Liberty in Christ

"Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom," commented Alexis de Tocqueville when the United States was just a fledgling nation. 

In Christianity all are equal in Christ. Freedom is found in our relationship with Jesus. It does not matter our status, our economic situation, or our ethnic background. In Christ there is no male or female, no Jew or Gentile, and no slave or freeman (Gal. 3:28), for all have the freedom to approach the throne of grace. But in Christ, we have different job descriptions to fulfill and different gifts to employ for the enhancement of God's kingdom. Some of us may be wealthier than others; but all of us are rich in Christ. The wealthy have a responsibility to care for the less fortunate, for to whom has been given much, much will be required of him (Luke 12:48).

In the world, equality is all about rights and redistribution of wealth so that no one is inferior or superior to another. This is the view of communism, not Christianity. It eventually leads to an impoverished nation because the heart of man is evil continually (Gen. 6:5) and will seek to do best for him to the disregard and disrespect of others. Why put in full effort when the pay is equal? The Pilgrims learned this lesson quickly. At first, everyone was to work the community garden and share everything. Soon, the slackers were discovered who put in minimal effort. When each family was given their own plot of ground to cultivate their own produce, then the colony flourished. "A slack hand causes poverty, " says Scripture (Prov. 10:4). To have others remunerate the sluggard for his lack of effort is not equality; it is foolishness.

De Tocqueville also wrote, "Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." May the Lord change the hearts of men, for without Christ they will remain in slavery to their fleshly appetites, which lead to destruction. Hope is in the One who freed us from the bondage of sin and released us to live in grace for the betterment of mankind.

Bedlam in Bethlehem

Ironically, the word bedlam is a corruption of the word Bethlehem which literally means house of bread.  But in the 1500’s, the London monastery known as St. Mary of Bethlehem was converted from a monastic hospital into a city-run insane asylum.  For a small admission price, people could visit the asylum and heckle the inmates.  Although the practice may sound horrible, astonishingly enough, it became one of London’s most famous tourist attractions.

Eventually, the asylum’s name was shortened to Bethlehem and when people hurriedly said the word, the slur became BEDLAM.  As time went on “bedlam” became to mean “noisy uproar and confusion” which symbolized the happenings within an insane asylum.  Yet, this word is an apt description of what happens in the days prior to Christmas.  What ever happened to peace on earth?  Or peace in the malls?  Or peace in the family when Santa failed to deliver the right goods?

The first Christmas at Bethlehem in Israel was probably a scene of bedlam as well.  Noise and confusion abounded as people poured into the town to register for the census.  Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken every 14 years for the purposes of drafting men into the Roman army and to assess taxation.  The census mentioned by the gospel writer Luke was taken in 7 BC.

The mention of a census is important because it pinpoints the Incarnation - when God came to earth in human form.  It documents the reality of the birth of Christ.  The census was an historical fact.  Since the census was a recorded and documented event, there is no legitimate reason to deny the fact that an unusual birth occurred in Bethlehem in or around 7 BC.

A Bethlehem Christmas is about Christ who was born in the city of David in fulfillment of prophecy.  The prophet Micah had foretold that “Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah” would be the city from which Messiah would come (Micah 5:2).  Joseph and Mary, descendants of David, were led to Bethlehem because of a government decree to register their family.  And there in a stable in the town that meant house of bread, the Bread of Life would be born.

Christ was born to die in fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a sacrifice, an atonement, for the sins of mankind.  This Messiah would take the punishment for sin which all of us deserve, for the Scripture says no one is good (Romans 3:12).  A Bethlehem Christmas is a reminder that Jesus was the bread of life in that His sacrifice on the cross was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy which said that Messiah bore our iniquities as a guilt offering, was pierced through for our transgressions, and was poured out unto death on our behalf (Isa. 53:4,5, & 12).

