2018 December

renewing and enriching life

contents eDITORIAL Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew

PROMISE OF MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Rev. Dr. Geevarughese Mathew

God’s Preparation of the Political, Religious, Socio and Moral Scenario of the World for the First Christmas

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THE UNIQUE CHRIST

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Christ the Holy One

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Immanuel - God with us

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Counseling Corner

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Pastor Binoy Eapen Philip

Christmas and the Gospel Rev. Gibson Joy

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Dr. Benjamin George

Dr. R. Stanley

Rev. Mathew Skariah

Manu Mathew

QUIZ

Vol. 11 Issue No. 12 December 2018

A magazine that will enrich and renew your spiritual life and give Christian perspective on current events. e-mail : revivemegod@gmail.com igotoibc@gmail.com visit us : www.revivemegod.org CHAIRMAN PASTOR Dr. T. VALSON ABRAHAM MEMBERS BRO. JACOB THOMAS BRO. SUNNY KODUMTHARA EDITOR PASTOR DR. JOHN K. MATHEW ADMINISTRATIVE EDITOR PASTOR SAJU JOSEPH ASSOCIATE EDITOR MRS. STARLA LUKOSE MANAGER PASTOR T. J. ABRAHAM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JUNE THOMAS ANN ABRAHAM PUBLISHER & PRINTER Lt. Col. V. I. LUKE (Retd.)

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The views and ideas expressed in each article are those of the writer. - Editor

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Letters

Christian Greetings and prayers!

Just a few thoughts about your Magazine “Revive”- with each issue the contents are getting better and better; we are impressed with the contents and the matter and the various write-ups by various authors.

The November 2018 issue is of great import to us - Money and Stewardship my wife and I are relentlessly engaged in emphasizing this aspect especially in Churches and other institutions where we are members. We find this very challenging. A change for better accountability in money matters within churches is always resisted. An initiative to change must come from the leadership.

We are planning to give a photocopy of the recent issue of revive to those within our church leadership and some others.

We also wish to preserve our personal copy; if it is OK with you, can we have another copy - we can always pay for this. In case we have to photocopy the pages, may I have your permission to do so.

With all good wishes and Season’s Greetings, Sincerely, Dr. George Jayaprakash, Coonoor

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A home budget Dear Editor, The November issue of revive was a very practical one. I believe that it must have been very useful for church leaders, families and individuals. All the articles in the magazine were very motivating.

I have personally benefitted from the suggestions from the ‘Just One Minute’

by Rev. Dr. Valson Abraham. What he wrote about the money management by budgeting in each home is true. A budget’s purpose is to establish income against expenses with a written plan.

A budget helps us visualize our goals and aids families to communicate. The number one basis for marital conflict is lack of adequate financial management and good communication between husband and wife on these matters. I am sure this issue is an eye-opener and will facilitate better communication within families on financial matters.

Susy Mathew, Kolkatta

God’s Ownership

Dear revive, The primary reason for arrogance and misuse of money in one’s life is the lack of knowledge that we are mere steward and God is OWNER of all that we own. Dr. John K.Mathew has well explained this point in the last issue of revive in his editorial. We Christians need to realize that from beginning to the end, the Word of God repeatedly emphasizes God's ownership of everything we possess. A steward is entrusted with sufficient resources and the authority to carry out his designated responsibility. Stewardship is living with the awareness that we are managers, not owners; that we are caretakers of God's assets, which he has entrusted to us for this brief season here on earth. This understanding will drastically change the attitude of people in all the aspects of life for good. May God bless us with this valuable basic knowledge.

Roshmon Jacob, Selem

Manna Economy

Dear revive, Greetings!

The study on Manna Economy was new to me and am sure to many other readers as well. It was very impressive and presented very well by Jison Saju Joseph- giving us lessons in faith life.

A Christian's life must ideally be a faith filled life, following the Manna Economy. The writer made the topic very clear to the readers through the life and teachings of Jesus.

When modeling prayer, Jesus addresses material needs by invoking a Manna Economy, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is exactly what we find in the Sermon on the Mount which tells us not to worry about tomorrow as to what we will eat or what we will wear. We are reminded to look at the lilies of the field or the birds of the sky and see how God provides for them and learn how much better God will provide for His own children. Prophet Elijah, after he prophesied to King Ahab about the rain, depended on God for daily provisions.

These examples in the article were very motivating and proving. I continue to pray for the ministry of revive and the writers.

Jose K.C, Nedumangad

Ethics of Money Management Dear Editor, An ethical attitude towards money is very necessary in the lives of christian ministers and believers. It is well delineated in Rev. Christopher Varghese's article, who writes that if money is the primary source for joy or that which brings meaning in our life, then we are inclined towards loving money. Similarly, if we allow money to exercise a controlling influence over our decisions we are thereby serving money.

Money, then, is to be something that we use for our needs, not something that we love or serve.May this be the ethical guideline for our money management in home and in the ministry.

George Mathew, Kochi

renewing and enriching life

Pastor Dr. John K. Mathew

H.G.Wells, an English novelist and historian was not a friend of Christianity. In fact, his biographers

God in Human Form

portray him as either a skeptic or an atheist.

However, his five volumes on world history contain information about Christ than anyone else in human history. According to Tim Lahaye, " beyond all doubt, Jesus Christ is the most discussed, debated and scrutinized person who ever lived".

The historicity of Christ is unquestionable, that people all over the world acknowledge him to be the most outstanding personality ever lived on planet earth. Today, it is not a burden upon Christians to prove the birth of Christ. The simple fact of His birth as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem points to another crucial truth, His Second Coming.

There is a drastic difference between the "Christmas Christ" and the Second Coming of Christ. The first time He came, He came veiled in the form of a child.

The next time He comes, and we believe it will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be abundantly and immediately clear to all the world just who He really is.

The first time He came, a star marked His arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heavens will roll up like a scroll, and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He Himself will light it. The first time He came, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts. The next time He comes, He will bring gifts, rewards for His own. The first time He came, there was no room for Him. The next time He comes, the whole world will not be able to contain His glory. The first time He came, only a few attended His arrival... some shepherds and some wise men. The next time He comes, every eye shall see Him. The first time He came he came as a baby.

Soon He will come as Sovereign King and Lord.

Two thousand years ago Pilate, the Roman governor asked a question. " What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah" ?

This is a recurring question we all need to answer. Who is Jesus for us? What shall we do with him ? To quote Lahaye once again, " Even after twenty centuries, He has more defenders and opponents than any other single figure. While there are thousands of academicians with the highest of degrees who willingly confess Him as Lord, there are also thousands of others who would, if they could, destroy His credibility". Who is Jesus for you?.

Many famous writers, thinkers, and leaders of history witnessed to their belief in Jesus Christ.

William Shakespeare: 'Jesus Christ, my Savior'.

The first

time He came, a star marked His arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heavens will roll up like a scroll, and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He Himself will light it.

W.E. Gladstone: 'All that I live for is based on the divinity of Jesus Christ'.

It can be concluded with the fitting lines of C.S. Lewis, "God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form. The perfect surrender and humiliation were undergone by Christ ... perfect because he was God." Who is Jesus Christ for you?

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Rev. Dr. Geevarughese Mathew former Principal, Marthoma Theological Seminary Faculty, IBC and Seminary, Kumbanad

PROMISE OF MESSIAH

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Promise of the Messiah is one of the central themes in the Old Testament.

The New Testament affirmation that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the messianic

prophecies in the Old Testament is so deep rooted in our Christian faith. The word Messiah in Hebrew means “anointed”. In Greek it is translated as “Christos” from which the title Christ derives. In Old Testament times the anointed were called kings, prophets and High Priests. This was because holy oil was poured upon their heads as a symbol of grace during their ordination to these positions. The faith affirmation that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the savior of the world is understood as the fulfillment of promises we find in the Old Testament.

