You’ll remember me when the west wind moves Upon the fields of barley
You’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky As we walk in fields of gold

So she took her love For to gaze awhile Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love Among the fields of barley
We’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky As we lie in fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth Among the fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down Among the fields of gold
“Fields of Gold” is one of my all-time favorite love songs. The rock star Sting wrote this ballad back in the early 1990’s after he bought a house near a barley field in the English countryside. The lyrics were inspired by his romance with Trudie Styler, who he married in 1992. This timeless tune chronicles a love story all the way from courtship and marriage to old age and eventual death. Every time I hear it on the radio, I am reminded of another love story that took place among the fields of barley in Ruth 2.

In Ruth 1 we heard the tragic tale of Naomi and her family fleeing the famine in Bethlehem and becoming refugees in the country of Moab. Soon after they arrived, she experienced the unexpected death of her husband Elimelech. As she grieved her loss, a little hope finally appeared on the horizon when her two boys married Moabite girls, but tragedy struck again when both of her sons were snatched away from her in untimely death.

Struggling with bitterness toward life in general and God in particular, Naomi eventually decided to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. Her daughter-in-law Ruth showed remarkable love and loyalty by pledging to go with Naomi and stay with her for the rest of her life. So, the two widows journeyed back across the Jordan River and walked into Bethlehem right at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Social Welfare for the Destitute (1-2)

The timing of the barley harvest turned out to be a blessing. In a society where women’s status was already limited, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with no inheritance, no savings, and no means of income. She and Ruth were in a state of complete destitution, and they were most likely worried about how they would find food and provide for themselves. But Ruth, who had already given up her pagan Moabite religion and put her faith in the one true God, learned about the Israelite welfare laws and suggested that she go and glean grain and seek favor in one of the farmer’s fields. The Mosaic law (Lev. 19; Deut. 24) demanded that all land owners leave some grain in the fields and allow the poor and destitute to glean after their reapers cut and gathered the harvest. These social welfare laws reveal God’s heart for the poor and destitute.

Let’s just stop and think about this for a moment. What a novel idea to have a social welfare system that balances compassion and accountability! Today I hear people from both ends of the political spectrum complain about our American welfare system and demonize people on the other side. I have heard some people say things like, “It’s not right that the government steals my hard earned money and gives it to people who refuse to work. It’s not my responsibility to support them when they sit around on their butts doing drugs and watching cable television.” I have also heard people say, “We need to knock all those silver spoon rich people off their high horses. Those greedy SOB’s cheat the tax code and take advantage of the rest of us. The 1% gets richer and the 99% gets poorer. It’s time for those dirt bags to pay their fair share.” Does this rhetoric sound familiar?

God’s laws break through all of this political and social squabbling, and show us a better way. You see, God demands compassion and generosity from the rich and accountability and gratitude from the poor! God despises greediness or gluttony; he also loathes laziness or lethargy. He disdains arrogance and entitlement. He desires humility and thankfulness from everyone!

A Providential Meeting (3)

So, Ruth went to work upon the fields of barley. And notice where she wound up—in verse 3 the narrator goes out of his way to mention that she just “happened to come to work in a field that belonged to Boaz” who just happened to “be from the clan of Elimelech.” These seemingly small details will not only factor into the rest of the story of Ruth but will also play a critical role in redemptive history, which will ultimately culminate in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The narrator intentionally employs hyperbolic irony to highlight the fact that Ruth did not end up in Boaz’s field by mere coincidence or chance; she was led there by a direct providential act of God. God was sovereignly arranging the details of her life to accomplish a much larger plan than what she could have ever imagined at the time.

This verse reminds us that God is constantly working behind the scenes in our lives too. Through his divine providence, he orchestrates and guides the details of our lives to accomplish a much larger plan.

For example, I often think about how one seemingly insignificant decision I make during my sophomore year of college that changed my life forever. I decided to attend a seminar on small-town ministry hosted by the Rural Home Missionary Association, where I just happened to meet a beautiful young woman named Jennifer Bayard, who was also interested in small-town ministry. That initial meeting soon morphed into a casual acquaintance. Then it just happened that we had two classes together the following semester, which led to us spending some time studying together, which deepened our friendship. Then it just happened that we wound up serving as Resident Assistant’s together during our junior and senior years. These and a thousand other details led to Jennifer and I falling in love and getting married on May 19, 2001. Our love story didn’t unfold upon the fields of barley, but it did develop upon the streets of Chicago. Now here we are, four kids and almost fifteen years of marriage later, serving in small-town ministry together. (Coincidently, the organization that hosted that seminar on small-town ministry is the same organization for whom I teach a graduate school course for now!)

Just as Ruth had no idea she would meet her future husband upon the fields of barley, I had no idea that I would meet my future wife and ministry partner when I walked into that seminar room, but God did! I didn’t know or understand, but God knew exactly what he was doing.

We don’t always see or feel God’s providence in our lives, but I assure you that he is always working behind the scenes. Nothing ever happens by chance! There are no coincidences and there is no such thing as fate or serendipity. There is only God’s providence! Therefore, when things happen in our lives that don’t make sense to us, instead of relying on our limited human understanding, let us trust in God’s plan.

Character Counts (4-23)

The rest of our romance story documents the dialogue between Ruth and Boaz where they took an interest in each other and developed a deep respect for one another. The interchange highlights their impeccable moral character. Let’s begin by looking at with Boaz, Bethlehem’s most eligible bachelor.

Boaz’s Character (1, 4-5, 8-9, 12, 14-16)

Back in verse 1 the narrator already introduced Boaz as a “worthy man.” This term designates Boaz as a man who possesses social standing and a good reputation. In this context it connotes not only wealth and status but also ability, integrity, and honor.

By occupation, Boaz was a farmer and businessman. Notice in verse 4 how Boaz treats his employees when he arrives at his barely fields in Bethlehem. They very first thing he says is, “The Lord be with you.” He greets his workers warmly and pronounces a blessing over them. (Can you imagine your boss doing this to you when you show up at work every morning?) This not only shows his respect for people, but it also displays his deep faith in God.

As Boaz gazed across his workers in the field, he noticed someone who didn’t belong there. (This shows that he knew all of his employees personally.) He asked his foreman about the identity of this woman gleaning in his field. When he discovered that this was the young Moabite widow who returned with Naomi, instead of looking down on her because she was a widow or a foreigner, he showed incredible compassion and kindness. He offered her protection by telling her to remain in his field, to stay close to the other young women, and he explicitly forbade his male employees from hurling insults, racial slurs, or sexual harassment in the workplace. He offered her provision by telling her to drink from the water jars whenever she was thirsty. And during their lunch break, he shared his own lunch with her. He even commanded his workers to let her gather among the bundles where she would be easier to glean larger amounts of grain.

            Boaz was a man who loved the Lord, had high moral integrity, a good reputation, blessed his employees, spoke tenderly, treated people with compassion, protected and provided for the vulnerable, and he never abused his power or authority. Men, Boaz is a role model for each one of us! Let us learn from his example! May we model his morality and conform to his character!

            Ladies, Boaz is the kind of man you should seek to marry. If he doesn’t love God, go to church, and have strong moral character, he is not the one for you! If he won’t protect you or can’t provide for you, keep on looking! Don’t settle for anything less! You don’t want to end up with one of Boaz’s cousins—Broke-az, Lyin-az, Lazy-az, Cheatin-az, Dumb-az, Drunk-az, Cheap-az, Lockedup-az, or Goodfornothing-az. You get the hint!

Ruth’s Character (2, 7, 13)

Well, we better take a look at Ruth’s character now. In chapter 1, we already saw the depth of her love and loyalty when she made her oath to her mother-in-law Naomi. Now here in verse 2 we see her willingness to take initiative and her work ethic. No labor was below her and she worked hard all day, with only one short break. Also, notice the respect she showed to Boaz’s foreman. Even though she had a legal right to glean in the field, she still asked permission. (7) Also, notice the depth of gratitude with which she responded to Boaz’s kindness. She literally got down on her knees and thanked him for showing her favor. We see her humility in verse 13, when she says, “though I could never be equal to one of your servants.”

            Ruth was a woman who exhibited the virtues of love, loyalty, respect, hard work, humility, and gratitude. Ladies, Ruth is a role model for each one of you. May you follow your example in your own life!

            Fellas, Ruth is the kind of woman you should seek to marry—a woman who loves the Lord, respects her elders, is humble and emotionally mature, and is loyal, thankful, and has a strong work ethic. Even if you have to wait for a long time, marry a woman with high moral character and you will be a happy man for the rest of your life!

           Love stories are always compelling! And this one is no exception. I wonder where it will go from here? Come on back next week and find out! Until then, let me recap a few lessons we have learned from today’s story:

1. God’s law establishes a welfare system that balances compassion and accountability. God abhors greed, arrogance, and entitlement! He wants us all to be humble and thankful, regardless of our socio-economic situation! Boaz is a model for the wealthy; Ruth is a pattern for the poor!
2. God’s providence is always at work in our lives. He is orchestrating and guiding all of the events of our lives, even if we don’t see it or understand it at the time.
3. May we all model our moral character after Boaz and Ruth. Let us exhibit virtues of humility, kindness, compassion, love, loyalty, respect, tender speech, and hard work in everything we do!

And if you are not married, now you know what to look for! In God’s time, I pray that you will find your Ruth or Boaz, just as I have found my Jennifer!

