The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 2

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”(Luke 1:26-30 BSB).

In today’s devotional about Mary, we are going to focus on the grace of God. We see the grace of God in Mary's conversation with the angel. The grace of God would bring about a huge change for the Jewish people and ultimately the Gentile world as well. There was a transition taking place from the Old to the New.

Under the Old Covenant, the Jews lived under a system of rules known as the Law. It was given to them by God through Moses and they had lived under this system since shortly after their Exodus from Egypt. But, why did they live under the law?

Romans 5:20 tells us,

“The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more,” (BSB)

And Galatians 3:19 reads,

“Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.”(BSB)

In John 1:17, it says,

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (BSB)

What was coming under the New Covenant through Jesus was new to them. They were looking for a military leader in the Messiah. They weren’t expecting this.

In the lives of the women of Christmas, we begin to see this transition that was taking place. Grace was coming. In fact, it was already here.

In verse 28 of chapter 1, the angel says to Mary,

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (BSB).

That phrase “you who are highly favored” is actually the verb form of the word "charis" (grace) in the Greek. It is the Greek word

“charitoó” and is found only in one other place in the Bible, and it is a verse about Believers in Jesus.

“to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One”(Ephesians 1:6).

Later on in the passage in Luke 1:30, the angel tells Mary,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (BSB)

That word favor in that passage is a noun and is the Greek word "charis." According to Biblehub, there are 157 occurrences of the word “charis” in the New Testament. It means “grace, favor, kindness, and blessing.” Grace was coming through Jesus. There would be a transition from law to grace.


They would no longer live under the law, because Jesus would fulfill it. A new way of life was coming. What was happening to and through Mary, was also coming to and for us. Tomorrow we will discuss that new way of grace, one that would involve the Holy Spirit.


Blessings to you as you continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of Him!

Beth



To learn more about the word "charis," please check out my post here on Grace in the Greek.


If you missed yesterday's post on Mary, Part 1, you can also find it at my blog, The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 1.

The Women of Christmas

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I have had it in my heart for a while to write about the "Women of Christmas." I have written about them a little bit in my series on Women in the Life of Jesus, but there is so much more to explore.

Something that the Lord has been emphasizing during this season, I believe, is the presence of the Holy Spirit. We have heard that under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit would only come on 3 offices, the prophet, priest, and king. I think we can add the judge to that as well because we see Him in the life of Deborah and Sampson for example.

But He would come and leave. It doesn't seem like they have the Holy Spirit permanently residing in them. I think that's why David prayed this in Psalm 51:11,

"Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me."

Do you remember?

But something happens when we get to the New Testament. We start having a transition. Grace is coming.

How does this involve the Women of Christmas? Which women are they? To me the Women of Christmas are Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna.

In Luke's Gospel, chapter 1 and 2, we see the story of Christmas. Luke and Matthew are the only two Gospel writers that mention the birth of Jesus, but Luke is the only one that mentions Elizabeth and Anna.

We also see mention of the Holy Spirit. Just like there was more angelic activity surrounding the birth of Jesus, it also seems as though there was more activity with the Holy Spirit.

Why? I think there is a reason. Everything is significant. It all means something.

Over the next few days, I would like to share a (short) series about the Women of Christmas with you.

Merry Christmas,
Beth

If you would like to read the series Women in the Life of Jesus, click on the highlighted link.

To read the Women of Christmas series, use the following links:

The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 1

The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 2

The Women of Christmas: Mary, Part 3 

The Women of Christmas: Elizabeth, Part 1

Five Minute Friday: Announce

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "announce."

And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men

on whom His favor rests!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.-Luke 2:8-20



This was a great announcement, the greatest announcement that has ever been issued in the earth!

For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!

He’s here! He’s finally here! And the angels announced it to the shepherds that were out in the field. This begs the question: why?

Yesterday I was looking at this wonderful book I have, A Visual Guide to Gospel Events. In the commentary on the shepherds in Luke 2, it said that “typical sheep and goats grazed during the day and were brought into sheepfolds for the night.” They indicated that these shepherds to whom the message was proclaimed were no ordinary shepherds. For them to stay with the sheep and guard them round the clock might have meant that they were Temple shepherds and those were sheep that would be used for sacrifice.