The promise of the Messiah to redeem humanity from sin is seen by many even in the account of the creation and fall in the Book of Genesis. The fallen nature of humanity is vividly pictured in Genesis (3:1-24). The man and the woman violated God’s instruction not to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent is a personification of temptation. The serpent made the suggestion but the man and the woman took the decision. The prohibition (Gen.2:17) is violated. The permission (2:16) is perverted. The vocation (2:15) is neglected. The order of transgression and the

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order of punishment are the same. The serpent is not interrogated but he was punished for his sinful act of temptation. God puts enmity between the offspring of woman and the serpent. The clause, “he will strike your head and you will strike his heel” is considered by the early church as protoevangelium which is the first proclamation of the gospel of redemption. God promises that the seed of the woman shall crush the head of the serpent. That means the seed of the woman will obtain victory over temptation and evil. This is taken as the first recorded prophecy of redemption to be brought by Christ. But modern scholars have questioned whether the Jahwist (J) had that kind of a prophecy in mind. It is also argued that the passage is a part of curse and a condemnation, not a prognosis that is an advance indication of future blessings (Oswald Loretz). But within the overall context of Genesis, `the seed of the woman’ refers to those who are righteous, whereas `the seed of the serpent’ denotes those who are wicked. This theme is further expanded in other parts of the Old Testament.

The same theme is emphasized in the life of Abraham whom God called for the blessing of all the nations (Gen.12:1-3). Here we find the principle of election of an individual for the blessing of the humanity. The whole story of Genesis describes the response made to God’s action by successive individuals. The three-fold blessing of land, prosperity and posterity is a recurring theme in life of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God promises the land to the `seed’ of Abraham (12:7). God’s promise to bless the nations of the earth is closely linked to Abraham and his `seed’ (Gen.22:18; 26:4). It is also important to notice that an allusion to the royal line is implied in the story of Abraham. The divine promise made to Abraham that `kings will come from you’ (Gen.17:6) and the statement concerning Sarah that `kings of peoples will come from her’ (Gen.17:16) supports the possibility of a royal line for the blessing of the nations. The final chapters of the book of Genesis describe the life of Joseph and his elevation to the ruler of Egypt. The subject of kingship is prominent in the Joseph narrative. The idea that Joseph from a humble beginning became a channel of blessing for others may be connected to that idea of kingship. Even though Joseph is the main character in the narrative, Judah also plays an important role (Gen.43:8-9; 44:16; 44:18-34; 46:28). The prominence of Judah is further explained in the blessing which he receives from his father Jacob (Gen. 49:8-12). Thus it is envisaged that the royal line is linked to Judah through whom the blessings from God will be imparted upon others.

The book of Ruth is also contributes much to the expectation of the Messiah from the royal line of Judah. The significance of `Bethlehem in Judah is stated in the beginning of the story of Ruth. When a son was born to Ruth and Boaz the women of the neighborhood gave him a name saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the Father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth4:17). Even though the book of Ruth does not mention about the Davidic dynasty, the expectation of a Messiah in the line of David is clearly anticipated.

The establishment of the Davidic dynasty is an important theme in the book of Samuel (2 Sam.7:10-13). The covenant implies that the dynasty of David will continue forever This covenant, often called the royal covenant or Davidic covenant, later ensured the social stability of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. God promised three things to David through this covenant. First, God will make David’s name famous (v.9b).

Second, God will establish peace and freedom from oppression (vs.10-11a). Thirdly God will establish a house for David (vs.11b-12). It is a fact that the Davidic kingdom was destroyed in 586 B.C because of Babylonian captivity. But God’s promise of an enduring line continued in the promise of the coming Messiah, who would be the son of David, the son of Jesse. Later this give rise to the prophetic hope that a Messiah would arise from the house of David to usher the kingdom of God (Is.9, 11).

The prophecy of Isaiah of Jerusalem during the reign of Ahaz in the context of SyroEphramite war (B.C 734-732) regarding the sign of Immanuei is another development of messianic expectation (Is.7:10-17). In the year 734 an anti-Assyrian coalition,

composed of Syria and Israel, invaded Judah in an attempt to force Ahaz, king of Judah to join them. Isaiah confronted Ahaz while the king was inspecting his water supply in anticipation of the coming siege. Isaiah told Ahaz to trust in Yahweh, and not to worry about Syro-Israelite allegiance. Isaiah encouraged to trust in Yahweh, the One who controls the human affairs. Isaiah tried to assure Ahaz that Yahweh would confirm his prediction with a sign. But when Ahaz refused the

The order

of transgression and the order of punishment are the same. The serpent is not interrogated but he was punished for his sinful act of temptation.

God puts enmity between the offspring of woman and the serpent. offer of a sign, Isaiah announced that Yahweh would give him a sign. The sign would be in the form of a child, whose name would be “Immanuel” which means `God with us’. The sign is that the virgin will conceive and bear a son. There has been much debate about the exact meaning of the Hebrew word translated “virgin”, because it can also mean “young woman” of marriageable age. It is also important to note that the word `the’ used before `virgin’ probably indicates that woman was someone whom Isaiah and Ahaz know. It may be December 2018

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The ruler

does not need any external support, He is a mighty warrior God, is relationship with His people is everlasting and His relationship is fatherly, He is the Prince of Peace who always look for the well being of His people. possible that the women might be a member of the royal family whom they already knew. It has been suggested that the child was Hezekah, Ahaz’s son and successor. The message of the prophet was in a specific political and social context but it has so much relevance for the future.

Therefore the New Testament writers rightly make use of it to explain Jesus as the Messiah (Mat. 1:23).

The Messianic King who sits upon the throne of David in Is.9:2-7 seems to be a reference to the sign child. Isaiah is saying that those living in darkness have seen a great light. This light has been interpreted as the great light came into the world who is Jesus Christ. The child of hope will be on the throne with divine qualities. He is described as `Wonderful Counselor’,` Mighty God’, `Everlasting Father’, and `Prince of Peace’ (Is.9:6). All these descriptions are ascribed to the future Messiah. The ruler does not need any external support, He is a mighty warrior God, is relationship with His people is everlasting and His relationship is fatherly, He is the Prince of Peace who always look for the well being of His people. Isaiah further presents the child as the one who rules the remnant of the people with “justice and righteousness (Is.11:1-9). Here the use of the expression, `stump of Jesse’ is carefully used to denote another messianic king from the Branch of Jesse other than David. He will be a perfect king endowed by the `spirit of God’. The spirit will enable him with three sets of characteristics that are vital for administering justice and righteousness. They are wisdom and understanding, counsel and might and knowledge and fear of the LORD. Perhaps the most important promise of Messiah in the Old Testament is seen in Deutero-Isaiah, who prophesied during the Babylonian Exile. The prophecy is a message of comfort, consolation and hope. These prophecies contained in chs.40-55.

The Servant Songs in Dt. Isaiah is understood as a vivid picture of the nature of the Messiah who will be a light to the nations (42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). In the first song, Yahweh announces that the servant will usher a new era of justice to the nations. In the second song, the servant is clearly identified as Israel (49:3). The third song describes the servant as the one who endured hardships because he knew that Yahweh would vindicate him at the end. The fourth song is actually very similar to the life and ministry of Jesus as the servant of Yahweh. This song describes a person who was sick and who suffered vicariously for the wellbeing of others. The servant is compared to a sacrificial lamb whose slaughter atoned for the sins of many. The identity of the servant is difficult to find out. It may be the whole people of Israel or it may an individual who acts as the servant of others. It is very important to notice that Jesus was much inspired by the messianic description of the servant in Dt. Isaiah.

He identified himself as the suffering servant who came to save the sinful humanity.

Jesus read from the Book of Isaiah in the Synagogue making it very clear that He is the Messiah who came with the Spirit of the Lord to proclaim the good news to the poor and to proclaim the Year of Jubilee. The promise of the Messiah as the seed in the royal line of David is being fulfilled in Jesus who humbled Himself as the Servant who brought salvation to humanity through His death and resurrection.

