The Carpenter's Son; Artist: Edward Emerson Simmons 1888-1889.

Born of the Holy Spirit, but raised by a simple man who knew a common trade.  Subjected to derision because he was only a “carpenter’s son” highlights the arrogance and ignorance of his townspeople who resented his bold teaching.  To learn at the hands of a man who could design in his head, then draw out the plan, then put together the materials, and create, construct, frame and finish using only his muscles and innate knowledge:  this was the best education possible for a child meant to teach the people of the world to build His Kingdom on earth.   As a child of a carpenter myself, and knowing scores of carpenters’ children, I share the wonder of watching something be built from an idea, then shaped and formed by expert hands from an amorphous block of wood.   Without the carpenter, I remain undefined, formless, purposeless.  It is time for the cuts to be made, the hammer and nails that connect me to something larger than myself, and finally the sanding and refining that finishes me.

Matthew 13:55

Dayspring

It never fails to surprise and amaze: the sunrise seems to come from nowhere.  There is bleak dark, then a hint of light over the foothills in a long thin line, and the appearance of subtle dawn shadows as if the night needs to cling to the ground a little while longer, not wanting to relent and let us go.  Color appears, erasing all doubt: the hills begin to glow orange along their crest, as if a flame is ignited and is spreading down a wick.  Ultimately the explosion occurs, spreading the orange pink palette unto the clouds, climbing high to bathe the glaciers of Mount Baker and onto the peaks of the Twin Sisters.

Dayspring. From dark to light, ordinary to extraordinary. This gift is from the tender mercy of our God, now glowing in the light of the new Day, guiding our feet on the pathway of peace.  We no longer must stumble in the shadows.

Luke 1:78-79

Everlasting Father

photo of sunset on the farm by Nate Gibson

Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah announced several names for the Deliverer to come.   In addition to Wonderful,  Counselor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, somehow  “Everlasting Father” doesn’t quite seem to describe a newborn baby who we, first and foremost,  understand to be God’s Son.

Yet He is our “parent for eternity”– the reason for our existence and the father of our faith.  He always was, and has been, and will forever be.

And so, ironically and fortunately, we are lovingly cradled, protected and loved by the helpless baby in the manger.

Evermore and evermore.

Isaiah 9:6

First Fruits

www.keithv.com/blog/index.php?m=09&y=96

In the summer, I watch for that first swelling peapod, that first berry that is exactly the right red, the cherry that glistens just so, the tomato that has a bit of give when touched gently.  It is the anticipation of something long waited for, now in our grasp.

That which is most precious to us, that which we cling to most tightly,  is what we are least likely to let go or give away.  Giving the first and best of our harvest, whether it is our material possessions, or our own souls,  was historically considered the greatest sacrifice, signifying an acknowledgment that all we have and all we are comes from the Lord himself.  Even Israel itself is portrayed in Jeremiah 2:3 as set apart for God as the “firstfruits of his harvest.”

Jesus is the ultimate “first fruits”, having become a sacrifice for the sake of mankind’s salvation, and the first to be raised from the dead.  Because he is First, we “each in his own turn”,  follow him.  He has given himself to us, once long awaited, now in our grasp.

1 Corinthians 15: 20, 23

Great Shepherd

photo by Graham Hobbs in Dorset, U.K.

We’ve never owned sheep in over 25 years of living on the farm, although we have considered it, even bought a book or two on sheep raising, and looked at a few heritage breeds.  We haven’t bought one (yet).  The downside of sheep is they are high-maintenance with a tendency to easily get into trouble , often have difficulty lambing so need to be watched and assisted if necessary, must have regular hoof and health care and most of all,  are defenseless against predators.    In other words, they require stewardship that we couldn’t commit to providing.  Cows, horses, goats, chickens, geese, and ducks seemed like commitment enough.

The sheep herds of Bible times (and even these days in sheep country) have full time shepherds moving with the flocks, using dogs for predator control and flock management.  The shepherd is essential for the survival of the sheep, as well as the well being of the entire flock.

Jesus is called the Great Shepherd not just because of his leadership, but because he is also the Lamb.  He knows the vulnerability of having no means to defend oneself, being completely submissive to a greater will and plan than one’s own, having experienced the pain of sacrifice, and the rescue into the loving arms of the Lord after death.  Knowing our weakness, Jesus carries us, his sheep, gently and lovingly on his shoulders, guiding us to the pathways where we will be safest, searching for us if we are lost, protecting us if we are threatened.

The shepherd, knowing the sheep, promises to be there, no matter what, no matter where. We who have gone astray, every one to his own way, will return to the fold, knowing he calls to us out of love.

