“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” 

Luke 2:13-14

Today, we turn our focus to the messengers of heaven and the helpers of men. They were not going to be left out of the festivities. They put on a show to rival the star! When I reflect on this verse, I wish for two things. I wish I could have had a front row seat for that proclamation, and I wish we knew that they sang. Nevertheless, in our enthusiasm for the event just described, we’ve set what they said to music, and we sing that they sang it. How could a host of angels just casually speak, “Glory to God in the highest?” It cries out to be sung. And so, as part of our celebration, we sing it. At the top of our lungs we sing, “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains … Glo——–ria in excelsis Deo!” “Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King …” and on it goes throughout the season including today, on the radio, your playlist, or at the Christmas Eve service. The angels will be part of the jubilee.

But wait! Let’s not get totally lost in the familiar. What were those words again? “Glory to God in the highest; Gloria in excelsis deo.” Does that mean anything? Does it require something of me? Yes. If the words of our mouth represent the truth in our hearts, then it requires that nothing in our lives be higher than God. We willingly give Him first place and all the glory for what He does in our lives. What is that next phrase? Something about peace on earth? That’s a good thing, right? “… and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” There is not enough space here for a theological examination of this phrase. May it suffice to say that in the two phrases together, the angels declare God is second to none and has made a way for there to be peace between Himself and men.²³ That is something to sing about!

Today, Christmas Eve, rather than being distracted by the fact you have to work at least part of the day, or you literally have last-minute shopping to do, or the car needs help and the shop closes early, be distracted instead by the truth that God has come and like creation and the angels, you can’t wait to join in the celebration. Hold every thought today captive to this truth: Our Savior has come! As your thoughts become focused on Him, let that ultimately overflow into worship, privately, and if possible, in public. Glory to God in the highest!
 

Jay W. Hill

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, the were overjoyed.” 

Matthew 29:10

We know very little about this star. The biblical account only refers to it three times, all three of which occur in Matthew 2 and include the Magi. We do know it was unexpected. We know it was a sign. We know its brilliance and supernatural characteristics were such that it directed the Magi to “the place where the child was.” It was a sign marking a celebration.

In Job 38:7, God speaks to Job of the morning stars singing together and the angels shouting for joy as the foundation of the world was laid. Creation and the angels also joined the celebration on the day Jesus was born. A star appeared to mark His birth and thus, creation was a part of the announcement. Creation has been groaning, as has man, since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. But on this day, God used creation to proclaim that redemption and restoration had entered into time.

The pain and difficulty of this life are not what God intended, but sorrow, disappointment, and death are here. God has responded with redemption and restoration. As we’ve said before, that is ultimately why Jesus came and why we celebrate. It is why we sing of joy, hope, peace, and love. It is why we turn on the lights, raise an evergreen tree, which promises life even in the depths of winter when all else appears dead, and throw open the doors and invite others to the celebration. We all know the tragedies of life, even the stresses of the season, are not right. We know something is wrong. Even though our culture has largely lost sight of the reason for the season, at this time of year it collectively hopes that somehow, wrongs will be made right. They want a reason to celebrate. So, help your neighbor enjoy Christmas today. Help a friend find joy in the season. And don’t get lost in the stress yourself. Make sure that you celebrate, too, but do so knowing why you celebrate. As you help your neighbor and friend, look for a way to make sure they know why you celebrate. Like the Magi, declare aloud to someone else today that redemption and restoration have finally arrived in Jesus Christ.
 

Jay W. Hill

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”

Philippians 2:8

In a 180-degree contrast to Herod, Jesus defines humility by the simple, selfless act of being born. The cross is the culmination of his humility, but the first step was agreeing, before time began, to be the sacrificial Lamb. The previous verse, verse 7, says He “made himself nothing….” The ESV (English Standard Version) says He “emptied himself….” He limited Himself and exposed Himself to the uncertainties of human development, birth, physical tiredness, and thirst. He did not turn aside when death was required. Instead, He was tempted as we all are, yet without sin, and He faced death, as we all do, so death could be conquered and no longer feared. As the Getty’s have said in their song, The Power of the Cross, “What a love, what a cost.”²²

