Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "christmas"
Magi Tricks - Part 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, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...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 [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally one and by example, teach us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Word of God is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue,
I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally one and by example, teach us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Word of God is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue,
I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Magi Tricks - Part 2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...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 [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and franincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…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 [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book <>iNumbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and franincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…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 [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book <>iNumbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Who’s your daddy now? – Part 2
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” [Luke 1:35].
The angel appeared to Miriam and announced that she was about to become pregnant. Before marital bliss could occur in Israel back in the day, a wedding ceremony had to transpire. And before a wedding ceremony could come to pass, an engagement period was required which lasted for a year give or take. But Miriam wasn’t even engaged yet, let alone married. So how could she legally under the Law of Moses become pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.
So she asked the angel for an answer. The angel responded with the words which we quoted at the start of this post. Take a gander over yonder and reread them now, please. I’ll wait while you do so. We will spend our time on them today.
Making legitimate babies requires four things:
• a husband
• a wife
• a miracle from the Lord
• a baby
Guess what? We find all four identified in Luke 1:35, with a legitimate baby being the result. First the husband: The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Next the wife: will come upon you, and… will overshadow you (“you” being Miriam). Third the miracle from the Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Last the baby: the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Voilà! the four needed ingredients mixed together in one single verse.
Now let us assay the ramifications of this particular baby. On the one hand was a 100% human mother, on the other 100% pure God. The combination of the two parents resulted in a most unique baby. This young’un was both God and man simultaneously…and permanently thenceforth.
Oh, but there’s more. Whereas Miriam was a virgin pure and simple, this was a most unusual case of childbirth. We know it as the virgin birth of Jesus. This is one of the most astounding doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a very good reason: it was absolutely essential in God’s plan for mankind! Back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, man sinned and God sentenced him for his sin. But God also promised him deliverance from his sin, viz., the seed of the woman.
These are some yummy morsels to chew on awhile. Let’s pause now and return to our topic in the next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The angel appeared to Miriam and announced that she was about to become pregnant. Before marital bliss could occur in Israel back in the day, a wedding ceremony had to transpire. And before a wedding ceremony could come to pass, an engagement period was required which lasted for a year give or take. But Miriam wasn’t even engaged yet, let alone married. So how could she legally under the Law of Moses become pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.
So she asked the angel for an answer. The angel responded with the words which we quoted at the start of this post. Take a gander over yonder and reread them now, please. I’ll wait while you do so. We will spend our time on them today.
Making legitimate babies requires four things:
• a husband
• a wife
• a miracle from the Lord
• a baby
Guess what? We find all four identified in Luke 1:35, with a legitimate baby being the result. First the husband: The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Next the wife: will come upon you, and… will overshadow you (“you” being Miriam). Third the miracle from the Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Last the baby: the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Voilà! the four needed ingredients mixed together in one single verse.
Now let us assay the ramifications of this particular baby. On the one hand was a 100% human mother, on the other 100% pure God. The combination of the two parents resulted in a most unique baby. This young’un was both God and man simultaneously…and permanently thenceforth.
Oh, but there’s more. Whereas Miriam was a virgin pure and simple, this was a most unusual case of childbirth. We know it as the virgin birth of Jesus. This is one of the most astounding doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a very good reason: it was absolutely essential in God’s plan for mankind! Back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, man sinned and God sentenced him for his sin. But God also promised him deliverance from his sin, viz., the seed of the woman.
These are some yummy morsels to chew on awhile. Let’s pause now and return to our topic in the next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Magi Tricks – Part 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, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...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 [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an
acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally one and by example, teach us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an
acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally one and by example, teach us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Magi Tricks – Part 2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...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 [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and frankincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…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 [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and frankincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…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 [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Who’s Your Daddy Now? – Part 1
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” [Luke 1:35]
Once upon a time there was this young Jewish maiden of lowly estate. Her name was Miriam of the tribe of Judah. Well, a strange thing happened to her on the way to bed one night. Would you believe an honest to goodness angel from heaven appeared to her? Yes, he did! What do you mean, “No, he did not!” Did so.
Anyway, Miriam was taken aback. Don’t ask me why. Just because she was a young lass of probably 14 years old or thereabouts and all alone in the dark, that was no reason for her to get all scaredy cat on us. Well, maybe it was. Nowadays we are so numbed at the unusual by TV and movie syfy, that we no longer have the good sense to get scared out of our gourd should a strange man appear to us glowing in the dark.