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Timings

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Pastor Binoy Eapen Philip Faculty, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad

God’s Preparation of the Political, Religious, Socio and Moral Scenario of the World for the First Christmas The Fullness of Time

Paul

in his letter to the Galatians (4:4,5) wrote thus “But when the time has fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law” and the purpose is “to redeem those under law that we might receive the full right of sons.” Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry said this “The time has come; the Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News: The meaning of this is that the appointed time of God for the incarnation of Jesus has come. The preparation of the world by God was in such a way that the situation was ripe for the birth of the Son of God and the spread of His good news.

The World Situation “God is the God of History.” Events that happen in history are not mere accidents rather are pre-ordained by God He is in control of the world events. His hand moves in realms of politics, religion social and moral areas. A study of God’s preparation of the world for the birth of His son will help us to know the power and authority of God over the world powers. This writing will specifically emphasise God’s preparation of December 2018

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the Roman world, since the first Christmas was celebrated in the Roman scenario.

God’s Preparation of the Political Realm About a century before the rise and spread of Christianity the whole of the civilized world in the west was united under a big umbrella called the Roman umbrella or Roman Empire. The Roman world included many nations, languages, religions and cultures but it was ultimately ruled by the Roman emperor. The

He who loves with purity considers not the gift of the lover, but the love of the giver.

Thomas a Kempis emperor was the commander in chief of the army and the head of the Roman State Religion.

Ultimately he was the supreme.

The empire was divided into provinces; the older states were ruled by the proconsuls and the new provinces by legates. The Roman rulers ruled intelligently and effectively. Many of the uncivilized nations were civilized by them. Roman rule propagated peace and Roman law emphasized dignity of individuals and justice for all, ultimately Roman citizenship bound up people from different races in unity.

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It was at this time Christianity came in preaching peace unity, hope and justice, since the same concepts were the mandate of Roman rule. People understood the Christian message easily and thus started embracing the new movement. It was thus how God prepared the political world for the spread of Christianity.

God’s Preparation of the Religious World Nations and people were allowed to retain their local gods and worship by the Roman empire. Roman rule respected all religions; meanwhile the old Roman religions lost its vitality and effectiveness.

In place of the ineffective old religions, emperor worship was introduced by the Romans. By BC 175 the worship of Deo-Roma began in Smyrna. In BC 129, in Pergamum a temple to emperor Augustus was erected and within a short period of time , emperor worship was developed into a Roman state religion. By the time of early Christianity this newly founded religion could not satisfy the quest or thirst of peoples' deep hunger for spirituality. It was at this due time (right) Christianity entered society offering peace, love and joy through Jesus Christ. Spiritually hungry people found their answers in Christianity and many embraced this new found religion and thus their thirst for spirituality was satisfied.

Along with emperor worship the most widespread religion of the period was the mystery religions, they were of ancient origin and were either from Greece or the orient. The most popular of the oriental mystery religions were the Magnameter, isisorsis and mithuraism. Importantly all these cults had its likeness to Christianity.

In general their purpose was to free their members from the bondage of the flesh and to assure them a blissful immortality. All promised a happy future to the faithful.

Most of these emphasized brotherhood and stressed on discipleship of all these religions. Mithraism highly resembled Christianity. Both had baptism, sacramental meal, and belief in immortality, resurrection, last judgement, a heaven of bliss and a hell of misery.

Even though the mystery religions offered what Christianity was about to offer the people, people found a big vacuum in the mystery religions, because they had theory; but no life in it.Whereas in Christianity people experienced what they sought and it satisfied their quest. Most of the mystery religions could offer only inquisitiveness and questions in the mind of people.Christianity came forward with answers to it. God brought the religions like emperor worship and mystery religion to the forefront and made people understand the futility in it, thus God prepared the religions scenario for the birth of Christ and His gospel.

God’s Preparation of the Social World and the Intellectual Condition Greek philosophy was the most prominent philosophy of this period. Aristotle and Plato were the two important propagators of these philosophies. a. Epicureanism Epicureanism was an important philosophy of this period. It taught that mental bliss or peace is the highest aim of humans. It also taught that people can be happy inspite of suffering and hardship. It also said the greatest and worst enemy of human is fear. It thoroughly repudiated superstition. b. Stoicism Another very prominent philosophy of the period was stoicism. It taught that all people are equal in God’s sight. It extolled the philosophy of justice, mercy and friendship. It also taught that logos is God the Life and wisdom of all, and this indwells in every human. Stoicism emphasized asceticism in its moral practice.

Though noble in its moral teaching, it lacked human sympathy and neglected human weakness and sin.

renewing and enriching life

c. Cynicism Another contemporary philosophy of the time was cynicism. It thoroughly repudiated display of wealth, superstition and idol worship.

Now how did the philosophical movements prepare the ground for the birth of Christ and spread of the Gospel. They helped people to realize the futility and superstitions in religion and to turn away from idol worship to search for truth and reality. Philosophers aroused inquisitiveness in the minds of people concerning the great questions of life like eternity immortality etc. because Greek philosophies only offered this as philosophies rather it was not clearly exposed to the people it was at this due time Christianity came forward offering the same philosophy in a more simplified and much realistic way. They also drew attention to the importance of ethical and moral behavior. According to Historian E. E. Cairns.

“At the time when Christ came, men realised, as never before the insufficiency of human reason and polytheism. The individualistic philosophies of Epicurus and Zeno and the mystery religions all testify to man’s desire for a more personal relationship to God. Christianity came with the offer of this personal relationship and found that Greek authors, because of their own inadequacy had created hungry hearts”.

Moral Conditions The moral state of the Roman world during the early day’s of Christianity was very dark. Crime and as a result confusion could be seen everywhere. People had no shame in engaging in sin. shame was rapidly declining veneration for what is pure and good was unknown. The upper class of the society was horribly corrupt. Among the middle and lower class, however many were leading virtuous and kind lives.

The social condition of the period was indeed dark. In almost every upper class homes there were slaves. Immense sum of money was spent in lavish display on entertainment and banquets. Human life was given least respect, wealth was unjustly distributed. The situation was thus that no religions or philosophies could give remedy to these conditions of mankind. The majority of people were desperate having no hope and no God and people were thus earning for peace and a deliverance from the situation.

The world sorely needed a savior and in the fullness of time when the world had been prepared for His coming. God sent forth His son Jesus Christ to save all who would accept Him from the wretched social situation.

God’s Preparation of the Jewish World During the period of Emperor Pompey the kingdom had no peace. Later from him the kingship was taken over by Herod from 37 BC, he was a cruel and ruthless ruler. On his death in 4 BC Palestine was divided between his three sons. Archelaus became the ruler of Judea,samaria and Idunea.

Herod Antipas the second son became the ruler of Galilee and Philip the third became the ruler of the places in the north east of Galilee. As a result of this division and the cruelty of rulers people lost their unity and peace of mind. Hence they were waiting for a savior who could save them from the wretched political situation in which they were. It was at this right time Jesus came as a Messiah or savior for the salvation of mankind.

Language: God also made Greek language the universal language. Gospel is a universal concept and to spread this there need a universal language.

It was at this due time Greek was accepted as

The world sorely needed a savior and in the fullness of time when the world had been prepared for His coming. God sent forth His son Jesus Christ to save all who would accept Him from the wretched social situation.

the universal language of the period. The New Testament was written in Greek and the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek (Septuagint). So thus this universal language helped the Gospel to be communicated without any language barrier.

As conclusion one can say that there is no history in the world without God’s hand behind it.

Roman law emphasized unity peace and dignity of all but the condition of the society was indeed dark and peaceless.

According Historian H. P. Hares “At such a time in the world’s history a star appeared in the east. Which directed men to Bethlehem, where they discovered a little child, recently born, who was to become the savior of the world. The world sorely needed a savior and in the fullness of time when the world had been prepared for His coming, God send forth His son, Jesus Christ to be the savior of all who would accept Him as such”. The negative side of the history in the Roman Empire was made thus by God as a part of His preparation of the Roman kingdom for His Son to enter and for the expansion of His Gospel.