Constructing a corner is complicated business: joining two right angle pieces together in such a way that the resulting union is stronger than either one alone.   The corner piece, whether it is a pole with bracing in the case of field fencing, or a large stone in the case of a building, must be strong enough to hold and support the joined structure together.

In the case of the psalmist, he describes one such large stone that seemed such a “misfit” that it was rejected by the builders as being unusable.  However, once the construction started, it was clear the stone was cut and created exactly for the purpose of becoming the foundational support, and was desperately needed for the project to be able to continue.   It, in fact, fit the need perfectly.

A “cornerstone” installation has become a common ceremonial task with any new building construction to this day.  Even if it has no functional significance to the strength of the building, (it is most often just a plaque with the name and date of the building), it does help bear the emotional weight of the effort made to plan, design, and fund new construction that is finally becoming reality.

It is tempting as well to treat Jesus as a ceremonial headstone of the corner, as there is plenty of emotion in the nativity story during advent.  Who cannot hear the Christmas story without feeling sentimental and awestruck?  But he is no ritual plaque in the side of the wall, simply a reason for a celebratory ceremony and then everyone goes home while someone else finishes the construction.  Jesus is the real foundation, the only foundation we have to build on, and his birth demands that we build his church upon him, rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty and sweaty in the process.  Like the headstone of the psalm, he absolutely was rejected by the pharisees as a misfit for his time, unacknowledged for the strength he bore alone in joining disparate Jews and Gentiles together who had previously been at right angles to one another.

We cannot make the same mistake again.

Psalm 118:22

Immanuel

God’s covenant with His people is recorded early in history: the rainbow as a sign of His promise not to destroy the earth again,  a promise to Abraham to increase his descendants to as many as the stars in the sky, or the sands of the sea, the renewal of the broken bond of fellowship with His idolatrous people, the faithful remnant, then finally that a descendant of David would rule His people, including all nations.

So Isaiah’s announcement that a virgin would bear a son whose name, Immanuel, means “God with us” must have not seemed very clear to God’s people.  God had already promised to be with His people, many times in many ways, and had proven His faithfulness over and over again.

Yet generations later, when a teenager is told she is with child by the Holy Spirit, and her betrothed husband plans to quietly divorce himself from their planned marriage,  he is assured by the Lord in a dream about the true nature of this pregnancy.  Matthew reminds us of the Old Testament promise of a son to come, and suddenly it becomes clear:  God will be living with us, as a man, born of woman.  There is no greater covenant than God walking alongside us, knowing us as son, brother, friend, teacher and in the ultimate bond with His people, dying in our place.  God with us, God in our place, God fulfilling His promises–always.

Isaiah 7:14  and Matthew 1:23

Jesus as Yeshua

What did Jesus’ name actually sound like when pronounced?  The name Jesus is an English translation of the Greek  Iesous (pronounced ee-ay-sus). Yet Jesus grew up Hebrew, not Greek, so his Hebrew name would  have been pronounced differently and certainly not with a J sound as there is no J in the Hebrew alphabet.  His Hebrew name before translation to Greek was written as above:  Yeshua,  roughly translated: “God is a saving cry” or more precisely “shout to God when in need of help.”     It simply means “he saves”.

I’m not too troubled that we pray a name that is pronounced differently than what his original name may have sounded like.  I’m reassured that his name, however it sounded,  was provided by the Father for the Son, with both earthly parents clearly instructed on what to name the baby.

It was God’s message to them, it was God’s message to His Son, and most of all, it was His message to us:  “Shout to me when you need help–I will come.”

Luke 1:31

Matthew 1:21

photo by Nate Gibson--Mt. Baker at sunset from our back yard

There is glory–that almost indefinable splendor, wonder and honor that illuminates earth from heaven–expressed in every carol, every reading, every quiet and noisy moment of the advent month.  It is a word that becomes ubiquitous because it alone, like no other word,  expresses the significance of God becoming man.

Glory is an essential attribute of God–it shines all around Him, and overwhelmingly covers the earth as He chooses to join us here.  We are to lift up our heads, unlatch our gates, open our doors and let Him in.

Who is this King of Glory?   A paradox.   The Lord strong and mighty,  lying swaddled, at once victorious and helpless,  in a lowly manger.

Glory to God!

Psalm 24:7

http://www.loftgallery.org/mac.shtml

Our woodlands in the northwest have many wildflowers that are a delight to the eye and the nose.  Some of the most prolific are the ground covers that carpet shadowy paths, not at all showy but growing everywhere at once.  Lily of the Valley with its sword like upright leaves and humble hanging blossoms,  thrives almost anywhere, with a root and bulb system that survives the most extreme conditions.  Even if not visible while hidden underground, it is ready to spring up again.   And it will always return again, no matter what.