The songs of the season help us to consider Jesus’ humility and respond to it. One song asks, “What Child is this?” Another challenges us to understand the importance of what happened in the humble little town of Bethlehem. As it relates the events of Christmas, The First Noel reminds us that the King of Israel was born. Silent Night tells us He was the Son of God and Savior. O Holy Night calls us to fall on our knees and worship. That’s what Christmas is really supposed to be — a season of worship in response to the humility of Jesus. It’s not about the trees, the lights, the decorations, the gatherings of friends and family, or the songs we only hear once a year. It’s not even about the gifts. Christmas is about The Gift. The Gift acknowledged and celebrated in the songs. The Gift that is Light remembered in the lights and decorations which grace our homes and houses of worship. The Gift that made fellowship with God possible and thus is the hidden theme in our own acts of fellowship. The Gift that is the reason we give to one another on the coming day. 

Christmas is almost here. In worship today let the words of the songs that so easily pass over your lips run first through your heart and mind. As God’s word is opened, let the profound truth and significance of it pierce and then warm your heart. Refocus on The Gift. Refocus on the One who, in humility, emptied Himself so you might be filled with His Holy Spirit. Stop! Let awe enter your day and worship flow out.
 

Jay W. Hill

“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’” 

Luke 1:38

This is one of those verses that overwhelms me every time I read it. The importance of Mary’s response requires me to stop and examine, again, myself and my response to God. It seems so simple a reply. “Okay God, let it be.” Its simplicity belies the deep waters running beneath the words. Mary’s commitment is a profound act of childlike faith. Mary does, apparently without hesitation, what few independently minded, red-blooded Americans would do. She submits. Submission has almost become a bad word in the American way of thinking. But Biblical submission should not be something to be avoided. Biblical submission simply means to willingly place one’s resources and responsibilities under the leadership of another. In this case, Mary willingly places her body and circumstances under the leadership of God. As already mentioned, she expresses what Jesus calls for when He asserts that unless you come like a child you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is an act of the will without reservation. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. Where have we seen this before in the annals of Scripture?  Moses? I don’t think so. He had lots of questions. Jacob? Not him. He didn’t wait on God; he stole the birth right. Jonah? Nope. He literally ran the other way. Joseph, the carpenter from Nazareth, the other person in this story who received the details directly from the angel? He comes pretty close. But for a true picture of total surrender, Mary may be the only one. Her words are spiritually sobering, “May it be to me as you have said.”

Now, look down the road just about 33 years and see what the man, Jesus, did. The baby born to Mary became the man who died on a cross and rose from the grave. His resurrection is an invitation to each one of us to believe. It is an invitation to look to Him and find rest, an invitation to accept the sure hope of salvation from our sins.  Jesus declared that He is … the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [Him].²¹ Paul said in Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. In a sense, therefore, we have the opportunity to say to Him, like Mary, May it be to me as you have said. It really is that simple to place your trust in Jesus.

The preparations and decorations, the gifts and parties, the programs and presentations of this Christmas can be an exhausting distraction, but all that December brings can also become joy-filled reminders of the ultimate gift that is Jesus in His death and resurrection. Christmas is almost here. Renew your efforts to keep it profoundly simple. Like Mary, say to Jesus today, May it be to me as you have said. Willingly let Him order your day and every day in December and into eternity.
 

Jay W. Hill

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” 

Matthew 1:24-25

Joseph obeyed. Earlier in the chapter we are told Joseph was righteous, and his actions concerning Mary’s apparent betrayal show he was honorable. In a rare show of respect, or God-like love for a woman, he sought to “divorce her quietly.”²⁰ But once he had his instructions, he applied that sense of honor to doing the right thing. He took full responsibility for Mary and the baby. He gave deference to her and what God was doing in and through her. He cared for her. It is possible that because of the circumstances of her pregnancy there was no one to take care of Mary while he made his trip to Bethlehem. However, I think Joseph wouldn’t allow anyone else to fulfill that responsibility. God had placed Mary and the baby in his hands, and he was not going to leave her. She would stay with him, and he would be husband and father. He would name the baby Jesus, as commanded. Joseph is our example of honor, righteousness, and obedience in the Christmas story.