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Rev. Gibson Joy Serves as the youth pastor with the Assembly of God Church in Lucknow.

His wife Janet serves as a counselor.

Both Janet and Gibson have committed themselves to a life of knowing and serving the Lord and His people.

Christmas and the Gospel Christmas is a season celebrated by millions world over. For most, it is a holiday season meant to be celebrated with family and friends and a season to usher in the

new year. A time when gifts are exchanged and loved ones are cherished. Businesses capitalize on this fact with aggressive marketing, sales and attractive offers to lure customers into spending their money.

With all the frills of Christmas – that is, the decorations, baking, cleaning of the house and such, like the proverbial missing baby in the manger, the story of Christmas is lost in the milieu.

For us who are in the North of India, the Christmas season brings with it invaluable opportunities to talk about the true meaning of Christmas. There is a general sense of curiosity surrounding the story of Christmas and the circumstances of Christ’s birth.

Christmas time is also when Church attendance peaks. Whatever problems people have with Christianity, they don’t seem to have any with Jesus at all. Most will readily acknowledge the goodness of the man, the prophetic and healing powers he possessed and the wisdom of his teaching. Some even call him the “founder of Christianity”.

But the story of Christmas doesn’t start with Christ’s birth on that day (whether it was a silent night or not we may never know, but from experience I can safely say that the birth of a child is rarely silent. Mary and Joseph with many of Joseph’s extended

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family would’ve celebrated the arrival of this new life into the world). The story begins not with the people of Israel, the call of Abraham or even the sinfulness of humanity.

The story begins with the goodness of God. This is a fact that is often overlooked.

When the gospel is explained to people, it is imperative that they are given some context for the news. Else it would be like a cricket fan excitedly telling a friend who knows nothing of the sport, about all the world records M. S. Dhoni has been breaking.

In this case, knowledge of the sport, previous records held, difficulty of matches and execution of play, altogether provide a context in which the thrill of the fan over Dhoni’s achievement can be matched by his friend. If that context doesn’t exist, for the friend, it would be just another piece of information that one may or may not appreciate.

For Christians, the context of the Christmas message, the gospel, is the goodness of God. A good God who created a good world and human beings as “very good” (Genesis 1:31). It is in this context of moral goodness and created order that the wrongness of the way things are comes to the fore. The wrongness in the state of nature, the decay of human relationships at a personal as well as corporate level, and the purpose of humanity all become realities that one rightly recognizes as unjust. In this case the injustice being that things are not the way they were meant to be – as God intended them to be (Romans 1:18-31).

The Gospel must magnify the goodness of God for only in that context will the purpose of Christ’s birth be appreciated as the selfless act of a good God loving the world and working on its behalf.

There are two aspects of the Gospel that I would like to highlight here.

The Gospel as the hope of the world Christ did not come just to get people into heaven. It was not only for our spiritual salvation. But the coming of Christ and his subsequent work on the cross and further his resurrection, is the beginning of Christ’s work in restoring the whole being of humans – spirit, soul and body – to what God intended for them to be. From being reconciled to Christ and receiving his rightness at a spiritual level (2 Cor 5:21) to the daily transformation and renewal of our minds in Christ (Romans 12:2) and ultimately to the fulfilment of his purposes through the work of our hands(Romans 12:1) – are all comprised in the good news for humanity.

The good news as Jesus said is, “Repent! For the Kingdom of heaven is near” (Mark 1:15). In this message, Jesus wasn’t only speaking of an eternal Kingdom one would go to after death, but rather he was speaking of a new age, a time when God’s Kingdom would invade human space – as it was originally in the garden of Eden. “Let your Kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”, Jesus prayed (Matt 6:10). “The Kingdom is in you”, He proclaimed (Luke 17:20-21). Years later after the advent of Spirit, Paul would proclaim, “Christ in us, the hope of all glory!” (Colossians 1:27) The hope of the gospel is that in our present day, in Christ we have fellowship with God, because of which our whole being experiences daily transformation – this is seen in the restoration of broken relationships, the exercise of forgiveness, the loving of people who are different from us, the unity in the body of Christ, the excellence and purposefulness of our work, the stewardship of our resources – all of this guided and enabled by His Spirit.

The birth of Christ was the little rock that Daniel foresaw that would strike at the root of the powerful nations of the world and would soon grow to overthrow all these powers (Dan 2:44-45). Christ’s coming into this world on Christmas day, and later into the hearts of those who trust Him by His Spirit and ultimately when he comes again to lead justice to victory will be the fulfilment of that prophecy. In a world of fluid ideals, moral decay, international, inter-racial and national distrust, self-serving politics and government and war – the gospel holds out hope that God is at work to change things from down up, from the inside out.

The Gospel for the Poor and Broken “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, Jesus said, “for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt 5:3). Luke in accordance with his emphasis on the materially poor quotes Jesus as saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) We are all broken people living in a broken world – whether we like to admit it or not, we cannot go

Christ’s

coming into this world on Christmas day, and later into the hearts of those who trust Him by His Spirit and ultimately when he comes again to lead justice to victory will be the fulfilment of that prophecy. too long without being personally affected by the fallenness all around us – from abuse of power, physical abuse, addictions, temptations, relational fall out, betrayal, abandonment, rejection – we have all been marred by the wrongness of the world – the presence of sin. We also see all around us poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Mixed up priorities of governing entities (not the least of which is statue-building instead of nation-building), rampant unemployment, runaway inflation – all ensure that there is December 2018

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The hope

for the poor is that even while they may live in a world where their voice is not heard and their possessions next to nothing, they are not without anything – for theirs is Kingdom of God.

abject poverty all around us. A world where the rich seem to be unaffected by the shifting economic tide, the middle class struggling to make ends meet and those below the poverty line giving way to increasing hopelessness.

In the gospel, the birth of Christ, hope is given to the broken and poor in society.

This is evidenced by God’s choice of audience to first herald the arrival of the newborn - lowly shepherds in the field (Luke 2:8-15). The hope for the poor is that even while they may live in a world where their voice is not heard and their possessions next to nothing, they are not without anything - for theirs is Kingdom of God. It is what they possess. This is true for those who are materially poor but even more so those who are broken, hopeless, and desperately aware of it. The awareness that leads them to not only to humbly acknowledge their poverty but look to God and find their richness in Him. Theirs is the Kingdom! Therefore, Paul could tell the Corinthian Church that he is, “having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:10) In the Christmas message is good news for those among us who are aware of our brokenness. A brokenness that not everyone readily admits. Acknowledging those areas in the context of the goodness of God and his purpose is the first step to seeing the hope of the Gospel being fulfilled in our lives. This is when the news of the birth of Christ becomes good news to a waiting world.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

One

Author of

My Utmost for His Highest

of Christianity’s most beloved devotional authors, Oswald Chambers, originally found God’s Word unimpressive. Born in Scotland to devout Baptist parents in 1874, he described the Bible at Dunoon College as “dull and uninspiring.” He, instead, gravitated toward the works of Robert Browning, even starting a study society dedicated to exploring this poet.

After four years of spiritual emptiness, Chambers ultimately came to the conclusion that he couldn’t make himself holy. He eventually realized that only Christ could redeem him from his depravity and give him strength and peace. Chambers was then born anew into a condition he described as a “radiant, unspeakable emancipation.” Those who knew him said he was fond of saying, “Beware of reasoning about God’s Word -obey it.”

In 1908, on board a ship bound for America, Chambers met Gertrude “Biddy” Hobbs, a stenographer, who would become his wife two years later. Together, they ran the Bible Training College in Clapham, London.

After only a few years, Chambers suspended operations at the college because he believed he should serve as a chaplain during World War I. He was stationed in Egypt.

