Immanuel

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

Enjoy this Christmas day devotional about our Emmanuel...God with us...by Charles Spurgeon from his book Morning and Evening.

Let us to-day go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in him, and can sing, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire.

Let us notice at the very first glance his miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son. The first promise ran thus, "The seed of the woman," not  the offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Savior, although truly man, was as to his human nature the Holy One of God. Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and let us pray that he may be formed in us, the hope of glory.

Fail not to note his humble parentage. His mother has been described simply as "a virgin," not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large estate. True the blood of kings ran in her veins; nor was her mind a weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she stood affianced, and how miserable the accomodation afforded to the new-born King!

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor.

He Became Poor

"For your sakes he became poor." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Here is another thoughtful devotional by Charles Spurgeon. It speaks of Jesus leaving his throne, coming down from on high, and becoming poor to reach us.

The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted: but "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor." As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless he had imparted to us of his own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had he remained upon his throne of glory, and had we continued in ruins of the fall without receiving his salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides.

Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Savior should give to his sinning brethren of his own perfection, and that we,   the poor and the guilty, should receive of his fullness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship.

Poverty must be enriched by him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe his people in his own garments, or he cannot admit them into his palace of glory; and he must wash them in his own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of his fellowship.

O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus "became poor" that he might lift you up into communion with himself.

Do You Worship Like Mary or Martha?

This is an interesting worship devotional by David Good from his book entitled Captivated by the Heart of God.

In Luke 10:38 and John 12:1 we read a short story about Jesus attending a dinner party hosted by his close friends, Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus. If you are familiar with this story, you will remember that Martha is busy preparing and serving dinner for their guests while Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet. In her frustration, Martha approaches Jesus to complain that Mary is making her do all the work. Jesus' response is the opposite of what she had hoped for. In fact, Jesus tells her that what Mary is doing is more important. I can just imagine the look Jesus must have been given by Martha to that comment. If I were ever crazy enough to say something like that to my wife I doubt I would live to ever make that mistake again. Jesus wasn't being indifferent or insensitive to Martha's efforts. Martha was being indifferent to what Mary was doing.

As I read this story, I began thinking about worship and what the modern Church can learn from it. Like Martha, it is so easy for us to become focused on getting Jesus to respond to us rather than us responding to Him in worship. As humans, the tendency is to make worship about us rather about Him. Martha forgot that the dinner party was about the honored guest, not the hostess. How many times have we come away from a worship service disappointed because we didn't get what we wanted out of it that morning? Mary, on the other hand, kept focus on the right place. She understood that she wasn't the point. Martha felt Jesus wasn't showing enough appreciation for what she had done for him while Mary felt that she wasn't showing enough appreciation for what he did for her so she gave him everything she had. Martha was only interested in what she could get from Jesus. Mary was interested in what she could give to him.

This Sunday, as we gather together to worship our Lord, we have a choice. We can approach worship like Martha---focused on Jesus' hands, seeking his applause for our efforts. Or we can worship like Mary---focused on Jesus' face, seeking his embrace. Worship is not about getting him to respond to us, but rather getting us to respond to him. It's not about God enjoying our presence, but about us enjoying God's presence.

I love the words to the famous hymn, "Rock of Ages" by Augustus Toplady that says, "Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling. Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace. Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die!" Worship like Mary who held nothing back, didn't care what others thought of her, and whose sole motivation was to bless her Master.

The Wise Men

They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts. Matthew 2:11 NLT

Every now and then people will quip that they can worship in their garden or on the golf course just as well as in a church. While this may be true for some, many simply use it as an excuse to skip church. The true motive behind their statement can usually be discovered in their answer to one small question: "Well, do you?" The wise men who came to Bethlehem literally went to great lengths to worship the Lord. They embarked on a long journey in order to adore the newborn King of the Jews because they understood the importance of worship. And just as the wise men's eagerness to worship the Lord troubled King Herod, their earnestness can still unsettle us and teach us about worship today.

The Wise Men as Worshipers

In addition to presenting themselves for worship, the wise men brought gifts. They worshiped the Lord by their presence and their presents: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. As costly as those gifts were by themselves, they gained even greater value when given to Jesus. We, too, can give gifts to God, and watch him multiply them for his glory, much like a seed bringing forth plentiful fruit.

Learning from the Wise Men

The wise men's gifts provide us with many insights about worship:

Gold has always been a valued commodity and traditionally represents material wealth. Worship includes giving a portion of our material blessings to the church or to others in Christ's name. Giving demonstrates that we are good stewards of the wealth God has given us.

Frankincense was a fragrant substance added to sacrificial fires. As the valuable incense was consumed, the fragrance was released, filling the air with a sweet aroma. This can be compared to time given in service to God. Although this time may appear to others to be consumed and lost, it becomes a sweet aroma of worship to God.

Myrrh was added to the cloth used to prepare bodies for burial. Thus, the gift of myrrh compels us to reflect on the ultimate purpose for which Christ came to earth: to give his life as a ransom for many. Reflection upon Christ's atoning death should form a central part of our worship, and so Christians should regularly participate in the Lord's Table.

Following the Example

We tend to worship only when and where it is comfortable or easy. We allow inconvenience to dampen our enthusiasm for worship. But what a different attitude toward worship the wise men displayed! They endured a very long and difficult journey to worship the King of the Jews and to give him costly gifts. Let us learn from their example and make a special effort to regularly come before our King in worship.