We interrupt this series on joy to bust another Christmas myth. I’ve been pointing out for years that the Wise Men weren’t at the manger. Matthew is clear:

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him… (Matthew 2.11, ESV, emphasis mine)

When they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they were overcome. (Matthew 2.11, Passion Translation)

It makes for good drama and involves more people in church Christmas pageants to include the wise men in the manger scene; it’s just not biblical! Speaking of pageants, how many of them include the nasty (or indifferent) innkeeper who wouldn’t give them a room?

Read the text carefully, there was no innkeeper…because there were no inns!

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2.6, 7, NIV)

Dave Wyrtzen wrote in his daily devotional blog:

There’s actually no rejecting innkeeper in the story who refused to provide a room. There probably wasn’t even an inn, so all the Marriott and Holiday Inns can breathe easier. They are not presented as playing the bad guys in the Christmas story. Luke could not have presented the birth of God’s Son in more straightforward terms… Dave Wyrtzen, December 10, 2020

The Passion Translation note has more detail:

This is the Greek word kataluma. This is not an “inn” but simply the upstairs level of a home where guests would stay. It means there was no guest room available in Bethlehem for Mary to give birth. Since all of Joseph’s and Mary’s family also made the journey because of the census, every home of a relative would have been full. In that day Bethlehem was far too small of a village to have an actual inn, all the katalumai there were occupied. It is likely that Joseph and Mary had to sleep downstairs in the main room of a relative’s house. The downstairs of a village home in that day was like an all-purpose room that served as a workshop during the day, and at night it was used to shelter frail animals, while the rest of the flock was left outdoors. The kataluma was not a full-fledged barn or stable, but it did contain a drinking trough or manger cut in the bedrock. This was the likely place where the baby Jesus was placed after his birth. (Note on Luke 2.6, 7, Passion Translation)

Bob, is there a “So what?” Probably not, except I’m thinking that the God who caused a Roman emperor to have a census to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem could have provided them better accommodations when they got there!

However, the story doesn’t need just one recalcitrant innkeeper. God needed a whole village of guest rooms full so that the baby could be born in an unusual place. Different enough that it became a sign to the shepherds.

You will recognize him by this miracle sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough! (Luke 2.12, Passion Translation)

I’ll have more to say about that tomorrow. In the meantime, the fact that we worship a God with that kind of power is another source of joy!

Lift up a great shout of joy to the Lord!
Go ahead and do it—everyone, everywhere!
As you serve him, be glad and worship him.
Sing your way into his presence with joy! (Psalm 100.1, 2 (Passion Translation)

We’ve been exploring ways to joy from simply choosing (“Rejoice is a choice“) to experiencing the fruit of the Spirit or of prayer. Here’s another: music brings joy and achieving a goal brings joy (have you ever seen the baseball players bunch up and jump up and down when they win the World Series?). The story of the wise men gives us both.

They were journeying from the East, following the star toward Judea, when they took a side trip to Jerusalem. They didn’t know it was a side trip – they just assumed that Jerusalem would be the place to find a newborn king. But in the process, they apparently lost the star. Upon being briefed by the religious scholars that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, we read:

And so they left, and on their way to Bethlehem, suddenly the same star they had seen in the East reappeared! Amazed, they watched as it went ahead of them and stopped directly over the place where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy. (Matthew 2.9, 10, Passion Translation)

Ecstatic…shouted…celebrated…unrestrained joy. Their goal was in sight. That’s a source of joy! The Passion Translation note explains:

The Greek is hard to translate since it contains so many redundant words for joy in this one verse. It is literally “They rejoiced with a great joy exceedingly.” They were ecstatic! (Note on Matthew 2.10, The Passion Translation)

The King James Version says simply:

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

This brings us to music as a source of joy. If listening to this version of Matthew 2.10 doesn’t fill you with joy and put a spring in your step, I don’t know what will! When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy. Enjoy! Rejoice!

Yesterday we wrote that we can choose joy or, to rhyme it:

Rejoice is a Choice

But joy is also fruit:

The fruit of the Spirit is…joy. (Galatians 5.22, ESV)

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16.24, ESV)

So we can promote joy by choosing to live by the Spirit and by prayer.

The angels promised joy to the shepherds at Jesus’ birth. Nothing changed… but everything changed!

