Dec. 27 Devo

Revelation 1:12-

Revelation 1:12–16 NIV

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Jesus wasn’t born in North America. Something so simple and yet so easy to gloss over. Even if Jesus were not born all those years ago, but rather be born today, it wouldn’t be in North America.

Revelation 12:1-

Revelation 12:1–6 NIV

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

I imagine that Mary would not be a young waitress working nights at a truck stop, no not even that. Perhaps the teenage daughter of a coffee farmer in Peru, or one of seven children to a poor family in the Congo. Who are we to kid ourselves. We are the top 1% in the world. This is not where Jesus would be born.

Revelation 1:12–16 NIV

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

There is nothing wonderful about God’s incarnation. Imagine your teenage daughter, sister, or friend telling you she’s pregnant, and not by her boyfriend. Not by anyone, so she claims. Imagine him finding out and to the surprise of everyone staying with her and helping her out.

The angels would have hard ears out here. I imagine that if they were to come, heralding the news of Jesus’ birth, it would be to young kids forced to work in surface mines, not factory workers.

All of this, so that Jesus....

Philippians 2:6–11 NIV

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus spent His entire life not living up to the expectations of the people around Him, and this started even before He was born. Jesus wasn’t born so that we could have Christmas. The Christmas tradition did not start until years after His death. The goal of his birth was not so that we could get together and eat too much food. All of it was to bring the Kingdom of Heaven, to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins, to live, die, and rise again.

He was born to start a life of suffering and death.

There was so much more going on than a baby being born in that stable, or cave, or whatever it was he was born in. A war that had been going on since Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit was now one step closer to God’s victory.

Isaiah 6:1–3 NIV

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:1-

Luke 2:1–14 NIV

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:1-

Dec. 27 Devo

Jesus Wasn’t Born in North America