Tagged: Christmas

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 Our secretary thought it was a joke. Head down, busy with work, she was annoyed with the interruption when a man entered the office demanding everyone’s attention and announced with a flourish the arrival of a gentleman just outside the door. When no one responded, he repeated his lavish introduction of the crown prince of a nearby country in the Middle East. Suddenly everyone was scrambling to show the honor due to their unexpected guest, a man who would one day be king. My husband spent the rest of the day (in a proper suit… Read More

This is an updated version of one of Audrey's most-read Christmas posts. For those who feel inadequate, you’ve got a friend in Mary. One Christmas in a land far from home, I was expecting our third child and my sense of smell was working overtime. Nauseated and homesick, my attitude was anything but joyful. I was pretty sure I was inadequate for the tasks in front of me and a sick pregnancy was not helping me feel courageous or motivated. Bundling up, I sought solace and fresh air outdoors where I could ruminate alone with my thoughts. The small dirt path behind our bungalow wound up and over a hill, inviting me to explore. I climbed slowly, avoiding the mud. Rounding a bend, I came… Read More

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  Isaiah 11:2 Calling all ye foolish, all ye confused... your camel is ready! For all who would be wisemen, Christmas is your holiday. At Christmastime, Wisdom and Knowledge came in person. Do you wish you had the wisdom to make the right decisions about your future, wisdom to know how you should respond to the throbbing pain of a broken world? Well, your wish came true at Christmastime. The wisemen rode over 700 miles on camels to meet Wisdom. To fall at His feet and worship Him. To give Him the best gifts… Read More

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—      yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. Isaiah 11:1 The gnarly, knotted olive tree must have been at least 100 years old, planted by the grandfather of the two sons who built our house in the ancient walled city. Evidently, at one time, its main trunk was chopped off, leaving a stubby stump still joined at the base of the tree. From a side branch grew a now-thriving tree that towered over the wall and hung heavy with olives at harvest time. During our first spring in the house, strong, green shoots began to appear in abundance from the old stump. The principle was not lost on me. God brings… Read More

The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14 The holiday story is told of a little boy, face sticky with peppermint, cheeks punctuated with two clean streaks of tears caused by his big brother. The big boy wanted the little boy’s candy and made a grab for it. But the little boy held fast to his sweet, refusing to let go.  Big brother then had an idea. Punching the air with two fists, not much bigger than his opponents’, he offered to duke it out. The winner gets the candy. But little brother, smaller though he was, had bigger determination. Nope. I’m holding on to mine. Go find your own. Mom intervened, little brother got to keep his candy, and… Read More

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 No place for them?  I find this story perhaps most surprising of all in the Christmas narrative. How could this be, among a culture known for its hospitality to strangers and family alike? How could a people who always have room for one more not have room? Especially for one of their own, one of the house and family line of David? These were folks who kept records of their genealogy all the way back to the 12 tribes… Read More

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  When Joseph woke from sleep, he… Read More

The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28 In honor-shame cultures throughout history, women have been honor-burden bearers for their families, tribes, and nations. Men have served as honor guards. Honor-bearers and honor guards have learned their roles from childhood. Avoid shame at all costs. Preserve the honor of the group by doing your part. This is the essence of the honor-shame worldview.  Mary knew her role, even as a young girl. By all cultural standards, she was a beacon of honor. Like other Jewish girls her age, Mary carefully maintained this position in her family and community by doing the expected things: following religious law, fulfilling household duties, and accepting her family’s careful arrangement of… Read More

He will stand and shepherd his flock     in the strength of the Lord,     in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness     will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace (Micah 5:4, 5). Our Peace is a person. His name is Jesus, and His coming was foretold by the prophet Micah, whose name in Hebrew means “Who is like Yahweh?” Micah was a contemporary of the better-known prophet Isaiah, who magnificently prophesied about the Prince of Peace who would be also be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father (See Isaiah 9, and click here to read 55 Old Testament prophesies of Jesus.) What Micah and… Read More

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3). I discovered an early Christmas gift this week, tucked away in the pages of Hebrews. Jesus wrapped it Himself for each of us in His own humanity when He was born on Christmas Day. And this is a gift we need now more than ever. Jesus learned Endurance from the moment He took his first frosty breath as a newborn, gulping in the frigid night air of a stable in Bethlehem.… Read More