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2.10, 11, ESV)

If you missed Kathleen Krucoff’s response to yesterday’s blog, I take the opportunity to share this portion with you:

Yes, you are so right, finding Joy can be difficult some days/weeks. I try to choose Joy every day. This week we said goodbye to our oldest basset hound, Newton. He was 14 1/2 years old. Had a great life. Brought so much love, companionship and joy into our lives. It was time. It was the right decision. I am joyfully remembering him. (Kathleen Krucoff, December 13, 2020, emphasis mine)

Choosing joy…or recognizing that Rejoice is a Choice, was going to be today’s topic after reading a very long article on ESPN about Archie Manning, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints back in the 70s, and father of NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.

Here’s a snippet of Archie’s reported remarks at a recent event presenting him (another) lifetime achievement award:

Onstage Archie talked about sitting with [his father] Buddy Manning on Saturday afternoons and listening to college football on the radio. The memories he shared of that time were light and full of joy. That’s a choice he made a long time ago… The Inheritance of Archie Manning, Wright Thompson, ESPN Senior Writer

Earlier in the article, we learn that Archie’s father, whose “light and joyful” memories Archie shared, committed suicide with a shotgun, timed so that Archie, age 19, would discover him and clean up the mess before his mother and sister got home. Some of us would be in therapy for life over something like that. Archie chose instead to live a life of joy.

These are tough times (by American standards) to be sure, but scriptures are clear:

Rejoice is a choice.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Philippians 4.4, ESV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.16 – 18, ESV)

We’re beginning Week 3 of Advent: Joy

Joy seems to be in short supply right now, doesn’t it? We’re worn down with COVID and the accompanying restrictions, cold weather is coming, and half the country is upset about the election! Joy? You can’t be serious.

I can’t wait to see where God will take us this week, but I do know that joy is central to his purposes for us. “Joy” occurs 65 times in the New Testament so it won’t be hard to find verses!

The fruit of the Spirit is…joy. (Galatians 5.22)

When [the Wise Men] saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. (Matthew 2.10, ESV)

As we close out this week’s Advent meditations on Faith, it is helpful to remind ourselves that it’s not just “faith.” It’s faith in something. What?

I was struck by this part of Mary’s song in Luke 1:

Mighty power flows from him to scatter all those who walk in pride. Powerful princes he tears from their thrones, and he lifts up the lowly to take their place. Those who hunger for him will always be filled, but the smug and self-satisfied he will send away empty. Luke 1.51 – 53, Passion Translation)

“Scatter all those who walk in pride…send the smug and self-satisfied away empty.”

Who is more prideful, smug, and self-satisfied than some religious people? Growing up I heard all kinds of sermons poking fun at or criticizing other Christian groups. “Thank God we’re not [you fill in the blank].” And what’s the point? Purely to make us proud that at least we’re not a member of the wrong group? And maybe some folks from that group were proud they weren’t one of us? That’s helpful (not!). There are two things:

• In criticizing the other guys, we could be wrong! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned valuable lessons from leaders from those “other groups.” I found out that there were godly people and devout Jesus followers in groups I would have completely written off years ago.
• Second, even if we’re not wrong, even if there are severe problems with “those people,” there are no “points” for not being a member of a particular group. In a related issue, every time I do a time with God workshop, at least one person comes up afterward to tell me he doesn’t approve of a translation I recommended. My response is always the same: “Fine. Don’t read that one. There are no points for NOT reading a particular translation. How are you hearing the voice of God from the Bible you are using?”

It’s pride we all need to be careful of. Being smug and self-satisfied. Putting our faith in our little (or large!) group rather than in Jesus.

Those who hunger for him will always be filled, but the smug and self-satisfied he will send away empty. Luke 1.53, Passion Translation, emphasis mine)

Faith requires action.

So they gestured to the baby’s father to ask what to name the child. After motioning for a writing tablet, in amazement of all, he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again. And his first words were praises to the Lord. (Luke 1.62 – 64, Passion Translation)

The judgment on Zechariah was that he would be mute. It doesn’t say he would be deaf. I wonder if the people just assumed he was deaf. He would have been in seclusion, no doubt, so they didn’t know. I remember when we met Sox the Fox at the Sky Sox minor league baseball stadium. I acted like he was deaf since he didn’t talk. My son Mark said, “He can hear you; he just can’t answer you.” Of course.

I don’t know if that’s important or even interesting, but I always wondered about why they gestured to Zechariah.

Zechariah was acting in faith, however, naming the baby John as he had been told.

But the angel reassured him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God is showing grace to you. For I have come to tell you that your prayer for a child has been answered. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son and you are to name him John. … Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel. I stand beside God himself. He has sent me to announce to you this good news. But now, since you did not believe my words, you will be stricken silent and unable to speak until the day my words have been fulfilled at their appointed time and a child is born to you. That will be your sign!” (Luke 1:13 – 20, Passion Translation)

“Unable to speak UNTIL the day my words have been fulfilled.” The words included not only that they would have a son but that he would be named John.

