I AM a Jew (Advent 5, 2023)

Jesus wasn’t a Christian. There were no Christians then.
Jesus was born Jewish, raised Jewish, taught according to Judaism, and died as a Jew.

Accept it.

Questions for further thought:

Why do people want to diminish Jesus’ heritage as a Jew? Are they ashamed of Him?

In many churches, pastors are afraid of sounding political, more so if the politics are seen as upholding traditional Christianity. Why are pastors content sounding political when the politics encourage “woke” culture?

On the spiritual side, what (or who) causes people to be afraid of culture and how is that a lesser fear than fearing God?

How does silence in the face of evil reflect the truth of what they believed? Jesus said in Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.”

Many pastors and churches were silent during the Holocaust. Aside from fear, what might have been some additional reasons for their silence?

How many pastors act as if every Jew is a problem, siding with Palestinian extremist protestors, believing that the Jews have been “occupiers” since well before Jesus, or that Jesus wasn’t Jewish?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, grant that Your people should never be ashamed of You. Of Who You are. Of Your history, Your lineage, and Your teachings. Help us to fear God and Him only. As Your Church continues in faith, may we be strengthened against fear of persecution knowing You already told us how this was going to be. We remember Your admonitions from John 15:20-27: “’A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted You, they will persecute us also. If they obeyed Your teaching, they will obey ours also.”

Give us boldness because You said, “They will treat you this way because of My Name, for they do not know the One who sent Me.”

At the root issue in our culture is sin. Help us to stand firm on what You have said about sin: “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

Help us to remember Your words about hate which won’t disappear until Your return: “Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

When we feel timid or weak, we praise You for the Gift of the Holy Spirit because He will protect us in testifying about You: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father– the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father– he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”

This is all about witness and we praise You that Your Word never returns to You empty (Isaiah 55:11). Amen.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

“Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.