Rediscovering Christmas

John Gager. And you know, Charlie, as the end of this year approaches, many world events have left us wondering what God's plan is for the future, particularly when it comes to Israel. Despite its small size, people around the world are just intensely focused on what takes place. There are today's headlines connected in any way at all with prophecies in the Bible. And how should followers of Jesus interpret current events as we await his second coming.

a great resource or gift. Visit Life in Messiah org and click on the Moody Radio button to find out how you can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible Prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.

the agreement by Hezbollah. Israel responded militarily to those violations, and hopefully the Lebanese army and the monitoring mechanism will get put in place within the 60 day time frame and will prove to be effective in keeping Hezbollah from rearming and attacking. Hamas has apparently signaled a readiness for hostage negotiations and a willingness to drop some of its

previous demands. Part of the reason for this is apparently Hamas's realization that Iran wasn't willing to rescue Hezbollah from Israel, and as a result, won't be coming to the aid of Hamas either. Negotiations with Hamas are more tentative. An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo Thursday for talks, but it's not yet clear if this is a serious effort on the part of Hamas to reach an agreement or just deploy.

Some of the optimism is being driven by a statement, actually a warning to Hamas on the part of president elect Trump that he wants a cease fire that includes a hostage deal in place before he assumes office, or else there are reports Hamas might be willing to allow Israel to maintain a temporary presence in the security corridor between Egypt and Gaza. Now we'll have to wait and see what happens with these negotiations.

it included a revolt against Assad. Part of it was religious, with the majority Sunni Arabs chafing under the rule of the minority Alawites. The revolt opened the door for ISIS, a Sunni Islamic group which eventually took control of northern Iraq and a large part of Syria. Assad survived thanks to the help of Russia and Iran and Iran's allies like Hezbollah. The official government in Damascus remained in power thanks to Shiite Muslims and Russia. Well, elements of ISIS

still remain, along with other Sunni Islamic groups. One of those is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. They're abbreviated as Htz. Some of the groups received support from Turkey, which has used them as mercenaries in its fight against the Kurds. Two recent events, though, changed all this equation. The first was Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the second was Israel's conflict with Hezbollah and Iran. This bogged down the groups who

were supporting Assad. That is, Russia and Iran keeping them from providing additional support, has launched a surprise attack against Aleppo and overran the city in a matter of days. They took over major areas in northern Syria. And one real fear is that the rebels could overrun military bases where chemical weapons are stored. Russia and Iran have provided some air support, but they aren't able to offer any immediate ground support. And what happens next will depend on

how these different groups respond. Will Assad's forces be able to beat back the rebels? Will the so-called Syrian National Army, which is backed by Turkey, be able to keep from advancing further south? Will the Kurds be able to hold out, or will they form an alliance with Assad to help stop the rebels? Will Russia and Iran be stretched to the breaking point, trying to invest more resources to support Assad? And how will Israel respond since every one of these groups,

except for the Kurds, oppose them. This could all die down rather quickly, or it could become another religious and ethnic war pitting Sunnis against Shiites, Turkey against the Kurds and Arabs against Persians. But we need to watch to see if Russia and Iran can arrange for some sort of an agreement between Syria and Turkey to end the conflict, or if it's going to continue spiraling out of control.

suggesting its owner was someone of great prominence. Near the tunic they found a scepter, oak wreath and diadem, all made of gold, which match articles shown on reliefs and drawings that depict Alexander the Great. If it wasn't Alexander's tomb, what were these items doing there? Well, the archaeologists believe

the tomb complex belonged to Alexander's family. The three main tombs contain the remains of Alexander's father, Philip II of Macedon, Alexander's son, who died in his teens, and Alexander's half brother Philip the Third, who was crowned king after Alexander's death. The tunic and gold items were found in the tomb belonging to Philip the Third, who likely appropriated them after Alexander's death to give himself legitimacy as heir to the throne.

This fascinating find helped identify those buried in the tombs, and also provide some historical insight into Alexander the Great himself.

