THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH!

 

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

 

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH!

 

John 1:1-4 & 14

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

          The shepherds gazed upon a baby. There seemed nothing unusual about this newborn except his humble surroundings but the angels, a sky full of them, said this was God in the flesh. How could the womb contain the immensity of God? No wonder the angels sang a song of amazement. John declares him to be the Word, the logos. The word means “something said, including the thought.” Jesus was the expression of God.

 

John 14:8-9

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 

          The word Incarnation comes from the Latin in carne and it means "in the flesh." Paul the Apostle wrote to Timothy, saying, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16).

 

          The baby grew to become a man and even his apostles caught just glimpses of his true nature. Only at the transfiguration did he show himself. The sight so completely rattled Simon Peter that he spoke foolishly because he did not know what to say.

 

Luke 9:28-33

28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here : and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

 

          The universe seemed to gravitate to the manger. Angels shouting, kings appearing, and shepherds kneeling all declared that this was not just a baby. There was something very special and mysterious about him. This baby both hid and revealed the eternal God.

 

Dear Lord, in the words of the old Christmas song, “Oh come to us, abide with us, be born in us today!” AMEN

 

CELEBRATION TIME

 

Monday, December 22, 2025

 

CELEBRATION TIME

 

Luk 2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

Luk 2:9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

Luk 2:10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

Luk 2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

 

                This is a time for celebration. Today is my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding anniversary. I was pastoring at the time and Christmas decorations were blended with wedding colors. It was a happy, hectic time. Tomorrow is my sister’s birthday. She is in a nursing facility and contact with her is sporadic at best, but I remember this day. Then, of course, there is Christmas.

 

                There was not much celebrating on that first Christmas. No decorations in the barn and no celebrations regarding the registration for new taxes. The underworld did not know nor recognize their most wonderful gift.

 

                Shepherds were the first to receive the news of the birth of redemption and the upper world could not contain their joy. The word “multitude” was used by Luke to explain the crowded skies over the sheep. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth … and on earth … peace.” Peace was offered and available but peace resided in a baby, so chaos reigned and still reigns until Jesus is acknowledged and received.

 

Dear Jesus, thank You for coming and bringing redemption and restoration. Let us see You, acknowledge and receive You. Let us secure peace for ourselves by receiving the Prince of Peace. AMEN

 

BETHLEHEM – TINY TOWN!

 

Sunday, December 21, 2025

 

BETHLEHEM – TINY TOWN!

 

Matt 2:6

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people, Israel.

 

          There are actually two towns named Bethlehem in the Bible. One is Bethlehem in the land of Zebulon. It is a ruined village about 6 miles west-northwest of Nazareth and is mentioned only once in Joshua 19:15. The Bethlehem that we know about is about 5 miles south of Jerusalem.

 

          Bethlehem, or Beit-Lahm, means “house of flesh or bread.” It was the birthplace of another king named David (1 Samuel 16:4-13). There is a church still existing, built by Constantine the Great (A.D. 330), called the "Church of the Nativity," over a grotto or cave called the "holy crypt," and said to be the "stable" in which Jesus was born. This is perhaps the oldest existing Christian church in the world. (From Easton's Bible Dictionary.) Tourists today gain access through a “needle’s eye” door which forces them to bend down to enter.

 

          In the margin of my old red-backed Bible there is an explanation that the word “rule” used in Matthew 2:6 is the Greek word poimanei which actually means “to tend as a shepherd; to feed.” This is the work of the shepherd king. Well-fed was well led and it reminds us of the benefits mentioned in Psalm 23.

 

          God favors the insignificant. He loves to pit David against Goliath. He prefers Gideon and his handful of soldiers with pitchers and lamps. He loved Bethlehem and honored it as the birthplace of His own Son.

 

Mic 5:2

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

 

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

 

Words: Phillips Brooks

Music: "St. Louis" by Lewis H. Redner

 

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

 

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray.

Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

 

Dear Lord, favor your small and insignificant servants today. AMEN

 

WHAT IS THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT?

 

Saturday, December 20, 2025

 

WHAT IS THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT?

 

Isa 9:6

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

In his book, The Second Tree from the Corner, E. B. White makes this throbbing observation: “To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year.”  This Christmas season is as difficult as any and it is difficult to find what we commonly call the Christmas Spirit. The problem seems to be in its definition. I will list a few contributing sources of what we sometimes refer to as the Christmas spirit.

 

1. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF ANTICIPATION!

 

          Those who practice a more liturgical form of worship, if they pay attention to it, may be better equipped to understand the spirit of anticipation. The season of Advent is a season of waiting, of anticipating. It is waiting and knowing. The Advent calendar, with its little daily door to be opened, marches confidently toward a known conclusion and not to an uncertain end. It is the spirit of anticipation.

 

Luke 2:25-26

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

 

2. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF SURPRIZE!