And so will our Lord.

Song of Solomon 2:1-3

In my work, I see sorrow daily.  It can look very different depending on the individual and circumstances, manifesting as a headache, or stomach ache, or back ache, or it can look like the tear streaked face of the deepest soul ache.  Too often it is from the distress borne out of the sadness of broken relationships, from abandonment, betrayal, and dishonesty.  Sorrow is a response to overwhelming sin.

What I don’t see often is the crushing weight of someone taking full responsibility for another’s sin.  Imagine offering oneself up , accepting punishment for something one has not done, making the ultimate sacrifice to pay off another’s debt, to walk the earth every day knowing the suffering that will be necessary for all this to happen as planned.

We are told Jesus wept.   He knew soul ache first hand, but the ache was for our souls, his sorrow for us.

He entrusts his broken body to us,  his blood spilling at our feet.   All we are asked to do is hold him and love him.  And the ache will go away.

Isaiah 53:3

Nazarene

from www.nazarethvillage.com

“Nazareth!  Can anything good come from there?”  Even a future disciple, Nathanael, was derisive when he heard about Jesus from his friend Philip.   Philip persisted that this man was the one about which the prophets had written.

“Come and see.”

Hailing from an inconsequential small town is always a dubious distinction, and it is a decidedly negative title in the case of Jesus being called a “Nazarene”  as part of prophecy fulfillment.  Since the precise word Nazarene is not found in the Old Testament, it is not clear what prophecy is being referred to here, but the connotation is clear: this man deserves no honor or respect simply because of where he comes from.

Jesus even returns to Nazareth as an adult to teach in the temple and there his own townspeople reject him, insulting him by saying “isn’t this the carpenter?”  The child they watched grow up couldn’t possibly be equipped to preach profound teachings, or perform miracles.  He could not possibly be especially blessed because they themselves were nothings.  He could not come from Nazareth and be the Son of God.  Nazareth was simply not important enough.  They were underestimating what potential they themselves possessed.

They were wrong.   They were wrong about Jesus, and they were wrong about how the Lord uses the obscure, the despised, and the nothings for His purposes.

Those who come from a small town should never be underestimated.

Matthew 2:23

As Jesus is the beginning and the end, the first and the last,  he becomes everything in between. We are to remember him in anything we do, or say, or think.

From Charles Spurgeon: “… if you have left out Christ, there is no manna from heaven, no water from the rock, no refuge from the storm, no healing for the sick, no life for the dead.  If you leave out Christ, you have left the sun out of the day, and the moon out of the night, you have left the waters out of the sea, and the foods out of the river, you have left the harvest out of the year, the soul out of the body, you have left joy out of heaven, yea, you have robbed all of its all.  There is no gospel worth thinking of, much less worth proclaiming in Jehovah’s name, if Jesus be forgotten.”

Revelation 22:16

Paschal Lamb

bronze sculpture by C. Malcolm Powers from www-personal.umich.edu/~mmpowrs/front.html

When I was growing up, when hearing the Old Testament Passover story from the Book of Exodus, I’d always flinch at the choosing of the year old male lamb “without blemish” to be selected as the sacrifice for the meal, and whose blood was used to mark the doorposts of the homes of God’s people, enslaved in Egypt.  His blood spared those residing inside from the angel of death slaying the firstborns, securing the “Passover” of that home,  so the lamb became the sacrificial replacement as directed by the Lord Himself.   Although I understood the reason for the sacrifice of the perfect lamb, as a child I secretly thought it would be preferable to have a blemish or two, thus avoiding being chosen.  What became clear later was that lambs, particularly the ones with blemishes, were doomed to be slaughtered for meat anyway–their death was a certainty.

Only the Passover lamb actually saved lives, lives that were to be liberated from the bondage of slavery.  Lives that are liberated from the bondage of sin.

Jesus is the Worthy Lamb, sacrificed so that death will pass over us, that we will be changed forever, freed from who we have been.  Death is no longer our certainty.

Quickening Spirit

There is a distinct and memorable moment in pregnancy, around 16 weeks, when there is an undeniable awareness of movement within the womb--initially a fluttery feeling, but then over the next few days, there are tickly sensations, then rolling, then pushes.  It is referred to clinically as "quickening"--an emphatic evidence of life within--and there is profound acknowledgment that one's life is no longer one's own.   It is now shared.

