There’s a difference between not complicating the very simple message of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what’s going on in the city of His birth this Christmas. 

Church leaders have made the decision considering the war in a totally separate area of the West Bank (Gaza) to eliminate all “unnecessarily festive activities.” 

Bethlehem is listed as located within the “State of Palestine” having gone from “Palestinian Controlled Occupied West Bank” to the “State of Palestine” in a flash of the Internet.  139 UN countries have recognized it even since the October 7 Hamas attack upon Israel.

The Church leaders in the area wrote,
 “Therefore, We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, call upon our congregations to stand strong with those facing such afflictions by this year foregoing any unnecessarily festive activities,” the patriarchs wrote. “We likewise encourage our priests and the faithful to focus more on the spiritual meaning of Christmas in their pastoral activities and liturgical celebrations during this period, with all the focus directed at holding in our thoughts our brothers and sisters affected by this war and its consequences, and with fervent prayers for a just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”

Uh, all the focus?! The spiritual meaning has absolutely nothing to do with just and lasting peace in the Holy Land and the afflictions faced by residents therein. 

The spiritual meaning is that the Messiah, Savior of the world was born.  From the Jews, for the world.  Shouldn’t we celebrate it all the more in a world of trouble…because it’s a spiritual hope?

.

But far from the spiritual meaning, the Church leaders write, “Instead, by edict of the Patriarch and Church Heads of Jerusalem, this December will be very much like that first Christmas 2,000 years ago. No gifts, no celebrations, no fireworks or festivities– Just a babe born on a deep winter night under a bright star.”

Questions for further thought:

Just a babe? Just….a…babe?  “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

He wasn’t just a regular babe.  He is the Son of God.  How does that make His birth different?

No celebrations of His birth 2000 years ago?  What did the angelic choir do?  “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14). Pipe down, you angels, there’s a war going on.

How does this action by so-called church leaders subsume the eternally significant birth of the Messiah under the politics of the moment and fail to witness to the world true hope and peace found in the preeminent importance of His birth being “From the Jews, for the world?” It makes you wonder, are these “church leaders and patriarchs” even Christian at all?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for the cowardice, blindness, and irresponsibility of those in leadership in our churches.  Forgive us for elevating them and diminishing You.  As You said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “”If you knew the gift of God and Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10) Lord, we ask that You will turn this for Your glory.  That You would send unquenchable fire in our hearts, and eternally living water for our souls, that there would be celebrations on earth and in the heavens to display unmistakably for a watching world… that the festivities are far from “unnecessarily” festive, but rather true unrestrained rejoicing of a cosmos in the birth of our Messiah, and that You are Lord.  We celebrate You.  We look forward to Your return and celebrate Your saying You will come again soon.  Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.

===

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

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.

Any political or religious movement that relishes, welcomes, or pursues death of any part of humanity (young, old, religious, ethnic, etc.) has no part in the Christian worldview.  Beware of any political or religious ideology that seeks the death of Jesus’ heritage or the faith movement He began.

.

Seriously, is this that hard a concept?? Our God values life and therefore, the existence in the Christian heart of anti-values like “Death to America! Death to the Jews! From the River to the Sea” have no place.  Death is Satan’s playground.

Beware of any religious ideology that is against God. (Even if half of that religious ideology claims it is peaceful and its writings allow it to confuse and deceive if it furthers that religion’s aims).  Moreover, if eradicating the Jews could stop the Messiah from coming, or if killing all the Christians, or if sealing off the Beautiful Gate (Golden Gate, Eastern Gate) in Jerusalem as was done by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman in 1541, what does it say about that person’s view of the Messiah?

Questions for further thought:

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one.

Christ Jesus who died– more than that, who was raised to life– is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:32-39)

If the Messiah is a man, blocking the entrance to Jerusalem will not be a huge obstacle.  If the Messiah is God the Son, how stupid is that to think that a few bricks are going to stop Him?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, as Your return is “soon” according to Your Word, help us to look for Your coming. By Your grace and power, may we be found faithful when You return.  Keep our eyes focused on You.  For You are Faithful and True.  Amen.

===

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

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.

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.

===

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

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.

To a paranoid political ruler like Herod, nothing could be worse than this visit from the Magi. 

Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

.

King of the Jews?? Uh, Herod thought he was that.  Born king?  Someone born to take what was his by political appointment?

