When we see the apparent helplessness of the baby in the manger, it’s hard to imagine what he left behind to make his journey to his Bethlehem birthplace. There is a hint, however, in the titles with which the angels introduce him. The angels said,

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

While this is the first time in theChristmas scene that the word “Lord” has been applied to the Christ child, it is not its first use in the Bible. The word “Lord” occurs nearly 8,000 times in the Bible. It is a word with a rich heritage.  In our contemporary, free-market society, it’s hard for us to understand the master-servant relationship. At times, the word “Lord” can even sound archaic. Herbert Lockyer describes the word as “a master who commands willing service.” When applied to Jesus, reflect on the fact that prior to taking on humanity he was: the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8), Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15), Lord of all (Rom. 10:12), and Lord of heaven’s armies (Jer. 33:11; Rev. 5:11).

Its that last title that has most captured my imagination this Christmas season. The title is used over 260 times in the Old Testament–often in the context of judgment. While we do not know the scope or size of “heaven’s armies,” there are a few hints in the Scripture.

When the Syrian army surrounded the city of Elisha the prophet, he said to his fearful servant,

“Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:16-17).

In Revelation we read,

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:11-12, NIV).

Ten thousand times ten thousand totals 100 million. While I wouldn’t infer this to be a definitive number, it’s clear that the Lord of heaven’s armies had unlimited resources at his disposal. To put that number in perspective, the largest armies the earth has ever assembled are:

• 3 million (USA in 1970)
• 4.4 million (USSR in 1970)
• 4.8 million (China in 1980)

Add all of them together and you only come up with 12.2 million; that’s a small army compared to the 100 million that potentially make up heaven’s hosts.

It’s hard to imagine that when the world needed a Savior the Lord of heaven’s armies was the one who volunteered. He did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself and took on the form of a servant. It’s a thought that gives new meaning to “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

If you’re looking for a resource for your men’s group, consider 4M Training. Mature, master, minister, and mentor in 13 weeks. Click on image below to learn more.

When the angel brought the good news to the shepherds of Jesus’ birth, he introduced Jesus with  three titles. So often we’re drawn to the “baby in the manger” part, that we miss the designations. The angel said,

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12)

Savior. Christ. Lord. Three titles that reveal the purposes of Jesus coming to earth. The term Christ comes from the Greek word christos. It means “the anointed one” and is the exact equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Typically, we think of anointing a king at his coronation. But one scholar rightly points out that, in ancient times,  three offices were anointed: prophet, priest, and king.

In Biblical times, the prophet was one who spoke on behalf of God. The priest was a mediator between God and man. And the king served as the people’s protector and provider. To think of Christ fulfilling each of these roles is quite encouraging. In our lostness, we needed a message from God. In our sinful rebellion, we needed a mediator on our behalf to the Father. In our weakness, we needed the tender protection of a loving king. As the anointed one, Jesus was all of that.

As Jesus’ ministry waned in popularity, he warned the people what they were overlooking. Pay careful attention to the illustrations he selected. He said that the men of Nineveh would judge them because “they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here” (Matt. 12:41). When he spoke of the temple (where the priests served), he said, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here” (Matt. 12:6). Finally, he spoke of the Queen of the south who “came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here” (Matt. 12:42).

Jonah was a prophet, the priests served in the temple, and Solomon was king. Jesus was reminding them of his role as prophet, priest, and king. He was the anointed one that God had sent to fulfill these three roles. All of that is packed into one simple word: Christ. A word the angels used to announce the birth of Jesus.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

If you’re looking for a resource for your men’s group, consider 4M Training. Mature, master, minister, and mentor in 13 weeks. Click on image below to learn more.

From time to time, when I wake up in the morning, I find myself wondering what tragedy the news will be reporting on this day. Lately, that has happened more often than not. It is hard to trust our leaders—both nationally and internationally. Headlines of war and violence stream through our newsfeed.  It’s easy to let the weight of the world press out any remaining remnant of joy. In our present context, the dialogue between the wisemen and King Herod seems especially relevant.

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy (Matthew 2:7-10).

