“Truth or Consequences” originally aired in 1940 on NBC radio. A decade later it moved to television on CBS. The show was a combination trivia game and stunt show where contestants were asked silly questions and had to answer correctly before “Beulah the Buzzer” sounded. If they failed to give the “Truth,” they had to face the “Consequences”– usually a funny and likely embarrassing stunt. Often contestants were reunited with long-lost family or friends on the air. Bob Barker was the longest running host from 1956-1965.
Key Principle: God offers direction and correction from His Word, but it must be used for His purposes. When God’s truth is taken from the context of God’s purposes, death and pain results.
In this study, I want to look at three more of the “Lessons of Christmas” for our series, this time zeroing in on three men (or in the case of the Magi a group of men) to look again at the familiar story and recall the principles and lessons that we can live out from it today.
Joseph’s Lesson: “Watch for Curves ahead!”
God may move in a different direction than you planned, but He will use His revelation to bring you along! (God is able to reveal truth when we need it)!
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Joseph is famous, but as with many famous people, he is not truly well known. When Matthew took the time to recall by the power of the Spirit those things done by Joseph, we are exposed to three important balancing contrasts in Joseph.
First, Joseph was Committed but Confused : Joseph made a promise to Mary and she appeared to have broken the promise, though she didn’t (18).
Second, Joseph was Considerate but Concerned: Joseph had more than Mary and himself to consider, so he wanted to deal discreetly with her (19). This speaks volumes about his character – hurt but not vindictive!
Third, Joseph was Convinced but Changed: God stopped Joseph from making a plan to put her away by revealing truth in a dream (20a-23). In the words of his dream God spoke clearly:
• God addressed the central issue: There is no need to fear this marriage – she has been faithful.
• God answered the great question: By whom did this girl get pregnant? The child is from God’s Spirit – she has been blessed.
• God illuminated His purpose: The child will be a Savior – all will be changed.
• God provided the sound evidence: The Word has been attested by God’s promises – it is consistent with the Word (22-23).
Truths from Joseph’s experience:
• Truth #1 I must understand that God can move in my life in a way that makes no sense to me. He is entitled as the Creator to do this, and we should not be surprised by His work. (1:18)
• Truth #2 A long walk with God may NOT protect me from misunderstanding. God is not a man that we should demand to know! (1:19; cp. Job 38).
• Truth #3 The issue is always the same – will I trust His Word? If I do, I will gain the inner qualities that offer fulfillment and sufficiency! (1:20)
• Truth #4 We must learn to look past our problems and even our lives to the greater picture of what God is doing. We can give much for a cause that is greater! (21). The key is understanding it is about HIS PLAN, not our comfort or pleasure (22-23; cp. Phil 2).
It doesn’t mean that you won’t hurt. When you do – reach out to HIM, because He will offer you grace. God hears our cries!
“God hears our cries. He hears our cry no matter the time of the day or night He hears our cry no matter where we are. He hears the cry of every creature on the face of the earth. He hears the cry of a child who cries as her daddy drives away on yet another business trip. She will see him again on Saturday morning. Make that Saturday afternoon. He has a golf game on Saturday morning. God hears her cry.
He hears the cry of the teenage boy who cries himself to sleep in the security of his bedroom after spending his weekend with his step-dad and his mother. The rest of the week he will be with his Dad and his step-mother. He will repeat this same scenario next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after that. God hears his cry.
He hears the cry of the wife who cries as she wonders if the man she married so many years ago will come home today. They had a big fight and he left angry. Words were spoken that neither one meant to speak. She wants to call him, but she is afraid he will not answer his phone. God hears her cry. God hears his cry… wherever he may be.
He hears the
cry of the executive who closes the door to his office and turns his chair away from the window so no one will see his tears. He has just gotten a notice that his position is being phased out. His wife moved out last week. He has no place to go. He has no one to tell. So he sits alone in his office and he cries. God hears his cry.
He hears the cry of the husband who walks down the hall toward the exit of the nursing home where he left his wife. She has not recognized him for quite sometime. He puts the key in the ignition and cries for his wife. God hears his cry.
He hears the cry of a lady who walks into a church and finds a seat. She sits alone. No one speaks to her. No one notices she is there. No one notices when she leaves. As she walks through the parking lot to her car she cries. She cries for the love of someone… anyone. God hears her cry.”(2)
• Truth #5 What God desires is that we walk in obedience. Doing so, we will be what He intends for us and He will use our lives to His glory (24-25).
The Lesson of the Magi: “Watch for falling rocks!”
The old saying is that “familiarity breeds contempt” and we have all experienced that. We get used to conditions that are about all the time. In western Pennsylvania there are two areas where the “falling rock” signs are always there. Though the area is well trafficked by people of a host of other states, it is usually a LOCAL that doesn’t heed the warning and is hit by falling rock, even though it is not difficult to see the areas of trouble if you observe closely. Proximity can be a negative. If you are NEAR the place, you may not see well. The sign is often more carefully heeded by the outsider. Spiritually, it is not those who are near the work of God, but those who follow carefully the Word of God that get the opportunity to experience God’s presence. (God requires that we follow the truth He reveals to experience the blessing of His presence).
Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” 7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
The story of the Magi opens the door to a profile of these men. Four prominent features of their lives come into focus:
The Magi were Discerning but Dumbfounded: The Magi came anticipating that people were celebrating Jesus’ coming (2:1-3). Because they understood the signs, they thought others would as well. Because they saw the event as great, they thought everyone else would as well. They didn’t ask “if” people knew – but assumed they did!