And for battery, this all looks like an opportunity. They formed the company to safely, effectively and economically recycle all types of lithium ion batteries. Their production line captures every speck of battery dust. The recycled powder brings thousands of dollars per ton. The plant in southern Israel was just inaugurated this past summer and handles everything from £13 scooter batteries to half ton car batteries to two ton electric

bus batteries. When recycled, each battery produces a 60% mixture of black powder composed of nickel, manganese, cobalt, and lithium. It also contains, by volume, 17% copper, 8% aluminum, and all the rest is plastic, and everything is recycled except for the plastic, which right now has little demand. Israel has no laws governing the recycling of batteries, and battery, wants to set the pace by showing how it can do it safely, economically and sustainably. And that is an

innovation from amazing Israel. I think that we can all applaud.

But what if we could put it all together? Well, you're invited to join us for an adventure in rediscovering Christmas. A welcome to the second of four segments here on the land and the book. I'm John Gager, and let's get creative for just a moment and think about ways that we can reach out to our Jewish friends with the message of the one who was born at Christmas. So you would like to have a conversation with your Jewish friend, and you'd like that conversation to be centered

on Jesus and your Christian faith. But you're kind of nervous because they might just ask a question that you cannot answer. What then, Greg Savitt, what do you say?

you can sit down and have a conversation. Jewish people will respect you more if you say, I really don't know that. That's a great question, as opposed to you just flying by the seat of your pants and giving them an answer that really you don't know anything about. So it's okay to say I don't understand and to get back to them.

on his new devotional, Rediscovering Christmas. It's great to have you on the land and the book, John.

for you to do every day. It seems like one more thing on your to do list. And so we wanted to create a book that would help someone, you know, go a little bit deeper with the Christmas story, spend time with the Lord, get that personal reflection, and really help someone dive into what was happening in that first Christmas, but not feel like it's another chore. So you're right, it is a little bit airy. There's 12. It's set up as 12 readings. So, you know, there's 25 days

in December to Christmas. If you want to go every other day, you're going to get there. If you want to go straight through, you're going to get there. But if you miss a day, don't worry about it. You can go back. For a lot of people, this is going to end up being the true 12 days of Christmas where where they're doing it, you know, once the rush is over and Christmas has happened, they're doing it from,

you know, Christmas to January 6th, epiphany. So there's kind of a bunch of different ways you can do it. But the idea is I don't want to put another thing on your back. I just want to help you really focus on Christmas and, you know, enjoy it while you're doing it.

Where the wise men fit in with the shepherds. And so I've kind of laid the whole thing out chronologically, so you can read it as one story, but as far as details go and things that people often miss. Here's a here's a good one. So we've all heard, right. There was no room at the inn. But if you actually look at the word that's often translated inn. It's probably better translated as something like guest room. The reason we think that is because. So Luke uses that word

in Luke two. It's the word kataluma, the Greek word kataluma. But he describes an inn later in his gospel when Jesus is telling the parable of the Good Samaritan and it's not that word. So we sort of know, okay, if he was going to really talk about an actual commercial inn like we would think of, he wouldn't use the word kataluma. He does use that word kataluma when he's describing the upper room where Jesus and his disciples

had their last meal. Yes. So that gives you the sense that it's really more of like, you know, the room, you know, at the top of the house, a guest room for people. And so that kind of changes the whole story if you think about it. Because now, instead of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem the night she's going to go into labor and they're struggling to find an inn, they're probably in a relative's house. And the reason they're not in the upper room or the kataluma

is just because there are other people there. Everyone's coming to town for the census, so now they're in the room below there. There's a manger there. Not because it's a barn or a stable or even a cave, but because this is the lower room in the house where on a really cold night, the animals might have been brought in. And so there's not necessarily animals there, but the manger is there, you know, from when that is the case. And so now it's a different picture, right.