Herod was a deceptive and violent king. His hope for discovering the location of the baby Jesus wasn’t to worship but to destroy.  Yet, the wiseman, when they continued their discovery of Jesus, “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matt. 2:10). Against the dark backdrop of Roman military occupation and Herod’s cruel and merciless attempts at control, their joy shines as brightly as the star they are following. Here is where the wisemen’s pursuit of Jesus seems especially pertinent to the world in which we live. Their joy in worshipping Jesus does not tire in spite of the suffering around them.

The apostle Paul captured the same idea. Notice how, in spite of difficulty, hope and joy appear together.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:2-5).

No matter how dire the circumstances, wherever Jesus is found, there is hope. And wherever hope is nurtured, joy isn’t far behind.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

If you’re looking for a resource for your men’s group, consider 4M Training. Mature, master, minister, and mentor in 13 weeks. Click on image below to learn more.

While it is unlikely that the wise men visited Jesus at the manger scene, their appearance is typically associated with his birth. The text only tells us that they came from the East. Many Bible students connect these magi with Daniel, the prophet, who resided in Babylon some 400 years earlier. This would mean their journey to see Jesus could have been over 900 miles. Though they certainly could have traveled more quickly than the Old Testament leader Ezra and his entourage, it is noteworthy that it took him about four months to move from “the east” to Jerusalem. Here’s the point: as seekers of the King, they made a significant effort to find Jesus.

Contrast their effort with that of King Herod:

• The wise men traveled 900 miles to see Jesus; Herod was less than six miles from Bethlehem.
• The wise men knew of his birth; Herod was totally unaware.
• The wise men sought to worship Jesus; Herod sought to kill him.

The wise men and Herod had different motivations. While they sought to exalt Jesus, Herod sought to exalt only himself. Herod’s focus led him to extreme efforts of self-promotion and made him dangerous to all who attempted to cross him. Before the term had even been developed, he was the ultimate narcissist.

Each of us can have Herod like tendencies. We can be insecure, defensive, and deceptive when it comes to protecting our kingdom. But our kingdoms are small and petty; nothing like the kingdom of Jesus that includes both heaven and earth. This Christmas seek the one, true living king. Just like in Herod’s time, he’s nearer than you think.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

If you’re looking for a resource for your men’s group, consider 4M Training. Mature, master, minister, and mentor in 13 weeks. Click on image below to learn more.

Perhaps your Christmastime is full of family traditions. Over the years our family has developed our share. Decorating starts the day after Thanksgiving. Then comes the annual trip to Longwood Gardens for their light show. We sing Christmas carols for some local nursing home residents and widows. We open the gifts in the stocking on Christmas Eve. We watch a Christmas movie as a family (some have been pretty painful). We take an annual Christmas picture and send it to our friends and family.

Some of our Christmas traditions we’ve picked up from others along the way. Uncle Mark gave us the idea to hide one of the kids’ gifts and give them a set of clues to find it. Friends served vanilla ice cream with fresh raspberries for Christmas morning breakfast—ice cream for breakfast definitely became a tradition! My wife is the keeper of the traditions in our home; reminding us each year what we’ve done in the past. I’m thankful for that; because, now that our kids are all adults, they come home looking for those traditions. Those repeated hoiliday habits make our family identity unique. That being said, too many traditions can cloud the real meaning of Christmas—worship.

In the Christmas story, Anna, the prophetess reminds us of the importance of worship at Christmastime.

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple…and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38, NLT).

Because Anna had made a life-long habit of worshiping God, her meeting of the baby Jesus was not casual, but the culmination of a life lived in worship and prayer. Is it any wonder she could not stop talking about him?

While we all have holiday traditions we enjoy, make time to ponder the gift of a Savior and slow down long enough to worship him. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy Christmas Eve services so much. Singing “Silent Night” by candlelight decelerates my pace long enough to remember the real meaning of Christmas. And that’s a tradition worth keeping.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

If you’re looking for a resource for your men’s group, consider 4M Training. Mature, master, minister, and mentor in 13 weeks. Click on image below to learn more.

Christmas time for children is a time of waiting. It forces them to practice, painfully at times, delayed gratification. The gifts are purchased, wrapped, and under the tree. Then they wait, and wait, and wait. We all know stories of kids (or spouses) who couldn’t wait, snuck a peak, rewrapped the gift and pretended to be surprised on Christmas Day.  As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that it isn’t only Christmas Day that teaches us the practice of waiting. Life does. Wisdom, love, and relationships all take time to develop. In the meantime, we wait.

