The Promise: Part 2

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah... For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel." - Jeremiah 33:15, 17

A few weeks ago, I wrote about God's promise of a Messiah. I explained how Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. I talked about how the Jews missed their Messiah because He wasn't who they were expecting.

While it is unfortunate for them that they missed Him - and that's the understatement of a lifetime - I honestly can't say that I wouldn't have done the same in their shoes. I've definitely missed it before. There have been times in my life when God said something, and I interpreted it however I felt like interpreting it at the time. Not didn't-recognize-the-Savior-of-the-world significant, but considering that, at one point, it caused me to doubt for nearly a year that I could hear God's voice, I'd say it was pretty big.

Here's the thing. The Jews had every reason to expect their Messiah to be a king. Throughout the Old Testament, God's promise explicitly says that the Messiah will sit on David's throne and will rule as king. Even though Jesus is the King of Kings, He does not yet rule the Kingdom of Israel.

But He will.

Eventually, Jesus is coming back to earth. He will set foot on the Mount of Olives. His throne will be in Jerusalem - where David ruled as king of Israel. He will act as King and High Priest. Everyone will recognize Him, and everyone will worship Him. Isaiah describes His reign well:

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples - of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious." - Isaiah 11:6-10

When Jesus returns, there will be no question about who He is. For Christians, the promise of His return and reign is reason to hope. It's reason for joy. And it's reason to tell the world about Him now. That way they can receive the fulfillment of God's promise and share in our joy when He returns.

The promise of Christmas was a coming Messiah. The fulfillment of that promise came in the form of a humble baby in a manger. The promise of Christmas is a returning Messiah.  That fulfillment will come in the form of a glorious King riding on a white horse and taking His rightful place on a throne. And because He has already fulfilled His promise, we can be sure that He will do so again.

"'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star...' He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon'." - Revelation 22:16, 20

The Presentation

"And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." - Luke 2:6-7

For many families, it's a sign that Christmas is coming when the tree gets put up. For my family, it's when the nativity scene is set out. We bring out the tree every year, but our decorations just don't feel complete without Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus making their appearances. When I was little, my mom would never let me help set it up. Even if the pieces were still stored in styrofoam, it was a hard sell for me to be allowed to handle them. It's made of glass, and she was worried I would break it. (Considering how few glass bowls are left in our house, this was - and probably still is - a valid concern.)

Often, when we're preparing for Christmas, everything has to be completely perfect. We are worried what people will think of us if we don't have the most beautiful decorations or the tastiest cookies or a flawless photograph for our cards. Even our wrapping paper can't be ripped or wrinkled before it's torn off the gifts.

As I have reflected on Christmas this year, I've had to wonder. How often do Christians do the very same thing to the wonderful gift God has given us? It's not wrong to want to have a beautiful home for welcoming guests and to remind us of the beauty of the Christmas story. But it becomes a problem when we treat the Gospel the same way we treat our Christmas decorations.

God came into the middle of our mess. Literally. Jesus was born in a stable. There were animals everywhere. I'm sure there was straw, animal poop, and stink everywhere. Mary went through labor, the same as any other woman, with all the blood and mess that comes along with that. Jesus slept in a trough meant for feeding animals. While spiritually it's a beautiful representation, the actual scene looked nothing like the pristine figurines we have in our homes.

But we're scared to go into the mess. As Christians, we're scared to associate with the drunk, the addict, the person bound by witchcraft. If we get near them, we might get dirty. We don't even stop to think that by stepping into their mess, we might be bringing exactly what is needed to help them get clean. We don't want to share how we came from shattered homes or had an anger problem. Our image will be broken. We don't even stop to think that by showing our brokenness, we're letting Him display His power to heal and restore.

And sometimes, God's story doesn't go the way we want it to. We don't want to admit that, even though we serve a God who is always good and powerful, there is evil in the world. We can't explain that perfect justice means killing an innocent man for the faults of others. We don't want to admit that maybe it sounds a little strange to outsiders that a virgin would have a baby. We take it on faith that God's way is better than we can even understand, so we won't acknowledge they might be tripping over something so fundamental to our beliefs.

But maybe that's exactly what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to step into the messiness of life, where people can be found. We're supposed to proclaim that God's goodness will be found, even in the middle of their messes and questions.

God wasn't afraid to deliver the most perfect gift of all in the dirtiest of circumstances. And He wasn't afraid to proclaim exactly where He was. We don't have to be afraid either. If a dirty, stinky stable can't ruin His love, then neither can our attempts to present it to the people the gift is for.

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." - Luke 2:11-12

Join the conversation:

• How have you tried to "clean up" the presentation of the Gospel?
• What can you do to share God's gift with others in the way that will help them most?