This would be a satisfactory explanation to why God would have angels announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds, wouldn’t it?

That would be so remarkable in itself, but I want to take this a little further. I noticed something else about this passage yesterday when I was studying. It says the shepherds “hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby who was lying in a manger.”

The shepherds just leave the sheep! It doesn’t seem like they took the sheep with them. The Scripture says  they “hurried.” I don’t really know a lot about sheep, and I would have to research it, but it doesn’t seem to me that sheep are the type of animals to hurry.

Throughout the Gospels there are so many pictures of the grace of God, and the transition that was taking place between law and grace. I think that in this story, we find one of those pictures.

Those shepherds were keeping sheep. Sheep were used as temple sacrifices. Jesus is called by John the Baptist, “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) The shepherds left the sheep and the old covenant way of life, to look for Jesus, who brought “grace and truth.”

Just like the angel announced to them, it was “good news of great joy for all the people.”

I pray this Christmas is full of great joy for you and your experience is the same as the shepherds, wonder at the birth of Jesus!

Five Minute Friday: Deserve

Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "deserve."

Deserve-to have earned because of some act or quality

I don’t or haven’t really liked the word “deserve” in the past. I think it conjures up all the thoughts in my head about what I am not, where I am lacking. And I don’t really need any help in that area- I already know.

And I didn't already know, there have been people who were eager and ready to let me know.

I feel as though I don’t measure up on a daily basis in so many areas.

In Ephesians 2:8, it says,

By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

                                       -Ephesians 2:18

God had to tell us twice in that Scripture that we didn’t deserve it.

By grace you are saved.

Grace is God’s undeserved, unmerited favor. You can’t earn it. It’s only because of His goodness.

That not of yourselves…

You didn’t do anything to earn it.

He told us twice. This means we just have to trust Him.

Under the New Covenant, we get nothing by earning, or by deserving it. It’s all by grace through faith, by trusting what He said was true.

A Foundation of Grace: Reigning in Life

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!-Romans 5:17 (Berean Study Bible)

I gave up so many times when I first came back to Jesus. I knew that He was drawing me to himself, but when I went to church I never felt like I could behave well enough. I still had stuff (plural) in my life that I was struggling with. I was having a very hard time in my flesh letting go of some of the things, even though I would pray, Lord please take these desires away. I had little understanding of the grace or the free gift of righteousness. It was actually what drew me to Jesus, but I felt like once I was in, I couldn't keep it together, because I thought it was all up to me.

Did you know that it is an abundance of grace that sets people free in every situation? I see people talk about cheap grace, or greasy grace, but it wasn't cheap because Jesus paid for it already. For you.

Maybe we aren't seeing results in so many areas, areas where we are questioning, because we aren't receiving or sharing the abundant grace of Jesus. Because people keep saying things like cheap grace and greasy grace, so people back away.

That would be a good question to ask ourselves. The Bible, in Romans 5:17 says it is abundance of grace that causes people to reign.

You don't get to choose or modify what the Scripture says because you want somebody to act different.

When we read the Gospels, we can see what that would look like with Jesus. People living the worst lifestyles freely and fearlessly came to Him.

Lord, help us to preach this more. Less condemnation. More grace. And help us to receive more grace as well.

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

The Gospel is Good News

The word Gospel is the Greek word for "good news." The Gospel is that Jesus did what we couldn't do. He took our punishment and penalty for sin. You don't have to pay it now. Even though other people may sometimes make you feel like you have to, you don't. You are free. You are forgiven. You are loved. He was crushed and bruised, so I didn't have to pay for the things I did. Perfect love came down and touched humanity and took in His own body the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. You don't have to pay for it. He became flesh and blood, died for you, and rose for you, so you could become a new creation.

And you didn't do anything to earn it. It's free.

We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.-Acts 10:39-43 (NIV)

Jesus' Conversations with Women: The Water Jar

I have been thinking about the woman at the well that is found, in John 4. Mainly I have been thinking about her water jar. That water jar represented shame to her. The Bible says it was the sixth hour when Jesus sat down at the well. That would have been about noon. Then comes the woman to draw water.