We are not told anything about what being Jesus’ earthly father cost Joseph. Did the people of Nazareth look down on him? Were there ugly words or judgmental stares?  We don’t know. We are told Jesus was known as the carpenter’s son. Joseph raised the boy as his own. Joseph is a role model. He is a contrast to the son in Matthew 21 who said he would go work in his father’s vineyard and then did not. Unlike the son in that parable, Joseph “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him …”  Joseph shows us what it means to be a man as described in Psalm 15, … whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman … who keeps his oath even when it hurts … He who does these things will never be shaken. Joseph appears to have not been shaken, and he gives evidence of having put his whole heart into the circumstance. Joseph had a calling with the heart and character to fulfill that calling. You, too, have a calling — as a father, mother, spouse, employee, son, daughter. Is your heart in it? There are multiplied pressures upon us, in December, to compromise our character. Pressures that take the wind out of our sails, that tempt us to lose heart. Consider Joseph, God’s demands of him, his righteousness, and integrity. Do not lose heart. There was great joy at Jesus’ birth! Let God show you the joy surrounding you today.
 
 

Jay W. Hill

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” 

Luke 2:15-16

I encourage you today to take an extra minute to read through verse 20. In some respects, it would be nice to be like the shepherds. Although looked down upon by their society, shepherding was and is an honorable and important occupation. These particular shepherds had something going for them; they were chosen for an audience with angels and to be the first to welcome the Messiah into this world. If a similar circumstance were to arise, I’d like to think that I would at least be a candidate for a special announcement, but I doubt it. I’m not as open and available as those shepherds. My day is planned, my routine is set, and if something interrupts, my plans don’t get completed. If helping others celebrate Christmas were not a part of my job, December itself might be considered an interruption. In a way, that takes after Scrooge, the demands of Christmas certainly don’t fit in the routine of the rest of my year.

“My day, my job, my plans, my year.” “My” might be the root of the difference. Those shepherds were not distracted by their plans for the evening. When the angels spoke, they listened and responded. It didn’t matter what their expectations of the Messiah might have been. It didn’t matter that they were just lowly shepherds. They received the news and went to see. “Hey! If an angel chorus dropped into my night sky I’d listen and respond, too,” you might say. That is not necessarily true. The Pharisees met the adult Jesus, heard His words and saw His miracles, but they did not listen and respond positively. He most definitely messed with their plans, and He was not the Messiah they expected. They were sure they would be in their Messiah’s vanguard, not a bunch of Galilean fishermen.

I’m afraid I might be like the Pharisees, too, but I want to be like the shepherds. If God speaks, I want to hear. If He tells me things aren’t the way I expect them to be, I want to be okay with that. When He makes an announcement, I want to be willing to drop everything and go see.  I want to respond to God with worship. The only question is, will I? Will you? Today, consider being like the shepherds. When God lets you know what He’s up to, go with it. And when the day is done, be thankful, tell someone, and don’t forget to worship. He didn’t have to let you be a part of what He is doing.
 

Jay W. Hill

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 

Luke 2:29-32

These are the words of a man named Simeon, spoken after he saw and held the baby, Jesus. He’s not in any of our Nativity scenes either, because he wasn’t at the birth nor even in Bethlehem. But, Jesus was only about a month old when they met. Mary and Joseph brought the baby to the Temple after her time of purification, in obedience to the Law of Moses, to consecrate their firstborn to God. Simeon was there. Waiting. Through the Holy Spirit, God had promised Simeon that he would see God’s Messiah, and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Simeon was in the Temple on that day.

Simeon teaches us a profound lesson in trust. In contrast to the Magi, Simeon was not seeking to learn; he already knew about the Messiah. Instead, Simeon was waiting, confidently, for God to come through. Scripture describes him as righteous, devout, and moved by the Holy Spirit. On this day he was in the right place, the Temple, at the right time, when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus. Once again, pieces of the story come together, not by coincidence, but rather under the direction of God’s almighty hand.  Simeon began that day focused, and he entered the Temple prayerfully prepared, aware of the Spirit’s presence, alert to the people around him, and ready to meet his Messiah. He came to the end of that day at peace, for he had seen and held the fulfillment of God’s promise. The most arresting words he speaks are his first words, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.” Simeon’s physical life, in this world, was nearly over. His work was done. God had kept His promise, and Simeon’s trust was affirmed.

Christmas is now a week away. The list of what we must do between now and then is probably overwhelming. Staying focused on what is important, as Simeon did, is a daily battle against our culture and our expectations. Again, I encourage you to pause. Consider God’s promises to you from His word. Pray. Marvel for a moment at Simeon and his story and God’s hand in it. Become aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence at this moment, and don’t let the day’s noise cause you to forget He is with you. Let the Spirit order your day as He did Simeon’s. Then, maybe you, too, can come to the close of the day with God’s peace in your heart. Trust Him. He knows better than you what today holds.
 