They're in a family home. They're likely surrounded by loved ones. You know, God's really taking care of them as opposed to kind of the way we always picture it, which is, you know, it's Mary and Joseph fighting against the elements. They're all on their own. They're suffering for the Lord. And it's I don't really think Scripture is telling us that. I think it's actually communicating. No, no, no, God is

a good father who provides. And even when it didn't seem like there was a way to have a relatively normal childbirth experience, he does it for Mary, who said willingly, you know, be it to me, as you say, to Angel Gabriel. And so I think that's a beautiful picture. And we often kind of miss. And it's because of that one little word. Right? Yeah. So that's the sort of thing that I point out in the book, this is.

appears to him. And it's Gabriel. And he says, your prayer has been heard. Right. And it's kind of this funny thing because there's really two prayers, right? It's pretty clear. Gabriel is talking about his prayer for a child. But also, you know, he was in there offering incense, praying for Israel in the hope of Israel. And so the hope of Israel, the hope of Zechariah and Elizabeth. It's being answered in one fell swoop with a baby. That baby

is John the Baptist. The funny thing is, is if you go into the names Elizabeth and Zechariah, there's sort of a a funny thing that happens where Zechariah's name means Yahweh remembers and Elizabeth's name means my God is an oath. So every time they speak to one another, they're being reminded that, hey, does God remember? Remember my prayer? Hey, is God going to keep his promise? He told Abraham that you know his his children, his descendants would be

no more than the sands on the seashore. And what about me? Am I included in that? Am I going to get to have children? And so it's kind of this almost bittersweet reminder every time their names are spoken. And if you go into Luke where John the Baptist is born and Zechariah is praising God, he says this thing that just kind of answers that. He says, let me read it for you. This is Luke one. So

I'll start with verse 72. Zechariah's praise of God. He says he has dealt mercifully with our ancestors and remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham. So Zechariah's recognizing that God's answering these longings right. And then God does this thing with another name. He tells them, right, name the child John. Well, John means Yahweh is gracious. And that's the answer to their prayers is yes. God is more gracious than you could have imagined. Right?

So it's this beautiful picture that we often miss because we don't necessarily go back and go, what do these names mean? But there it is, right? God answers the longings of our hearts and oftentimes in ways better than we could have imagined.

what is this sign? What is so special? It's more than just. Oh, yeah, like you said, it's more than a makeshift cradle. And so when you think about it, right, what is what is a manger? A manger is a feeding trough. It's where animals go to eat. And Jesus, you know, when he's an adult and he's in his ministry, he's going to say, I'm the bread of life. You know, you must eat of my flesh. And this is in

John six. And when he tells the crowds this, they it says, you know, the many disciples stopped following him because it's such teaching. But that's the reality. If we are going to be saved, if we are going to truly know God, we have to partake of Jesus life. And so it's fitting then, that when Jesus was born, he was placed in a manger, which is where you know, what goes into a manger, dies so that the sheep can have life. And, you know, as Isaiah famously said,

we all, like sheep have gone astray. We need that life. And, you know, again, Bethlehem means house of bread. So, so it's all these little details are so fitting to kind of point us forward past Christmas, to Easter, to the cross, because that really, you know, if you think about Christmas, the good news of Christmas, it really isn't good news without Easter, right? We are in need of a savior.

We needed the cross. We need the empty tomb. And so I always say, the best way to look at Easter is to look through the manger and see that that was part of God's plan all along. That's what Jesus came for. That is how he is our Savior. As the angel told those shepherds just.

his sight. What does that say to folks listening right now, John, to this conversation who feel old and worn out and lacking worth?