Coming to the well at this time of the day would have been unusual. The job of drawing water was the job of a slave or women, and they would have done it earlier in the day when it was cooler, so this woman was coming to the well when she could avoid other people.

Her tone seemed a little sharp when she talked to Jesus, and we can tell that she was brave when speaking with Him. But she carried that shame because she avoided those who would shame her.

They have a conversation, she and Jesus, and discuss theological things. He offers her living water They discuss Jacob who built the well. His words tell her he knows her and what has happened to her in her life. And then they come to the most pivotal point.

Jesus tells her He is the Messiah. He reveals His true nature to her, and what He wants to do for her.

And she leaves her water jar.

She leaves the thing that is a representation of her shame. She lets it go, runs away, and tells other people about Him.

I believe, that when we all have a true encounter with the living Jesus, we will do the same. It will cause us to let go and leave our shame. We will leave all those things that have been holding us back, with Him, and we will run and tell others about Him.

He wanted her to come to know Him, That was His purpose in talking to her and still is His purpose with us.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.-John 4:25-30 (NKJV) 

My prayer is that we would all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him,

Beth

A Foundation of Grace: What if Grace Were the Focus?

From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.-John 1:16


I have been participating in a Bible study based on the book Unveiling Jesus by Tricia Gunn. We are just finishing up Chapter 14 and getting ready to start Chapter 15. I was looking at the questions for Chapter 15 in the video guide. Question #3 says, "If grace became the focus instead of sin management, how would this affect the Body of Christ?"

That is an AMAZING question! Let me tell you how it would have affected me. When I first came back to the Lord in my early twenties, I tried over and over and over again to get my behavior straight. I could not do it. So, what would I do? I would quit. I would give up. And start doing the things again I had been doing before. I felt like I had to make my own self right. I felt like I had to measure up to God's standard. Guess what? I could not do it in my own flesh!!!

What got me to finally somewhat not living the way that had been wrecking my life? I remember laying in my bed sometime, it was probably in the morning, and I could physically sense that I was grieving the Spirit of God. And when I say grieving, I mean like a parent grieves for their child, you know, out of a sense of love? I could actually feel Him grieving in my heart. LOVE is what did it for me.

I didn't totally get it then, and it would be many years, but slowly I was propelled more toward a path of LOVE. Somebody gave me a tape that was a message called "The Conquering Power of God's Love." I had never heard anything like it before. I listened to it until it broke. I listened to it so much that I can still hear it at times in my head.

So, to go back to the original question...If grace became the focus instead of sin management, how would this affect the Body of Christ?

People would quit struggling with the things that kept them bound. They would know what Jesus did for them. Love would explode out of their hearts and souls and they could be free, the way Jesus intends them to be.

Always, always take it back to the Gospels. What did the people that received from Him look like? What was He doing? What were they doing? There you will find your answers.

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

 

A Foundation of Grace: His Name is John

"His name is John."

Last night I was watching The Nativity Story, and when it got to the part where Zechariah wrote on the tablet, "His name is John," those words leapt off the screen at me!!!

When Zechariah was visited by the angel, Gabriel told him what to name the baby. This was no coincidence. It wasn't something haphazard, just because God thought his name should be John. It was pregnant with purpose, just like Elizabeth soon would be.

John. The name means "the Lord is gracious."

John the Baptist would be the forerunner of Jesus, and just like the angel said, he would,

He will be your pride and joy, and many people will be glad that he was born. As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.-Luke 1:14-17

I have often looked at John from a more religious and zealot like perspective. He often seemed like a condemning outlaw to me. I think other people might have the same perspective.

When you know what his name means, it totally changes your perspective of everything. He would be the prophet to usher in the Age of Grace.

His name is John. It just keeps rolling around and around in my heart.

May preparations for your Christmas season be a season of Grace, knowing that Grace itself has come into the world!

Merry Christmas!

~Beth

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

 

A Foundation of Grace: Grace Gives Big Time

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat."

