Firstborn is the Lord’s

Friday, December 20, 2024

 Firstborn is the Lord’s – Exodus 13 Submitted by Kay Crumley

Did you know? I learned something this morning and wanted to share it. 

 

Our Sunday School lessons have been in Exodus and last week was about the first Passover in Exodus 12. This morning, in an Advent study I am doing, I was directed to Exodus 13 that was continuing the instructions God is giving the new nation, Israel. They had escaped Egypt who had held them in slavery for 430 years. God is instructing them with new methods of worship in the land He will give them. They were freed from bondage by God who killed the firstborn male of all of Egypt including their livestock forcing Pharoh to finally free God’s people. The firstborn male held great significance in the ancient world. He would receive the inheritance of wealth, position and power from his father and have the responsibility to take leadership of the family by ensuring its future. Now, God is commanding that the firstborn be consecrated, set apart to God, either as a sacrifice or as belonging to God.  

 

In Exodus 4:22 Israel is referred to as God’s firstborn people. Israel is God’s favored nation among all the nations. The firstborn was considered the best and our best always belongs to God. In Exodus 12, God redeemed, rescued, His firstborn people from Egypt.  

 

God is instructing His people to remember the significance of the firstborn and how that was used to bring them out of slavery to the promised land that He would give into their hands. We must remember what He has done for us. As we celebrate Christmas and Easter we are called to remember His provision for us. This passage is a foreshadowing of His promises fulfilled.  

 

Exodus 13 

11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and gives it to you, 12 you are to present to the Lord every firstborn male of the womb. All firstborn offspring of the livestock you own that are males will be the Lord’s. 13 You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons. 

14 “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘By the strength of his hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.  

 

The practice of giving the firstborn to the Lord was to begin when they reached the Promised land so they would always remember what God had done for them in Egypt. The donkey was essential to the people so its firstborn could be substituted with a lamb so the donkey would be redeemed to be used for its intended purpose. All the firstborn sons should be redeemed, a substitute found to sacrifice, as the people were never to sacrifice by death their firstborn sons. The firstborn son was to be dedicated to the Lord for His purpose and plan. The reason for this practice was so the nation of Israel would never forget the redemption God provided for them at their escape from Egypt.  

 

However, God provided the promised Messiah, His firstborn Son, to be the final sacrifice. Colossians 1:12 He is the image of the invisible God, 
the firstborn over all creation. God came to earth, fully God and fully human, who is God’s firstborn. As believers we are the adopted sons and daughters of God, but Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of God. We see the completion of God’s plan for the perfect, final sacrifice in Hebrews 10:9-10 Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. This is what he meant by saying to God, “I have come to do what you want.”  So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all. (CEV) 

 

Now it is our responsibility, as it was in Exodus 13:14, to teach our children, those in our sphere of influence, all the things we are taught in the Word. Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 

 

Be prepared to answer the questions “Why do we celebrate Christmas” this season with the truth of His Word. Jesus is our ultimate Redeemer and Savior. 

Joyful Expectation

Thursday, December 19, 2024

 

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 

 

Joyful Expectation

God’s people waited in joyful expectation for their king, The Messiah, for years.  It is hard to be joyful about something you have been promised is going to happen, but it is not happening.  Yet they were joyful because of their faith in the promise of what God would do, not what He had already done in their presence.  The birth of Jesus, our King, met the greatest need that you and I would ever have – the forgiveness of our sins. Any other earthly need we may encounter pales in comparison to what has been provided to us by our King, Jesus. He is everything we could ever need or want.  He is sufficient in and for all things and the only true source of joy.  So, if you think joy comes from what you possess, you will always be in want. If you think your joy comes from the circumstances you face, you will always be worried. In His forgiveness we find freedom, a freedom that truly brings joy because it frees us from the burden of the debt of sin.  The burden of debt is heavy and the penalty we would have to pay without our King is death but, in His forgiveness, we find life everlasting.  This Christmas focus on the gift of forgiveness that our King Jesus gave us.  Find joy in His freedom from sin - the weight has been lifted!

 

We also can live in joyful expectation of the second coming of our King.  We also can live in the joyful expectation of what He will do in our lives today, tomorrow, and for years to come.  We can live in joyful freedom because of the sacrifice He made.  