Spirit was upon Simeon. Anna was called a prophetess. So they're both, you know, they both have the spirit at work in their lives, and they're obeying him and they're they're looking for the Messiah. So what's funny there is, you know, Jesus is we sort of know the story, right? We know Jesus is going to come to die for

our sins. He is the sacrificial lamb. One of the jobs of the priests in the temple was to to identify and to review and to say, this sacrifice is approved and Jesus comes to them and they present him as part of the dedication. And, you know, the priests don't recognize who he is, and we can't really blame them. Jesus looks like a normal baby, but there's no supernatural insight. However, God reveals who Jesus is, who this little Jewish baby that looks like a thousand others, who he is to

people you would not have expected, right? Simeon and Anna. And that's sort of the nature of the kingdom, right? God looks at what's going on in your heart. God looks for who his friends are, who the people who are really chasing after him, and those are the people he reveals his secrets to. Those are the people he speaks to in ways that the religious folks, the people who seem to have it all together on the outside.

They often miss it because they're not walking in that union with God the way someone like Simeon or Anna would have. So, you know, I look at that and I say, wow, there's hope for me. Right. I'm not anybody special. But if I keep on walking with the Lord, you know, I keep listening to his voice, you know, looking for what the spirit is leading me to. I can be part of God's story. I can be part of God's plan.

land and the book. But, you know, as the end of the year approaches, many world events have left us wondering what is God's plan for the future? And this is especially true when it comes to Israel, right? Despite its tiny size, people around the world are intensely focused on what takes place in Israel. So are today's headlines connected in any way with prophecies in the Bible? How should followers of Jesus interpret current events as we await his second coming?

or gift. Visit Life in Messiah. Org and click on the Moody Radio button there to find out how you can receive your copy of God, Israel and Bible prophecy. That's life in messiah.org.

And finally he says, there everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. That's in verse 23. And his point is that no one should seek his own good but the good of others. Then in chapter 11, Paul deals with the issue of personal freedom versus concern for and submission to others in matters of public worship. Now, I'm not sure we fully understand all the cultural distinctives of first century Corinth, and I think we sometimes focus on

those details rather than the main topic being addressed. I think the main points Paul is making are clear, though. He begins by focusing on the reality that we are to display proper respect for authority as a way to honor God. Paul applies this to men, women, and Christ in verse three. He then explains how the willingness to demonstrate such respect is to be displayed within the gathering

of the local church. While the specifics of how we are to demonstrate respect and proper biblical submission might vary within cultures. Two statements Paul makes seem to say, we can't simply throw out the entire section by saying it's just cultural at first. In verses eight and nine, Paul anchors his statements in creation itself. Complementary roles for men and women were established as part of God's creative order.

And second, in verse ten, Paul anchors his statement about the need to demonstrate proper respect and submission in the reality that we're being observed by the angelic order. We only understand a small sliver of all that's involved in God's creation of angels and in Satan's rebellion. But Paul wants his readers to understand that the angels are watching the outworking of God's program for humanity, to understand the importance of obedience, submission, and respect for authority. Americans like

to focus on our rights. Paul's stressing our need to focus on our responsibilities, and that's an important lesson for us to remember.

the babies in Bethlehem. He tried to get Jesus to sin when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, and he entered the heart of Judas to betray Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, however, Satan was only able to strike at Jesus's heel in the sense that his plan failed when Jesus rose from the dead. In contrast, Jesus will eventually strike at Satan's head in the sense that Satan and his followers will be sent to the lake of

fire for eternal punishment. One last thought you might wonder if this is what the verse actually means, or if I'm somehow reading into it. Well, I believe that's what was intended, because later in Romans 16, verse 20, Paul alludes to this verse to encourage the believers in Rome as he writes, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Paul makes it clear that the serpent being referred to as Satan, God through Jesus is

the one who's going to crush him. And in first Corinthians six three, we're told that we will also take part in God's judgment of the angels.