But Miriam had no TV set. She was broke and couldn’t afford one. Besides, no one bothered to invent a TV set yet, so the malls and internet wholesalers didn’t carry them. Come to think of it, there weren’t any malls or internet back then either. Those guys didn’t bother to invent anything, it would seem! But enough of this. Let’s exit Digression Boulevard and return to Miriam, shall we?
She saw this glowing alien and her knees began knocking rather loudly. So the alien attempted to comfort her with gentle words. He said, “Fear not, Miriam!” Unfortunately, but the alien was not accustomed to life on earth and mere mortals with sensitive ears. When he spoke those words, the walls of Miriam’s lowly abode rattled and shook fiercely. She well-nigh leaped out of her nightie!
So the alien, er, I mean angel, started over. He whispered in very small, soft words, “Don’t be afraid, little lass. You’re going to have a baby boy soon.”
Miriam was no longer afraid. Now she was offended! After all, she wasn’t a trollop. She wasn’t easy. She was a deeply godly young lady. She was saving herself for her future husband, she wanted that alien to know. How dare this alien, er, I mean angel, accuse her of being promiscuous! Why the nerve of this, this, this…whatever he is! Miriam retorted, “You lunatic! I’m a virgin, and virgins don’t have babies! Didn’t your mama ever teach you about the birds and the bees?”
In reply the angel uttered the remarkable words we quoted at the beginning of this post. In our next post we will continue this fantastically wonderful saga.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Once upon a time there was this young Jewish maiden of lowly estate. Her name was Miriam of the tribe of Judah. Well, a strange thing happened to her on the way to bed one night. Would you believe an honest to goodness angel from heaven appeared to her? Yes, he did! What do you mean, “No, he did not!” Did so.
Anyway, Miriam was taken aback. Don’t ask me why. Just because she was a young lass of probably 14 years old or thereabouts and all alone in the dark, that was no reason for her to get all scaredy cat on us. Well, maybe it was. Nowadays we are so numbed at the unusual by TV and movie syfy, that we no longer have the good sense to get scared out of our gourd should a strange man appear to us glowing in the dark.
But Miriam had no TV set. She was broke and couldn’t afford one. Besides, no one bothered to invent a TV set yet, so the malls and internet wholesalers didn’t carry them. Come to think of it, there weren’t any malls or internet back then either. Those guys didn’t bother to invent anything, it would seem! But enough of this. Let’s exit Digression Boulevard and return to Miriam, shall we?
She saw this glowing alien and her knees began knocking rather loudly. So the alien attempted to comfort her with gentle words. He said, “Fear not, Miriam!” Unfortunately, but the alien was not accustomed to life on earth and mere mortals with sensitive ears. When he spoke those words, the walls of Miriam’s lowly abode rattled and shook fiercely. She well-nigh leaped out of her nightie!
So the alien, er, I mean angel, started over. He whispered in very small, soft words, “Don’t be afraid, little lass. You’re going to have a baby boy soon.”
Miriam was no longer afraid. Now she was offended! After all, she wasn’t a trollop. She wasn’t easy. She was a deeply godly young lady. She was saving herself for her future husband, she wanted that alien to know. How dare this alien, er, I mean angel, accuse her of being promiscuous! Why the nerve of this, this, this…whatever he is! Miriam retorted, “You lunatic! I’m a virgin, and virgins don’t have babies! Didn’t your mama ever teach you about the birds and the bees?”
In reply the angel uttered the remarkable words we quoted at the beginning of this post. In our next post we will continue this fantastically wonderful saga.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Who’s Your Daddy Now? – Part 2
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” [Luke 1:35]
The angel appeared to Miriam and announced that she was about to become pregnant. Before marital bliss could occur in Israel back in the day, a wedding ceremony had to transpire. And before a wedding ceremony could come to pass, an engagement period was required which lasted for a year give or take. But Miriam wasn’t even engaged yet, let alone married. So how could she legally under the Law of Moses become pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.
So she asked the angel for an answer. The angel responded with the words which we quoted at the start of this post. Take a gander over yonder and reread them now, please. I’ll wait while you do so. We will spend our time on them today.
Making legitimate babies requires four things:
• a husband
• a wife
• a miracle from the Lord
• a baby
Guess what? We find all four identified in Luke 1:35, with a legitimate baby being the result. First the husband: The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Next the wife: will come upon you, and… will overshadow you (“you” being Miriam). Third the miracle from the Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Last the baby: the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Voilà! the four needed ingredients mixed together in one single verse.