Jesus is called the "second Adam"  through his death and resurrection,  a quickening spirit now shared with us, so much more than the simple life and breath of the first Adam.  The spirit lives and breathes within us, fluttering and rolling, pushing us from inside, creating in us more than we ever could become on our own.  We are startled by its presence, amazed by its touch, forever transformed, and never, never to be the same again.

1 Corinthians 15:45

Refiner's Fire

It is hard to admit: I need cleaning, and badly.  It isn’t just dirty fingernails after working in the barn, or the messed up hair after being out in the wind.  I am usually presentable most of the time, but there is still plenty of grime in every aspect of my being, primarily invisible and internal.

Refining is a painful process whether by complete melt down by fire  or a thorough scrubbing by soap.   Malachi addresses this and John Piper on www.desiringgod.org helps me understand why this must hurt:

“We were created in the image of God with the potential to reverence God and trust him and obey him and glorify him, but we were born in iniquity and in sin did our mothers conceive us. We are shot through with the impurity of rebellion and unbelief, and we fall short of God’s glory again and again.

You can prove this to yourself in many ways. For example, you can notice how readily your heart inclines to those things that will show your strengths to other people, and how resistant your heart is to communion with God in solitude.

So we are impure by nature and by practice. But God will have no alloys in heaven. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ And yet he will have someone in heaven. He will have a redeemed people. His banquet hall will be full. And therefore he must be a refiner’s fire. If he were only a forest fire, heaven would be empty. If he were only an incinerating fire, heaven would be empty. And if he were no fire, heaven would be empty.”

Malachi 3:2

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Shiloh

Especially in the hubbub of holiday activities, I yearn for moments in which to breathe deeply, sit quietly and absorb the impact of what the Lord’s advent (“arrival”) really means.  Typically I find that respite when I’m lingering in the barn after feeding our animals and listening to them chew–a sense of contentment and fulfillment is a contagious thing.  It is my time of calm reflection: I long for an emerging peace to overtake me and flow with me afloat, like a river.

“Until Shiloh comes” is a prophecy of not yet unlocked mystery, as the name itself has potentially different meanings.  What is clear:  the Hebrew children of God were to expect great things from a future ruler to whom everything belongs.  Already in Genesis, there is written a promise of tranquility, an assurance of peace to come.

Peace arrived unexpectedly in a barn, softly, gently, swaddled and sleeping in a manger–and we all can linger there, overtaken and overwhelmed by tranquility,  a little longer.

Genesis 49:10

Tender Shoot

I’m reminded every spring, as we break the soil in the garden for that season’s planting, how challenging is the job of the seed.  It is a plain, unadorned and ordinary thing, a little boring even, practically forgotten once it is placed in the ground.   Yet the ordinariness is only the outer dress; the extraordinary is contained within, and within days a tender shoot braves all to come to the surface, bowed and humble. It establishes a root that ensures survival, even in the most inhospitable ground.

So it is with Jesus whose ordinary origins belied his holiness.   Hardy root and tender shoot, he reaches up to the heavens and deeply into the earth,  both at once.

We will be fed.

Isaiah 53:2

Unspeakable Gift

Playing piano for over twenty years of Sunday School Christmas programs at our little church, I’ve watched a whole generation of children  go through the stages, starting as tiny angels with glitter garland halos, then shepherds in bathrobes and dishtowel head coverings, then finally to the more specialized roles of Mary, Joseph and the three kings.  The plywood manger is a bit more wobbly,  but the baby doll Jesus doesn’t mind.  The few years we’ve had a newborn baby from the congregation available for the program,  the manger remains a prop only,  since mangers are not exactly comfortable cribs for a 40 minute program.  Instead we choose a reliable strong-armed Mary, preferably a big sister, with mom staying close by in the front row.

Each year,  and tonight’s program was no different, there are surprises and unforgettable moments (tonight’s was the suddenly lit Christmas lights worn by the ‘head’ angel making the shepherds “sore afraid”–the look on their faces was priceless).    Unplanned moments aside, the annual Christmas program is meant to help children understand the most important Christmas gift they will ever receive.

The gift itself is said to be “indescribable”.   And it is “unspeakable”:  impossible to put into words that are adequate.   So we try, every year, with scripture readings, songs, and a humble pageant of Bible time characters, simply to open hearts.  It is the heart that will understand, even when the ears may not be able to hear.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Vine

watercolor by Janet Vanderhoof

There is something reassuring about knowing I’m attached and nurtured by something bigger, stronger, more deeply rooted and permanent.  There are times when I’m buffeted in the wind, beaten by the rain, burned by the hot sun, or crushed under the snow,  yet I’m unbroken because of the foundation I’m connected to.   I’m fed so I bear fruit that will nourish and sustain others.  My thirst is quenched so I can grow taller to provide shade and shelter.