Life is like a rollercoaster ride! If we pause and think about it for a moment, we will realize that our lives are filled with eager ascents, dreadful dips, triumphant twists, and tragic turns. And we are usually flown for a few unexpected loops along the way. Some of us have enjoyed the blessings of being raised in a loving family, receiving a solid education, getting a good job, falling in love, getting married, having children and grandchildren, enjoying good health, and maybe even retiring with a little money. Likewise, some of us have also endured the bitterness of family dysfunction, academic failure, unemployment, breakups, divorce, infertility, disease, financial stress, and the death of a loved one. Many of our lives teeter tend to back and forth between agony and ecstasy, emptiness and abundance, bitterness and blessing. This is exactly what we find in the opening chapter of the Book of Ruth!

A Refugee Crisis (1-2)

Our story takes place during the days when the Judges ruled in Israel. It was a period of history stained by political anarchy, economic idolatry, and spiritual apathy. An ominous cloud lingered over the land and the nation’s character was conformed to its palpable presence. Instead of uniting together to promote the common good and facilitate human flourishing, the society succumbed to selfishness and God’s chosen people turned their backs on each other. Indeed, these were dark days for Israel and there was little hope on the horizon.

To make an already bleak situation even bleaker, a famine struck the country. The rain did not fall and crops did not grow and there was a vast food shortage in Israel. This created a Middle-East refugee crisis where many families were forced to abandon their homes and livelihoods to seek food and welfare in foreign lands.

In the midst of this calamity, there was a little Israelite family living in the little town of Bethlehem which was located in the region of Judah in southern Israel. Bethlehem was a farming town; it was a community especially known for its production of barley. As a matter of fact, the name Bethlehem literally means “house of bread” and it acted as the bread basket for the whole region. The food shortage forced this family of Ephrathites (a small clan in the tribe of Judah) to flee their hometown of Bethlehem and seek refuge on the east side of the Dead Sea in the enemy territory of Moab, whose fertile fields fared better in the famine. So, Elimelech and Naomi loaded up their two boys Mahlon and Kilion and they moved to the enemy territory of Moab.

Can you imagine the desperation of packing up your family and a few belongings and fleeing to another nation because you fear for your life? Can you ponder the pain of leaving everything you know behind and going to a place with a different language and culture and not having any friends? Can you envisage the anxiety of entering a country where the people don’t really want you; where they are skeptical about your religion, culture, and motivations for being there?

When we consider the hopelessness of living in a land ravaged by violence and deprivation, it might cause us to wonder where God is in all of this! But amidst these bitter circumstances, I sure am glad that the Moabites welcomed this family with open arms. What a blessing for their enemies to take them in and provide for their physical needs!

Misfortune in Moab (3-5)

This little family from Bethlehem boarded the rollercoaster of bitterness and blessing again when they reached Moab. Not long after they arrived, Elimelech, the patriarch of their family, died. We don’t know any of the details surrounding his death—all we know is that he died, and everyone is left to wonder why. Naomi’s love was snatched away from her and now she was left as a single mother with the challenge of raising two boys alone in a foreign land.

            Even though they were burdened by the bitterness of death, as time went on, they were blessed again when the two boys met and married the Moabite girls, Orpah and Ruth. Just as the grief of losing Elimelech gave way to the joy of gaining two lovely daughters-in-law and the hope of rocking grandchildren to sleep, tragedy strikes again. For some unknown and unexplained reason, both Mahlon and Kilion died. Now we have three weeping widows mourning the death of their husbands—three wounded women, three shattered souls, three hopeless hearts!

            When we read stories like this in the Bible or experience things like this in our own lives, it causes us to ask the question “Why?” It doesn’t seem to make any sense! Why would God take this family all the way to Moab if Elimelech was just going to die anyway? Why would God allow Mahlon and Kilion to marry Moabite girls if they were just going to die anyway? What is the purpose of all of this?

            We ask these same kinds questions about our own lives! Why would God allow me to get hired for the job if he knew it isn’t going to be a good fit for me? Why would God allow me to get married if he knew it was going to end in a painful divorce? Why would he allow us to have a baby if he knows the baby is going to die? Why would he cure me of cancer if he knew that I would turn around and have a heart attack? We are constantly riding the rollercoaster of bitterness and blessing, and it often doesn’t make any sense!

The Blessings of Loyalty and Love (6-15)

As Naomi coped with the burden and bitterness of death, she decided to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. Without a husband or a male heir, she was emotionally, socially, and economically destitute. There was no reason for her to stay in Moab. Besides, she had heard the news that the Lord had visited her people back in Israel and had blessed them with food again.

While the three widows started walking toward Bethlehem, Naomi realized that it didn’t make any sense for her daughters-in-law to accompany her. They would be better off staying in their own country and they should go and take care of their own mothers rather than her. Naomi blessed and kissed them and they all wept together. But in a display of remarkable loyalty and love, both girls refused and said that they would rather live with Naomi among her people.

Naomi deeply appreciated the girl’s gracious gesture, but she pleaded with them to return to their own people, employing a hyperbolic line of reasoning to argue her point, “Am I still capable of having sons and supplying you with husbands? Suppose I got married again and had more sons. Would you wait until they grew up? Don’t be ridiculous! Go home, my daughters!”

After all, she did not want them to drag them into her bitterness and frustration with God.

Naomi’s argument eventually achieved its intended effect upon Orpah, who kissed her mother-in-law and did the sensible thing and returned to Moab. Ruth, on the other hand, refused to go. She wrapped her arms around Naomi, clung to her tightly, and uttered one of the most powerful promises in the entire Bible, “Wherever you go I will go, and wherever you live I will live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise. Nothing but death will separate you from me.” (vs.16-18) (Wow! Most people try to find an excuse to get away from their mother-in-law, but Ruth finds a way to stay with hers.) After such a dramatic declaration of loyalty and love, what could Naomi say? So, they walked to Bethlehem together.

This scene shows us that even in the midst of bitterness, God still blesses his people. Sometimes he does it with material provisions and other times by bringing someone alongside of us to help us bear the burden. Sometimes he blesses us through people or circumstances that we would least expect.

            Back when I was in seminary in Massachusetts, Jennifer and I were in a car accident on our way to church one Sunday morning in November. The roads were icy and our tires were as bald as an eagle’s head. I knew our tires were in bad shape but we just didn’t have enough money for new ones. So, our car slid into a stone wall and sustained enough damage that it had to be towed. This unfortunate experience was frustrating to say the least, but it was a blessing that neither one of us was injured.

            I remember thinking, “Wow Lord, this is the thanks I get for going to church, preaching your word, and doing your work.” I was worried because I knew that we didn’t have enough money to cover the towing bill, let alone the insurance deductible for repairs. But it all turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Before we left church that morning, someone had already paid our towing bill, someone else paid our deductible and gave us a car to borrow, and when we got our car back from the shop, it had four brand new tires on it. Had we not endured the bitterness of the accident, we never would have experienced the blessings of the church! (This experience also gave me first rate education on the importance of having good tires!)

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever gone through a bitter experience, but then God turned it into an unexpected blessing?

Bitterness and Emptiness (16-21)

Well, sometimes it’s difficult to see the blessings in the midst of the bitterness; sometimes our bitterness blinds us to the blessings.

This is what happened to Naomi. When she and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was excited to see them. With surprise and joy, the women greet her, saying, “Is this Naomi?” But Naomi doesn’t recognize the blessing of a benevolent greeting. Instead, she sputters, “Don’t call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Lord has made my life bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” (I wonder how this comment made Ruth feel?) Mara went on to wallow in self-pity, blaming God for bringing these calamities upon her. Now she had endured a horrendous ordeal, but she still had the power to choose how she would react.

            There are many people in our world today who are just like Mara. When misfortune or calamity strikes, they respond with bitterness rather than recognizing the blessings God has given them. They shake their fists at God and take their anger out on the people around them. They allow their situation to sink their soul into self-absorption, resentment toward God, and ambivalence toward others. I know people who have been angry toward God for more than fifty years. They still resent him for something that happened to them years ago.

We cannot control everything that happens to us in this world, but we can control how we react to it. How about you? Are you holding on to bitterness toward God or someone else because of something that happened to you? Let it go! Forgive as the Lord forgave you! This is why Jesus died on the cross! Don’t let bitterness blind you to the blessings God has bestowed upon you!

Notice how this scene ends. The narrator summarizes that Naomi and Ruth returned from Moab, and he mentions that they just happened to arrive at the beginning of the barley harvest. He adds this literary detail to clue us into the fact that Naomi and Ruth’s story isn’t finished yet. He was still working in and through them and he still had a plan for both of their lives. So, what is that plan? Come on back next week and find out!

Until then, just know that as our lives teeter back and forth between bitterness and blessing, we always have hope because the God is in control and he is accomplishing his plan!

Coal for Christmas

An adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s Christmas Day in the Morning

By Jason R. McConnell

            Country music legend Loretta Lynn used to sing that she was “proud to be a coal miner’s daughter.” Even though I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, I have always been proud to be a coal miner’s grandson.