 

The prophet Habakkuk offered this wisdom, Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18 

 

True joy in life does not come from what we have or encounter. It doesn’t come from lack of difficult circumstances, or full bank accounts. You can’t buy it or make it and you definitely cannot find it anywhere else. It comes from knowing the King – Jesus Christ. He came to set us free and to know true joy in Him. Celebrate this season by being intentional with how you live your life. Let it always be a reflection of Him that points others to Him, at Christmastime and always. Help others to wait with joyful expectation for the second coming of a King – the Messiah who is the giver of true mercy, grace, forgiveness, eternal life and joy like you have never known.                                                                                                                

The Word Became Flesh

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 

The Word Became Flesh

When we have an emotion, a thought or an idea that we need to communicate, we use what are called “words”.  Words convey our desires and our dreams.  They also convey our heart and priorities.  We use words every day and yet fail to realize that they create worlds.  The words we speak become the very surroundings that we exist in.  The Psalmist proclaimed that “death and life are in the power of the tongue”. Genesis states that it was by words that the world was created.

God desired to reveal His heart for mankind; He wanted us to know His love.  He also wished for us to understand His desire to redeem us from the consequences of our sin and separation from Him.  But all the words of heaven could not communicate fully with man.  God needed a “word” from heaven that man could understand.

Christmas is all about God’s love and plan.  It is the revelation in flesh of His desire for us. John 1:1 speaks of Jesus as “the word” which was in existence in the beginning, and John 1:14 shares that “the word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  Jesus is the “word” that existed before the foundation of the world.  Jesus is the one who threw open the door of eternity and came into our world of time to share the heart of the Father.

This is what Christmas is all about.  The angels said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  A Savior…from what?  Who is it that needs one?  According to the angel it is “for all the people”.  

People who truly know God, know that He is holy and requires His people to be holy.  The very word “holy” means separated from or other than.  Without holiness, no one can find fellowship with God.  People who know God, and know themselves, realize that they are sinners and therefore separated from God.  All our attempts at being good can never attain “holy” because we are already flawed from sin.  Today’s righteousness will not counteract yesterday’s sin.  So where does that leave us?  We are separated from God.  Not only that, we are hopeless in our own power to find fellowship and eternal life in God.  

We needed a “word” from God and “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” so that we could be delivered from our sin!  It is precisely to this hopelessness that the angel brought the “good news”… “a savior is born!”  Hope is alive!  Joy is restored!  Peace with God and man is possible!  All because “God so loved the world that He sent His only son.” 

Nothing Will Be Impossible With God

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. For nothing will be impossible with God.” “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:34-38 CSB

It's Christmas. It is hard not to feel hope in miracles in this season. Everything feels so magical – the lights, the songs, the snow (somewhere), the gifts, all the programs, special church and family gatherings - and the Hallmark movies. We like fairy tales, even when we grow up. In fact, we can believe that our lives should look like fairy tales, and we especially believe we should be able to create the perfect Christmas experience. Mary was teenage girl, engaged, and surely had dreams of her own about her future. As we all know, God usually has other plans! 

For nothing will be impossible with God.

Mary received the news from the angel of the Lord that she would become pregnant and give birth to the long-awaited Messiah – a tiny baby sent to save the world. She was not married and was a virgin, so she was confused by what the angel said. He told her that she would become pregnant when the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. He has already told her who the baby is and what His name would be. It must have sounded so completely impossible to her, but the angel assured her that nothing will be impossible with God. Mary, without hesitation, replied See, I am the Lord’s servant, said Mary. May it happen to me as you have said.

Mary never looked back, sat in the corner and cried, or ran away because she felt out of control or could not work it out in her mind how this would all be okay. She surrendered instantly and completely, knowing that she could trust her Heavenly Father. She knew what the angel said was right – that nothing would be impossible with God. I wonder, is there something God has asked of you that you have been too afraid to surrender and obey? We all have crisis of faith sometimes. Sadly, we miss some incredible blessings and the opportunity to be used by God for His will. Mary understood what her role was and she was willing to sacrifice and honored to be chosen. Do you look at it like that? Do you see your impossible circumstances as an honored position that God will work through to reach others using you? 

Mary had the most perfect Christmas that special day when she gave birth to the Savior of the world. She most likely had never imagined that circumstance for her life, but she realized the honor of being chosen and the joy in the surrender.