To produce fruit is to fulfill the purpose for which I was created.   And so the vine can reach far beyond its root and trunk.

John 15:5

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Wise Master Builder

We are in the midst of the building of a garage next to our house–a project we have waited on for 15 years.  The plans were actually drawn a number of years ago, but there simply weren’t the resources available until now.

So the original plans were dusted off, updated, the builder selected and the project begun.  The ground has been smoothed and prepared, the foundation poured, now the walls and support beams are going up.  It all happens in a particular sequence, one step after another, so the building will be finished properly and safely.  To try to put up support beams and roof before a foundation is built would be foolish.  Likewise, a floor with no roof would soon become a pond.

There is a design, a plan, and a project underway by a Master Builder.  Thank goodness our lives are in steady hands with a good grip and a sharp eye for detail.

1 Corinthians 3:10

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X Stands for Christ

In December 1963, it was of questionable taste to use styrofoam letters toothpicked together to spell out “Merry Xmas” in a family Christmas picture for our family Christmas cards.  Why the X?   Because we couldn’t get the whole word “Christmas” to hold together without collapsing into a mess of vowels and consonants.  We certainly tried.  So my dad made a special run back to the crafts store to buy an X so we could get this picture done while his three children were still spit combed, and polished clean.    I vaguely remember by mother being a bit reluctant to use the abbreviation “X” to represent “Christ” in Christmas, as she thought it might offend a relative or two as possibly disrespectful, but we did send this picture out to the 100+ people on her list, and I don’t recall any fall out.

It turns out there is good reason for the traditional “X” in XMAS, and it is not to make Christmas advertising more compact, using less expensive space.   It represents the first letter Chi of the name Christ in the Greek alphabet (Χριστός) and was used as an abbreviation for Christ (sometimes as below in the symbol known as the labarum, in combination with the “P” that represents the Greek letter “Rho”).  This was sometimes a secret communication device between Christians, and often displayed overtly in worship settings.  So the X is, in fact, a name for Christ, in shorthand.  There is no disrespect meant, but rather a way that religious community members could easily find each other in sometimes oppressive circumstances.

Now, 46 years after this photo was taken, it’s the styrofoam that causes offense, knowing it will never break down in landfills, and simply can’t be destroyed without causing environmental damage.  But the X representing Christ is here to stay.   It may offend those who do not acknowledge the reality of God who walked the earth, dying in our place,  broken in body only.  His truth and spirit rose again and cannot, will not, ever be destroyed.

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Yes and Amen

The Annunciation by Henry Tanner, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Today the answer is “Yes”, over and over again.  God’s fulfillment of His promises is manifest in His Son Christ Jesus, born as he was in simple surroundings, with no trappings of royalty or riches.  And so God tells us “Yes” today, again and again, that we may know Him as He has become one with us.  We have experienced God in the flesh, as He dwelt among us.

Christ is the covenant, the contract God has made with His people.  We are bound to Him, even when we pull away and say “No” as we are wont to do,  regularly and emphatically.

Young Mary is an example of how we need to be:  when told the impossible, the implausible, the incomprehensible would happen to her, her response was not “No way–go find someone else!”.  Her response was “Behold the willing servant of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word.”    She says, in essence “Yes!  And Amen!”

How often do we respond with such trust and faithfulness, understanding and accepting Christ as the ultimate “Yes” from God, who ensures our everlasting salvation?

Let it be.

2 Corinthians 1:20

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Zeal

Gerard (Gerrit) van Honthorst (1590–1656), Adoration of the Children (1620), Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Italy

From Isaiah 9:

² 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.

³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.

⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.

⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.

⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

Zeal is not a word used in a positive way in our modern society, primarily because it is the root of “zealot”.  The implication is someone with a fervency bordering on fanaticism, operating in an impassioned state we associate with radical religiosity.  Yet at the conclusion of this beautiful prophecy about the coming of Christ written in Isaiah in Chapter 9, it is the “zeal” of the Lord of Hosts that will provide the unending peace.  Zeal is the human manifestation of the Spirit of the Lord;  it describes Christ Himself.

For followers of Jesus, on Christmas Day, how can we not experience the “zeal” of what the birth of Christ represents to us?  This is far beyond the emotion-filled sentimentality of a lovely story.  It reflects our astonishment, our enthusiastic response to the reality of the Incarnation, of God dwelling with us.

A light has dawned.  We no longer walk in darkness.

Christ, our Zeal, the human form of the Spirit, has accomplished this.

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