I. Coal Town

            Where I come from in the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania, coal isn’t just a commodity; it is a way of life. I grew up hearing the sounds of train whistles and locomotive engines pulling rail cars filled with coal. My nose was full of diesel fumes from the steady flow of Mack trucks hauling coal up and down the highways. And from my grandparent’s old farm house on top of the hill, I could gaze upon the breathtaking views of the…well, the tall grey smoke stacks from the power plant down in the valley. We seldom had sunny days; mostly because the steady stream of white steam rising from the stacks and drifting across the horizon.

            Most of the men in my town worked in the coal mines. They wore coveralls, hardhats, and steel-toed boots. They carried metal lunch boxes, drove full-sized pickup trucks, and smoked unfiltered cigarettes—guys who smoked filters were considered sissies. On their lunch break, there were only two topics of conversation: union verses non-union employment and Pittsburgh Steelers football. They worked long hours, their skin was always dark (regardless of how many times they bathed, and they bore the stress from the constant fear of cave-ins, but they were passionate about their work and proud of their vocation.

            I was born and raised in a coal town, so from the time I was a young boy, I received a first rate education on mining and power plant procedures. It was important for fathers and grandfathers to pass this knowledge on to the youngsters because, like farming, mining is a generational occupation. They bring you up to do like your daddy done, and to break away and do something else was almost the equivalent of committing suicide So, to make sure this would never happen, I was indoctrinated with the process of how coal was transformed into electricity. Like oxygen and water, we were taught that coal was essential for life.

            At some point in your childhood, you probably heard your parents warn “Now you better be good or Santa won’t bring you any presents. All you’ll find on Christmas morning in your stocking is a big old lump of coal.” This is a classic parental intimidation tactic, but it is fairly effective at producing better behavior (at least during the month of December). I’m not sure where the idea for this threat came from, but I know that it was a credible warning where I came from; there was a lot of coal to go around!

II. My Grandfather

            By the time that I had gone to live with my grandparents at the age of four, my grandfather had worked the graveyard shift at the Pittsburgh Coal Company for over 30 years. Like most of his friends, he started mining right out of high school and never looked back. Three decades of a dreary job forged some pretty monotonous habits in him. Every morning he got home from work at seven o’clock sharp, did his morning chores, and took a shower. Then he came into the kitchen, drank two cups of black coffee, and ate a bowl of Raisin Bran cereal. After breakfast, he put me and my sister on the school bus and went to bed. I can’t remember a single day that he ever deviated from this routine.

            His morning chores consisted of the tedious custom of going into the cellar, fetching the coal buckets, and carrying them out to the big pile of coal we kept in our barn. Then he would take his square coal shovel, fill the pales, and carry them back inside two by two. Twelve buckets was enough to keep the fire burning in the old pot-bellied coal stove around the clock. He loaded four buckets into the stove in the morning when he came home from work, four in the afternoon when he woke up, and three at night before he left for work again. It was a dirty and laborious process but it saved our family a lot of money.

            My grandfather was always tightfisted with money. His frugality didn’t leave much room for frivolity in our family. I remember the economics lecture he gave me at breakfast one morning when I asked him why we didn’t just get an oil furnace. He just looked at me like I was a complete idiot and said, “Boy, the mine gives its employees enough coal to heat our homes! Why in the world would I pay for oil when I can get coal for free?”

            My grandfather was a man of few words and faint affections; his personality was as hard as the coal he dug underground every night. He rarely gave hugs or kisses, and I never heard him say the words, “I love you.” He believed in the concept of work before play, even when the other neighborhood kids were playing football in the backyard. And when I would ask him for things, he usually just said “No!”, and he didn’t explain why. Because of his demanding demeanor, I had always wondered if he really loved me. I honestly wasn’t sure.

III. Christmas

            When I was seven year old, there was only one thing I coveted for Christmas: a bicycle. I had want wanted one for a long time and I was the only boy in my neighborhood that didn’t have one. I reminded my grandparents of these facts regularly. (Some friends at my school had already ruined a certain secret about the true origin of Christmas presents, so I decided to by-pass all of the ho-ho-ho hoopla and take my petition to the true source. But my grandfather always had the same response, “Bicycles are expensive.”

            I knew that getting a bicycle was a long shot, but that did not curb my enthusiasm or deter my persistence. Even though I wasn’t much of a churchgoer as a kid, I figured that my best chance of getting a bicycle for Christmas was to beg my grandfather every day and to pray to God every night. So, that is exactly what I did.

            On the last day of school before Christmas break that year, I reluctantly woke up, dressed, and headed downstairs, when I accidently overheard my grandparents whisper the word “bicycle” in the kitchen. That stopped me in my tracks and I became as quiet as a church mouse. I listened closely and heard my grandfather say, “Well Ruth, the foreman gave us our Christmas bonus checks last night and the amount is more than we expected. With this and what we have saved in our Christmas club at the bank, I think we can get him the bicycle. I love that boy so much!” My grandmother started to cry and said, “Oh, he is going to be so happy.”

            She was right! I was already so excited that I wanted to do a cartwheel down the stairs, but I knew that I had to pretend that I didn’t overhear their conversation. So, I put my sleepy face back on, trudged into the kitchen, and tried to act normal.

            Even though I was thrilled that I was getting a bicycle for Christmas, I found myself being even more excited about my grandfather’s words. I had never heard him say anything like that before. Now I knew for sure that he loved me. I heard it from his own lips! And when I realized how much he was sacrificing to get me a bicycle, I wanted to do something for him too.

            We were fairly poor but my grandmother always scrounged enough money for me and my sister to by buy presents for the family at the Five and Dime store in town. I had already bought my grandfather a tie, even though I had never seen him wear a tie before.

             But now I wanted to get him something great; something that would show him how much I loved him. It wasn’t until Christmas Eve, but I finally came up with an idea: what he would appreciate most was not a fancy gift, but a special deed—I would wake up early on Christmas morning, load all of the coal buckets, and bring them in the house so he could just come home from work and relax.

            When I went to bed on Christmas Eve night, I wore my glow-in-the-dark Superman watch so I could check the time. I knew that I would have to wake up earlier than usual to get all of the buckets loaded and brought in before my grandfather got home from work.

IV. The Barn

            With all of the excitement about Christmas and showing my grandfather how much I loved him, I barely slept a wink that night. I looked at my watch about every thirty minutes until it finally read 4:30am, which is the time I decided that I would get up and go to work. I don’t think I had ever gotten up that early before, not even on Christmas morning. When I looked out the window, I saw that it was still dark. The only light I could see was the bright moonbeams reflecting off the fresh fallen snow.

            As I quietly tiptoed downstairs, I noticed that the lights on our Christmas tree were still glowing in the living room. And when I walked in, there is was! Among a host of wrapped presents under the tree stood a brand new Schwinn bicycle! My eyes glittered as I gazed at black and gold lettering and the big banana seat. I desperately wanted to take a spin around the living room right then, but I knew I had something more important to do.

            After I put my winter coat and snow boots on over my pajamas and found a hat and mittens, I walked around to the other side of the house where the door was to go directly into the cellar. When I turned the light on, I saw twelve empty black coal buckets beside the furnace. Even without any coal in them, it took me a few trips to get all of the buckets to the barn. When I got them lined up in front of the coal pile, I grabbed my grandfather’s heavy shovel and began filling the pales. It took every ounce of my seven year old strength to lift each scoop into the bucket, but slowly and surely, I eventually filled all twelve buckets. It took a long time.

            When I was done, I took a break to catch my breath before I began to carry them to the house. While I rested, I looked around the barn. I hadn’t really been in the barn at night before; it looked much different than in the day time. The one little light bulb glowed just enough for me to see the old wooden beams locked together above me. As far as I could remember, the barn had always been used as a garage, but my grandfather had told me that when he was a kid, it was a real barn that housed animals. As I imagined what the barn would have looked like with cows and chickens and hay, it dawned on me that Jesus was born in a barn just like this one. I wasn’t sure if Jesus’ barn had any coal in it or not, but for just a moment, I looked into the corner and envisioned the baby Jesus lying in a manger surrounded by Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds right there by the pile of coal in my barn. In the quiet solitude before dawn on Christmas morning, it seemed like they were all really there.

            I pondered that first Christmas the whole time I carried the buckets in two at a time. (Well, to be totally honest, I drug them through the snow more than I carried them.) It took me six trips, but I finally accomplished my goal. I had a great sense of satisfaction when I stepped back and looked at all twelve of those coal buckets lined up by by the old pot-bellied stove. The dented buckets weren’t wrapped up in fancy ribbons or bound with beautiful bows, but I knew that my grandfather would love this Christmas present.

            By the time I was finished, I was completely exhausted. I walked upstairs and collapsed on my bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell fast asleep.

V. Christmas Day in the Morning 

            When I woke up and rubbed my eyes, I saw my grandfather sitting on the end of my bed and twiddling a hunk of coal in his hands. I knew that he had just gotten home because he still had his work clothes on and there was a ring of coal dust around his eyes that made him look like a raccoon. The sun peaking through the window revealed a soft beam hiding under the dirt on his face. He just kept looking at me, but didn’t say anything.

            I looked up at him and said, “Grandfather, thank you so much for the bicycle. It’s exactly what I wanted. I’m going to ride it every day and I promise that I will take good care of it.”

            As soon as I spoke those words, I saw a few tears fall from his eyes and form black streams down his cheeks. It was the only time I ever saw my grandfather cry. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the eyes. He put his hand on my shoulder, smiled, and said, “How about that—coal for Christmas! It’s the best gift I’ve ever received!”