This time of year, in the midst of all of our impossibilities, we focus intentionally on the birth of the only One who has the power to make all of our impossibilities possible. And to a world full of impossible sinfulness, with no way possible to save ourselves, He was born. He made our most impossible situation possible. He made it possible for us to have a relationship with God, to be forgiven and accept Him as our Savior and His gift of eternal life. No matter what you are facing right now, there is nothing more impossible than us reconciling ourselves with our Heavenly Father in our own power. Jesus came and did that for us. Eternal separation from Him is far worse than any earthly problem or circumstance we face. He came and made the most impossible thing possible. He made the way for a sinful soul to come before a holy God and find redemption. 

Hope in Jesus as Son of Man and Son of God

Monday, December 16, 2024

Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:31-35

Hope in Jesus as Son of Man and Son of God

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was just a young teenage girl when she was visited by Gabriel, the angel of the Lord. Gabriel had the most surprising message for this young teenage girl. He told her she was going to have a very special baby, the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of the world. Gabriel told her that even though she was not married, the Holy Spirit would make all this possible, and she would give birth to a son and call Him Jesus. It was a miracle of God and Mary was a willing servant.

Pastor Jim told us yesterday that the concept of Jesus being both fully human and fully God is called the hypostatic union. Jesus is the only one who could ever cross between the boundaries of human existence and God, revealing His dual nature. He has always been God since the very beginning of time, and when He came to earth as a baby, He did not stop being God. 

The Son of Man…

The hypostatic union meant that Jesus would be the son of Mary but would also be the Son of God. He would not be like any other baby ever born. He would be both man and human, resulting in the incarnation – God the Son became a man. 

Jesus had to be both God and man to fulfill the Gospel. He had to be like us, fully human in every way. Hebrews 2:17 tells us Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. He came as a man to be our perfect example and sacrifice. He modeled for us exactly how we are to walk like Him and share the Gospel message with the world – both in words and actions. 

The Son of God…

The angel told Mary that her Son would also be the Son of God, which means that He is the same as God.  In John 14:9 Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” And in John 10:30 He said, “I and the Father are one.” 

If Jesus was not the Son of God, His death on the cross would not have been enough to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. A human could not pay the infinite penalty required for sin against an infinite God. Only Jesus who is both man and God could pay the debt. Only He could take on the sins of the world, die, and be resurrected,  having victory over sin and death - giving us freedom from sin and providing the gift of eternal life.

The true miracle of Christmas – and every other day – is that we have a God who loved us so much that He sent His Son as a baby (God and man all wrapped in swaddling clothes) in a manger to save us. He gave His life so we could personally know the depth of His love for us through His sacrifice on the cross. He exchanged our sin for His mercy, grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. Every single day of our lives is Christmas as He gives new mercies every morning. Celebrate His birth, and His death and resurrection. Share the miracle of Jesus – God and man in one – with others so they can know the depth of His love, mercy and forgiveness this season and every day.

Hope Has a Name “Mary”

Hope Has a Name
“Mary” 
Luke 1:26-38 (CSB)

 

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity p. 178

 

Key Truth: “The child in the manger came to give us hope both now and for eternity.”

Main Question: What names does the angel reveal to Mary about the child that she would bear and how does this bring us hope?

 

1.    Son of Man  (Luke 1:26-31)

 

2.    Son of God  (Luke 1:32-38)

After the Message: Read Hebrews 4:15. What is Jesus’ role mentioned here? How is he able “to sympathize with our weaknesses”? What makes Him able to make the final sacrifice for our sin?

What Is Your Life Saying?

Friday, December 13, 2024

And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.  Acts 16:23-26

What Is Your Life Saying?

Whether we like it or not, we are always on display for the rest of the world to see. Especially as Christians, the world is watching to see if we truly “walk the walk” or if we are all talk. There is no more truthful telling of what we are on the inside than when hard times hit. Paul and Silas give us a great example of responding not only with grace in the midst of difficult circumstances, but with praise and adoration. They were imprisoned and responded by giving God the glory and not cursing Him or complaining. They also did not let their situation stop them from their mission, which was to preach the gospel, no matter what. 

They Lived the Gospel – Paul and Silas had already been living the gospel and that is what had gotten them thrown in jail. But being thrown in jail did not stop them. Maybe singing was a way to comfort themselves and to keep their focus where it belonged, but it also sent a message to those around them. 