Christmas is a time for celebrating the Incarnation.  This should be done with joy and festivities.  Traditions should be honored and gift giving practiced, but not to the degree that the true meaning of Christ is camouflage.  Observe a Bethlehem Christmas by remembering that a child was born to die for you. Merry Christmas!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

“Dear Santa,” writes Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes fame.  “Attached is my Christmas list for this year.  Last year I did not receive several items I requested.  For your convenience, I have grouped those items together on page 12.  Please check them carefully, and include them with the rest of my loot this year.”

Hobbes, Calvin’s alter ego in Tiger form, reads the letter with some concern at the unabashed impertinence of his little buddy.  Calvin, however, continues his diatribe, “That’s the problem with this guy.  He’s gotten sloppy without any competition.”

I can just imagine Calvin’s parents rushing around the malls to find one of the 250 or so gifts that Calvin had on his list.  Why would they do this?  Why would they fight the crowds, wait in enormous lines, and even cajole people out a gift they were carrying because the store had run out of the item Calvin wanted?  Their reason would be the same for most human parents.  They don’t want to disappoint their child.

As parents we will do anything to make Santa look good.  We will risk being crushed in overcrowded malls.  We will risk the rising of our blood pressure to run helter-skelter to buy gifts, secure trees, decorate the house, and attend parties.  We will even risk the high anxiety of bedlam just to please our little urchins.

Christmas has become an excuse for over indulgence and self- approbation. Rather than thinking about the reason we celebrate - God's love gift to us - we get caught up in the rush of things. Christmas should be merry, for God has given us something to celebrate - His Son. God humbling himself to become man is truly amazing. Jesus, who was born to die in our place, is our gift of life - eternal life! And he is the gift that keeps on giving!

Who were the Magi?

Matthew 2:1-3
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Why was Herod and all Jerusalem troubled upon the appearance of the wise men from the East? Herod could have been worried because they were espousing a newborn king of the Jews. This certainly would make Herod very uncomfortable. Here was a man who had his wife, mother-in-law, and two sons assassinated because he feared they were calculating the overthrow of his government. He was an insecure man, constantly in fear of his life. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, however, were also concerned and troubled with the appearance of the magi. Why?

The Greek word "Magoi" in this Matthew scripture is transliterated into English as "magi" or "wise men." They came from the East, i.e. east of Jerusalem, which meant an area controlled by the Parthians. This would include the modern countries of Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and part of Turkey. We also know from the Bible that Daniel, serving under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was called the Rab-mag or chief of the Magi (Dan. 4:9; 5:11). As the Rab-mag, Daniel ruled the entire province of Babylon (Dan. 2:48). Magi evidently were powerful men who consulted kings. The magi of Scripture may be descendants of Daniel's office and could have been Jewish as well. Daniel had never returned to Israel and must have left a great legacy in Persia. If the magi were of Hebrew descent, then it stands to reason why they would have been looking for the sign of the king of Israel, would want to find him, and would desire to worship him.

The Parthian empire, although ruled by kings, also had a governing body known as Megistanes, which means "lords" or "great ones.". The were comprised of Magi who incidentally had a part in choosing the kings. They were preeminent, authoritative, and influential; and their power was exceeded only by the kings. When they traveled, therefore, they would have been riding Arabian horses and accompanied by a small contingent of the army. When they came to Jerusalem, they were not three magi on camels. Scripture only tells us there were at least two magi and three gifts. There could have been more than three magi and more than three gifts. The picture of wise men on camels can be traced to the origin of Christmas cards. When the wise men were depicted, the artist portrayed them on camels, even though Scripture never tells us what they rode.

If the normal Roman garrison of soldiers protecting Jerusalem were off fighting the Homonadensian War (as some scholars surmise), then Jerusalem was vulnerable. An army suddenly appearing from Parthia would have terrified all of Jerusalem as well as Herod, Rome's puppet king of Israel.

Tragedy in Connecticut

I cannot imagine what the families are experiencing who lost loved ones, especially their children, in the slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut. At Christmas time, when we are looking forward to joyous celebration and family togetherness, we are struck with tragedy in a quiet little town's elementary school. My heart goes out to the families; and I grieve at the loss of the innocents. Scripture tells us to weep with those who mourn (Rom. 12:15); and I certainly am crying with the parents of the little ones who have passed into eternity.