The Samaritan “half-breeds” (left behind to intermarry with Gentiles after the northern tribes were hauled off during the Assyrian exile) weren’t big fans of “the Jews,” and like the woman at the well, they had their own expectations about the Messiah. Herod was no better.  He was an Idumean (heritage to Edom) and consequently, didn’t think that much about any Messiah, yet through politics, he was appointed king over the Judean territory, over “the Jews”. 

King by political appointment! Until that fateful day when his paranoia and hatred of giving up any of his power made Messianic-King predictions worth squashing.  Herod undertook to kill Jewish boy babies in the vain attempt to prevent what God was establishing.

Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Questions for further thought:

Has society become desensitized to killing babies or has it always been lurking under the surface?  Pharaoh did it in Egypt (Exodus 1).  Herod did it in Bethlehem (Matthew 2).  How does an increasing population look at atrocities like Hamas’ killing of Israeli babies on October 7 and feel it is somehow justified?  As if decapitating babies or incinerating them alive in ovens will somehow “Free Palestine.”  Make no mistake, these people’s actions document and display their evil root as enemies of God.

Why do enemies go after children?  What do children represent to a family, a faith, or a nation?

What would be the advantage in Jesus being King from His birth?  How is it more significant than rising to that level or being anointed by any man to be a king?

Prayer:

Lord, help us to see modern events in their historical settings.  Help us to hold firmly to Your Word, focus on advancing Your plan of salvation from the Jews for the world, and avoid getting embroiled in hatred for anyone.  Give us wisdom not to sacrifice Your truth for expediency of promises of peace in this world.  When society screams “Did God really say…?,” or that someone new will save us with a little political savvy, or crying “Peace!  Peace!,” help us to stand firm on Your Word.  “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).  In You all things are Yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20-24). 

===

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

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.

You can’t say Jesus’ entrance to this earth wasn’t political. 
He was “born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-2).

.

Aside from the fact that the Jews had a king whom nobody really liked (Herod), Jesus’ being born King of the Jews did not fit the profile of the expected Messiah.  The Messiah would not be born anything but would rise through normal political and military channels.  It’s part of why Jesus was such a disappointment to even disciples like Judas.  Where was the overthrow?  Where was the rebellion to upend the oppression of Roman rule?  Where was the vindication of the Jews?  Where was the peaceable kingdom brought in by military victory and rewarded with anointing as king?

Questions for further thought:

Revisit the Messianic checklist of expectations:

• ingathering of the exiles,
• restoration of Israel’s religious courts
• eternal peace,
• justice,
• end of wickedness, sin and heresy,
• restoration of the line of King David,
• rebuilding of Jerusalem,
• restoration of Temple service. 

Even restoration of the line of King David, how many people could trace their lineage back to David?

How does being “born King” upend that expectation of accomplishments leading up to Messianic title? 

What control did it take away from humans being able to choose their Messiah, vote him in or power to dethrone him?

How did being “born King” put the ball squarely in God’s court?  A gift of God, not by works that any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your wisdom and divine plan from of old.  We praise You that salvation doesn’t depend on us but is from You and “from the Jews” to the entire world.  Help us to share Your light with our brothers and sisters whether from the Jewish political spectrum or the Gentile one.  We bless Your Holy Name for making peace for us with You through the life and death of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

===

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

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.

John 4:25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”

Everyone in the Jewish and Samaritan communities had expectations of the Messiah.  No one expected that He would be such trouble.  Except perhaps Simeon who was moved by the Spirit to bless the Christ Child saying,

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

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke. 2:29-35)

The rising and falling, hearts being revealed! Yes, expectations have a way of closing our minds to ideas other than our preconceived notions.  Reading Simeon’s words again, it’s really not a happy blessing even if it was intentionally “From the Jews, for the world.”

.

Ask any NON-Messianic Jew (not Christian, just Jewish) and they’ll tell you Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah because He didn’t usher in the Kingdom the way they thought the Messiah should.  There was no ingathering of the exiles, no restoration of Israel’s religious courts, no eternal peace, no justice, no end of wickedness, sin and heresy, no restoration of the line of King David, no rebuilding of Jerusalem, and no restoration of Temple service.  And the biggie: He died.

Expectations can be tricky things.  So the Jews still wait for someone who looks like the one they were expecting instead of the One who would be such trouble, causing the rising and falling of many in Israel, and division for the whole world.