Now let us assay the ramifications of this particular baby. On the one hand was a 100% human mother, on the other 100% pure God. The combination of the two parents resulted in a most unique baby. This young’un was both God and man simultaneously…and permanently thenceforth.
Oh, but there’s more. Whereas Miriam was a virgin pure and simple, this was a most unusual case of childbirth. We know it as the virgin birth of Jesus. This is one of the most astounding doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a very good reason: it was absolutely essential in God’s plan for mankind! Back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, man sinned and God sentenced him for his sin. But God also promised him deliverance from his sin, viz., the seed of the woman.
These are some yummy morsels to chew on awhile. Let’s pause now and return to our topic in the next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
The angel appeared to Miriam and announced that she was about to become pregnant. Before marital bliss could occur in Israel back in the day, a wedding ceremony had to transpire. And before a wedding ceremony could come to pass, an engagement period was required which lasted for a year give or take. But Miriam wasn’t even engaged yet, let alone married. So how could she legally under the Law of Moses become pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.
So she asked the angel for an answer. The angel responded with the words which we quoted at the start of this post. Take a gander over yonder and reread them now, please. I’ll wait while you do so. We will spend our time on them today.
Making legitimate babies requires four things:
• a husband
• a wife
• a miracle from the Lord
• a baby
Guess what? We find all four identified in Luke 1:35, with a legitimate baby being the result. First the husband: The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. Next the wife: will come upon you, and… will overshadow you (“you” being Miriam). Third the miracle from the Lord: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Last the baby: the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Voilà! the four needed ingredients mixed together in one single verse.
Now let us assay the ramifications of this particular baby. On the one hand was a 100% human mother, on the other 100% pure God. The combination of the two parents resulted in a most unique baby. This young’un was both God and man simultaneously…and permanently thenceforth.
Oh, but there’s more. Whereas Miriam was a virgin pure and simple, this was a most unusual case of childbirth. We know it as the virgin birth of Jesus. This is one of the most astounding doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a very good reason: it was absolutely essential in God’s plan for mankind! Back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, man sinned and God sentenced him for his sin. But God also promised him deliverance from his sin, viz., the seed of the woman.
These are some yummy morsels to chew on awhile. Let’s pause now and return to our topic in the next post.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Who’s Your Daddy Now? – Part 3
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” [Luke 1:35]
Ah, now we’ve finished sipping on the milk and gone to eating solid meat. Ever since Genesis 2 God has ordained that the man is the head and the woman the helpmate. In God’s economy the inheritance goes through the male, not the female. Hence the children are reckoned according to the genealogy of the father. This means that the normal order of things was to refer to the kids as the “seed of the man”.
By bypassing a human father via the virgin birth, the Lord bypassed the propagation of a sin nature in this unique baby. Ergo, the baby boy was without a sin nature because He was God and because His Father was God and not man. But His mother Miriam was 100% human female, thus providing Him with the true human nature of mankind. Jesus is the God-man.
This fitted Jesus to be the Savior from sin for all mankind. On the one hand He needn’t die because He had no sin of His own for which to die—the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from sin there would be no penalty for which to die. However, Jesus willing went to the cross and did die. Seeing how this was not for His own sin, it allowed His death as the God-man to be reckoned as payment for the sins of each human being.
And there we have it! The absolute need for, and importance of, the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There is only one thing missing. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, does this mean all mankind will go to heaven?
Sorry, Charlie, but it ain’t gonna happen (pardon my French). Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved [Acts 2:21]. To receive Jesus’ finished work on my behalf, I have to call upon Him and ask for it. To do that I have to hear the Gospel message, believe it in my head, and open my mouth to proclaim it (cf., Romans 10:9). This is known as Biblical faith. Faith is the key which opens the door to salvation.
At this wonderful time of year, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone called upon the name of the Lord? I did back in 1978 and have been thrilled I did so ever since. We cannot call upon the name of the Lord for anyone but ourselves…but we can do so for ourselves. Have you done so yet? Don’t waste time. Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Ah, now we’ve finished sipping on the milk and gone to eating solid meat. Ever since Genesis 2 God has ordained that the man is the head and the woman the helpmate. In God’s economy the inheritance goes through the male, not the female. Hence the children are reckoned according to the genealogy of the father. This means that the normal order of things was to refer to the kids as the “seed of the man”.
