The Joy of Christmas

     The Magi were in Jerusalem, not because they wanted to see the town, but because they were unavoidably detained. The star which they had seen from their home hadn’t led them directly to the stable; it brought them into the land of the Jews where they stopped to ask directions to the place of the Baby’s birth. King Herod had to summon priests and teachers of law to tell him of Micah’s prophecy. Only then did the wise men receive the information they needed and could travel to Bethlehem.

     Upon leaving the palace after their private audience with the king, the star reappeared. “When they saw the star,” Matthew records, “they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

     That star led them directly to Baby Jesus where they fell on their knees in worship. Or, in another perspective, their joy led them to worship.

     Joy is a fitting celebration of the incarnation of God, the most miraculous thing this world has known. The Magi’s joy, and our own, is merely a reflection of the rejoicing there was in heaven when the Savior was born, as seen in the angelic announcement to the shepherds. Their joy was expressed in the form of corporal worship when the sky was suddenly filled with angels saying, “Glory to God in the highest!”

     Our joy this season should lead us to worship. Most of us, like the Magi, are strangers instead of Jews by birth. That we are included in the plan of salvation is reason enough for us Gentiles to be filled with “exceeding great joy” over the birth of our Savior. So, like the angels who came out in their numbers that night, let us join the myriad of saints this season and rejoice in the advent of Christ.

Written for and originally published by Daughters of Promise.  Used by permission

No, the following picture is not of the Magi stuck in Jerusalem, but it is a group of people who are rejoicing in the birth and life of Jesus. God bless you this Christmas.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace

“He is our peace.” Ephesians 2:14

     Peace is one of the hallmarks of Christmas that is sung about in carols and painted onto cards. The classic scene is this: You are standing with the shepherds on a hilltop overlooking Bethlehem. Yellow lights of the tidy, cobblestone town glow peacefully beneath a star-studded sky. You might not see it from where you are, but you know that somewhere in a clean-swept stable there is a manger and a sleeping Baby. It is the portrait of peace.

     But perhaps peace is better depicted by an expanded view of the same scene: For days, Bethlehem had been noisy with all the hubbub and chaos brought about by a Roman census and the resulting travelers. Tired babies cry, wishing they were home. Donkeys, merchants, and kinsmen jostle for space on crowded streets. The town is bulging and rooms are full, so full guests spill over into the barn. And there, during a chaotic season of an overflowing town, in the solitude of a stable, in the dark of night, the Prince of Peace is born. Peace came among the turmoil, for peace is not the absence of a storm but calmness within it.

     Your season may not be devoid of commotion, noise, and turmoil, either. Schedules pregnant with traditions to keep, families to manage, food to make, and celebrations to plan rarely reflect the quietness of Bethlehem in the classic picture. Too often our busy lives are like the expanded view, and our spirits lose their rest. But the Prince of Peace wouldn’t have been needed if our lives were always calm and quiet. He came because they aren’t.

     Jesus is peace personified. Micah foretold this in chapter 5, verse 5, saying, “And he will be our peace.” Isaiah called Jesus “The Prince of Peace.” In Luke 1, Zacharias prophesied that Jesus came “to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Part of the good news gloriously proclaimed to the shepherds was that peace had come to earth. Years later, the Apostle Paul would tell the Ephesians, “[Jesus] is our peace.”

     Do you crave peace this week? You will find it in Jesus, for welcoming Him into your life is to welcome peace. Figuratively, take a moment to break away from Bethlehem’s kaleidoscope of jostling kinsmen, braying donkeys, crying babies, and stern soldiers. Steal away from the noise and hubbub and go to the quietness of a stable where the Prince of Peace is waiting. Once you meet Him there, allow Him to communicate with your spirit, pervading your soul with His peace. But no one can live forever in the solitude. Responsibilities beckon and duties call. Get up, then. Go back into Bethlehem and reflect His peace to your world. 

I wrote this devotional for Daughters of Promise weekly meditations, published earlier this week. Used by permission. Picture sourced from Pixabay.