Jay W. Hill

“When they [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’” 

Matthew 2:13

This verse seems out of place in our happy cultural winter holiday. Christmas is about peace on earth and goodwill toward men, not murder. And who is Herod, anyway? He is not in any of the manger scenes, and unless we read the whole portion of the story involving the Magi, we just don’t see much of him. Nevertheless, it is important to consider him, if only for a moment. Herod is the epitome of self-centeredness and self-absorption. Everything was about him, until the Magi turned up asking about a newborn baby who would be King of the Jews. Herod was king of the Jews! He had sons, but none were newborn. This baby represented a threat to his kingdom that had to be dealt with. Herod had no concept of or interest in the God of the Jews and what His plans might be. There was no place in Herod’s kingdom for God unless acknowledging Him would advance Herod’s cause. Unfortunately, we can find a similar attitude just under the surface of much of the Christmas season celebrated in our culture.

We inadvertently encourage self-centeredness in our children when we encourage them to make their Christmas lists. As a child, I couldn’t wait for the Sears® Christmas catalog to arrive so I could begin making my list by item, page number, and price. Retailers start Christmas promotion as early as they can. For many merchants, it is the make-it-or-break-it season for their entire retail year. Even our modern Christmas songs encourage us to get what is best for us. Though probably more discreet, we adults have our lists as well. We all have things that we want.  What will the children do to get what they want for Christmas? What will we do to make sure our spouse gets the name brand item instead of the middle grade, but affordable, one? How far will we go to get what we want, or to get what they want, for Christmas? It’s not murder, but are we that much different from Herod? Ouch! That hurts a little even as I write it.

So, what do we do if we find this deep-seated self-centeredness within ourselves? John 3:16 reminds us that God loves, and because of His love He gives. You will give gifts this Christmas, and that shouldn’t change. As you prepare for that giving, though, examine your motivation. Today, seek from Jesus the capacity to love, even if that love is not returned, and to give out of that selfless love. Think, today, about giving the way God gives. His gift is thoughtful, beneficial, and beautiful. God knows how to give a gift.
 

Jay W. Hill

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came
to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star
in the east and have come to worship him.’”

Matthew 2:1-2

Have you ever wondered about the central people in the Christmas story and who they were or how the events affected them? I think they each have something to teach us. Each one possesses character traits we should consider as Christmas approaches.

Let’s begin with the Magi. We don’t know much about them, but there are some reasonable things we can surmise. At the very least, they were learned men, scholars, who kept an eye on the stars. They were ancient astronomers, early “scientists,” who studied the stars and found order in the lights of night. They looked up at the night sky looking for information, understanding, and truth. They followed the evidence, and when we meet them, the evidence is a new star. They were open to what theologians call “natural revelation,” which is God’s revelation of Himself in nature as Psalm 19 describes with words like, The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands, and as Paul affirms in Romans 1:19-20, … since what may be known about God is plain to them [all men], because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Furthermore, these Magi were from the East. Ace Collins in Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, notes that the scholarly consensus of opinion indicates the Magi were from Persia.¹⁷ As scholars, they were highly esteemed; their gifts suggest they were wealthy. They were men of position in their culture. Most importantly, I submit that they were seekers of truth. When the heavens revealed a new star, they understood it was an announcement, and they determined it was the announcement of the birth of a king. A king who would be worthy of worship. And so, they set out to find him. Their journey led them to Jerusalem, and upon arrival they asked where the baby was who had been born King of the Jews, for they had come to worship Him. These wealthy scholars examined the information at hand and set out on a journey to find the truth about that star and its announcement.¹⁸ What they found was the Truth and they worshipped.

This December, pause in awe that God would use unknown Eastern scholars to remind us to be seekers — to follow the evidence, whatever the cost, and to set our priorities correctly.  Daily we should seek and worship Him who is Truth.        As Paul told the Athenians, He is not far.¹⁹

to be seekers; to follow the evidence, whatever the cost, and to set our priorities correctly.  Daily we should seek and worship Him who is Truth. As Paul told the Athenians, He is not far.

Jay W. Hill