Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

As the sun drops in the Western sky its last rays light up the candle scene on our table – a rich “Christmassy” color.  The first day of Winter is almost upon us, in a day or so.  The bright holly berries brighten everything.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Phillip Brooks 1867

Thoughts of Christ’s birth flood my thinking this time of year.  I find the truth of this verse, the final one in Silent Night, Holy Night, to speak to my soul in a special way.  The story is clear, Jesus appeared there in Bethlehem, two thousand or so years ago.

He was born in Bethlehem, a rather small and out of the way village.  Our hymn asks us to, likewise, be the home of Jesus, “Be born in us today.”  He will change us just as he did those who received him so many years ago.

Can I think of my life as a place where the newborn baby is born?  I am convinced that is so. Then I see him grow and finally lay down his life that I might live – eternally.  This is precious truth beyond words!  I bow in adoration with all who love Jesus and in whom He lives!

Jane and Glenn’s son, Zel, feeds his son a morsel at our house as he and Dani enjoy their annual break from their home in Australia.  So here we have three generations, Jane, Zel, Finn!  What joy!  Zel is a teacher/artist and Dani is a researcher at the University.

Isaiah is writing as the armies of Persia invade and conquer the Jews whose military forces collapse before them. Jerusalem is falling.  The situation looked dreadfully hopeless.  The ten northern tribes had been defeated by Syrians years ago.  Now the southern two tribes fall to the armies of the Babylonians.   Jerusalem stands plundered.  Where are all the hopes and promises that the Jews had embraced? Gone.

As Isaiah pondered these woeful events the Spirit of the Lord fell on him and he wrote,

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.  No Jewish army can stand against the Babylonians!  So, what is the hope of Israel?

Then Isaiah speaks the words of God to the confused and hopeless Jews.

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 Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

Isaiah 9:5 – 7  (Here and there)

In my mind’s eye I see today streams of powerful rockets screaming across the skies together with land armies with their awesome weapons falling on helpless people. Where is Jesus in all this?  Certainly not among the warriors.

As I look carefully I see a weak newborn baby, the last place one would look for the answer to the dilemma.  His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, God’s precious Son.  Today he stands with his people throughout the world who are establishing his Kingdom on the earth.  I see them in their millions today.  Look not at the mighty military, look at Jesus.  Armies come and go as do nations.  Jesus’ kingdom is eternal on the earth and in heaven.

Behold,  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. Ever!  Amen.

This is one of my favorite flowers, of all the thousands at Longwood – a white orchid, fluffy, vivid, inviting and just plain stunning in beauty.

Christmas is upon us!  Time to give God praise anew.  I am approaching my 90^th birthday.  Anna Ruth, bless her, is already 90!  It is fitting that we should be touched by this hymn, long a favorite of ours.  It is by Isaac Watts.  I chose these three verses.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

This is our testimony!  God has been our help in the past, precious now, and gives us peace about the future.  Our spirits are at rest.  May all who love the Lord Jesus Christ relax in his eternal arms!

Did you ever see an orchid tree?  Here is one, beautiful beyond words. Orchids!  Dozens of them.  Overwhelming. We tend a little orchid now and again, and get attached to it.  How about this whole “tree” of orchids?  Anna Ruth, Lisa and Alan blend right in.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16 – 17

In the first chapters of his Gospel Matthew wrote about the birth and childhood of Jesus, a story that is both gratifying yet upsetting – birth in Bethlehem, fierce anger of Herod and others, fleeing to Egypt, returning with parents to Galilee, etc.  That is troubled reading.

Then we come to this picture – Jesus, now a thirty-year-old man appears where his cousin John is baptizing, at the River Jordan.  There heaven introduces Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  This is not the voice of Mary or Joseph, or Matthew or John the Baptist.  It is God almighty speaking!  Not an angle!  But God himself!  This was a dramatic scene – a dove flitting down and settling on Jesus’ shoulder as God introduces Jesus – HIS SON.

This is one of my favorite scenes in all of Scripture.  “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  God loves Jesus and invites us to join him in holy worship of Jesus, the Christ, his son, our Savior and Lord!  Bend the knee and open the heart.  He is Jesus!

Alan found a Longwood orchid to his liking!  Does it have any smell, Alan?

One of the many breathtaking displays at Longwood Gardens.  This wreath of apples, cranberries and other nice things, etc.. must be three or more feet across.  I never saw anything like it.

Scene one.  A newborn baby, embraced and fed by his young mother in a strange place among strange people, in Bethlehem, a small village of Judah, far from family and friends.

Scene two.  A condemned man dying as cursed by his own people on a cross outside Jerusalem.

Can there be more striking contrasting pictures?  A small baby in his mother’s arms on the one hand and a rejected man dying on Roman Cross, condemned by Israel and Rome, on the other.

No wonder the earth shook as Jesus died there, a horrible death for a reason few understood.  The clash of forces that day reverberated through earth and heaven.

These are not scenes from a far-off place of people we do not know at all.  That same contrast between love and rejection mark the world today.  That becomes vividly evident at this season of the year when many may have no problem with Jesus as a baby, while they shrug off the meaning of the Cross entirely!

There is a strange beauty of Jesus being born among animals.  There is jarring reality as people reject Jesus and nail him to a cross!

May we who love Jesus with all our hearts see through all this and adore the mercy of God that makes sense of it all, more profound than life itself. Without the sacrificial death of Jesus, we would have no hope at all, none.  Accepting Him as our personal Savior gives us hope beyond telling!  That is the picture.