Oswald Chambers died as a result of a ruptured appendix in 1917 in Egypt. He endured the pain of appendicitis for three days before seeking medical help because he didn’t want to take a hospital bed needed by a wounded soldier. Biddy announced his passing with a simple telegram, Oswald; in His Presence.

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US Missionary Killed by ‘World’s Most Isolated’ Tribe

John Allen Chau returned to the prohibited island even after being shot: “It's worth it to declare Jesus to these people.”

According to news reports based on Chau’s journal entries, the Oral Roberts University graduate shouted, “My name is John, and I love you and Jesus loves you,” to Sentinelese tribesmen armed with bows and arrows. He fled to a fishing boat when they shot at him during his initial visit, with one arrow piercing his Bible.

“You guys might think I’m crazy in all this but I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people,” the native of Washington state wrote the day before in a letter to his parents obtained by the Daily Mail. “Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed.”

The Sentinelese were known to refuse outside contact and attack anyone who stepped on their island.

Some have declared Chau a martyr and compared him to Jim Elliot, who was famously killed at age 28 while attempting to evangelize an isolated indigenous group in Ecuador.

“John was a gracious and sensitive ambassador of Jesus Christ who wanted others to know of God’s great love for them,” said Mary Ho, international executive leader of All Nations.

“As we grieve for our friend, and pray for all those who mourn his death, we also know that he would want us to pray for those who may have been responsible for his death.”

His alma mater, ORU, released the following statement on Wednesday: “Oral Roberts University alumni have gone to the uttermost bounds of the earth for the last 50 years bringing hope and healing to millions. We are not surprised that John would try to reach out to these isolated people in order to share God’s love. We are deeply saddened to hear of his death.”

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Dr. Benjamin George A Plastic Surgeon and a Christian leader for over 50 years. He teaches and preaches “Daily Practical Christian Living.”

THE UNIQUE

CHRIST God Reveals Himself to Man Through Jesus Christ

It is impossible

for man to find the invisible God by searching for Him! God is Spirit and not man. No one has ever seen God or found Him. People have all kinds of notions about God but no one has known Him. However, God in His mercy and love for man, has been revealing Himself little by little through prophecies, visions and dreams to searching men of different ages and backgrounds. The Bible says, “In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb 1.1-3).

God Reconciles Man To Himself Through Jesus Christ The Bible, tells of the creation, especially of man, in these words, “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen 2.7). Then it unfolds the story of

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man turning away from His creator God, seeking to do his own will and pleasure. He disobeyed God and did wrong and became a sinner. Man’s sins separated him from the life and fellowship of God. He incurred God’s wrath and judgment leading to spiritual and physical death (Gen 3.23).

But the Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (Jn 3.16,17). The apostle Paul reveals to us, “God through Christ reconciled to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death (on the cross) to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel” (Col 1.20-23; Rom 5.10).

Jesus Christ – The Incarnate Son of God From the beginning, Jesus Christ was with God in heaven. He was Himself God. He became man (Jn 1.1). We call it incarnation. He was born as a babe in Bethlehem in Palestine, to a virgin called Mary, two millennia (two thousand years) ago. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Lk 1.26-35). The angel of the Lord told quoted to Joseph from the prophet and said: “His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”. (Mat 1:23).

John the disciple wrote, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn 1.14,18). He was God’s gift to man. So Jesus was called the Son of God (Jn 3.16). He called Himself ‘Son of man’ because He was Mary’s son (Mt 8.20; Mk 6.3).

Jesus Christ – His Ministry and Miracles Jesus grew up with his parents, Joseph and Mary, in the town of Nazareth (Mt 2.23). At the age of thirty, He began to preach and teach the kingdom of God. He declared the good news of God’s love and forgiveness. He helped the poor and needy and healed all the sick who came to Him with every kind of disease, and delivered the demon-possessed. By the many miracles He did, He proved Himself to be the Son of God with the power of the Holy Spirit (Mk 6.2; Jn 10.32; 14.11; Act 2.22).

Jesus Christ is the Only One Who Died for Man’s Sins!

The Jews were expecting their ‘Messiah’, the ‘Deliverer’ promised by God and they waited eagerly for Him. But when God sent Him not as a prince born in a palace but as a babe in a manger in Bethlehem, they could not and did not believe in Him. Their rulers refuted Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God, the Messiah – the anointed One sent by God! They persuaded the Roman Governor, Pilate, to crucify and kill Him (Mt 27.26). All this happened in fulfillment of the prophecies through the prophets and Jesus’ own pronouncements. Jesus had already warned the disciples that His enemies would ill-treat Him and put Him to death on a cross; He would give his life a ransom for sinners; but He would rise up from the grave on the third day (Mt 16.21).

So Jesus died on the cross at Calvary outside the city of Jerusalem, bearing the sin of all. He was buried in the tomb of a rich disciple, Joseph of Arimathaea, in the presence of many. His tomb was sealed by the Roman governor and the soldiers guarded it (Mt 27.57-66). In all of history, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only One who died to pay the penalty of man’s sin.

Jesus Christ Is The Only One Who Rose From The Dead!

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day as He had said he would. The first to know about His resurrection, besides the angels, were Mary, His grieving mother, Mary Magdalene and their friends who went to the tomb to anoint His body. The same day Jesus

The Jews

were expecting their ‘Messiah’, the ‘Deliverer’ promised by God and they waited eagerly for Him. But when God sent Him not as a prince born in a palace but as a babe in a manger in Bethlehem, they could not and did not believe in Him. appeared to the eleven disciples also (Jn 20). Indeed, Jesus was with the eleven disciples on a number of occasions, talking with them and at times eating too, proving to them that He was truly alive (Jn 21). The apostle Paul mentions in his writings that later Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of his disciples at one time of whom many were still alive at the time of his writing! (1 Cor 15.6).

Jesus Christ is Alive and is With Us Today Jesus ascended to the Father in heaven and is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God (Act 1.9-11; Rev 5.1). From the Father, He sent down His December 2018

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own Spirit – the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity – to His disciples. Thus Jesus fulfilled His promise, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mat 28.20). Jesus Christ is alive today, unlike any other great leader, religious or otherwise. He is able to hear and answer the prayers of everyone who calls on Him. Jesus asked His disciples to trust in Him and ask Him for whatever they needed (Jn 14.14).

Not only that, He also intercedes

There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem.

The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today.

Thomas Merton to God the Father in heaven on our behalf (Heb 4.14-16; 7.25).

Jesus Christ is Coming Again to Rule the World Jesus told His disciples, “I am going to my Father’s house to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (Jn 14.2,3).

Jesus is coming again to establish His kingdom on earth

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and reign over all the people in righteousness and peace. At the trial of Jesus, the Jewish high priest asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of God?” Jesus replied, “I say to you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt 26.63,64).

Long before the birth of Jesus, God had promised through the prophet Isaiah, the birth of His Son who would be the Ruler of the world, “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 Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 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 forever” (Isa 9.6-7).

Jesus Christ will Judge all Men for their Deeds The Bible clearly says that Jesus is the only One appointed by God to judge the world of sin. The apostle Paul once preached about the judgment to come and said, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man (Jesus) he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Act 17.30-31). Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done” (Mt 16.27).

Jesus Christ Is The Only One Who Can Forgive Our Sins And Save Us Many people believe that God will simply forgive their sins just for the asking! But it would be injustice on the part of a just God to simply forgive us our sins because we merely asked for it! And it will be ignorance on our part to blindly believe that a God who is far more righteous than all earthly judges will forgive our crimes without us having to pay the penalty.

No other religious leader however great, except Jesus Christ, has died for man’s sin! Because Jesus died on the cross for the sin of the world, He can pardon all who ask Him for the forgiveness of their sins. When anyone acknowledges Jesus as their Saviour and Lord and commits themselves to follow Him daily, He grants them salvation from sin and eternal life.

Jesus Christ without Equal!

The world has never seen or heard of anyone like Jesus, admits everyone of all persuasions! We have had many spiritual and religious leaders, and good men they were. But they all have died and were buried. Their remains are still in their graves.