This past Sunday Sam Nobles said that our lives are like a set of speakers and we are constantly blaring something. We may not even realize it, but we are always sending a message. If we are not intentional and careful about our actions and responses to life and others, we will drown out the message of the gospel instead of proclaiming it. Our words and actions have power. Proverbs 18:21 says that the power of life and death are in the tongue - The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. I was listening to a podcast last week and the speaker said that in 2020 the writer of Proverbs might say that the power of life and death are in the thumbs. Lately, people have been throwing words around on social media without considering the weight of them. We have a responsibility to live the gospel out loud with our lives and when we are not speaking face to face, it is easy to not take that responsibility seriously.

They Spoke the Gospel – they used words intentionally and carefully to share the gospel with those around them. At this point in their life it was their calling and purpose.  Live the gospel, but also speak the words to those who need to hear it. 

Being in the ministry is hard. It really is like living in a fishbowl. Everyone is watching how you live and how you respond to life. There are those that have little mercy or grace for those in the ministry. Recently Christians in general have been under excessive scrutiny and persecution. It does seem that those who demand the most grace have the least amount of grace for others. 

What are you blaring out of your life today? Are you proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, or are you drowning it out with curses, complaints, and criticism? Even if we deserve to complain or despair, in the face of agonizing uncertainty, pain, or adverse circumstances, let us intentionally blare out the love, grace, and good news of the gospel of Christ. 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a 
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1

Living Sacrifice

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Living Sacrifice – Romans 12:1-2 Submitted by Kay Crumley

Many of us are familiar with the practice, in the Old Testament, of the Israelite worship centered around sacrifices. They would come together for times of celebration to worship the God of Israel. They had not met all the requirements of the law of Moses so were required to offer an animal or grain offering as a sacrifice to atone for their sin.  These were a firstborn, unblemished animal, or the first fruits, the best of the crop. Their sacrifice to Him should always be the best, not anything of low quality. However, we no longer make sacrifices because the final sacrifice ever required was given when Jesus died on the cross for the payment of our sin. He covered all our sins with His perfect, unblemished body. The Message version of the Bible puts it this way in Hebrews 10:14 It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. Each person who has believed, repented, and are following Jesus has taken part in the final purifying process.  

As we read Romans 12:1-2 the opening word is ‘Therefore’ which requires us to ask, ‘what is it there for? That leads us to go back to Chapter 11 to find out what Paul had been teaching. Paul made sure that in every city he entered he went first to the Jewish community, the synagogue, to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. They were descendants of the original ‘chosen’ people, the descendants of Abraham. As a fellow Jew, he had a great desire for them to accept the truth of Jesus’s identity as the Messiah, His death, and resurrection so they be members of the family of God through Jesus Christ. However, the Jewish leadership and many others had rejected Paul’s message. Their hearts had been hardened. As a result, the gospel went to the Gentiles, who Paul was a messenger to, and they had been brought into the family of God. We are like branches of another kind of tree being grafted onto the tree that is the tree of life whose roots are God. We are part of His family and receive His blessings and mercy while the branches that fell off, the unbelieving Jewish people, are awaiting redemption. 

So, because of that, in Chapter 11, Paul is telling the Gentile believers how they are to live. Since we have received the mercies of God, we are to give us our own selfish desires and live a life pleasing to God. Psalm 50:14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God and fulfill your vows to the Most High. Our very being is to be an offering of thanksgiving to Him as we humbly honor Him with our obedience. We are to be totally surrendered to Him alone.  

1Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. 

Then once we are surrendered to Him, we must make some changes. Verse 2 is about transformation. We can not live like our culture dictates but according to the Word and will of our roots, our foundation. The good news is that someone else is doing the work of transformation for us. God does the work of renewing our minds. We are no longer branches of our current societal behaviors. We have been grafted into the tree whose roots are God. Our life source is Him, His character. The example we have is Jesus Christ. We must come to know Him intimately. His character should be so ingrained in our minds and hearts that we know what to do that will bring honor to Him. He brings our thoughts in line with His won so that we think God’s thoughts after Him. 1 Corinthians 2:16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND and PURPOSES OF THE LORD, SO AS TO INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes]. Amplified Version 

God has a purpose and plan for each of our lives. One that finds us when we are fully surrendered. The rest of the Book of Romans explains that purpose, it isn’t just about us.