Within 40 days of Jesus’ birth we are introduced to two characters in the temple by the names of Simeon and Anna. Both, it appears, have been waiting for a long time to see the Messiah. Simeon, we are told, was a good man; a man who lived in prayerful expectancy of hope for Israel. He was waiting to see the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph bring the one-month old Jesus into the temple, Simeon walks up, takes him from their hands, and begins to prophesy.

Put yourself in Mary’s sandals for a moment. You take your baby to his one-month check up at the physicians. Before you see the pediatrician, an older, kind gentleman walks up, asks to hold your child and then prophesies about his future. And here is what he says,

Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:29-32, NLT)

Simeon had waited a long time to see Jesus and give his blessing. The biblical text says that the Holy Spirit made it possible for him to recognize Jesus; that same Spirit has something further for him to tell Mary and Joseph. Giving them back the baby he says,

This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul” [emphasis added] (Luke 2:34-35, NLT).

Like Simeon, Mary and Joseph have waited too—nine months to be exact. Now they are told this child will not only bring great joy, but also great pain—soul-piercing pain. That last phrase is a warning to the young mother—her son will proceed her in death.

In The Lord of the Rings, King Théoden stands at the grave of his son, and holding a small white flower laments, “…ever has this grown on the tombs of my forebears. Now it shall cover the grave of my son…The young perish, and the old linger…No parent should have to bury their child.”

Three decades after Jesus’ birth Mary must have had the same thought at the foot of the cross. But her son’s death—with its soul-piercing pain—would bring life to others.

Simeon’s reminder of the death of Jesus so close to the birth of Jesus is a warning of the pain that is to come and the hope that will follow for each of us. The loss of a loved one—whether parent, spouse, child, or friend—will always bring pain. But because of that first Christmas, there is a hope beyond the grave. Just like the child waiting for Christmas morning, we await the day that we’ll trade in the pain of our loss for the joy of being reunited with those we love.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series, and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

If you’re looking for a resource for your men’s group, consider 4M Training. Mature, master, minister, and mentor in 13 weeks. Click on image below to learn more.

Did you ever wonder if God made decisions that his angel-messengers didn’t understand? Like the decision to send his only son as a gift to humanity when the best accommodations that mankind would provide would be a feeding trough for animals? Yet immediately after detailing his birthplace to the shepherds, the angels erupt in praise to God.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14).

There is a great deal about God that we don’t understand. Sometimes, especially when it affects us personally, it makes it difficult for us to praise God. But what if during those difficult times we focused on what we did understand about God. Here are three truths we can affirm:

God is all-powerful

Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you (Jeremiah 32:17).

God is all-wise

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways (Romans 11:33, NLT).

God is all-loving

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him (1 John 4:8, 9)

While we may not understand any number of things about God, what we do understand can still give us the opportunity to praise to him. Perhaps that’s how the angels voiced “Glory to God in the highest!” while at the same time not fully understanding his investment in a weak, troubled and rebellious humanity.

Praise God for what you do understand about him, and you’ll find it will become easier to trust him for what you don’t.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series, and the developer of 4M Training: a 13-week small group study for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.

There are over 100 leaders in history who added to their name two words: the great. Here are a few you might recognize:

• Alexander the Great from Macedonia.
• Catherine the Great, the Russian Empress
• Constantine the Great over the Roman Empire
• Cyrus the Great the Persian King
• Genghis the Great Kahn.
• Herod the Great from Jesus’ time

Yet, none of them would be fit to carry the name “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The story of Jesus is remarkable because it is filled with such humility. The angels bring that very message to the shepherds watching their sheep in the hills of Judea.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10, 11).

There was so much more to Jesus than a title of greatness. In his message “One Solitary Life,” James Francis makes the point.

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

We all tend to pursue greatness; a better-than-others attitude. Yet the King of kings came into our world choosing humility over greatness. That’s why you’ll never truly meet him if you come intending to impress. Greatness is not the pathway to Jesus. Humility is.

PHIL MOSER is the author of the Biblical Strategies series, and the developer of 4M Training: a unique approach to spiritual growth for men. All of his resources can be found on amazon or at biblicalstrategies.com.