fire was so close you could almost feel it. The politician asked Wayne, ‘what do we do now’?

Wayne said, ‘Pray’. Wayne is a solid Christian and he has been for a quite a long time. ‘Pray’, he says, ‘we can’t see anything but we can’t stop driving or its game over; we can’t do anything else but drive and pray - so pray!’

The assistant with the tape recorder in the back begins to pray quite a bit when Wayne hears the cabinet minister, the politician, start to pray. He prays, ‘God if you save us, I will go to church on Sunday.’ They wait patiently as Wayne drives slowly through the fire. They wait and they pray as they await their salvation from the fire.

When they get out of the fire and they start to relax a bit and get ready for their next tour, Wayne approaches the politician, the cabinet minister, and he asks him, ‘So you’re going to church on Sunday?”

“Oh, you heard that, did you?”

“Yes, and so will everyone; your assistant has it on tape”

“Oh, well maybe I should go to church then…”

Now Wayne doesn’t know whether or not the politician was true to his word. He doesn’t know whether he did go to church or not but while he was waiting for his salvation, in that moment he approached God, he encountered God and we can only hope that once that waiting was over he continued to wait on God.

 This is the Advent season and waiting is what Advent is all about. We are waiting for Christmas to come. Advent is when we remember the first coming of Christ as we are awaiting His second coming.

Who here like to wait? One of the keys to waiting is faith (see Matthew 17:20 and Hebrews 11:6). Faith is a key element of Advent; so what is faith?

There is the classic definition of faith, of course, from Hebrews 11: 1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Martin Luther says: “Faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God (John 1:13)… It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly.”

Faith is a belief in the seemingly impossible. Faith is a belief that you will come home and find that your children have cleaned their rooms or done the dishes all on their own.

The Greek word translated variously as ‘faith’ or ‘believe’ is pistis (noun) and this comes from pistevo (verb)[1] meaning ‘to have faith in, extend credit to; to commit, to adhere to, to trust in, and to rely on.’

Prominent theologians James Dunn and Tom Wright drive home the point in many articles and books that faith isn’t just a vague belief in something. Faith is an action word. Faith and faithfulness are forever intertwined.[2] One cannot say they love God and not love their neighbour (Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 10:27, 18:18-29). If you have faith in Christ, you will be faithful and even when we are unfaithful, Christ’s faithfulness makes our faith(fullness) possible (Romans 3:3,4, see also Genesis Romans 1:16-17, Romans 2:1-16, Hebrews 11). It is the faithfulness of Christ that leads to humanity’s salvation. Faith is an action and the action of faith during Advent is waiting. Christmas is coming.

In our story today something very interesting is happening: Mary an unwed teenager finds out that she is pregnant and goes to her aunt’s or a much older relative’s; she goes to Elisabeth’s house and this is Mary’s greeting (vv. 46-49):

And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— Holy is His name.

Mary speaks about how good the Lord has been to her. She talks about how greatly she has been blessed by the Lord. She speaks about how He has been mindful of someone such as her. Mary here is praising God.

Mary, the mother-to-be of Jesus, is a teenager in the occupied territory in Palestine. Mary isn’t married when she finds out she is going to be with child. Mary’s partner in today’s vernacular, her husband-to-be, had never been with her in that way:[3] they have never consummated their relationship.[4] Can you imagine what people in that day and age would think of Mary who is pregnant without being married? If you were her husband-to-be or if you were her parents what would you think if your teenage daughter came home and told you she was about to have a baby? In those days she could have received the death penalty for that.[5] Mary is vulnerable and Mary is on the margins of society.

Mary isn’t a wealthy woman and months from now, right when Mary is to have this baby, she and Joseph are supposed to load up a pack animal and walk all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea to enrol in a census for the purpose of paying their taxes. They are to walk and/or ride on the back of this pack animal this whole distance when Mary is very, very pregnant (Luke 2:1-7). I don’t know how many women here when they are nine months pregnant would like to hike from here down to Moose Jaw or Regina either by foot or ride there on the back of a donkey.

Mary is a poor, humble girl who isn’t yet married but is already with child in a time when she could be executed for this and Mary is anticipating a very long journey by foot or on the back of a donkey right around the time she is supposed to give birth, Luke 1:46-49, “And Mary said:  ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— Holy is His name.’” Mary - in this state - finds herself blessed.

Now, I have spoken to many people in the last few days and weeks and there are quite a few people around here who have very real troubles around this time of year. As Christmas is coming; how blessed do we feel? The lead up to Christmas is often a very stressful time. Do we, when our life seems challenging, almost overwhelming, do we –like Mary- consider ourselves blessed?