However much we reverence their tombs and continue to trust in them, they are not able to hear us or help us today!

None of them ever claimed that they would rise from the dead and come to our aid, and nobody expects it! Only Jesus Christ, the God incarnate, who was and is and is to come, and is the same yesterday, today and forever, is our certain help for today and sure hope for the future! (Rev 1.8; Heb 13.8).

Commit your Life to Christ You need to believe in this unique Christ Jesus and commit your life to Him. Only then will you know the love of Christ for you and His power in your life. Commitment is a matter of your will. Once you make a commitment, you will have the determination and the discipline to keep it!

If you haven’t committed your life to Christ, why not do it Now! Or, if your commitment is only partial, make a fresh and full commitment to Jesus Now! He will begin to change you and make you like Him.

renewing and enriching life

Dr. R. Stanley Evangelist, Bible Teacher, Founder-Blessing Youth Mission, Vellore, Tamil Nadu

Christ

the Holy

One The central theme of the Bible is Christ. And each Book of the Bible has a specific theme. The one that dwells vividly on the subject of “holiness” is the Book of Leviticus. Lev. 19:2; 20:7,8 and 21:8 are three sample texts. A threefold truth emerges from these texts “Be holy” - The call of God the Father “As I am holy” - The pattern of God the Son “I make you holy” - The work of God the Holy Spirit This is summarised in 1 Pet 1:15,16. A Precept, a Pattern and a Promise!

Consider Christ!

Christ is the followable pattern for a holy walk. To respond to God’s heavenly calling to live holy, we are to “consider Christ!” (Heb 3:1). In other words, we are to trace and follow His footsteps closely. Unfortunately the emphasis in Christian circles these days is on the miracle “power” of Jesus rather than on the life “pattern” of Jesus.

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“Clean out of unclean” The very genealogy of Jesus in Matthew gives us a positive hope that we can be made holy.

Verse 3, Tamar, a childless widow who acted like a harlot to seduce her father-in-law (Gen. 38:15).

Verse 5, Rahab, a professional prostitute called so even in the New Testament (Josh. 2:1; Js 2:25).

Verse 5, Ruth, a Moabitess, who

Our diluted

doctrine emphasizes water baptism as an entry ticket to Heaven. No, it’s the first step of obedience to commence a walk of righteousness.

Apostle Peter confirms that it’s not a ceremonial act but the answer of a “good conscience” (1 Pet 3:21). cannot enter the congregation of the Lord (Ruth 4:10,17; Dt 23:3). Verse 6, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, with whom David committed adultery (2 Sam 11:3,4). This reminds us of a challenging question in the Book of Job: “Who can bring a clean thing out of the unclean?” (Job 14:4). The answer is, “Only God can!”

Fire of cleansing The very first angelic announcement to Mary was that the Baby would be the “Holy One” (Lk 1:35). The very first

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public introduction of Jesus was by John the Baptist who presented Him as the Baptizer with the “Holy Spirit” and with “fire!” (Mt 3:11,12). There’s so much of trash, rubbish and unwanted material in our lives. These are “chaff.” The Baptism with fire speaks of the cleansing and refining work of the Holy Spirit. It is the thorough work of the Spirit to purify and sanctify us (1 Pet 1:2). John presented Him also as the “Lamb of God” who was to “take away sin!” (Jn 1:36).

Baptism and Righteousness Jesus was extremely conscious of “righteousness” (holiness) from the beginning of His life and ministry. His voluntary act of submission to John’s water baptism was to fulfil all the “righteousness” of God (Mt 3:15). Our diluted doctrine emphasizes water baptism as an entry ticket to Heaven. No, it’s the first step of obedience to commence a walk of righteousness. Apostle Peter confirms that it’s not a ceremonial act but the answer of a “good conscience” (1 Pet 3:21). At baptism we say no to “sin” and yes to walk in the “newness” of life (Rom 6:1-4).

Externals or internals?

Jesus challenged His disciples to exceed the “righteousness” of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20). The Pharisees were the most religious group of His day. They had categorized God’s Law as ... 613 rules, 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions. What was their problem? They kept the letter leaving out the spirit. Mere letter kills (2 Cor 3:6b). Apostle Paul contrasted the “outward” Jewishness and the “inward” (Rom 2:28,29). That’s why Jesus specifically preached, “Blessed are the pure IN HEART” (Mt 5:8). Modern Pharisaism, in the name of holiness, overoccupies itself with externals than internals (Mt 23:27,28). The “heart” religion is missing - It’s all just rules and regulations! For example, we teach tithing but leave out charity which is a “weightier” matter (Mt 23:23). Let’s beware!

“But I say unto you ...”

While Jesus was making corrections relating to holy living, folks thought He was breaking the Law (Mt 5:17). On the other hand, He broadened “murder” by including “anger” (Mt 5:21-23); broadened “adultery” by including “lustful look” (vv27,28); broadened “oath” by including basic “truthfulness” (vv33-37); and so on. He raised the OT standard of holiness with the words, “BUT I say unto you.”

Holiness the watchword Holiness was the watchword in the life of Jesus. In the prayer He taught, the very first request was, “Hallowed be Your Name!” (Mt 6:9). God’s name is already holy; we must not profane it as the people of Israel did (Ezek 36:20,21). Jesus was already holy, but He confessed to the Father, “I sanctify Myself.” This was just in order to sanctify us! (Jn 17:19).

No turning back!

In His farewell address in Heaven to the Father, He promised that He would do His will in the body prepared for Him (Heb 10:5-7). He never went back on this commitment. He kept that body pure. Consistency was the hallmark of His life. He testified, “I always please My Father” (Jn 8:29). We are sometimes good but many times bad. In Jesus there was no yes and no, but only “yes!” (2 Cor 1:9). He did not differentiate between important and unimportant things in the matter of holiness.

He was faithful in all things (Heb 3:2,6).

Tongue-control Before the Pharisees who were accusing Jesus, He challenged, “Which of you can convict Me of sin?” (Jn 8:46). His practical holiness was seen in the words of His mouth.

Peter, who had closely watched Him, wrote, “He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Pet 2:22). Having said this, Peter admonishes us to “follow His steps” (v21). Because, tongue-control is the mark of perfection (Js 3:2). The Chief

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Priests and Scribes could not catch Jesus in His words (Lk 20:20,26). How even the holiest among us fail in words!

Friend of sinners In the name of separation from the world, some believers are practising seclusion.

They practise isolation and finally insulation instead of integration in the society to be its salt and light. This was not the lifestyle of Jesus. His accusers said, “Look, a friend of taxcollectors and sinners!” (Mt 11:19). Jewish men don’t talk to women in public.

But Jesus had a long conversation with the Samaritan woman in the open (Jn 4:27).

He allowed a sinner woman to touch Him and kiss Him (Lk 7:37-39,45). But He kept Himself holy. Here’s the comment by the author of Hebrews: “He is holy, undefiled and separate from sinners” (Heb 7:26). That is, He influenced the sinners, and not the other way round!

Love, not lust!

Jesus did have special love for some families like those of Lazarus and his sisters.

May be these youngsters had lost their parents. No doubt Mary was sitting at His feet, but His love was clean. We read, “Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus” (Jn 11:5).

Holiness & Happiness Jesus did not separate “happiness” from “holiness!” To Him, holiness was not dullness or joylessness. Here are some examples: His first miracle was in a wedding party making the latecomers happy! He gave nicknames to His disciples: Unstable Simon named as Cephas (Petros = rock) (Jn 1:42); James and John named as Sons of Thunder (Mk 3:17). He compared Himself to a bridegroom, the most joyous person in a wedding! The longfaced Pharisees went to the extent of calling Him a “sinner” (Jn 9:24,25). He loved righteousness with perfect love and hated lawlessness with perfect hated. The Father therefore anointed Him with the oil (= perfume) of “gladness” (Heb 1:9). Our youngsters need to be told that holy life is a jolly life! Holiness is happiness, and not vice versa.