            As I lay on my bed that Christmas morning, I thought about Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than it is to receive.” He was right! Christmas is more about giving than it is about receiving. Christmas is about God giving his most precious treasure to the world, his one and only son.

            I have experienced many Christmas mornings since then; most of them have faded from the annals of memory. But I will never forget that Christmas when I was seven years old!

            Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening– the last night of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast.
One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been taken by an urchin. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, which were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything from her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single coin. She crept along trembling with cold and hunger–a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!
The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year’s Eve; yes, of that she thought.
In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring even a penny: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.
Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. “Rischt!” how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large cast iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but–the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.
She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when–the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant’s house.
Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when–the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.
“Someone is just dead!” said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God. She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.
“Grandmother!” cried the little one. “Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree!” And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her. And the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall. She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety–they were with God.
But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall–frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. “She wanted to warm herself,” people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.

            The first time I read the story of The Little Match Girl, it brought tears to my eyes. I remember thinking, “What a heartbreaking story! What kind of sadistic author would write about a poor little girl freezing to death on New Year’s Eve?” And I was shocked to discover that this short story was written by the Danish poet Hans Christian Anderson, who wrote all of those charming children’s fairy tales like The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid.

            But after I got over my initial reaction and read it again, I began to realize the ingenious beauty and profound theological truth in the story. Here we find an innocent little girl who has experienced the harsh realities of our sinful world—poverty, neglect, abuse, hunger, and cold, but God saw fit to take her out of this brutal existence and give her the all of the joys that she only imagined in this life. The last paragraph of the story is brilliant—even though the girl’s stiff body was found leaning against a stone cold wall, her heart was filled with joy as she joined God and her grandmother in the eternal splendors of heaven. And the smile on her mouth was there to prove it!

            Hans Christian Anderson’s story of the little match girl teaches us the same lesson that we learn in Psalm 27—that true joy is found in the eternal presence of God ; not in our temporal circumstances!

The Presence of God (1-6)

            Psalm 27 is comprised of two parts. In verses 1-6, King David expresses his joyful praise for God’s presence in his life. In verses 7-14, he utters a prayer for God’s continual presence in his life. As long as God was with him, he would have joy; despite his dreadful circumstances.

            David begins the psalm with a dramatic declaration of his confidence in God. When he proclaims “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear. The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid,” he is affirming that even amid the ominous threat of war, he has no fear because he knows that God is the one who can dispel the darkness and deliver him and his people from their enemies. Since the Lord is the stronghold (place of safety) of his life, he has no reason to be afraid.

            Verses 2 and 3 both refer to his enemies, but if the tenses are properly rendered, verse 2 refers to past victories while verse 3 speaks of the future triumphs. When evildoers have assailed David and sought to kill him (“devour his flesh”) in the past, God intervened on his behalf and caused his adversaries to stumble and fall. Certainly this was the case in David’s epic battle with the giant Goliath and when King Saul became jealous and attempted to murder him. Both Goliath and Saul literally stumbled, fell, and died. Because God protected him in the past, David had great confidence that God would be with him again. Regardless of his temporal circumstances (even the size or strength of the army that was advancing against him), as long as God’s presence was with him, he had nothing to fear.

            David’s confidence in the presence of God leads to joy in verses 4-6, where he makes one of the clearest statements of purpose found anywhere in the Old Testament. The one thing that David had asked the Lord for more than anything else was that he “may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life” so that he might “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire (or meditate) in his temple.” This verse is not to be understood in the literal sense that David actually wanted to physically live the tabernacle; rather, it is a metaphor for living permanently in God’s presence. This, of course, would have included regular visits to the tabernacle, the place of worship. David probably composed this psalm while he was praying in the tabernacle.

            Divine protection is one of the great blessings of being in God’s presence. Like a bunker in a war zone or a shelter in a storm, David knew that the Lord would be his refuge when the day of trouble came. The Lord would lift him high upon a rock when the floods of life began to flow.

            Verse 6 is the emotional climax of the psalm. Because God’s presence was an asylum for David in the midst of his encroaching enemies, he would worship the Lord by sacrificing, shouting, and singing. “And now my head shall be lifted up” is a metaphor of joy; the Lord’s presence has transformed his posture from one of dejection to delight. Like Hans Christian Anderson’s little match girl, David’s joy was not based on his temporal circumstances; but rather on the eternal presence of God in his life!            

            How about you? What is your joy based on—your current circumstances or God’s presence in your life? Many people today believe that their internal joy will increase if they could just improve their external circumstances. This is why so many people are deceived by the lie that “more and better will make me happier.” The devil spews these lies all the time—“If I had more money, more popularity, more property, more security, more things; then I would be more content. If I had a better home, a better job, a better body, a better spouse, a better government, then my life would be better.” All of these things produce a false sense of joy—“more” and “better” are elusive by their very nature—they are an endless pursuit.

            Contrarily, I know many people who, while suffering with cancer, had more joy than others with perfect health. I know people who live in persistent poverty, and yet they have more joy and contentment than those who have plenty. The little match girl had absolutely nothing by way of material possessions or monetary security, but she had the presence of God in her life, and she died with joy! How can we have true joy in our lives now and forever? Live in God’s presence!

            Advent and Christmas are all about God’s presence. They are about the eternal God of the universe, the creator of the stars of night, humbling himself so much that he would actually take on human flesh and live a mortal life—that he would dwell in a sinful world that rejected him—that he would die for the very people who despised him—that he would be raised to new life so that he might offer eternal life. Jesus is “Emmanuel”—God with us! He was born in Bethlehem so that he could die on Golgotha! He did it to save us from sin and death! He did it to give us everlasting joy!

            Do you have true joy in your life? Are you living in the eternal presence of God or are you constantly shifting with your circumstance? True joy is only found in God’s presence!

David’s Hopeless Situation (3-4)

            David does not share the historical background of this Psalm, so we are left to guess the specifics of when, where, and why he wrote it. But he does give us a partial glimpse of his situation in verses 3-4, when he speaks directly to his enemies. We don’t know for sure who the enemies are (it may be his own son Absalom or a number of others who betrayed him), but they are portrayed as false friends who are persecuting him. His question in verse 3, “How long…?” implies that these enemies have been plotting against him for a long period of time. Like a besieging army battering against the weakening walls of a city, these enemies seek to dethrone King David from his high position and destroy him. They use seductive schemes and manipulative words in their attempts to ruin him. Hypocritically, they bless him to his face, but they curse him behind his back. Lies spewed from their lips!

            Whatever the exact circumstances, David’s situation seemed hopeless; emotionally, he was battling with the bitterness of betrayal and the ache of false accusations; physically, his army was nowhere to be found and he feared for his life. His state of mind was like a leaning wall or a tottering fence, on the brink of being toppled over. He was at the end of his rope; he had reached his breaking point; he was on the edge, and one more thing would cause him to collapse.

            Have you ever felt like that? Do you ever feel battered down and beat up? Do you ever felt like a leaning wall or a tottering fence? Do you ever felt like you were driving a stolen car through a pitch black night? Perhaps you have had an experience that left you feeling alone and desolate? Maybe you are going through something in your life that makes you feel emotionally empty? What do you do when you are backed into a corner and don’t have any hope?

Hope in Times of Hopelessness (1-2; 5-12)

            David answers that question for us; the answer is found before and after the hopelessness of verses 3-4. He begins the first stanza (vs.1-2) with a powerful affirmation of trust. His soul is going to wait patiently for God alone because he knows that his salvation comes only from God. God alone is his rock, his salvation, and his fortress, and because of this, he will not be shaken. Notice how the word “alone” is repeated for emphasis! He was placing his trust in no one or thing other than God. His heart waited on God alone!

            We see that same repetition and emphasis in verses 5-8. God alone is his source of hope. Only God is David’s rock, salvation, and fortress. His salvation and glory depend upon God alone. God is his rock; his firm foundation; his refuge from the storm. He believes this so much that he makes it his testimony to others in verse 8, where he tells people to trust in him at all times and to pour their hearts out before him. Since God was their only hope, he wanted them to only put their hope in God.

            David continues to solidify his point by shattering some of the false idols whereby people commonly sought hope. Many people put their hope in their social status and family heritage head. Those of high estate often think that they are better off or more secure than people of low estate, but high esteem only produces arrogance, not hope. Why? Because when the great scales of God go up on Judgment Day, there is no difference between high class and low class.

            Likewise, many people put their hope and trust in material wealth and financial security. The endless pursuit of monetary gain, which frequently involves some sort of oppression or robbery, is most unwise. The most important things in life cannot be bought; nor the most important things in death. Social status, family heritage, or material wealth are not good foundations for hope.

            David ends his song by presenting two compelling reasons (vs. 11-12) why God alone should be our hope: his power and steadfast love. God has shown his power in the events of history, including the dangers that have threatened David. God has shown his love by keeping his promises to his people.

            What should we do when we face seemingly hopeless situations in our lives? Wait patiently for God! Put your trust in him! He alone is our rock, our salvation, and our mighty fortress; we can find refuge in him! His power and love are unlimited! He is the one who saved Noah from the great flood! He is the one who parted the Red Sea and saved the Israelites from the Egyptians! He is the one who gave the shepherd boy David victory over the Philistine giant Goliath! And if we put our trust and our hope in him, he will deliver us from whatever seemingly hopeless situation we face today!