I know that there are people in this city and I know that there are people in this congregation who are going through some really difficult times. I have heard stories recently in our city of eviction notices, of addiction struggles, of custody battles, of illness, and of life and death battles. I have heard of direct demonic attack. There are families that have been torn apart who because of restraining orders can’t even see each other when they transfer their children from one home to another – they have a tragically but aptly called ‘broken family’ and Christmas is coming. There are so many people in the hospital. There is injury. There is illness. There is even death. Many have even lost almost everything but Christmas is coming. Mary is in her circumstance with all that is involved in it and Mary is praising God.

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and Advent is a time of waiting for Christmas. As the smoke from the forest fires of troubles, of depression, of oppression, of adversity, of sin, of circumstance surround us so much so that we cannot see anything through the life around us, Christmas is still coming. The lead up to Christmas is often a very stressful time. Do we, when our life seems challenging, almost overwhelming, do we –like Mary – praise the Lord, considering ourselves blessed?

Mary continues her greeting to Elisabeth praising God. She says of God, Luke 1: 50-55:

 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
 He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers."

Mary in the midst of all that she is in the midst of, Mary speaks about God’s mercy to all who fear Him (Luke 1:50); she remembers that He performs mighty deeds with His arm (Luke 1:51). She praises God for remaining faithful to His covenant with Abraham, blessing all the nations of the earth (Luke 1:55, see Genesis 12:3). She praises God, Who faithfully fulfils His covenant with Abraham and his descendants even though they – even though we – were faithless over and over again (Romans 3:3,4). Mary’s life is not easy. And Christmas is coming. Her son will be born after a long way from home and placed in an animal’s feeding trough. Her son will grow up and eventually suffer a state execution at the hands of her country’s occupiers and at the urging or her own religious leaders – Christmas is coming.

Mary is singing her song of praise to God in this circumstance. There is another interesting part of Mary’s song of praise that I think merits attention here in that it refers to either just before, just after, or at the very moment when Jesus returns. We have spoken about Christmas and waiting for the birth of the Messiah, the incarnation of Christ, but we are also waiting for Jesus to come back. Mary says that at that time – when he returns the rulers of this age will be brought down (Luke 1:52). There will be no more corrupt politicians. There will be no more election fraud scandals; there will be no more bribery scandals. There will be no more handing people over to be tortured. We will not have Prime Ministers who hate the poor or Presidents in our world inventing weapons of mass destruction or picking up peace prizes en route to escalating wars against some of the poorest people on earth. The rulers of our age – it says in verse 52 – the rulers of our age will be brought down from their thrones. Corrupt Presidents and dishonest Prime Ministers will be replaced by the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace whose government will never stop ruling and being peaceful (Isaiah 9:6-7).

We will no longer be subservient to brutal economic systems in which one man get rich as over 25 000 children die every day and where today nearly 1 billion people have not even been taught how to read a book when the Lord has provided more than enough recourses for the whole world to be fed and clothed and otherwise taken care of many, many, many times over.[6] These systems of oppression will end. Mary and the Bible says the rulers of this world will be brought low. We will no longer see a situation where people become millionaires for appearing on a screen or playing baseball while others cannot afford to clothe themselves. In our world today there is pornography, which horribly is North America’s most lucrative pastime. In the United States, pornography revenue is more than all money made from professional football, baseball and basketball combined. The money made by US pornography exceeds the revenues of all their major TV networks combined. Child pornography alone generates in excess of $3 billion annually:[7] all while thousands upon thousands of people are dying of malnutrition. The systems and rulers who oversee all of this will be brought down. This will come to an end.

The greatest in this world shall become the least and the least shall become the greatest. Jesus is the great equalizer. When he comes back those in power and luxury (which may be many of us here) will experience His justice and those who are hungry and humbled here will be lifted up and be fed.

Advent is about waiting and this is what we are waiting for and this is what we are praying for as we drive through the smoke of the forest fires of corrupt leaders and their world and all of the trials and tribulations that accompany it. And as we are waiting, as we act in faith doing our part like the sheep in Matthew’s parable of the sheep and the goats by giving the hungry something to eat, giving the thirsty something to drink, inviting in the stranger, clothing the naked, looking after the sick and visiting those in prison (Matthew 25:31-40); we look forward to the day when Christ returns and all of the injustice is finally set right. Jesus’ Advent 2000 years ago was a foretaste of the justice and mercy that lies ahead when he returns. And as we show mercy to our neighbours, we show that we belong to His world that is to come rather than to this present evil age – and this is important because as sure as Christmas is coming, Christ is coming back – so as bad as things may seem as we are driving through the smoke of the forest fires of our troubles that make it so dark that maybe we cannot even see, we must remember that just as Jesus was dwelling in Mary’s womb as they were eagerly waiting for him to come, so too now as the Holy Spirit is indwelling in us as we are eagerly waiting for Jesus to come again; the world is in its ninth month, the smoke is clearing, Jesus is coming and Jesus is coming soon and when He does, everything will be alright. I promise. Christmas is coming.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Cf. Strong's Greek Dictionary

