Revealed to Shepherds, Hidden from Herod

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Luke 2:15

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What is the great need in the world today?  Is it information?  We’re drowning in a sea of information.  If information is what we need, God would have sent an educator. Is it technology? If technology had been the need, God would have sent a scientist. Is it money? Do you think your problems would be solved if you had more money? If money were the need, God would have sent an economist. Is the need more leisure? Maybe God should have sent an entertainer. 

No. Our great need is salvation. And so God sent a Savior. 

I’m amazed (and blessed) that He sent the message to humble shepherds. Old Herod, the King, never did quite get it. He never did understand. But humble shepherds understood the message. Why? Because “God has hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and has revealed them unto babes.” (Luke 10:21) 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Promise of His Life

Isaiah 11:1-10
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 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.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 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.

The Hope of the People (11:1)
This hope contradicts human intuition.
This hope exposes every false hope.
This hope points to a King and kingdom.
“I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
(Revelation 22:16)
The Heart of the King (11:2-5)
This King is endowed with the Spirit.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
(Luke 2:52)
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to
them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his
understanding and his answers. (Luke 2:46-47)
This King sees the heart and contends for the weak.
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24)
“Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on
his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one
to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23b-24)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
This King loves righteousness.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will
be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Jesus: The True and Better Prophet, Priest, and King
A word about Advent prophecies: The Kingdom has come in part and
will come in fullness.
The Hallmarks of the Kingdom (11:6-10)
This Kingdom signals the end of evil and the establishment of
everlasting peace.
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill
with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of
his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
Thanks Matt!

His Unquestioned Lordship

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Can you imagine what it meant to Mary to hear the angel say to her, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus”? Or for those Jewish shepherds the night of his birth to hear the angels say, “…born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”?

What does that word “Lord” mean? What did it mean to these shepherds? It meant “Jehovah” to them. Jehovah, God Almighty. When the angel said, “a Savior which is Christ the Lord,” the angel was saying He is co-equal, co-eternal with the Almighty.

Jesus Christ is called “Lord” far more than He is called “Savior.” He’s called “Lord” 747 times in the New Testament. He is Lord. Every so often someone says, “Well, I decided to make Him Lord.” Too late for that. He is Lord.

ACTION POINT:
You cannot “make” Him Lord; He already is.  Can you receive Him as Lord?  Yes. You can bow your knee to Him and say, “O Lord, You are the King. Therefore, I yield my heart to You.” Receive Him today as your Lord. Will you submit to His Lordship?”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

His Sovereign Nobility

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…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.” Isaiah 9:6b

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Jesus was born a king.  Scripture says “…the government shall be upon His shoulder.”  In verse 7 of this chapter, this is fleshed out.  “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”  

How is this going to happen?  “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”  This little baby was born a king and He is a King.  We didn’t elect Him and, friend, we’ll not impeach Him.  He is King.  He is Lord.

ACTION POINT:

Some people say, “Have you made Him the Lord of your life?”  Too late for that. God has already declared Him Lord.  This is His sovereign nobility.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  If you miss that, you miss the meaning of Christmas.  You have to take the cradle, the cross, and the crown together, or you don’t have the true story of Christmas.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Jesus’ Supernatural Nature

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The apostle John, who wrote these words, had lived and walked with Jesus for three years. He had seen Jesus in all manner of situations. Years have passed. Now Jesus has gone back to heaven, and John is an aged man. As a Jew, John would have an ingrained resistance to any kind of idolatry. Yet he said of the Lord Jesus Christ that He is fully God and calls Him “the Word.”

What is a word? A word is an expression of an invisible thought. You can’t hear my thoughts, but you hear my words; therefore you know my thoughts. You can’t see my thoughts. My thoughts are invisible. But my word makes the invisible known to you.

Everything that God is, Jesus is. Everything that God has, Jesus has. Everything that God does, Jesus does. Jesus is God. He is fully God. He is not part-God and part-man. He’s not all God and no man. He’s not all man and no God. He is the God-man. Jesus makes the invisible God known to man. He is the very Word of God. He is God’s Word to this human race. He is God in human flesh.

ACTION POINT:
There has never ever been another like the Lord Jesus Christ with a supernatural nature.
Read John 1:1-18 today. Have you acknowledged Him, Jesus is the One and Only?

John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through 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.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side,he has made him known.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

How Old Was Jesus When He Was Born?

BIBLE MEDITATION
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger….” Luke 2:7 “And great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh.”
 1 Timothy 3:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I love 1 Timothy 3:16, “…God was manifest in the flesh.” You may not understand that. The apostle Paul said, “I don’t understand it.” Great is the mystery. God stepped out of heaven and came to this earth through the portals of a virgin’s womb.

Jesus did not have His beginning at Bethlehem. When the Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word,” it’s not talking about a start but a state. There never was a time when Jesus was not. There never will be a time when Jesus is not. A billion years for now He will still be God. He is God from everlasting to everlasting.

When Jesus was born, He was older than His mother and as old His Father because He was the Son from heaven. Jesus did not begin in a manger. He came to earth and was manifest in a manger.

This little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes was the great, eternal, uncreated, self-existing Word made flesh. The little baby in Luke 2 is the mighty God of Genesis 1. He is the One who made it all. Before Him “there was nothing that is made.” That little baby lying in the straw with dimpled feet is the One who swung planets into space. The little baby boy playing with shavings in Joseph’s carpenter shop is God of very God. God manifested in the flesh.

ACTION POINT:
Ponder this truth today: What good is it to know history and the events of history and not know Jesus? For it is in Him we live and move and have our being. He is fully God, forever God.

Dr. Adrian Rogers LWF.org

The Promise of His Coming

Isaiah 9:1-7
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.


The promise of Christ’s coming brought…
Light into darkness. (Isaiah 9:1-2)
The light of the gospel transforms gloomy places
into glorious places. (Is. 9:1-2; cf. Jn. 1:46; 7:41,52; Acts 2:7)
The light of the gospel transforms gloomy people
into glorious people. (Is. 9:2; cf. Mt. 4:12-17; Jn. 1:1-9; 3:19-21;
8:12-20; 9:5; 12:35-36,46; 2 Cor. 4:6; 1 Pet. 2:9)
Hope into hopelessness. (Isaiah 9:3-5)
The hope of the gospel means inclusion in a family.
(Is. 9:3; cf. Zech. 2:11; 8:23; Jn. 14:12-14; Col. 1:5-6)
The hope of the gospel means celebration of joy.
(Is. 9:3; cf. Lk. 2:10)
The hope of the gospel means freedom from bondage.
(Is. 9:4; cf. Mt. 11:28-30)
The hope of the gospel means peace with God.
(Is. 9:5; cf. Is. 9:6-7; Ezek. 39:9; Lk. 2:13-14; Acts 10:36; Rom. 5:9-10;
Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20)
God into godlessness. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
The Jesus of the gospel is the Wonderful Counselor.
(cf. Lk. 7:20-22; Jn. 7:31; 14:10-11; Acts 2:22; 1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 2:3)
The Jesus of the gospel is the Mighty God.
(cf. Is. 10:20-21; Jn. 1:1-2; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; 1 Jn. 5:20)
The Jesus of the gospel is the Everlasting Father.
(cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Is. 9:7; Jn. 8:48-59)
The Jesus of the gospel is the Prince of Peace.
(cf. Lk. 2:14; Jn. 14:27; Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20)
The Jesus of the gospel is the Promised Savior.
(Is. 9:7; cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Mt. 1:1; 28:18; Lk. 1:32;
Acts 2:29-33; Eph. 1:20-22; Phil. 2:9-11)

Thanks Pastor Jim!