 

          Christmas should be full of surprises. It is when the days become long and predictable that we tumble into bed without a feeling of triumph with weariness our only reward. It is the day full of surprises that ends with a deep sigh of satisfaction.

 

Luke 2:36-38

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

 

          Simeon was fulfilled in his waiting – but Anna was joyfully surprised! The Christmas Story – the one in the Bible and not the movie on TV – is full of surprise words like “suddenly” and “immediately.” The Christmas spirit is the spirit of surprise.

 

3. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF WONDER!

 

Luke 2:8-10

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 

          The combination of the Greek words for “sore afraid” is actually “mega phobia.” It is the spirit of wonder and incredulity. It is Mary asking the angel “how can this thing be?” It is the speechless shepherds who are wide-eyed and doubtful of their own senses.

 

4. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF FAITH!

 

Heb 11:1

11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

          Substance and evidence! These fill the heart of the one full of unverified hope and unexplained joy. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit and a product of the holy written word. We need an apt benediction both for those with the Christmas spirit and for those who still seek it today.

 

Rom 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

Dear Lord, fill us all with that joy and peace in believing today. Fill us with wonder. Surprise us with your presence. AMEN

 

EVEN THE DRY ONES

 

Friday, December 19, 2025

EVEN THE DRY ONES

Psa_116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

 

Isa_25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

 

Rev_7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

          The thought of tears would not leave me alone this morning. I’ve lived long enough to know that there are many things to cry about. Most of those things can’t be easily fixed. As a pastor, I have sat with those who grieve the loss of a loved one. I couldn’t fix the problem, but I could share the grief, and that is ministry.

 

          Jesus knew of our grief and felt is along with us. Isa_53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:” Tears did not embarrass Jesus, and they did not make Him feel unmanly. Men do cry, even big burly men.

 

2Co_1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

2Co_1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

 

Dear Lord, help me to be a comfort to those who weep today. Let me dry their tears … even the dry ones. AMEN

 

THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS!

 

Thursday, December 18, 2025

THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS!

 

Luke 12:15

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

 

          I am so blessed with stuff that it is scandalous! I have so much that it is hard to answer when asked what I want for Christmas. I literally must imagine a need or even a want that can be purchased in a store! I suspect I am not very different from most people in America.

 

          The above verse is part of an encounter with a man who came to Jesus asking him to help distribute the family inheritance. In verse 13 the man asks Jesus to demand that his brother share the inheritance with him. Jesus responded in verse 14 by explaining that He did not come to be a judge of such things and then, in the following verses, gives the story of the rich man who had no place to store his goods.

 

          The language of verse 15 is interesting; even amusing. The word “beware” means “to isolate” and the words “take heed” literally meant “to stare at.” The idea is to isolate and fix your gaze upon covetousness. The word “covetousness” is pleonexia and indicates goods gained by fraud or extortion.

 

          Christmas is full of stories about frauds and greedy money grabbers. Ebenezer Scrooge and surly Mr. Potter were not happy with their great horde of money and goods. Threadbare George Bailey had a drafty old house full of love and laughter and crippled Tiny Tim was able to say, “God bless us every one!” All these Christmas stories plagiarize the teaching of Jesus on the matter of things. The abundance of things can never enrich one’s life. Isolate and stare at this truth.

 

1 Tim 6:6-9

6 [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.

7 For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world;

8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied).

9 But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing.

AMPLIFIED

 

Dear Lord, in the midst of a season of great grabbing commerce, let me be content with family, friends and with you! Give us such things as we truly need and help us to isolate and stare hard at covetousness. AMEN

 

IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER

 

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

 

IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER

 

Luke 2:3-7

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

          We are more than half-way through the month of December and by now some of us are singing along with Merle Haggard “if we make it through December.” The song, released in 1973, has become one of his signature songs because it highlights hardship, sacrifice, and resilience.

          The world of Mary and Joseph was a difficult and dangerous place, one whose harsh conditions were not fully chronicled in the Gospel accounts of their travails. Writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke "are so laconic about the [Nativity] event because they assume the reader would know what it was like," said James F. Strange, a New Testament and biblical archeology professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He added, "we have no idea how difficult it was."

          Joseph and Mary's hardships would have begun more than a week before the birth of their son, when the couple had to leave their home in Nazareth, in the northern highlands of Galilee.  Mr. Strange estimates that Joseph and Mary would likely have traveled only 10 miles a day because of Mary's impending delivery.

          Historical and archaeological proof of the census, too voluminous to include here, indicate that the census was a local event and not Empire wide. Meticulous British historian, Ramsey, along with Jewish historian, Josephus, both concur that there was a census.

Dear Jesus, let me not discount the sacrifice of your human parents simply because I cannot comprehend it. Thank you for inserting yourself into the human experience. AMEN