[2] Cf. NT Wright and James Dunn. An Evening Conversation on Paul with James D.G. Dunn and N.T. Wright Available online at: http://www.thepaulpage.com/an-evening-conversation-on-paul-with-james-d-g-dunn-and-n-t-wright/

[3] Cf. Culpepper, 51. Lenski, 69, Ellis, 75.

[4] Now betrothal is not quite like engagements of today. In those days a man and his wife were committed to each other at the engagement ceremony. They did have a public ceremony with witnesses and the more. They did each gain a marital status, complete with rights and responsibilities and if Joseph had died after their engagement ceremony but prior to their marriage ceremony, Mary would still be considered a widow with all the responsibilities and rights (or lack thereof) of a widow. The betrothal was very different then anything we have today and even though Mary would be Joseph’s legal wife, after this engagement ceremony rather than going off to live with one’s husband, the wife usually returned to her father’s household for a period of up to a year. Cf. E. Earle Ellis, 71 and R. Alan Culpepper, 51. See also Captain Michael Ramsay, Luke 1:26-37: Do You Believe? Presented to the Nipawin Corps 14 December 2008. Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/luke-126-37-do-you-believe.html

[5] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, Matthew 1:18-25: Do you believe? Presented to each Nipawin and Tisdale Corps, 24 December 2007 and CFOT chapel in Winnipeg, December 2006. Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/matthew-118-25-do-you-believe.html

[6] Global Issues: Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All. Cited December 15, 2009. Available on-line: http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

[7] Christian Technology Solutions, Pornography Industry Statistics. Cited 21 November, 2009. Available on line: http://christiantechnologysolutions.com/content/view/18/24/

Week 14: Luke 1:53: Waiting

A devotional thought presented originally to Swift Current Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Thursday 18 December 2014

Read Luke 1:50-53

Advent is about waiting. We remember waiting for the birth of our saviour millennia ago even as now we await his return anytime soon. And when He returns what a day that will be. Our Scripture reminds us that when Jesus comes back, we will no longer be subservient to the brutal politico-socio-economic systems we are today where one becomes rich as over 25 000 children die each day even though the Lord has already provided more than enough resources for the whole world to be fed and clothed and otherwise taken care of many times over. These systems of oppression will end. The rulers of this world will be brought low. We will no longer see a situation where people become millionaires for appearing on a screen or playing baseball while others cannot afford to clothe themselves. In our world today there is also pornography, which horribly is America’s most lucrative pastime. In the United States, pornography revenue is more than all money made from professional football, baseball and basketball combined. A small percentage of this money would feed and clothe the world. The presidents, money people, and other rulers of our age who oversee all of this will be brought down.

This will come to an end. The greatest in this world will become the least and the least will become the greatest. Jesus is the great equalizer. When He comes back those in power and luxury will experience His justice and those who are hungry and humbled will be lifted up and fed.

This is the second coming that we are waiting for. And as we do our bit by giving the hungry something to eat, giving the thirsty something to drink, inviting in the stranger, clothing the naked, looking after the sick and visiting those in prison (Matthew 25:31-40); we anticipate the day when Christ will return and all injustice will end. Jesus’ Advent 2000+ years ago was a foretaste of the justice and mercy that that awaits us when He returns and as we show mercy to our neighbours, we show that we belong to His world to come rather than to this present evil age – and this is important because as sure as Christmas is coming, Christ is coming back – so as bad as things may seem as we are riding our metaphorical donkeys down to the capital to pay our proverbial taxes, we must remember that just as Jesus was dwelling in Mary’s womb and they were eagerly waiting for Him to come, so too now as we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and we are waiting for Jesus to come back; the world is certainly in its ninth month and Jesus is coming soon and then everything will be okay.

What are you doing while you await Christ’s return? What evidence is there that you are part of the advance guard of His Kingdom to come?

www.sheepspeak.com 

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[1] Based on the sermon by Captain Michael Ramsay, Luke 1:46-56: Christmas is Coming. Presented to The Salvation Army Swift Current on 20 December 2019 http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2009/12/luke-146-56-christmas-is-coming.html . Presented to Riverside Cafe on 25 November 2016.