For more complete context, you can read Luke 2 and Matthew 1-2.

The Praise

"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." - Luke 1:45

After finding out she would have a baby, the virgin Mary traveled to see her relative Elizabeth. Upon meeting, and without even hearing Mary's story, Elizabeth expressed her excitement that the mother of her promised Messiah had come to visit her. She blessed Mary.

I have always loved this verse. It's a reminder to trust God even when His promise seems impossible. When you do, you'll be blessed. I have also always loved Mary's song of praise to God. What I didn't realize though, was that this song, commonly known as the Magnificat, immediately follows Elizabeth's statement of blessing to Mary.

Elizabeth recognized blessings in Mary's life. Mary recognized whom they came from. And both women gave God the credit.

It makes me wonder what I would have done in Mary's place. And I don't mean when the angel told her that she would conceive. I can already guarantee you I wouldn't have believed like she did. Nor would I have wanted to accept; I'm not fond of going against what is expected of me or even the appearance of going against it. I mean once she was already pregnant and hearing what Elizabeth had to say.

I don't know that I would have praised God. I might have complained about what people back in Nazareth were saying about me. I might have confided my fears that my fiancé would leave me. I might - and probably would - have become pretty proud. I would have bragged that God chose me to raise the one He'd been promising for years. I would have explained all the things I had done that led to Him choosing me. I would have applauded myself for accepting His blessing without questioning Him.

Once again, I'm challenged by Mary's response. Not just her faith and obedience, but her humility.

How often do we take credit for what God gives us? We talk about how hard we worked for a promotion. We brag about that new car we just bought and paid off. We brag about our ability to play sports, write, or sing well. How often do we let those who don't know God praise us for those things?

Mary was not only blessed with being the mother of the Branch of Jesse. She was also blessed to have someone in her life who helped her acknowledge who that blessing came from. Because of that, we have one of the most well known and most loved songs of praise in the New Testament.

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed, for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name." - Luke 1:46b-49

Join the conversation:

• How do you respond to God's blessings in your life?
• When someone points out a blessing, do you give God the glory?
• Which person in your life helps you recognize God's blessings and helps you praise Him for them?

Read Luke 1 for a more complete context of this story.

The Promise

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit... Righteousness will be His belt and faithfulness the sash around His waist." - Isaiah 11:1, 5

When I first started thinking about doing a Christmas series, I knew I wanted to start with God's promise of a Messiah. I assumed the prophecy I'd use would be the traditional verses about the virgin who would conceive a child or the one who would be called "Wonderful Counselor." But that's not where God led me. Instead, He led me to this passage in Isaiah.

Several centuries before God spoke this to Isaiah, He promised David (the son of Jesse) that one of his descendants would rule forever. Later, He would remind His people through Jeremiah that a branch was coming from David who would reign as king.

By the time of Jesus' birth, the people of Israel were an occupied people. The current king had been set in place by the Roman empire. David's dynasty had been cut down centuries before.

Jesus was full of wisdom; at only the age of 12 He amazed the religious leaders with His understanding of Scripture. He was full of power; He was able to heal the sick and raise the dead. He did only what He saw His Father do. When He saw someone with leprosy, He didn't walk away, He saw someone who needed His healing touch. When He heard the disciples say there wasn't enough food for the crowds, He still fed them. Just as Isaiah had prophesied:

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord - and He will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. - Isaiah 11:2-4

The people of Israel were looking for their promised king, but they missed Him. They thought the righteous king would be a political and military leader who would come and right the wrongs of the oppressive Romans. A leader who would follow the laws of God instead of exploiting their Roman appointment for personal gain.

They weren't looking for a humble man. One full of God-given power and wisdom but who wouldn't demand obedience. A man who would be your King if you would willingly submit to Him. A King who would make you righteous if you accepted Him.

"In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which He will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'" - Jeremiah 23:6

Sometimes, we're like the Israelites. We hear God's promises and wait expectantly for them. But we miss them because the fulfillment doesn't look the way we thought it would. He promises to provide but we don't get a job; instead, the money we need shows up in the mail. He promises peace, but everything is going wrong around us; somehow our hearts and minds remain calm.

Christ's birth is one of the most important events in history. It is evidence of God's love for us in two ways (and probably more that aren't coming to mind right now). First, that He came at all. Second, that He loves us enough to keep His promises. Always. That is the promise of Christmas.

Join the conversation:

• What promises has God made you?
• How long are you willing to wait for the fulfillment of His promises?
• If the fulfillment of His promise doesn't look the way you expect it to, how will you respond?

For prophecies about Jesus as the branch of Jesse, you can read Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 23, and Jeremiah 33.