is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor. It's raised in glory. It's sown in weakness. It's raised in power. It's sown a natural body. It's raised a spiritual body. The scriptures also make it clear that following his resurrection, Jesus wasn't just a ghost or an apparition, though his body was different. For example, he was able to disappear from two disciples in Emmaus and then later appeared to

the disciples in Jerusalem. But in the same passage, when the disciples cry out thinking he's some sort of a ghost or spirit. It says he showed them his hands and his feet. Apparently demonstrating that his body still bore the marks of the crucifixion. When they continued having doubts,

he asked for something to eat. Jesus was even more specific when he later appeared to Thomas, and told Thomas to touch his hands and ask Thomas to place his hand in Jesus's side to feel the marks from the crucifixion. Jesus possessed an actual physical body, though he was resurrected and glorified. I don't believe we can fully understand what a resurrection body is like, which is why Paul focused

on that in first Corinthians 15. It's a real, tangible body that's recognizable, and yet it's also different than the physical body we have today. I think we'll definitely be amazed when we receive our resurrection bodies, and I know they will be similar to the one Jesus received in his resurrection. And frankly, I can't wait.

the nation had failed to accomplish. He becomes the light to the Gentiles, but he also died to bring the people of Israel back to God. And he actually mentions that in chapter 49, verses five and six. Now, within this larger context, God points out why this new servant, whom he identifies as Israel in 49 three is needed. Though the nation was originally called to be God's servant, to take the light of God's word to the Gentiles, the people had become deaf and blind themselves. I see

the servant songs as an ever narrowing funnel. In the beginning, the people and this individual are both identified as God's servant Israel. But the original Israel, the nation had failed, had become deaf and blind to God himself, and had ended up themselves needing to be brought back to God. As Isaiah continues, it becomes clear that the ultimate servant, Israel, is the Messiah, Jesus, who will be rejected by the people and put to death. But his death is what

will provide atonement for both Israel and the Gentiles. As Isaiah 53 says, he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow and familiar with suffering, like one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for

our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. So really, as you start with Isaiah 42 and go to Isaiah 53, you see this servant who starts out like Israel but becomes everything Israel. The nation had failed to be. And ultimately dies to provide Israel and the nations salvation.

stick around for more. Everybody loves a great story, particularly a story about somebody who's gone from rags to riches. Well, it's not rags to riches, but it's pit to palace. As we look at the life of Joseph and your devotional coming up, Charlie. Interesting life Joseph led, wasn't it?

There hasn't been a problem. I think that Christians being with Christians has just been a profound experience for me on this trip, and then thinking about the people of the time of Jesus, I just cannot fathom and understand and comprehend that I can now see where Jesus walked and I have been staggered by the experience. And thanks to everyone that was with me, because you shared your lives with me, and I love every one of them.

out of here. Thankfully, she didn't share that sentiment and cooler heads prevailed. I took a different approach to learning theological German and passed the test on the next attempt. But I still remember that day. And it was the pits. In a wild twist of fate, one of the best days of my life took place about four years later. Thankfully, there are a number of best days I can remember from coming to faith to getting married. But the day I have in mind, here is the day I finally

got to visit the ancient city of Babylon. That was the subject of my master's thesis. And here I was, walking the actual street traversed by Daniel and standing in the remains of King Nebuchadnezzar's throne room. That day was unforgettable. In the space of just a few years, I went from the pits to standing in that palace. But reading the Bible I learned I wasn't alone in such wild swings and circumstances. In fact, over 3800 years before my experience,

Abraham's great grandson had a very similar experience. And yet, for young Joseph, the journey from a pit to a palace took more than just a few years. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so follow me. As we trace Joseph's wild roller coaster ride that sent him into the depths before rocketing him up to the heights. Our first stop on this journey is near the ancient town of Dothan. Dothan's visited by very few tourists today, but that's because the road to Dothan from the Jezreel Valley runs through

the modern Arab town of Jenin. Let's just say Janine is one of those towns you don't want to visit if you value the windshield of your car or bus. And that's a shame, because the road that passes by is one of the three main routes south from the Jezreel Valley. The more direct road passes by Megiddo, but the Dothan Pass was a well-known roadway for ancient travelers. As we stand here, we see a group of ten

men watching over flocks of sheep and goats nearby. They're looking toward the South, and they seem to be arguing over a lone figure in the distance, walking their direction. Oh, no. It's daddy's little spy coming to check up on us. I could spot that fancy robe he's wearing anywhere. What's he doing up here? I think it's time we taught him a lesson. 17 year old Joseph was too far away to hear the angry words being spoken by his brothers.