            If you put your hope in social status, family heritage, monetary wealth, personal possessions, political promises, government programs, military might, or any other temporal device, you will be disappointed in the end. None of these things can offer lasting hope. Only God is eternal and he is the only one who can give us the hope of eternal life!

            The first Sunday of Advent is reserved for reflecting on the hope that we have in God. If you want a good example of God’s power, just think about the Incarnation, where Jesus left heaven, took on human flesh, and was born of the virgin mother Mary. If you want a good example of God’s love, think about his willingness to give up his own son and allow him to suffer the pain of crucifixion to pay the penalty for our sins.

            We can have hope today because of what Jesus has done for us through the First Advent! We can also have hope because of Jesus’ promise to return during the Second Advent. So, throughout this advent season and the rest of your life, whether you feel like a stolen car in the pitch black night or a tottering fence that is about to fall over, I hope that God alone would be your hope!

The Tradition of Christmas Carols and Caroling

The dictionary defines the word “carol” as a song of praise or joy, especially for Christmas. Most of you love Christmas carols, and I would be willing to bet that most of you have a favorite. What is your favorite Christmas carol?

Have you ever wondered what the very first Christmas carol was? “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?” No, it was written in 1979. “Silent Night?” No, it was written by Father Joseph Mohr in 1818. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing?” No, it was written by Charles Wesley in 1739. “Joy to the World?” The great hymn writer Isaac Watts composed this masterpiece twenty years earlier in 1719. The chant-like “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was composed in the 12th century.

St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, wrote a number of Christmas carols just a few years after Pope Julius I designated December 25 to be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus in A.D. 353. His carol “Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth” which we sang in our service today was among them. Church history reveals that an unnamed Roman Bishop asked that a carol called “Angel’s Hymn” be sung at a Christmas service in Rome in the year A.D. 129. Unfortunately, the words of this hymn have been lost through the ages. But even this was not the first Christmas carol.

The first two Christmas carols were sung on the very night that Christ was born. The gospel of Luke tells us that there was a group of shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 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)

Over the years, there has been some controversy over whether these words were actually sung or simply spoken. Some people have concluded that the words were just spoken because of the verb “saying.” The problem with this interpretation is that they neglect the verb “praising” which throughout the Bible, almost always refers to singing. Why did Luke use both verbs to describe the angel’s proclamation? I believe it is because the verb “praising” indicated the manner of the message and the verb “saying” reveals content of the message. Therefore, this short phrase “glory to God in the highest” in English, “Gloria in excelsis deo” in Latin, or “doza en ufistois theo” in Greek was the first Christmas carol ever composed and sung.

The second Christmas carol is also mentioned in Luke’s version of the nativity story. He says that as soon as the angels finished their song, the shepherds left their flocks and went to Bethlehem to see this thing that has happened. The shepherds found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger, just as the angel had said. After this, Luke tells us that the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that that they had seen and heard. Now we don’t know the words of the songs, but we do know that the joy of Christmas was expressed through their carols as they returned to their flocks. The angel’s and shepherd’s carols that were first sung on the night that Jesus was born began a tradition that has been carried for the last 2000 years and is still going strong today.

The tradition of Christmas carols and caroling has certainly changed a lot over the past 2000 years, but one thing has always remained the same: we sing to express the joy of Christmas. Just as the angels and shepherds sang their carols of joyful praise on that first Christmas night, so every year we continue to sing carols of praise to express the joy of Christmas.

An Expression of Joy (Isaiah 9:3)

The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was certainly a joyful event. When the angel Gabriel told the virgin Mary that she was going to bear the Son of God, she responded by singing a lullaby of joy. When the host angel’s burst onto the scene to announce Jesus’ birth, they uttered a ballad of joy. When the shepherds beheld the beautiful baby lying in the manger, they returned to their fields with a refrain of joy. But as with hope and peace, joy was linked with Christmas long before Christmas ever happened.

700 hundred years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the prophet Isaiah spoke about the joy of Christmas. In Isaiah 9:3, he prophecies that the nation will be enlarged and that the people’s joy will be increased. Their joy will be like that of the farmer at harvest time and the soldier when the war is over and the plunder is divided. But when and how would the people experience this joy? Like many Old Testament prophecies, this one has at least three fulfillments. Let me explain.

In Isaiah 8, the prophet predicts that the Assyrian army was going to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel and the people would be forced into exile. History tells us that this is exactly what happened in 722 B.C. The Assyrians burned their homes, desecrated their land, and deported the Israelites to other parts of their empire. The Israelites who escaped were forced to live in caves and could barely scrounge enough food to survive.

The first fulfillment of this prophecy occurred when the Assyrian empire collapsed in 607 B.C. Israel would rejoice because they regained much of the land that they had lost. The exiles who were scattered returned to their homeland and they could begin their lives again. This first fulfillment was physical, for God would indeed enlarge their nation and increase their joy.

As you consider the fulfillment of this prophecy from 2700 years ago, think about what it reveals about God’s character. Unlike most of us, God always keeps his word. He never makes a promise that he doesn’t keep. Also, he deals with us the same way he dealt with his people Israel. When we act out against him, he disciplines us, but even in his discipline he shows love and compassion. There is always the promise of forgiveness and restoration when we humble ourselves before him.

The second fulfillment came at the birth of Christ. This is where Isaiah 9:3 and 9:6 meets. God would enlarge their nation and increase their joy spiritually through the birth of his son into the world. This child who was born—this son that was given, would liberate his people from sin and bring restoration from spiritual exile. His birth, death, and resurrection would bring salvation for everyone who would put their faith in him. This would be a spiritual “enlarging of the nation” through the gospel message being taken to the world—both Jews and Gentiles. And everyone who would follow the son would experience the joy of knowing that their sins are forgiven and that the kingdom of God has been opened to them.

Have you experienced the second fulfillment of this prophecy? Have you put your faith in this child who was born? Have you made a decision to follow this son that was given? Have you experienced the joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven and that you will spend eternity in the kingdom of God?

The third fulfillment of this prophecy hasn’t happened yet, but it will. It will be fulfilled for the last time when Jesus returns to take his people home. It is when God will ultimately enlarge his nation and increase the people’s joy. This final fulfillment is both spiritual and physical. As the farmer rejoices at the bountiful harvest and the soldier rejoices when dividing the plunder, those who have embraced Jesus Christ will return be restored to their rightful home—a place where there is no more death, disease, or destruction—no more sin, sickness, or sadness—no more spiritual exile, emotional pain, or psychological scars—no more guilt from the past or fear of the future. It will be a place of absolute perfection where we will sing carols of joy forever!

Are you looking forward to Christ’s Second Advent? Are you looking forward to the consummation of his kingdom? Are you ready to experience eternal joy?

If there is anyone here this morning that has not yet put their faith in Jesus Christ, I urge you to do it this morning. I plead with you to humble yourself before God, repent from your sins, and make a decision to follow him before you leave church today! Embrace the child that was born for you! Take hold of the son that was given for you. I guarantee that you will experience joy like you never have before!

For those of you who have already embraced Christ, I say to you: Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice that God sent his son! Rejoice that Christ was born in Bethlehem for you! Rejoice that he was laid in a manger for you! Rejoice with the angels and shepherds who were there on that first night! Rejoice that he died on the cross for your sins! Rejoice that he is with you now! Rejoice that he helps us through the difficulties of life right now! Rejoice that death has no power over you! Rejoice that he is coming again! Rejoice that you will be delivered from the pain of this world and you will spend eternity in heaven!

Rejoice! Rejoice! I say it again, rejoice! Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let us receive our king!

Have you ever thought much about poinsettias? I don’t mean just noticing them in a store window or a church sanctuary, but have you ever paused to really look at them and think about them? Poinsettias are beautiful—their deep green leaves and bright red blooms make them the perfect Christmas decoration. For most of us, it seems that Poinsettias have always been associated with Christmas, but that is not the case. Have you ever wondered where poinsettias originally came from or how they became associated with Christmas?

The Legend of the Poinsettia

The ancient Aztecs of Mexico were probably the first to observe the beauty of the poinsettia. They so admired this wonderful plant that they all but worshipped it for its beauty and majesty. Religious leaders often handled the plant to make medicines and dyes, but it was considered so sacred that the common people were not allowed to touch it.

These native Mexicans believed that the bright red color symbolized the blood of men, women, and children who had been sacrificed to appease the gods. When the plants thrived, it meant that the gods were pleased with their sacrifices. During the sacrifice ritual, poinsettia plants were brought to the temple for the pagan ceremony. They told their children that each red petal represented a person who had been sacrificed and that as long as the Aztec people continued to appease their gods, they would flourish.

In the early days of Spanish colonization, the Aztec Empire came to an abrupt and violent end. European conquistadors like Hernando Cortez had little interest in the Aztec people or culture: they were only interested in the riches of the land. While gold and other precious metals were shipped back to Spain, the conquered Aztec’s fell into slavery and poverty. The only good thing that came from this European domination was the missionary work that followed the soldiers. Compassionate Catholic priests ministered to the native people who had been trampled by those looking for wealth. The priests’ Christian work was one of the only bright spots of this period. With Spanish rule and the hard times it brought, the significance of the poinsettia in Mexican history and culture was all but forgotten.

