Messiah’s Birth Causes Joy and Rage

December 27, 2009

Background Scripture: Matthew 2
Lesson Passage: Matthew 2:7 – 10, 16 – 23

From birth, the effects of Jesus’ ministry could be seen in the reactions of various people. Some worshiped while others worried. The news of his birth traveled far and wide and engulfed people in its wake. Some traveled from a distant country to worship him while others nearby sought him to work wickedness against him. Wise men (either philosophers or scientists) were in awe of him while a king trembled at the thought of the meaning of his birth. All recognized that he was born king. This is remarkable considering there was no “earthly kingdom” of the Jews at that time and there had not been one for almost six hundred years. Neither was he born heir to the throne of a reigning king though he was born in Israel’s royal lineage of Judah. In spite of these gaps in regal succession, prophecy had foretold of his much anticipated coming. Some who anticipated with joy brought expensive gifts to give him along with their worship and adoration. They remind us of the custom in this country of giving gifts as part of the celebration during the Christmas season. On the other hand, King Herod, who learned that this anointed child was prophesied to be the king over Israel, committed monstrous acts in a failed attempt to kill him and prevent his ascension to the throne. The most hideous of all of his actions was the ordered execution of all children in and around Bethlehem who were two years of age and younger. On the other hand, God’s providential actions were in accordance with human desires and intentions whether they were pure or not. For those from a far country who desired to see and worship the child, God provided a guiding star to lead them over the distance and directly to the house where the child and his mother were (And you thought these new GPS devices were amazing! This technology is at least two thousand years late.) For a nearby king who sought to take the child’s life, God frustrated his plans by rerouting the group he tried to use to gather intelligence as to the child’s exact whereabouts. God went a step further and removed the child from that hostile environment until the fearful king had died. It was years later during his ministry that Jesus talked about the challenges of discipleship. Jesus stated that he did not come to send peace on the earth but instead a sword upon the land. It is a sword that divides families and homes. It is a sword that separates children from their parents. It will divide co-workers and friends. To this day, we still see the partitioning effect of the gospel. The gospel challenges complacency and mediocrity. God demands hot or cold and rejects the lukewarm. Since the announcement of Jesus’ birth, Jesus has always and continues to cause both joy and rage.


Robert C. Hudson
December 11, 2009

Immanuel Is Born

December 20, 2009

Background Scripture: Matthew 1:18 – 25
Lesson Passage: Matthew 1:18 – 25

One of my father’s favorite television shows was a crime drama named Dragnet. The lead character was Los Angeles Police detective Sergeant Joe Friday. It seems as though every show found Joe Friday dedicated to seeking out the facts concerning an investigation. He would even interrupt potential witnesses in mid-sentence to insist that they only give him the facts. How important are facts to people in our society today? I learned a long time ago that the purpose of the judicial system is to seek out the facts and to administer justice according to the law based on those facts. However, all around us we see instances where money trumps everything—including facts. Is justice truly served when a technicality decides the outcome in spite of the facts? If everyone sought the truth and decided to abide by the truth, how different would life be as opposed to how we experience it today? Does it appear that most people you know would rather believe whatever makes them feel better about themselves whether it is truthful or not? In spite of this, we realize that deep down inside we know that facts do matter. We know that reasonable decisions made on the basis of facts are always the right decisions. Deep down we realize this is also true as far as our religious life is concerned as well. Sunday School and Bible Study are healthy choices for Christians to constantly reinforce our decision to accept God’s forgiveness and to invite Christ into our life. The bible is replete with facts and explanations of life that constantly reassure us that salvation is always the best decision. There are no facts greater than those presented in our lesson today. These brief scriptures present the facts surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Here we read that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was an unmarried virgin at the time of her conception. She remained a virgin until after the birth of Jesus. Her husband, Joseph, was a righteous person who decided to end their relationship prior to marriage when he discovered that she was pregnant but God persuaded him in a dream that Mary was with child because of the Holy Ghost and he should not be afraid to marry her. Furthermore, Joseph was also instructed as to what the baby should be named based on his mission of salvation. These events were a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of the virgin birth and the true nature of the child. Although he would be a human baby with a human nature, the baby would also possess the very nature of God. The child will be God with us. When Joseph awake from his sleep, he obeyed the vision and married Mary. After the baby was born, he named the baby Jesus.

These are the facts recorded by the Apostle Matthew and to quote Joe Friday, “All we want are the facts, ma’am.”


Robert C. Hudson
December 10, 2009