President Obama in addressing the situation in Newtown closed his exhortation with, "May God bless the memory of the victims and, in the words of Scripture, heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds." This is a quote from Psalm 147:3. What the President neglected to say was that this statement by the Psalmist was preceded with, "Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting." Yes, the Lord of Jerusalem heals the brokenhearted, but the inference is that the brokenhearted are praising God. If we are not lifting our nation to the Lord, then out of context quotes of Scripture are mere platitudes that make a politician look sensitive and caring, but has nothing to do with true healing.

We will now hear the pundits debating gun control and mental health. Loss within the myriad of words that will be spewed about the cause of the mass shooting will be the root cause of all the wickedness that happens in the world. The problem of evil is a heart condition that permeates a society that is legislating God out of the forum. We hear constantly from a large section of America, "Don't legislate your morality on me." What has occurred is ironic, for what has been made into law is "all kinds of immorality" for which an evil generation lobbies. Those of us who follow Jesus are now forced to submit to laws that violate our Christian lifestyle. Isaiah warned those who call evil good and good evil (Isa. 5:20), for if we pursue our dark side, then woe awaits. If our society is now redefining evil as good, no wonder we have travesty in our country.

If there is any consolation, it is what Isaiah has said about the death of the righteous. In other words, why do the good die young? The answer is to protect them from evil days ahead (Isa. 57:1). And if there is more evil to befall our nation, then more than ever America needs Jesus. A revival is the only thing that will curb wickedness and bring about good. But woe to those who now claim as good what Scripture explicitly declares to be evil.

Star of Bethlehem

Was the star that the Magi followed an astronomical phenomena that can be explained scientifically? Some have tried to explain this extraordinary star as the conjunction of planets or a comet that shot across the skies. It is true that God could use any part of his creation to produce a sign or cause a miracle. But in this instance, the evidence of Scripture speaks against a scientific explanation and points to an extraordinary phenomena that God directed for his special purpose - in this case to bring magi or wise men from the East to deliver gifts to a new born king who would change the world forever.

Matthew's gospel tells us that the star appeared to the Magi and led them to Jerusalem. Two questions: why were they looking for a star and why not lead them ddirectly to Bethlehem?


Matthew 2:1-2
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.

The magi saw "his star when it rose." They evidently were scholars of the surrounding nations' literature and practitioners of astronomy. In Numbers 24:17 there is reference to a "star" coming out of Jacob and a "scepter" arising from Israel, which is a symbol for a king. The magi calculated that the "star" was the sign of a special ruler to be born in Israel. The star that appeared to them had to be something special, different, and extraordinary. It could not be a heavenly object that could be easily explained. When this star rose, it certainly caught the attention of these wise men. And they followed it, not to Bethlehem, but to Jerusalem.

When the star first appeared is unknown, but Herod schemed to find out (Mt. 2:7). Why? He was calculating the approximate age of this child, assuming that the star arose at or around the time of birth. Thinking the magi took time to prepare for the trip and then figuring out the length of their journey, Herod believed the child to be under 2 years old. Hence, his slaughter of the innocents that caused Rachel to weep for her children (Mt. 2:16-17).

The magi departed Jerusalem after learning that a king was prophesied by Micah to be born in Bethlehem and after meeting secretly with Herod. As they recommenced their journey the star reappeared, causing them to rejoice (Mt. 2:9-10). Notice, however, that the star led them to a house (Mt. 2:11), not a cave or stable. If this were a normal star, it would have perched high over the town of Bethlehem, thereby shining on all the abodes. This star, however, brought the magi to a specific home where they discovered a toddler whose presence caused them to fall down and worship. The star could have led the magi directly to Jesus in Bethlehem, but instead brought them to Jerusalem first. This was God's plan to confirm his Word about Messiah being born in Bethlehem and to use Herod in fulfilling prophesy (Mt. 2:17-18).


The Star of Bethlehem was God's special means of leading wise men from the East to the home of the true King of Israel. They discovered their Savior. May all my readers do likewise!