It is amazing to think that the plant that was once used in human sacrifices was destined to become an important Christmas symbol in Mexico. Franciscan friars evangelizing the area of Taxco decided to teach the local people the Christmas story by constructing a nativity scene. After carefully arranging the manger site, they held mass on Christmas Eve. A poor Mexican girl named Pepita walked forward to visit the altar and view the babe in the manger. She cried as she took in the scene because she did not have a gift to offer Jesus on his birthday. As Pepita walked to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness. “I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, and fashioned them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season, and the tale of the poinsettia spread throughout Latin America.

The beauty and story of the Poinsettia was unknown in the United States until 1824, when Joel Poinsett, America’s first Ambassador to Mexico, discovered the flower that would eventually bear his name, when he attended a Christmas Eve mass at a small Catholic church in Santa Prisca. Being deeply affected by the plant’s presence, after the service, he inquired about its origin. The priest told him the story of Pepita’s gift and gave the ambassador some seeds. He eventually planted the seeds, and presented the flowers as gifts to local churches in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

By the time of the civil war, the plant, known by its new name, poinsettia, had spread all over the United States and had become a common symbol of the Christmas season. During the last years of his life, Poinsett made a small fortune as a result of introducing the poinsettia flower to America, and eventually the rest of the world.

Today it is hard to imagine Christmas without poinsettias. When we consider the flower’s history, we see the story of God’s redemption. The red leaves used to be a symbol of violent human sacrifices to the false gods of the Aztecs, but now they have become a symbol of Christmas, where we celebrate the birth of God’s son who would one day become a sacrifice for us. The red petals represent the blood that was shed on the cross and the green leaves symbolize the promise of eternal life offered to us through that sacrifice. Every time we see a poinsettia, it should remind us Jesus came to restore peace! It should remind us of Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace.

The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:4-6)

In this passage, Isaiah prophecies that the coming Messiah will not only bring hope, but he will also bring peace. Verses 4-5 recall how God restored peace to Israel in the days following Midian’s defeat. The story is told back in back in Judges 6: Because the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, for seven years the Lord gave them into the hands of the Midianites, who were so oppressive that the Israelites were forced to hide in mountain clefts and caves. The Midianties killed their camels, slaughtered their sheep, and destroyed their donkeys. Every time the Isrealites planted crops, the Midianites raided their fields like a swarm of locusts. (Judges 6:1-6)

When the Israelites finally cried out to God and asked for deliverance, he raised up an unlikely hero to save them. God called a cowardly man named Gideon to deliver his people. When Gideon protested the call, the Lord calmed him by saying, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” Then Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace. (Judges 6:23-24)

Gideon conquered the whole Midianite army with a lowly arsenal of 300 men and some trumpets and clay jars. When the men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars, the Midianite camp was thrown into such confusion that their men began to turn their swords on each other. It was truly amazing that the powerful Midianite army was defeated by a cowardly general, an undersized army, and some trumpets and torches. Peace was secured for the people of Israel without even a single sword being drawn.

Isaiah is making the same point here. Just as God restored peace in such an unlikely manner in the days of Midian, he would restore peace again through another unlikely form: the birth of a baby boy. Through the birth of this child, God would shatter the yoke that burdened them, break the bar across their shoulders, and remove the rod of their oppressor. The warrior’s boots and blood-stained garments would be destined for burning, fuel for the fire. This child was destined to become the Prince of Peace, which is one of the titles Isaiah gives him in verse 6.

Isaiah was obviously not only talking about the restoration of physical peace to the land, but he was talking about the restoration of spiritual peace to the heart and soul. Just like the Gideon, this baby born in Bethlehem would become an unlikely hero. He would one lead an undersized army of fearful disciples, and he would lead a great revolution in history without even drawing a sword. The only weapons he would hold were the nails in his hands and the spear in his side. His blood-stained garments would keep us from becoming fuel for the fires of hell. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection has purchased peace for those who dare to put their faith in him.

This prophecy of peace will be completely fulfilled when Jesus comes again at his second advent. When he returns, he will destroy Satan, sin, and evil once and for all, and he will establish his kingdom of ultimate spiritual and physical peace—it will be a place where there is no more conflict, fighting, pain, suffering, or fear. Can you imagine what it will be like to live in a place of perfect peace? All of this is possible because Jesus was born in a cattle stall 2000 years ago!

I don’t know what kind of fears, conflicts, or trials you are facing today, but I do know that the poinsettia’s red petals represent the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross to restore peace to our relationship with God and others here and now. I know that the poinsettia’s green leaves represent eternal life in heaven where we will experience perfect peace. Whenever you look at a poinsettia, I hope that you will remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace! He was born, was sacrificed, and was resurrected so that we might have peace now and forever!

Have you have started putting up Christmas lights yet? Every year about this time, you see people on ladders hanging up Christmas lights around the exterior of their homes. People begin carrying boxes and bins of Christmas lights in from the garage or attic to decorate the interior of their house. And if you haven’t already, most of you will soon be participating in the beloved tradition of stringing hundreds of lights around your Christmas tree. But have you ever wondered how this tradition began?

The Tradition of Christmas Lights

The tradition of putting up Christmas lights began about 500 years ago. One cold December night, Martin Luther went for a walk through the German woods, and when he looked up at the sky, he was enthralled with the way the starlight filtered through the branches of the evergreen trees. At that moment, he felt as if the hand of God had touched his soul and had allowed him to see the world in a different way. Stopping on a snow-covered knoll, he studied the scene for some time. Its tranquil beauty and the soft light gave him a sense of hope.

Determined to duplicate the atmosphere of that outdoor scene inside his own home, Luther attached candle holders to the tree’s limbs and mesmerized his family and friends with the first lit Christmas tree. From this humble beginning, the custom of putting candles on Christmas Trees swept across Germany. Craftsman began to produce ornate candleholders that were specially designed for tree limbs and the use of multicolored candles soon followed. By the mid-1800’s, a beautiful fir tree, trimmed with ornaments and lit by scores of candles, became a staple Christmas symbol. It was pictured over and over again by illustrations in magazines, books, newspapers, and Christmas cards.

But as you can imagine, live burning candles on an evergreen tree was a dangerous fire hazard. Countless trees were set ablaze, thousands of homes were burned to the ground annually, and hundreds of people died every year when the flames ignited the tree limbs. Yet the beautiful glow of candlelight, even if it was a major fire risk, meant so much to people that the concerned firemen could not convince even their own families to give up using these fiery decorations. It would take both time and technology to blow out the Christmas-tree candles.

In 1879 Thomas Edison changed the way America illuminated houses, with his invention of the light bulb. Three years later, one of his employees, Edward Johnson, decided to apply this new invention to the Christmas tree.

As had become their family custom, the Johnson’s had purchased an evergreen and put it in the parlor of the family’s New York home. As they decorated the newly cut tree, Johnson was stuck by an idea. Using the process of the Edison laboratories, Johnson produced a string of eight small and brightly colored electric light bulbs. Much brighter than the light of a similar number of candles, the bulbs gave off a constant and compelling glow. Johnson took them home and strung them around his Christmas tree. As the lights lit up the room and shone through the large picture window, neighbors began to walk by the house and marvel at what they saw. As most people did not have electricity in those days, the sight of a green tree illumined by light bulbs seemed almost magical. Yet even more incredible was that Johnson’s lights didn’t just glow; they flashed off and on.

Even in a city the size of New York City, the Edison employee’s inventive decorations created a great stir. A parade of people walked by Johnson’s home, and scores of people knocked on the door, asking to see the tree up close. Newspapers from around the country began calling Johnson’s home to report on these new electric Christmas lights.

Even though the lights made news across the land, Edison did not jump on the bandwagon and create Christmas lights for commercial sale. That would have been putting the cart before the horse, as most Americans did not have electric power in their homes for years. As time went on and electricity expanded even to the rural part of the country, several companies investigated mass producing Christmas lights, but the stumbling block was always the expense. A sting of bulbs like Johnson had created for his tree cost over $100 in materials alone. Many Americans didn’t make that much money in a year.

Also, as screw-in sockets had yet to be invented, each bulb had to be wired individually. When the bulbs burned out or were broken, an electrician would have to be called to replace them. But even in the face of these problems, Edison and others convinced at least the wealthy that Christmas lights were the best way to illuminate their homes for the Christmas season.

Within five years, many members of the social elite in New York had spent as much as $3000 per tree to compete with their neighbor’s evergreen. Then, in 1910, General Electric introduced a string of eight lights that cost $12. The price was still beyond the reach of most consumers, so the lights were mostly used in store windows. Finally, in 1924, GE and Westinghouse introduced a new set of Christmas lights that would become the industry standard for the next fifty years. These multicolored long-lasting bulbs were inexpensive enough that almost anyone could afford them.

