Life's Inanities and Ironies

In the quiet hush of a Bethlehem night over two millennia ago, heaven didn't just whisper—it thundered into our broken world. As we approach the Christmas season , let's strip away the tinsel and commercial glitter to behold the raw, biblical truth of Luke 2:1-20 . This isn't a cozy nativity scene for greeting cards; it's the explosive moment when God Almighty stepped into human history to rescue sinners from eternal doom. If you've ever wondered why Christmas matters, or if your soul hungers for true peace, read on—this story could change your eternity.   The Sovereign Setup: God's Plan Unfolds Picture this: The mighty Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus decrees a census, forcing everyone to their ancestral towns (Luke 2:1-3). Unbeknownst to him, this pagan ruler becomes a pawn in God's chessboard. Joseph, a descendant of King David , travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem with his betrothed, Mary, who is great with child (Luke 2:4-5). Why Bethlehem? Because Script...

As the Christmas season approaches, our minds often drift to the familiar scenes of the nativity : a cozy stable, Mary and Joseph cradling the baby Jesus, wise men bearing gifts, and angels singing overhead. But what if I told you that our polished retellings of this story might be missing some crucial characters—and with them, vital truths about God's redemptive plan? In this blog post, we'll dive deep into Luke 2:1-20, exploring the theme "Who We Leave Out of the Nativity." Drawing from a recent homily I delivered to a group of fundamentalist Christians, we'll uncover how this passage challenges us to embrace the full scope of the gospel, reaching those society—and sometimes even the church—overlooks. The Humble Setting: A World in Motion, But No Room for the King Luke's account begins with the grand sweep of history: "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered" (Luke 2:1, ESV). Here we see the Ro...

The house was small, the village smaller, and the night had been long—four centuries long. Then came a cry. Not the cry of the Messiah (not yet), but the cry of a baby born to a barren woman and a doubting priest. And with that cry, the silence of God shattered like dawn over the Judean hills . Elizabeth ’s neighbors expected the child to be named Zechariah Junior. Tradition demanded it. But when the Holy Ghost begins a new thing, He does not ask permission from family custom. “His name is John ,” the mother declared. The mute father wrote the same on a tablet, and instantly his tongue sprang free after nine months of divine discipline. The first words out of Zechariah’s mouth were not apology but prophecy: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , for He hath visited and redeemed His people!” Church, when God names something, the debate is over. He named that child “John”—the LORD is gracious—before he ever drew breath. And He has named every blood-washed believer “redeemed,” “forgiven,...

 “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour…” (Luke 1:46-47 KJV) When the angel Gabriel left, Mary didn’t post a pregnancy announcement on social media. She didn’t call a crisis hotline. She didn’t even wait until the danger of Herod, the Great was past. The moment the Holy Ghost made the promise real in her heart, she burst into one of the most explosive celebrations of God in all of Scripture—the Magnificat . If a teenage Jewish girl facing scandal, shame, and possible death could magnify the Lord like that, how much more ought blood-bought, born-again, Bible-believing Christians celebrate Him today? 1. Celebrate Him for Who He Is— Holy, Holy, Holy    Mary didn’t start with her feelings; she started with His character: “Holy is His name.” The same refrain thunders around the throne right now ( Rev. 4:8 ). God has not changed. Culture has. Politics have. Your circumstances have. But “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, an...