The Magi were Delighted but Deceived: Herod inquired the location from the Sanhedrin and sent the Magi to Bethlehem, asking them to search for the baby and then to report to him (2:4-8). They seem to have bought the idea that Herod was prepared to worship, but inept at searching.
The Magi were Determined but Directed: The magi did their work, but God offered the star to lead them directly to the right place (2:9-10). God doesn’t reveal himself because of our discernment, but to further His plan!
The Magi were Doting but Dependable: They worshipped the baby but followed God’s directions to return home without consulting Herod (2:11-12).
Herod’s Lesson: “Caution – Wet Paint on Road Surface”
I was driving on a road that was newly paved when I saw the sign: “Wet Paint on Road Surface Ahead, Stay in lane”. I stayed in my lane and kept going until I came to the rest stop about a half hour later. Pulling in I noticed how many people around me had “hazard yellow” on their tires, and how many were desperately trying to get the paint off their car’s surface. They decided not to listen, and now the paint that was put on the road to keep them alive and safe had dried into a mess on the paint job of their expensive automobiles. It was a great reminder – when truth is ignored or misused – it causes lasting trouble. Spiritually, when the truth of God is revealed and refused, the promise of life becomes a scourge of death. (Reject or redirect the Word’s revelation, and death will be the result).
13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” 14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.” 16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.” 19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt…”
Herod was Furious but Futile: God directed Joseph to take Mary and the baby to Egypt – out of the path of Herod. When Herod realized he was “played” (Greek: empaizó is “played with” en: with and Paizo: to play), Herod went on a rampage to kill the baby that had already escaped! (2:13-16a).
Christmas isn’t a celebration for everyone, and it never was. Children died when Herod handled the news badly. The gift was to produce life, but it produced death. I read a story that I can never shake this tiem of year from Dr. Jim Dobson about a woman who broke through PAIN in the Christmas season. Let me share it with you..
“Stella Thornhope was struggling with her first Christmas alone. Her husband had died just a few months prior from cancer. Now, several days before Christmas, she felt terribly alone—so much so she decided she was not going to decorate for Christmas. Late that afternoon the doorbell rang, and there was a delivery boy with a box. He said, “Mrs. Thornhope?” She nodded. He said, “Would you sign here?” As she signed the paper she asked, “What’s in the box?” The young man laughed and opened up the flap, and inside was a little puppy. The delivery boy picked up the squirming pup and explained, “This is for you, Ma’am. He’s six weeks old, completely housebroken.”
The young puppy began to wiggle in happiness at being released from captivity. “Who sent this?” Mrs. Thornhope asked. The young man set the animal down and handed her an envelope and said, “It’s all explained here in this envelope, Ma’am. The dog was bought last July while its mother was still pregnant. It was meant to be a Christmas gift to you.” In desperation she again asked, “Who sent me this puppy?” As the young man turned to leave, he said, “Your husband, Ma’am. Merry Christmas.”
She opened up the letter from her husband. He had written it three weeks before he died and left it with the kennel owners to be delivered with the puppy as his last Christmas gift to her. The letter was full of love and encouragement and admonishments to be strong. He vowed he was waiting for the day when she would join him. He had sent her this young animal to keep her company until then. She wiped away the tears, put the letter down, and then remembering the puppy at her feet, she picked up that golden furry ball and held it to her neck. Then she looked out the window at the lights that outlined the neighbor’s house, and she heard from the radio in the kitchen the strains of “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.”
Suddenly Stella felt the most amazing sensation of peace washing over her. Her heart felt a joy and a wonder greater than the grief and loneliness. “Little fella,” she said to the dog, “it’s just you and me. But you know what? There’s a box down in the basement I’ll bet you’d like. It’s got a little Christmas tree in it and some decorations and some lights. And there’s a manger scene down there. Let’s go get it.”
Herod was Fabled but Fleeting: Despite his efforts to save his throne, he lost it forever – leaving a legacy of death and anger. (2:19).
Antiquities of the Jews Book XVII Chapter 6 shows a much of Herod’s character. “He was dying and wanted to be recalled with mourning after his death, so he uttered: “I shall die in a little time, so great are my pains; which death ought to be cheerfully borne, and to be welcomed by all men; but what principally troubles me is this, that I shall die without being lamented, and without such mourning as men usually expect at a king’s death.
For that he was not unacquainted with the temper of the Jews, that his death would be a thing very desirable, and exceedingly acceptable to them, because during his lifetime they were ready to revolt from him, and to abuse the donations he had dedicated to God that it therefore was their business to resolve to afford him some alleviation of his great sorrows on this occasion; for that if they do not refuse him their consent in what he desires, he shall have a great mourning at his funeral, and such as never had any king before him; for then the whole nation would mourn from their very soul, which otherwise would be done in sport and mockery only.
He desired therefore, that as soon as they see he hath given up the ghost, they shall place soldiers round the hippodrome, while they do not know that he is dead; and that they shall not declare his death to the multitude till this is done, but that they shall give orders to have those that are in custody shot with their darts; and that this slaughter of them all will cause that he shall not miss to rejoice on a double account; that as he is dying, they will make him secure that his will shall be executed in what he charges them to do; and that he shall have the honor of a memorable mourning at his funeral. So he deplored his condition, with tears in his eyes, and obtested them by the kindness due from them, as of his kindred, and by the faith they owed to God, and begged of them that they would not hinder him of this honorable mourning at his funeral. So they promised him not to transgress his commands.” (Whiston translation).
Herod’s final appears to be the order of many innocent people to get them to cry at his funeral. Is there anything more selfish that can be said? Remember, God offers direction and correction from His Word, but it must be used for His purposes. When God’s truth is taken from the context of God’s purposes, death and pain results.