Questions for further thought:

Think of the cast of individuals in the birth narrative of Jesus Christ.  Who among these would have had expectations of how things normally operate and worldview expectations regarding the Messiah?

Mary  Luke 1:30-37

Joseph  Matthew 1:18-25

Elizabeth  Luke 1:24-25, 36-45

Zechariah  Luke 1:8-18

Anna Luke 2:36-39

Simeon Luke 2:30-35

Make no mistake, the Jewish expectation was that the Messiah would be a man born in the usual way and politically rise to lead the nation.  From the line of David, the Messiah would be a regular man born from any fertile woman who could have been anybody, then be anointed King for accomplishing the Messianic tasks fully.   In what ways did Jesus’ birth (at the very outset) dismantle traditional Jewish expectations? 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to see with greater clarity the truth of Your words, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34).  Expectations of peace on this earth cloud our understanding of the true peace You brought for us with God which will only be realized in the New Heaven and New Earth.  May we seek the higher peace, the well-being that only comes from being made right with God through forgiveness of our sins.  May we boldly proclaim this as the work You came to do and not shrink in fear because You are seen by the world as both religion and politics.  Take our expectations and conform them to the ones which are true and everlasting.  In Your mercy, conform us to Your likeness. Amen.

===

 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

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.

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Politics of the day have always created division, but the truth is Messiah had to come from somewhere. By simply existing as “The Chosen People” who had been given “The Promised Land” by none other than God, the Jews through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have gathered enemies against themselves like iron to a magnet.  Hint: It’s not the magnet’s fault.

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Well, well, well!  What do we have here? Jesus may have thought. 
(He knew what He was doing).

When the Samaritan woman came to draw water, she was aware of the myriad of problems she presented just being herself.  She was an outcast, a Samaritan, immoral, a woman, and probably shunned by the rest of the town which is why she didn’t draw water with all the other women earlier in the day.

Jesus is sitting at the well and does the unthinkable.  He asks her to draw some water for Him.  John 4:9 “The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)“

She knew the rules.  So did Jesus.  When she tries to steer the conversation away from her sin life to discussing theological differences in worship, I imagine Jesus laughing inside Himself because theology was His wheelhouse.  He was the greatest living expert on it. 

Indeed, this exchange shows Jesus’ awareness of the earthly plane with all its problems, and His intentional call to a higher, spiritual plane. 

John 4:17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.”

Well, well, well!  There you have it, in Jesus’ own words:
“Salvation is from the Jews.” 
More Christians need to take this to heart.

Questions for further thought:

Make no mistake: if getting rid of the Jews were to happen today, in the analogy above, the iron filings would find a different magnet (the Church) and persecution there will then become priority 1 of the enemies of God.  Why do you think they chant, “Death to Israel! Death to the Jews!  Death to America!”? Why “migrate” to Christian countries instead of nations with their own faith traditions?  They are truly missing the “From the Jews, for the World”…as if their actions could stop salvation.

We admire men like Bonhoeffer who stood against Hitler’s final solution regarding the Jews, but the truth is there were very few men like him.  He died standing for what he believed.  What about the rest of the church leaders then? Largely silent and afraid. What about now?

Is it any wonder so many Jews today might look at the Church and wonder about whether we believe in Jesus when our faith of our fathers is in the crosshairs and we are tightly bound together in Christ our Savior, a thoroughly Jewish Messiah?

Does anyone believe the Church will escape persecution by siding with God’s enemies against the Jews or remaining silent?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, as we turn our thoughts to Your birth and the impact of Your life and death to our modern world, grant us courage and wisdom to do what is right.  It’s not enough for us to be brave.  We must be wise.  So, please, Lord, give us discerning hearts to stand with all people who are still in Your plan of salvation and against those who are Your enemies. Give us Kingdom vision for those people sharing Your heritage, yet to become followers of Christ.  May we distinguish genuine faith inside the Christian community from those who grieve Your heart by honoring You only with their lips while their hearts are firmly planted in the world’s ways with its hatred, antisemitism, and political expediency, and all the while denying that You came “From the Jews, for the World”.  Holy Spirit, please reveal to our hearts where we are as individuals so we may deal with our own sin and proceed to worship You in spirit and in truth.  Amen.

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 By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “From the Jews for the World” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

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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.