Almost five centuries ago, Martin Luther taught his children that the candles that burned on the Christmas tree stood for the light that Jesus brought into the world. As electricity changed and expanded the use of lights at Christmas, the simple meaning that Luther first observed in the starlit woods was obscured and replaced by the often blinding glow of millions of light bulbs that turns the night into day. Yet the glow that drew people to Martin Luther’s and Edward Johnson’s trees still beckons people of all ages today. (Adapted from Ace Collins Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas p. 118-124)

Jesus, the Light of the World (Isaiah 9:1-2)

Light has been associated with Christmas long before Martin Luther put candles on his Christmas tree. Light has been linked with Christmas even before Christmas ever happened. Actually, light has been connected with Christmas for 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. You ask, “How can that be?” The prophet Isaiah spoke of the light of Christmas when he prophesied about the birth of the Messiah in the seventh century before Christ. In Isaiah 9:1-2, he says:

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

This prophecy of hope emerges from a dark period in Israel’s history. The northern kingdom of Israel, which encompassed the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, had turned its back on God. The people had rejected God’s word and the prophets who preached it. Instead, they were engaging in the pagan practices of witchcraft and were seeking counsel from mediums and spiritists. As a result of their decision to walk in spiritual darkness, God was going to judge them. He was going to raise up the Assyrian Empire to conquer and enslave Israel. As God always does, when people stray from him, he sends adversity to humble them and bring them back. Spiritual darkness is always followed by physical darkness, and Israel would experience both.

But following this judgment, which will bring gloom and anguish to the land, there will be glory. Isaiah even pinpoints the region where the Light will dawn. It would not be in Jerusalem, where one might expect, but rather far to the north, in a region called Galilee. The lands of Zebulun and Naphtali would eventually become the land of Galilee, where Jesus spent most of his life and began his public ministry.

The idea of Jesus as the Light shining forth in the darkness is an appropriate description of the Savior and His gospel. The apostle John tells us that the Light is Jesus; that He is the True Light which comes into the world (John 1:9-13) but that many loved the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19-21) and thus reject God’s light, the new spiritual birth into God’s family, and eternal life.

Indeed, God would one day deliver Israel from spiritual and physical darkness. Jesus would be the light that dawns on the land of the shadow of death. Jesus is the light who would bring hope to Israel. He is the light who endured the darkness of the cross to bring light to the world today.

Two thousand years ago, Christ was born into a dark world that would be dramatically changed by his life and death. When he rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven, he left the earth a much brighter place.

In a very real sense, the glow of billions of electric Christmas lights reinforces just how deeply the babe in the manger has changed and is still changing the world. Martin Luther would have liked that! Every time you look at a Christmas light, it ought to remind you that Jesus is the true light who brings hope to the world!

Most parents try very hard to provide their children with everything that they need to lead happy and productive lives. But as many of you have already discovered, children don’t always appreciate what their parents do for them. And sometimes, they even act out in rebellion!

Now that my children are getting a little older, I am beginning to experience some of the frustrations of parenthood. In dealing with children, it seems like there is constantly some attitude or behavior that needs to be corrected. Just last week, our family was sitting down for a quiet dinner together, when out of the blue, one of our children copped an attitude with their mother. I don’t even remember what the issue was, but I do remember this child, with hands on the hips, chin extended, and a little wiggle of the head, say to my wife, “I don’t even care!” Jennifer had just labored to provide a nice meal for this child, but the only thanks she received was an attitude of ingratitude. I immediately felt my blood pressure rise at this display of defiance, and my voice deepened as I commanded, “Go sit in silence on the living room sofa until you do care!” The rest of us enjoyed a delightful dinner while this child sat in exile.

Later on that evening, as I was reflecting on the incident, I realized how much parenting is helping my theology—that is, my understanding of God. This episode with my child was similar to the way God has dealt with his people throughout history: God blessed his people by providing them with everything they needed to live happy and productive lives, but they took his provision for granted, defied his holy law, and in their hearts, they placed their unholy hands on their hips, extended their self-reliant chins, and wiggled their haughty little heads, and said, “I don’t even care!” So, God removed them from his presence by sending them into exile.

Israel’s Pattern

We see this same pattern repeated throughout the Old Testament. In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, where he bestowed bounty and beauty upon them. But instead of being grateful for God’s provision, their hearts became arrogant and broke the one law that God had given them. So, God sent them into exile by removing them from in his presence in the garden.

As Adam and Eve populated the earth, their offspring became so rebellious that God brought another form of exile on his people by flooding the whole earth. After this, we find God forming the nation of Israel from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but because of their sins, Israel fell into the hands of the Egyptians, where they suffered as slaves for 400 years. Later, after Israel reached the height of its glory during reign of King David, the nation became corrupt and rebellious again. Like a parent who warns their child about the consequences of their actions, God used the prophets to warn Israel that if they did not change their ways, he would send them into Babylonian exile. Sadly, instead of turning from their sins, they turned deaf ears to the prophets. They persisted in their sin, and God kept his promise: the Babylonians conquered Judah and held them in exile for 70 years.

Our Pattern

Provision, rebellion, and exile! This is the pattern we see throughout the Bible. It is the same pattern that I am discovering with my children and, unfortunately, it is the same pattern that we all experience in our relationship with God. He provides us with everything we need for life and happiness, but when we act in arrogance and rebellion, and turn to our own ways, he sends us into various forms of spiritual (and sometimes physical) exile to humble us and help us think about our transgressions.

God has given us everything we need to live happy and productive lives, but do you ever find yourself feeling discontent? Do you ever find yourself flirting with forbidden fruit? Do you ever harbor ungodly anger and bitterness in your heart? Do you ever act out with bad behavior? Do you have a reputation for rebellion?

Sin and rebellion always leads to exile! When we disobey his commands and break his laws, we lose our freedom. God allows us to experience the natural consequences of our sins. Even when we don’t get caught, there are still consequences. God sees everything! When we sin against God, he removes his presence from us and allows us to experience spiritual exile!

Have you ever endured a spiritual exile? Have you been forced to face the consequences of your sins? Have you experienced the absence of God’s presence in your life where you felt like you were wandering in a spiritual desert? If you have ever sinned, you have experienced some form of exile! This is the pattern that the people of Israel experienced in the Old Testament and it is the same pattern that we experience today!

Zephaniah 3:14-20

The prophet Zephaniah spoke about this pattern way back in the sixth century B.C. when Israel had fallen into grave rebellion against God. Under the kings, Amon and Manasseh, the Holy City of Jerusalem was overcome by idolatry, and the culture was consumed by corruption. The new king, Josiah, tried to bring spiritual reform, but the people were already immersed in their sinful ways of life, and they didn’t want to change.

God called Zephaniah to preach boldly against this religious and moral decay. In the first three and a half chapters of his book, Zephaniah denounces Israel and the surrounding nations for their sins and pleads with them to repent. He warned them that the “day of the Lord” was coming and they would face the consequences of their actions and attitudes! God would pour out his wrath by rising up the Babylonians to bring destruction upon their land and carry them off to exile for 70 years.

After Zephaniah delivers this series of doom and gloom prophecies of judgment and exile, he concludes his book with prophecy of restoration. He tells the people that after the 70 years of exile (that is, after they sit on the couch for a while and think about their attitudes and actions), there would be a period of restoration. After they were humbled in exile, he would lift them up like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Their gloom would be turned into gladness, their despair into delight, their dejection into joy!

Zephaniah 3:14-20 is one of the most beautiful passages in the whole Old Testament. In the midst of this restoration, he commands Zion to sing with joy and rejoice with gladness. The Lord has taken away their punishment and turned back their enemy. He has replaced their fear with the assurance of his own presence. He comes as a mighty warrior to save his people and restore their joy. He will replace their shame with honor and glory and bring them home and restore their fortunes before their very eyes.

Restoration is the part of the pattern that I left out earlier. Provision, rebellion, exile, and restoration! This is the pattern that we see throughout the Bible! Do you see the in the pattern in this passage? God provided his people with everything they needed, but they turned away from him in rebellion. So, God was about to discipline them by sending them into exile, but he would eventually restore their joy. He would bring them back to their land and reinstate all of their previous privileges and benefits!

Restoration: Near and Far

Like the other Old Testament prophets, Zephaniah’s prophecy has multiple fulfillments. The first fulfillment came at the end of the 70 years. God eventually rose up the Persian Empire to conquer the Babylonians, and the Persians allowed the Jews to return to the Promised Land. The people were restored to their land and were able to enjoy the privileges and benefits that they had before the exile. They could sing and rejoice once again!

Restoration at the First Advent

This prophecy was fulfilled again at the First Advent of Christ. You see, the world has existed in a form of spiritual (and physical) exile since Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden. In one sense, God removed his presence from his creation because of its sin. But he literally restored his presence in the form of Jesus Christ to initiate a ministry of restoration on the earth. His name was Immanuel which means “God with us.” Zephaniah’s prophecy of restoration was fulfilled when Jesus was born from Mary’s womb and was laid in the manger at Christmas. Don’t miss the phrases in verses 15 and 17 “The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you” and “The Lord your God is with you.” He was speaking of Immanuel!

Also, look at verse 14 again. Zephaniah’s prophecy of the restoration of joy was fulfilled when the great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those whom his favor rests.” The joy of restoration also came to pass as the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

This is why the Advent and Christmas season is a time of joy and celebration. We sing praises and carols to God because his presence is with us once again. God became human flesh to liberate our souls from sin and deliver us from spiritual (and physical) exile! He came to restore us to a right relationship with him and reinstitute the privileges and benefits of his kingdom.

Restoration at the Second Advent

The final fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy hasn’t happened yet. It will happen at the Second Advent of our Lord. Even though Zephaniah spoke these words in the sixth-century B.C., they will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns to earth in power and glory. On that day, Jesus will be the Mighty Warrior who destroys Satan, eradicates sin once and for all, and restores Adam’s race to the privileges and benefits that were enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. Look at verse 20—“At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD. He will gather his peoples from all over the earth and restore their fortunes before their very eyes!