He was on a mission from his father to check up on his family, and even finding them hadn't been easy. He started out from his father's tent near Hebron, and had been told his brothers were grazing near Shechem, over 50 miles away. But on arriving there, he discovered his brothers had moved from Shechem to Dothan, another 18 miles. And because they were so far from home, several of the brothers decided this might be a good time to

get rid of young Joseph. You know the story. The brothers ganged up on Joseph, tore off his robe and threw him into a nearby cistern, spotting a caravan of Midianite merchants traveling south along the roadway on their way to Egypt, the brothers decided to sell Joseph as a slave to at least make a little financial profit off their evil deed. They sold Joseph for 20 shekels of silver.

Each of the ten brothers netting a profit of two shekels, the rough equivalent of two days wages from his father's favored son, to being mugged by his brothers and thrown into a pit, to being bought as a slave and carried off to Egypt. Joseph's life ended up in the pits and kept getting worse. You know what happened next? Joseph ended up as a slave in Potiphar's house. God was with Joseph and he found favor in Potiphar's eyes. Unfortunately, he was also eyed by Potiphar's wife, who made Joseph

an offer she was sure he couldn't refuse. Come to bed with me. Joseph's refusal infuriated her, and when he literally fled sexual immorality with her still holding his cloak, she charged him with attempted rape. The pit that Joseph was in seemed to get even deeper. He went from being a slave to being thrown into a cell in

the royal prison once again. Though Joseph's faithfulness seemed to offer a ray of hope, Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker were both thrown into prison, and while there each had a dream. Joseph interpreted both dreams, and they came true. Just as he predicted. The cupbearer was restored to his position in three days, and Joseph had one request remember me, show me kindness, and remember me to Pharaoh. But the prison door slammed shut for another two years. The cupbearer forgot.

Now put yourself in Joseph's place. We might say our life is the pits. If we have a bad day or a bad few days. Joseph's time in the pit and as a slave, and then falsely charged and sent to prison lasted 13 years. That's enough to make anyone become cynical and jaded, but not Joseph. Pharaoh had a dream and it jogged the Cupbearers memory. Joseph was brought from the prison to the palace to interpret the dream.

And as they say, the rest is history. Now, at the still young age of 30, Joseph was placed in charge of the whole land of Egypt. He helped store up grain during the seven years of plenty to bring Egypt through the following seven years of famine, and when the years of famine gripped the land, including the land of Canaan, where Joseph's family still was living, the aged patriarch Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain from a human perspective. Joseph had to understand the irony

of this situation. The brothers who had wanted to enslave, even kill him, were now begging for bread. He literally had the power of life or death over them. Joseph finally revealed to his brothers who he was, and in a bit of understated elegance, Moses recorded what happened next. But his brothers were not able to answer him because they were terrified at his presence. Joseph then explained the

larger issues in play. Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. Later, following the death of Jacob, Joseph reaffirmed his understanding of God's master plan as the brothers bowed before Joseph, saying, we are your slaves. He answered, don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of

many lives. Well, it's time to quietly slip away from the palace and head on home. But what lesson can we carry along with us as we watch Joseph go from the pits to the palace? I think it's this. We all experience highs and lows in life, and sometimes those struggles are caused by others. But rather than getting angry or becoming depressed or seeking revenge, God has a better response. First face life. Realistically, there are people who will mistreat you, disrespect you, even try to harm you.

But look beyond those circumstances and focus on the God of the universe. And as you do, respond in a way that pleases and honors him, even if nothing seems to change in your life. Joseph kept his focus on God, and he consciously chose to always do what was pleasing to God, even when it looked as if his actions were in vain. You do your part and then trust God to do his part at just the right time. Remember, he's the one who can take you from the pits to the palace.