Advent will soon be upon us and in the more than 10 years I’ve been doing this, I never dreamed I would be burdened to address–again–why so many in the Church still have an odd spiritual connection to “the Jews” or why even today, Jesus belongs in a diverse world’s Christmas. 

Christians like me feel a deep historical tie to Jesus’ heritage as our brother, Son of God, and our Savior. But the rise of antisemitism within Western culture overall has influenced the Church. It is distressing indeed.  Jesus would not be pleased.

It’s personal to me. I think of the recent opinion piece in NZZ entitled, “God is pretty much dead to the Germans” (November 16, 2023) by Susanne Gaschke.  It hits home because a German friend with whom our family exchanged letters every Christmas one year finally replied, “I like family news, but I hate all that Jesus.  Do you have to do that?”  (Well, yes, I do have to include Jesus).  The sneer may have been bluntness in translation, but his attitude about Jesus wasn’t lost on us.  I hope his view changed. As a scientist, he was too smart to believe in God and stopped corresponding.  He died last year from cancer. 

“From the Jews for the World.” 

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Yes, that’s my devotional topic for this year because God’s plan for “the Jews” didn’t end with the World’s Crucifixion of Christ (and hear me clearly: it took both Jews and Romans to do it.)  True, not all modern Jews are so by faith, nor are all who call themselves Christian or go to a church.  We must understand the theology of Jesus’ Jewish root to fully appreciate what God did at Christmas.

Doesn’t sound super Christmassy?  Well, it is because it’s all about Him.  Please join me beginning Sunday, December 3, 2023. God’s Gift shipped more than 2000 years ago and with God’s order number in hand, we’ll begin tracking God’s Gift “From the Jews for the World” with guaranteed delivery by Christmas.

The world is on fire.

Christians are wondering if this is the end time to beat all end times, the final fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, ushering in the return of Christ our King.

The world is on fire.

People are subjected to many voices of war, anger, hate, and violence.  Yes, the world is on fire.  The heat is being ratcheted up, notch by notch.  All around the world, not just the Middle East.  The world is on fire.

I momentarily set aside the Prism of Manhood series because, like so many other people, I was trying to keep up with the context of where the world is going.  It seemed like I would be highlighting too much concern about the unimportant, like seating assignments while the Titanic was going down, instead of seeing the big picture. 

This morning it hit me.  Part of why this whole “women in ministry” issue bugs me is precisely that.  We’ve lost our way, our first love, and the entire point of ministry in the Name of Christ.  Arabs, Israelis, people all over the world …suddenly!  They are dying apart from Christ who is (or rather, was) their only hope of salvation.

The world is on fire and yet, the Church is preoccupied with the Pope possibly blessing LGBTQ+whatever unions and letting women be priests, Evangelicals are bickering about women in ministry as a gateway to the alphabet crowd, and Protestants are grousing about—and choosing sides regarding–Andy Stanley, etc. 

My goodness!  The world is on fire! 
And this is what you’re concerned about? 
Why can’t Christians just press “Pause”
and get back to first things, like, you know, the Gospel?? 

Doctrine is important. Absolutely!  But so are two issues: how we live and how we speak.  How many of us are taking this admonishment from James seriously?

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:19-22)

Questions for further thought:

In a hurry of “doom scrolling” and lamenting the end times, each of us should press “Pause” and look at our life and doctrine.  How many of us decrying the true and terrible loss of life due to a terrorist attack have stopped to consider that around 2 million Arabs are citizens of Israel, and they, too, are counted among the innocent dead and missing in that attack upon the music festival?

Those Arabs were already in “the land,” living peacefully among the Jews, working alongside them. In what way is the broad brush a dangerous tool?

According to this NYT article a young Arab medic was dead and his cousin went missing.

“We eventually found his car. But he was gone,” Mr. Abu Sabeelah said, adding that the family wasn’t sure whether he was alive, dead, or had been captured.  

Back in Rahat, at least four members of the same family — Yousef Zayadneh, his daughter Aisha and his sons Hamza and Bilal — were missing.

“These people came and killed left and right,” said Suleiman Zayadneh, their relative and a local official.  He said he was “proud of being Palestinian” and expressed fury that Hamas had committed such acts supposedly in the name of Palestinian nationalism and Islam.  “What national pride? What religion?” he said of the gunmen. “The people who came to shoot and kill — they know nothing of religion.””

Ought not our hearts be grieved at all loss of innocent life? In what ways are none of us innocent before God?

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