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”

When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”  For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took,  and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”  Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.-Luke 5:1-11 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

For the last few years, I have started spending more time looking at people and the way they responded to Jesus in the Gospels and the way He responded back to them.  We can learn so much about his character in this way, who he was/is, how he treated people, and this will give us insight into how he is treating us now.  Because a lot of people really don't have an accurate picture of how God is relating to them.

I was reading this story this morning and a few things about Jesus' encounter with Peter stood out to me. 

This was an early meeting of Peter and Jesus.  Peter did not yet really know Jesus based on his actions. He was not traveling with him yet. But he goes through a little transition during this meeting.

The Bible says Jesus saw two boats.  He chose to get into Peter's boat that day.

He asks Peter to push the boat out a little from the edge and then starts teaching the people.  Peter was still in the boat listening to Jesus teach.  After Jesus finishes, he tells Peter to let his nets down for a catch.  Peter doesn't think that is a good idea.  He has just fished all night, caught nothing, and doesn't believe it will do any good.  But because Jesus just told him to, he decides to do it.  He has been teaching in his boat after all. 

What Peter doesn't realize, as many of us don't, is that Grace is sitting in our boat.  Even after an encounter, it takes us a little bit to get it.

So, he lets down the net and they catch so many fish (somebody else is in the boat with Peter, but he's doing all the talking as usual) that they have to call for their partners to help and then both boats began to sink.  That is a lot of fish!!!  How many fish would it take to cause a boat to sink?  They are made to be buoyant.  They were carrying grown men and there were so many fish in the boat it started to sink!!

Peter still didn't get it completely, who Jesus was, and what he was about.  We can tell by his response to Jesus.  I plan on talking about that more later.

But, my oh my, we can learn about Jesus in this passage, and about the Grace He brings with Him.

The Grace Jesus brings gives big time! The Grace He brings is a superabundantly, overflowing, boat-sinking type of giving!

A Foundation of Grace: (Past Tense) Forgiven

Lots of times we are praying, asking God for things, when He has already given them.  Just like the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears.


Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

But Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, Teacher,” he said.

“Two men were  to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”

“I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied.

“You have judged correctly.” Jesus said.

And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

-Luke 7:36-50 (Berean Study Bible)

Faith is believing in the goodness, mercy and love of God. Faith is believing He loves you ridiculously and has all these good things for you.

The woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears was not sad. She was happy. Those were tears of joy! She believed Jesus was who He said he was. She believed he loved her. She believed she was already (past tense) forgiven. The tears and the oil were an offering out of a heart of love.

The Pharisee couldn't see the goodness of God and who was standing right in front of him. But the woman could. She could see him.

And I believe that is what God wants, more than we even want it.  He wants us to see and know the love God has for us.  Paul prayed in Ephesians that we would know how "wide and high and long and deep is the love of Christ."(Ephesians 3:18)

The same mercy, grace and love present then is present now.  I pray the same prayer as Paul for all of us that we would know that love, and as that knowledge of his love for us fills our hearts, we would have a massive overflow of love for him.

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

A Foundation of Grace: Grace in the New Testament Scriptures

There are 157 occurrences for the Greek word "charis" in the New Testament. This word is most often translated "grace," but when looking at scriptures, I also found that it is translated as "favor, credit, thanks, gift" and a few other words. To read more about the definition of the Greek word "charis," please read an earlier post in the series here.

I thought I would share some scriptures with you about grace today, so you could see them side by side. Sometimes when we see scriptures together, it is like a puzzle with many pieces starting to click and form a picture.

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.-Luke 2:40

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.-John 1:16

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.-Acts 4:33

Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.-Acts 14:33

Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.-Acts 14:3

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.-Acts 15:11

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.-Acts 20:24

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.-John 1:17

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.-Romans 1:17

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,-Romans 3:24

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)-Romans 5:17

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,-Romans 5:20

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.-Romans 6:14

But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.-2 Corinthians 8:7

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.-2 Corinthians 8:9

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.-2 Corinthians 13:14

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,-Galatians 1:6

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.-Galatians 2:21

There are so many other scriptures about grace in the New Testament, as well as the Old.  But I think we can see from these how important grace was to the Early Church and how it should be to us as well.

Grace and peace to you...

To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.