As Christians, we look forward to this future joy of restoration, and we can rejoice now because of what will happen later. So, I say to you now, Sing O daughter of Zion—exile is coming to an end! Shout Aloud, O Israel–we will be restored to God’s presence again! Be Glad, God’s people—he will take your sadness away! Rejoice Christians, your conflicts will cease, your diseases will be healed, your needs will be met, your fears will fade, and your worries will be washed away! This is the joy of restoration!

Last week, one of my children was sitting in exile on the living room sofa while the rest of us were immersed in the joys of dinner. The exile only lasted about ten minutes, then I heard a little voice from the living room say, “Can I come back now?” I asked, “Do you care now, which was my way of asking if there was a change in attitude?” When this child apologized to mom for their bad attitude and behavior, all was forgiven and their privileges of speaking, eating, and enjoying the dinnertime community were restored. And we all had a wonderful evening together!

This is the way God has always dealt with his people. It is the way he deals with us today. When we repent from our sins and turn to faith in Jesus, all is forgiven. We begin to experience the joy of restoration now, but we will experience the full joy of restoration when Jesus returns! Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Joy to the world, the Lord is coming again!

Here are some of the worst predictions in history:

1. In 1773, King George II of England said, “The American colonies have little stomach for revolution.”

2. In the early 1800’s, an English astronomy professor said that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate.

3. In 1911, Marshal Ferdinand Foch said, “Airplanes are interesting toys, but they have no military value.”

4. In 1912, an official of the White Star Line, speaking of the firm’s newly built flagship, the Titanic, declared that the ship was unsinkable.

5. In 1926, Lee de Forest, inventor of the cathode ray tube said, “Theoretically, television may be feasible, but I consider it an impossibility—a development which we should waste little time dreaming about.

6. On October 16, 1929, Economist Irving Fisher announced: “Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.”

7. In 1939, The New York Times said, “The problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn’t have time for it.”

8. On December 4, 1941, Frank Knox, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, announced: “Whatever happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping.”

9. In 1943, Thomas J. Watson, Chairman of IBM said, “I think there is a world market for about five computers.”

10. In 1958, Business Week Magazine said, “With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market.”

11. In 1962, a recording company expert said, “We don’t think the Beatles will do anything in their market. Guitar groups are on their way out.”

12. In 2011, radio preacher Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on May 21st, and when it didn’t happen, he predicted that the world would end on October 21st.

13. And finally, on the morning of November 27, 2011, the Rev. Jason R. McConnell predicted that he would be getting his wife a diamond ring for Christmas this year!

Like I said, these are some of the worst predictions in history! Making predictions is risky business! If you make a prediction and it comes to pass, you look like a genius and become revered as a prophet. But if you make a prediction and it does not come to pass, you appear foolish, become a laughingstock, and even worse, lose people’s trust.

The two Bible passages that I just read to you are both predictions. But unlike the others that I just shared with you, these are two of the greatest predictions in history. They are both predictions of advent. We must remember that the Latin word “Advent” simply means “coming.” Typically we associate the advent season in the church calendar with the coming with Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, but advent or “coming” also calls us to look beyond Christ’s First Coming in Bethlehem and think about his second coming, for which we are still waiting. Jeremiah 33:14-16 is a prediction of the First Advent of Christ and Luke 21:25-36 is a prediction of his Second Advent. This morning, I would like to show you how both advents have deep significance for our lives today. Therefore, let us take a look at two of the greatest predictions in the history of the world!

Predicting the First Advent (Jeremiah 33:14-16)

In the sixth century B.C., Jeremiah was one of the prophets that predicted that Judah would be besieged and the Israelites would be taken into Babylonian captivity for 70 years and then God would deliver his people from exile and bring restoration to their nation. It is in the midst of this prediction of restoration that he predicts the first advent of the Christ. In Jeremiah 33:14-16, he says, “The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”

Through Jeremiah, God declared that he would fulfill his gracious promise to his people and send a Messiah to deliver them. He declared that the monarchy and the priesthood, which had been interrupted by the exile, will be restored in the person of the Messiah. Notice the details about this predicted Messiah. First, it says that this “branch” would “sprout from David’s line.” The words “branch” and “sprout” are images from a family tree and they mean that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David.

Second, notice that the prophecy qualifies this Messiah as righteous—he will do what is just and right in the land. This king would be different from all of the other kings. Unlike all of the other kings, this king would be righteous. He wouldn’t be arrogant and selfish like King Saul. He wouldn’t be an adultery and murderer like King David. He wouldn’t be a womanizer and shyster like King Solomon. He wouldn’t lead the people into idolatry like all of the other kings did. This king would be called: “The Lord Our Righteousness.”

Third, notice the purpose of the Messiah—to bring salvation to Judah and safety to Jerusalem. His mission would be to deliver his people from exile and bring restoration.

Think about how this prediction was fulfilled at the first advent of Jesus Christ! Jesus was, in fact, a descendant of King David. Both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies trace Jesus’ family lineage back to David and even back to Abraham. Also, not only was Jesus a royal descendant of David, but he was also born in Bethlehem, the same town in which David was born. Jesus is the restoration of the Davidic monarchy!

Second, the prophecy of the righteous Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Even though he took on human flesh through the incarnation, he maintained all of his divine attributes which enabled him to be born without a sinful nature and maintain moral perfection throughout his life. Although he faced every form of temptation, he never sinned; not even once! Jesus lived a perfectly holy life and did what was just and right in the land.

Both Jesus’ divine nature, revealed through his righteous life, and his human nature, revealed through his royal lineage, allowed him to accomplish his mission of bringing salvation and safety to his people. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he grew up and was crucified, buried, and resurrected on the third day. Since he was perfectly righteous man, he was an acceptable sacrifice and could make atonement for the sins of the human race. In one sense, Jesus has already fulfilled his mission; in another sense, he is still fulfilling his mission today. Since his first advent, he has offered people forgiveness for sins, freedom from judgment, and the hope of everlasting life. Have you received the benefits of the first advent?

Jeremiah was predicting so much more than national restoration after 70 years of Babylonian exile. He was predicting the restoration of human souls from spiritual exile. Predictions are indeed risky business; Jeremiah’s prediction of the first advent was made 600 years before it came to pass, but it did! And this is why we are thankful on Thanksgiving Day! This is why we have hope during the season of Advent! This is why we are filled with joy at Christmas!

Predicting the Second Advent (Luke 21:25-36)

For a prediction of the Second Advent (or the second coming of Christ), we focus our attention on Jesus own words in Luke 21:25-36. This passage is called the Olivet Discourse because Jesus was sitting with his disciples on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple when he delivered it. In this last section of the discourse, he gives an explanation, tells a parable, and announces a warning about his the Second Advent.

An Explanation of the Second Advent (Luke 21:25-28)

First, he explains the signs that will appear just prior to his return. There will be strange disturbances in the heavenly bodies: the sun, moon, and stars. There will also be strange signs on earth: nations will be in anguish and the sea will roar and toss like never before. These cosmic and catastrophic events will be so perplexing and terrifying that people will faint from fear.

A Parable about the Second Advent (Luke 21:29-33)

After Jesus explains these signs, he tells them a parable about the timing of the events. Jesus here teaches what we might call a “seasonal” approach to prophecy, rather than a “specific” approach. Jesus never encourages the setting of dates, just as he refused to indicate a single sign which would accompany his coming. How, then, were His disciples to recognize that His return was near? Not by a single sign, but by a combination of events which indicated that the “season” of his return was at hand.

This is an agricultural analogy, the discerning of the season by observing the signs of its arrival. When the fig tree begins to put out leaves, we know that it is spring, and that summer cannot be too far off. The farmer recognizes the season by noting those evidences of its arrival. Jesus has likewise just informed his disciples (of all ages) of the evidences of the “season” of His second coming. Those who would like to know the exact time of His arrival will not be happy with our Lord’s answer. The nearness of his return will be sensed by those who are alert to the evidences of its arrival.

A Warning for the Second Advent (Luke 21:34-36)

Since his disciples would only know the signs of the season of his Second Coming, he warns them to always be alert and ready. He warns them about getting caught up in dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, because the Second Coming will come upon them unexpectedly. They should avoid selfish and self-indulgent attitudes and behavior and be spiritually ready for Jesus’ return at any moment.

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives: On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.” Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watch and wait.

Are you ready for the Second Advent? Is your soul prepared for the return of Christ or is your heart weighed down with selfishness, indulgence, and the anxieties of life? If you are not ready, I pray that you would heed Christ’s warning and put your faith in him today. You may say, “The world has been waiting on this prediction to be fulfilled for 2000 years

The focus of the entire Advent season is the celebration of Christ’s First Advent and the anticipation of Christ’s Second Advent. In this double focus on past and future, Advent symbolizes our spiritual journey as we affirm that Christ has come, that he is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live “between the times” and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people.

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, anticipation, preparation, and longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed and brought deliverance!

It is that hope, however faint at times, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over his people and in his creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

Part of the expectation also anticipates a judgment on sin and a calling of the world to accountability before God. We long for God to come and set the world right! So, let us celebrate God’s breaking into history in the Incarnation, and may we always be ready for the future consummation to that history.