Week 13: Acts 2:38: Forgiveness

Devotional thought presented to Swift Current Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Thursday 01 December 2014, River Street Cafe, Monday 16 May 2016, and Fir Park Village, 24 March 2019 by Captain Michael Ramsay

Read Acts 2:36-39

Acts 2 is quite a dramatic chapter in the Bible and parts of it read like a suspense-filled thriller movie. Acts 2 speaks about an appearance of the Holy Spirit after Jesus has returned from the dead. It shows the power and authority of God to all who are present. The signs in this chapter show that Jesus is King; Jesus is God and as Peter speaks to them, the people realize that Jesus is the Christ and they understand, Verse 36, that they have killed the Christ, the one they have been waiting for to save them. They have killed him.

These people now standing in front of Peter are like repentant children in front of the school principal, realizing that they’ve done something terribly wrong. They realize that Jesus is the Christ and they realize that they’ve killed him. We’ve killed him and now Jesus is back from the dead. If we didn’t know the ending and for those present who don’t, it could be like a 1970s horror movie. You wrongfully kill someone and they come back from the dead to set things right! That is what Jesus did. The people in our text today are hoping against hope to somehow make it right with this Jesus whom they have killed and who has now returned from the dead. Verse 37, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter says, Verse 38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Now this is significant. Jesus is ushering in the Kingdom of God.  And what does this Kingdom look like? It is a Kingdom of forgiveness. It is a Kingdom –like the Lord’s Prayer says - where we forgive those who do things against us and God forgives us what we have done – even our sending God’s own son to die on the cross. This is what it looks like when we are a part of God’s Kingdom; this is what it looks like when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Christ has already forgiven us everything. As we accept the forgiveness, as we repent and as we forgive others, we will be forgiven and we will be a part of his Kingdom of Forgiveness.

Questions for today: Is it evident in our lives that we are a part of God’s eternal Kingdom of Forgiveness? Do we forgive others as Christ has forgiven us?

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Based on the sermon by Captain Michael Ramsay, Acts 2 - Act II, Scene 1. Presented to The Salvation Army Nipawin & Tisdale on 12 August 2007 and Swift Current on 23 May 2010 and the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service on 16 January 2011 held at St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church in Swift Current: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2007/08/acts-2-act-ii-scene-1.html 

Week 12: John 3:16: Rescue

Devotional thought presented  to Swift Current Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Thursday 04 December 2014; Arthur Meighen Retirement Home, Wednesday 18 May 2016; River Street Cafe, 27 May 2016.

Read John 3:16-21

God loves us. John 3:16 records that He loves us so much that Jesus laid down His life that we may live; therefore, I can’t imagine how much it must hurt Him that some of us actually perish.

I am a parent. Think about this scenario for a moment. The house across the street is on fire; there are children in that house. Your child is able to save them. Your son or daughter – your ONLY son or daughter can reach them so you encourage her, “Go, go, go! Save them.”

Your daughter goes. She suffers every peril in that burning house that everyone else in there is suffering (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:14, Luke 4): There is the deadly smoke, the fire, and the falling beams. She is successful. She gets to the children. She is able to make an opening in the wall. She points them to the way out. She yells for them to walk through the opening in the wall. She makes a clear path so that all of the children can be saved and then… she dies. Your daughter dies so that all these children can be saved. Your child dies so that none of these children need to die but – here’s the kicker: the children do not want to be saved. They die anyway. Your daughter dies so that they can be saved but they choose to stay and die. They do not need to die but they choose not to walk through the opening she died to make for them. They refuse to be saved.

This is what it is like for God when our loved ones reject Him. He sent His Son to this earth that is perishing. He sent His Son to this house that is on fire and His Son died so that we may live but some refuse His love and some reject His Salvation. He sent Jesus not to condemn us to burn in the eternal house fire but to save us; however, like those children, some refuse to walk through that opening that Jesus died to make. John 3:18: “Those who believe in Him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already…” of their own accord because, John 3:19, “people loved darkness rather than light.”

But there is good news here. Yes, the house is on fire; yes, Jesus died, but we - as long as we are still breathing - have the opportunity to walk through the hole in the wall that He created through His death and resurrection. We can walk through the wall from certain death to certain life. All we need to do is believe in Him, obey Him, and walk through that wall to eternal life with the Father because, John 3:17, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only [begotten] Son, so that everyone who believe in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Have you walked to safety yet?

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Based on the sermon by Captain Michael Ramsay, John 3:16-21: For God so loved the world. Presented to The Salvation Army Nipawin & Tisdale on 23 November 2008 and Swift Current on 12 March 2011. On-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2008/11/john-316-21-for-god-so-loved-world.html