By bypassing a human father via the virgin birth, the Lord bypassed the propagation of a sin nature in this unique baby. Ergo, the baby boy was without a sin nature because He was God and because His Father was God and not man. But His mother Miriam was 100% human female, thus providing Him with the true human nature of mankind. Jesus is the God-man.
This fitted Jesus to be the Savior from sin for all mankind. On the one hand He needn’t die because He had no sin of His own for which to die—the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from sin there would be no penalty for which to die. However, Jesus willing went to the cross and did die. Seeing how this was not for His own sin, it allowed His death as the God-man to be reckoned as payment for the sins of each human being.
And there we have it! The absolute need for, and importance of, the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There is only one thing missing. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, does this mean all mankind will go to heaven?
Sorry, Charlie, but it ain’t gonna happen (pardon my French). Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved [Acts 2:21]. To receive Jesus’ finished work on my behalf, I have to call upon Him and ask for it. To do that I have to hear the Gospel message, believe it in my head, and open my mouth to proclaim it (cf., Romans 10:9). This is known as Biblical faith. Faith is the key which opens the door to salvation.
At this wonderful time of year, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone called upon the name of the Lord? I did back in 1978 and have been thrilled I did so ever since. We cannot call upon the name of the Lord for anyone but ourselves…but we can do so for ourselves. Have you done so yet? Don’t waste time. Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Magi Tricks – Part 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, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...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 [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an
acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally and by example, teaches us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Let’s have a pop quiz today! How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day? Don’t be bashful now. You won’t flunk the course if you get it wrong. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.
“I know! I know! Pick me!” splutters an overly eager reader in the back of the room, his hand bobbing up and down like apples in a bucket of water. Unable to control his excitement, he blurts out the answer without waiting for an
acknowledgment, “Three! There were three wise men!” Gasping for air our learned scholar then sits back down, satisfied he can do no wrong. Then he waits for the accolades to come pouring in from around the world.
Well, I’ll give it to him. The traditional answer is “three magi”. He is right traditionally. But I am a Christian, so I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, not man’s traditions. Which prompts the question, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is Question #2 on the pop quiz. Any takers?
“I know the answer to that one, teacher,” a rather calm and composed fellow announces. His demeanor is in stark contrast to our overly eager brother who answered “three”. “The Bible says that magi or wise men came from the east. How many came is not stated, so we don’t really know how many.” And then he quietly retires to his seat, making no waves and waiting on no fanfare.
Thank you, kind sir. Your answer, both verbally and by example, teaches us truth. There can be no more fitting an answer than to quote the Bible. It is infallible. It is inerrant. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. My words and yours are, contrariwise, fallible, errant, and inspired by sinners. Nothing could be further from the truth than to proclaim the wit and wisdom of tradition. As Rule #2 for Bible study teaches, The Bible is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We will continue this pop quiz in our next posting. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Magi Tricks – Part 2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”...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 [Matthew 2:1-2, 11].
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and frankincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…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 [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Because the gifts given to Jesus by the magi were identified as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, someone assumed that one magi gave gold, another frankincense, and still a third myrrh, making for three magi. But there could just as well have been two magi, with one giving gold and frankincense and the other myrrh. Or both could have given all three varieties of gifts. Then again, there could have been 317 magi with some giving gold and others giving…
Well, you get the point. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many magi came to visit Jesus, so we cannot possibly know the answer to that question. If we assume we know based upon our own wit and wisdom, we will create traditions to take the place of the Bible. And that can’t be a good thing!
Oh, by the way, we began with the question, “How many magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?” It’s really a trick question. You see, even if the Bible had recorded that exactly three wise men came to see Jesus, nonetheless the answer is still not “three”.
“Huh?” mumbles a befuddled reader as he shakes his head and looks lost. “Come again, teacher.”
Let’s read some more Scripture and you will understand.
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared…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 [Matthew 2:7, 16].
It happened like this. Jesus was born and a special star appeared in the sky. During that period of history all the world was watching for the Jewish Messiah to appear. These Gentile easterners, perhaps from Persia, were stargazing, being astronomers and watching for that special star. They saw it, prepared provisions for the long caravan journey to Jerusalem, then arrived two years later. That is the meaning of Matthew 2:16, as quoted above.
So you see, no magi came to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day. They came two years later! And there was no baby any longer because Jesus was two years old. Aha. Gotcha. Trick questions rule!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