Zechariah acts in faith and obedience. First, by fulfilling his husbandly duties to Elizabeth. Second by naming the baby John.

Faith requires action. For example, to express faith in the COVID vaccine, we’ll actually have to take the vaccine AND decrease some of our isolation.

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2.17, NIV)

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. (Hebrews 11.7, NIV)

Yesterday, we observed that Elizabeth blessed Mary for “believing every word” that the angel told her and noted that our challenge is to do the same.

But we don’t believe in spite of evidence against what we’re believing but because of the evidence. Luke introduces his Gospel as an account based on evidence:

I am writing for you, mighty lover of God, an orderly account of what Jesus, the Anointed One, accomplished and fulfilled among us. Several eyewitness biographies have already been written, using as their source material the good news preached among us by his early disciples, who became loving servants of the Living Expression. But now I am passing on to you this accurate compilation of my own meticulous investigation based on numerous eyewitness interviews and thorough research of the story of his life. It is appropriate for me to write this, for he also appeared to me so that I would reassure you beyond any shadow of a doubt the reliability of all you have been taught of him. (Luke 1.1 – 4, Passion Translation)

I was struck by Luke’s detail on Mary’s meeting with Elizabeth:

Afterward, Mary arose and hurried off to the hill country of Judea, to the village where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. Arriving at their home, Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the moment she heard Mary’s voice, the baby within Elizabeth’s womb jumped and kicked. And suddenly, Elizabeth was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit! With a loud voice she prophesied with power:

“Mary! You are a woman given the highest favor and privilege above all others…The moment you came in the door and greeted me, my baby danced inside me with ecstatic joy!…” (Luke 1.39 – 44, Passion Translation)

How would this information have come down to us? Elizabeth, who was old to start with, would have been dead before John and Jesus grew up. But the text is clear that Elizabeth told Mary that her child leaped in the womb. It’s not just that he leaped (verse 41), but that Elizabeth told Mary that he leaped (verse 44).

Mary must then have told the disciples as they were trying to piece everything together, perhaps in the upper room for those 10 days after the ascension.

The disciples left the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem, less than a mile away. Arriving there, they went into a large second-floor room to pray. Those present were Peter, John, Jacob, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Jacob (the son of Alpheus), Simon (the zealot), Judas (the son of Jacob), and a number of women, including Mary, Jesus’ mother. His brothers were there as well. (Acts 1.12 – 14, Passion Translation)

Soon we’ll have to put our faith in a COVID vaccine–that it’s both safe and effective! Hopefully, there will be evidence…

We’re working through the second week of Advent, which some call the week of faith. Luke records the conversation between Mary and Elizabeth, which includes this observation of Mary by Elizabeth:

Great favor is upon you, for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord. (Luke 1.45, Passion Translation)

There’s a faith statement!

Luke gives us these confirming signs of Jesus’ identity in Luke 1:

• Elizabeth’s pregnancy in old age (Luke 1.24, 25)
• Mary’s pregnancy without a man (Luke 1.30 – 38)
• John leaping in the womb (Luke 1.39 – 45)
• Mary’s prophecy (Luke 1.46 – 55)

Great favor is upon you because you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord.

That’s our challenge now, isn’t it? To believe. Believers are a decreasing minority right now (that’s something that needs to turn around), but the challenge is to believe. Not explain the wonder out of it or eliminate the stories through so-called scholarship. I don’t criticize the text; I let the text criticize me.

And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who give all their passion and strength into seeking him. (Hebrews 11.6, Passion Translation)

Here are some faith lessons from Zechariah and Mary:

Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month. 37 Not one promise from God is empty of power, for nothing is impossible with God!” Then Mary responded, saying, “This is amazing! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her. Luke 1.35 – 38, Passion Translation

These are familiar stories, but they are quite fantastic. Two people: Zechariah and Mary:

• At first, Zechariah did not believe (Luke 1.18 – 20), but after, he had to exercise enough faith to get Elizabeth pregnant. (Compare Abraham, Romans 4.20, 21)
• Mary did believe and responded, “I accept whatever he has for me.” Nothing indicates she had to respond that way or that the promise was contingent upon her response, but it most likely was. Theoretically, she could have refused.
• “Not one promise from God is empty of power, for nothing is impossible with God” was spoken to Mary, but it was about Zechariah and Elizabeth as much as about her.

Am I believing God can do great things through me? Am I accepting his assignments?

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6.8, ESV)