Sanctified to sanctify!

The increasing burden of Jesus was to see His disciples grow in holiness. He spoke God’s words to them to cleanse them (Jn 15:3). He prayed for them to be sanctified (Jn 17:17). He sanctified Himself so they might be sanctified (Jn 17:19) -This means, He wanted to set a practical pattern before them. This has been His main “reason” in coming in flesh (Heb. 2:10,11).

Let’s

search our hearts to find whether in any area of our life we have given entry to the devil.

No to the devil!

In the beginning of His ministry, Jesus rebuked the devil, saying: “Get behind Me, Satan!”

(Mt 4:10). He never gave place to the devil in His life. Towards the end He could testify, “The prince of this world has nothing in Me” (Jn 14:30). Jesus was tempted like us in all points, but He never once yielded (Heb 4:15).

The secret was the Scriptures in His heart and in His mouth (Psa 119:11; Lk 4:4,8,12). Let’s search our hearts to find whether in any area of our life we have given entry to the devil. Everytime we yield to temptation our fortress is weakened (Eph 4:26,27).

No fault in Him! The testimonies of people about Jesus at the end of His earthly life are challenging. Pilate: “I find no fault in this Man” (Lk 23:4,14).

Pilate’s wife: “He is a just man” (Mt 27:19). Herod’s testimony was the same (Lk 23:15). The thief: “This Man has done nothing wrong” (Lk 23:41). The Centurion: “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” (Lk 23:47).

Our hope Finally, Christ offered Himself as a Lamb without “blemish” and without “spot” (1 Pet 1:19). The Father God did not allow His “Holy One” to see corruption (Acts 2:27). If we follow Christ in His footsteps of holiness, we shall become like Him at His return! (1 Jn 3:2,3).

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Rev. Mathew Skariah M.A, B.D., M.Th. Auxiliary Secretary, Kerala Auxiliary, Bible Society of India

Immanuel

- God with us

God of the Old Testament (OT) has revealed as being with the people and the world, from the creation narratives through the exodus event and prophetic witness, actively participating and engaging in the life of Israel. The presence of God journeyed with the people in the wilderness as the cloud and the tabernacle. In the New Testament (NT), the presence of God acquires a very personal nature as God incarnates as the Son of God assuming the form of human and living among the people. This is an entirely new manner of God’s presence with the world and is given the name “Immanuel,” which means ‘God with us.’

It is the gospel of Matthew that specifically describes the person of Jesus as Immanuel in the infancy narratives quoting prophet Isaiah’s words. The name Immanuel is carefully placed as a climax of the gospel’s opening (Matt. 1:23). It is the first of the gospel’s OT citations, which tries to establish that Jesus’s life and work is in fulfillment of OT prophesy. Matthew’s gospel can be thought as having a Godwith-us Christology from beginning till the end, bracketed between Immanuel and the parting words of Jesus to the disciples “I am with you always, till the end of age,” signifying the continuing presence of God with his people.

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According to Norman K. Gottwald, the proper context for interpreting the Immanuel sign is the narrative of Isaiah chapters 6-8, which he designates as the ‘Book of Waiting’ or the ‘Book of Signs.’ Immanuel is a powerful sign as Hebrew symbolic names are always very potent and effective. The situation of the prophetic speech providing the sign of Immanuel is set in the context of 8th century BC where the prophet Isaiah addresses King Ahaz of Judah under threat from imperial aggression (Isa. 7:1-2; cf. 2 Kings 16). The greater northern powers, Syria under King Rezin and Israel under King Pekah, threaten to invade Jerusalem and overthrow the king (Isa. 7:6). Faced with such an imminent crisis, Ahaz and the people tremble with fear. God instructs Isaiah to assure that the war coalition of Syria and Israel is bound for failure. Though compelled to ask for a sign that God will rescue Judah from the powerful enemies, Ahaz refuses to do so, citing that he will not test God by asking for a sign. But, the sign of the child Immanuel is given to the king, who will be born and will signify the presence of God among the people (Isa. 7:14).

Immanuel- God’s presence in the sign of a child Caught between the powerful hostile nations and the Assyrian empire, the sign that is given to the nation under fear of defeat and imminent destruction, is the sign of a child. Child is the symbol of powerlessness and complete dependency. However, in the very birth and infancy of the child Immanuel, the power equations mighty and powerful nations begin to alter dramatically. Syro-Ephramite coalition is the coming together of nations in defiance to the purpose of God. But in the short span of the child’s infancy, the power of the nations wither away. The promise of God through the prophet to King Ahaz acquires new significance in the context of the birth of Jesus and the threat of Herod who decrees the massacre of infants. Assyria, Rome and Herod symbolize human power in its utmost violent and cruel manifestation.

Dorothy Jean Weaver points to the way Matthews gospel juxtaposes the powerful earthly king Herod with the powerless child Jesus. Though Herod has power to control religious and political leadership and can cause the displacement of people, in the child Jesus, who is powerless and a refugee, the purposes of God are fulfilled.

Sign of the child as denoting God’s salvation to the people is an alternate reading of the concept of power against the dominant symbols. Imperial powers enforced submission through the unbridled use of violent power. The public spectacle and display of violence inflicted on bodies served to perpetuate fear of the empire.

Gottwald observes that “Immanuel does not carry out the action of God, but only attends to it…he is nothing but a normal child and the whole force of the sign is precisely his normalcy.” Mowinckal points that Immanuel “becomes a sign simply by being born.” The child, Immanuel, becomes a counter narrative to the power of earthly kings and empires. It is a sign of absolute dependency and alignment on God’s purposes.

Immanuel- the sign of God’s hospitality The conversation of the prophet with Ahaz, the Judean king, opens up new possibilities in the meaning of Immanuel. Though some scholars see the sign as the promise of continuation of the Davidic dynasty, others like Gottwald objects to the notion that it points to the perpetuation of the David dynasty. The promise of Immanuel is in fact a challenge to the existing dynasty of David. “The object of Yahweh is not to save a government or even a dynastic line, but a community of faith.” (Gottwald) Weaver observes that the presentation of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel recasts the identity, character and vocation of the Messiah, thus challenging the conventional notions of kingship, power and social status. The Messiah is expected to come from the royal line of David. Genealogy in Matthew’s gospel begins with Abraham, includes King David and culminates in Jesus. Though the progression of genealogy reaches

its climax in Jesus, there occurs a sudden shift in the pattern to include Jesus who is denoted as the son of Mary, the wife of Joseph, who was in the line of David. The gospel also goes to great lengths to explain that Joseph and Mary did not have any marital relationship till Jesus was born. Joseph “son of David” names the child born to Mary and in this way “adopts” Jesus into the line of David. Jesus becomes the adopted son and thus the bringing together of the common people into the royalty of God.

Rejoice, that the immortal God is born, so that mortal man may live in eternity.

John Huss Herbert Wolf also suggests that the sign of Immanuel was a threat for Ahaz and Davidic dynasty. The new ruler would not belong to the family of David, but was a promise of salvation to the people and would come as a savior and defeat the SyroEphraimite coalition. Thus both the sign of Immanuel given by the prophet and the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew together opens a new narrative of ‘God-with-us’ through democratizing Davidic lineage to ‘adopt’ the whole community of faith into its line.

December 2018

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renewing and enriching life

ImmanuelGod’s presence confronting lack of trust The war coalition of Syria and Ephraim against Judea comes as a severe test of faith in God to King Ahaz. The prospect of successfully resisting the onslaught of the powerful alliance being extremely remote, the king resigns himself to the fate of defeat. He is unwilling

The name

Immanuel contests the imperial claims that Emperor Domitian is the ‘presence of the divine’ or the manifestation of God. Jesus child manifests God’s will on earth, and that in spite of the seemingly dominant empires, God’s purposes and reign will prevail. to heed to the God’s offer of rescue by demanding a sign. The defeat seems to be so certain that the king does not see any manner in which God can ever intervene to save. Though the king explains his refusal to demand a sign as his unwillingness to put God to test, the fact is evident in the words of the prophet that it is a loss of confidence in the power of God to save. Refusal for a sign from God is the human resistance to believe in God’s saving work. It is a tacit submission to the rulers of the world against God in controlling human life.

24 December 2018

The world to which Jesus was born was characterized by constant fear; the mighty and the marginal were all plagued by the fear of loss of position, life or livelihood.

Imperial peace operated through a culture of fear. The sign of Immanuel is the promise of God’s presence amid fearful socio political scenario that threatens to dislocate the faith in God’s ability. It is a categorical declaration of God’s presence, unconditional to the response of the king. God-with-us in Immanuel confronts the culture of unbelief and lack of trust in God that has come to characterize the people of God. The offer of God’s presence challenges us to submit to God’s ability to change the seemingly difficult course of human history.

Immanuel - the sign of God’s resistance to imperial powers The threat of powerful nations Syria and Israel, and the Assyrian empire was real in Isaiah’s context and that of Rome, Herod in the socio-political situation of Matthew’s gospel. The audience of Matthew’s gospel had come into terms with the Roman devastation of Jerusalem by Roman Empire in CE 70. It seemed that the gods of Rome were having their way. But the presence and power of God is experienced through the child Jesus, who becomes the sign of resistance to imperial power. Warren Carter observes that the situation of imperial threat is very relevant to the sociohistorical situation of the Matthean audience. Perhaps located in Antioch in Syria, the administrative capital of the Roman province of Syria, community knew daily the political, socioeconomic, legal, religious, and cultural reality of Roman imperial power and presence.

The name Immanuel contests the imperial claims that Emperor Domitian is the ‘presence of the divine’ or the manifestation of God. Jesus child manifests God’s will on earth, and that in spite of the seemingly dominant empires, God’s purposes and reign will prevail. According to Carter, ‘the child signifies God’s presence with the people and God’s resistance to imperial aspirations.” Immanuel is God’s presence actualized through the prophetic voice that becomes the discordant voice in the existing power situation controlled by the imperial powers. God’s presence disturbs and dislocates the dominant and established powers. It challenges the dominant reality and envisions an alternate reality and world, where God’s purposes are reckoned. The sign is God’s alternate and larger presence in the context of imperial presence and counter narrative to the dominant imperial narrative.

Immanuel- the sign of salvation, judgment and hope The name Immanuel has to be understood in the context of two other namesSheyaryashub (a remnant shall return) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (spoil speeds, prey hastes). Isaiah 8:1-4 is symbolic of the defeat of Syria and Israel, whereas 8:5-15 points to the imperial attack on Jerusalem. God’s presence in Judah will mean not only salvation but also destruction. The prophet unambiguously expresses that God would bring Judah to judgment because of its unbelief. The same sign that signify grace also signify judgment. The presence of God is ambivalent in nature; even when it marks salvation to the people in fear and distress, it cautions judgment regarding the apostasy of the people of God. But the idea of remnant in Isaiah chapters 6-8 provides hope of restoration in the future. The name of Jesus as Immanuel is double edged; promising salvation from imperial power, but delivering judgment if God’s action is rejected. Even when life under Roman rule was a punishment, there was still hope for the futsure, under the reign of God’s kingdom.

It is such a great matter of hope to experience that God’s presence is real within the turmoil and anxieties of human life. God’s presence is both saving and judging, but it carries us forward in hope towards the greater purposes of God. Christmas comes to us as the continuing presence of God and calls the Church to embody God’s presence to bring hope to the world.

renewing and enriching life

Counse ing

Corner Manu Mathew counselor, India Bible College and Seminary, Kumbanad

manage Stress in workplace Philip: I am working in a prominent company where I am assigned with multiple tasks and deadline assignments. I wanted to excel in every work assigned to me, But

unable to do anything in proper way. I am totally frustrated and even think of quitting my job. Kindly help me!!

Dear Philip, I appreciate your willingness to seek help. It is clear that you have been proven proficient and well placed in a prominent company. But you are extremely stressed at the phase of multiple job tasks and deadline assignments. You wanted to excel in your job situations by completing all assignments given to you, but ending up doing nothing properly. You are deeply distressed to the point of quitting.

Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from any external situation. Experiencing stress is common and useful for effective functioning. But at times the level of stress elevates and it negatively affects every aspect of life. Common symptoms of distress include difficulty in breathing, increased blood pressure, excessive sweating, lack of concentration, recurring negative thoughts etc. Stress that is left unchecked may contribute many psychological disorders and physical abnormalities.

I want you to know that you are one among many who are affected with job related stress these days. First of all, realize that any form of stress is manageable, and indeed prepares you to be more efficient in facing crises in future. Stress in the context of job has certain determining factors include work load, inter personal issues, job expectations, role conflict etc.

Dealing the issue with a counselor helps to explore stress making situations and creative insights to manage it productively. Handling stress mainly depends on our realization of stress experience and improving stress management skills.

Record the stress created situation and experience, associated thoughts, feelings, and reactions to that crisis situation. Attempt to replace your feelings and restructure responses appropriately. It will certainly help you to face such situations more creatively next time. Setting priorities and organizing tasks, establishing clear boundaries and effective communication pattern in your workplace is beneficial.

Realizing ones capabilities and limitations is important in job context. Learn to say ‘No.’ You should be reminded that certain things in life can’t be changed or altered rather we need to attain the serenity to accept such things.

Spending quality time with friends and family members can improve your ability to manage stress.

Learn to look at your achievement and contributions in the past and appreciate yourself. Count all your blessings and thank God. It will help you to feel confident and capable to face challenges ahead. Prayer and meditating scripture everyday is the best way to relieve stress.

Know that you are created in the

Prayer

and meditating scripture everyday is the best way to relieve stress.

Know that you are created in the Image of God, with the potential within you to face any crisis.

Image of God, with the potential within you to face any crisis. Live out a purpose oriented life. Faith in God is proven to be therapeutic, which helps to renew your mind and rejuvenate physical state.

Maintaining healthy diet, regular exercises, effective sleeping habits, simplicity in life, spending time with the Nature etc contribute to a stress free life.

For Counseling related queries, kindly write to us at: nhchebron@gmail.com December 2018

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renewing and enriching life

QUIZ–68

Answers for Quiz - 67

Spreading a Feast

Builders of Cities

1. What king had a feast where a mysterious hand wrote on the wall?

2. Who spread a meal for some angels at the oaks of Mamre?

3. Whose children were killed while attending a feast?

4. Who told a bizarre riddle at his wedding feast?

5. Where did Jesus have a post-Resurrection fish dinner with seven of his disciples?

6. At the last feast mentioned in the Bible, what is to be the gruesome food?

7. In what village did Jesus have his first dinner after his resurrection?

8. What army man was given a feast when he joined the side of David?

9. Who was given a three-day feast when he began to reign over all Israel?

10. Who was given a feast where the entree was a fatted calf?

The ABC of becoming a Christian

Admit that you are in

need of someone to save you from guilt, shame and bondage or addictions.

Admit that you have violated God’s Laws.

1. Samuel’s (1 Samuel 8:1–3) 2. Joseph (Genesis 41:34) 3. King Menahem (2 Kings 15:19–20) 4. Peter (Mathew 17:24–27) 5. Samuel (1 Samuel 8) 6. Thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16) 7. The lords of the Philistines (Judges 16:5) 8. A half shekel each (Exodus 30:12–16) 9. King Ahasuerus (Esther 10:1) 10. Levi (or Matthew) (Luke 5:29–32)

Believe that Jesus Christ is the

only One who is able to save you and to bring deliverence and offer forgiveness of sins. Believe that Jesus is the only One to conquer death and is the risen Saviour.

Confess with your

mouth that Jesus is your Lord and submit to His rulership in your life.

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26 December 2018