An Anthology - A History - A Mystery - A Treasure Hunt - A Genealogy - or A Road Map

     This morning I was very encouraged to share a Bible study on the birth of Jesus.  I began by asking the question while holding my Bible up for all to see.  What is this?  The Bible?  They responded as though answering a question with a question.  It wasn't that they were puzzled by the book's content, but more by my question.  After all, this was a Bible study.  It wasn't so evident to others shopping in the store why we were sitting in a circle of chairs offering a whole table of Christmas delights like coffee, tea, punch, muffins, cookies, and candy.  We had hoped to encourage others to participate as they entered the store.  Would our open Bible study draw anyone who needed to know just a little bit more about Jesus this holiday season?

     I just read the obituary of a man who often greeted me for routine oil changes on my car.  He was such a good-hearted man; you never got a glimpse of anything but genuine concern for humanity.  I was drawn to his pleasant personality.  As I read the account of his life, I found that he talked about Jesus with everyone; this reinforced my own desire to share the good news. 

    I returned to my original question, 'What is the Bible?' A book of hope, of answers, or directions.  All good answers.  What if I were to say it is a book of predictions, warnings, and promises.  Still true.   I continued, 'As a book of predictions, where everything that has been recorded for thousands of years is proving true, let's talk about what the Word of God tells us about End Times.' We are much more inclined to listen to apocalyptic stories when life is hard.  Here are three notable things the Bible tells us. 

(1) Many will fall away from the Truth in the last days.  This is called apostasy. 

(2) In the last days, man will look within himself for answers rather than to God.  Man will seek a global economy and charismatic leadership.  This will make more sense to him than Biblical wisdom, and      

(3) In the last days, many false teachers will rise up and tell people what they want to hear rather than speaking the Truth. As a result, they will acquire many followers.  This is a warning for believers to develop Biblical discernment.

     Have we witnessed any of these things lately?  I think most of us would nod our heads, recognizing the current trends we are seeing in our world.  But even in the time of Jesus' birth, these things were true.  Like Jesus, the promised seed of woman, he was met with different degrees of enthusiasm.  (1)  The wise men, called Magi, had been looking for signs of his arrival.  They were trained in Scriptures and looking to the sky for signs knowing that the book of Numbers predicted a specific supernatural occurrence in heaven that pointed the way to him.  In their seeking, they desired to worship him.  (2)  King Herod wasn't so thrilled at the announcement of Jesus' birth.  He lied to the wise men hoping to discover his whereabouts.  Under the pretense of worship, the motivations of his heart were poorly disguised, especially when he decreed that all boys under the age of two of Jewish descent must be killed.  King Herod opposed Jesus.  And (3), The religious leaders, experts in the Torah (Law), and Prophets knowing the signs that pointed to their Messiah, responded with indifference.  We see no record of travel, celebrations, or gifts exchanges in honor of the Savior's birth.  Although they had been given precise identification markers, none could be bothered by the fulfillment of prophecies.  So, to recap, we have the seekers, the opponents, and the disinterested.  Pretty much sums up our world today.

     I encouraged the Bible study participants to consider the story of the birth of Jesus from different perspectives.  Could we think of this Bible story as a treasure hunt?  Starting nearly 6,500 years ago, Genesis 3:15 spoke of the curse, the very first marker, as if to say, "You Are Here." If 'X" marks the spot of the treasure, the birth of Jesus is God's answer to a broken world.  The Genesis 3 passage has been called the 'protoevangelium,' which is defined as a message of man's triumph over sin and death (a promise).  Immanuel, the seed God has promised, tells us through this title that Jesus, in the flesh, is 'God with us.' Jesus was famously prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-7, now here among us.

     We can also look to the Bible like a Global Positioning System (known as GPS).  How often have I programmed my vehicle to move from Point A to Point B?  There might be many stops along the way.  One for refueling, one for refreshment, one for relief, and maybe another for rest.  We know how to follow a map.  If Point A were the Genesis 3 passage represents the curse where God's solution is the seed, and Point B was Jesus' birth, all the stops along the way could be recognized as mileage markers and road signs showing us that we are on the right path.

     The writings of Matthew point to all these former prophesies that mark the identity of Jesus.  After Adam and Eve's fall from grace, Eve gave birth to two sons (Cain and Abel).  Within just a few chapters, we see the ungodly son (Cain) decision to murder the son that had found God's favor.  Initially, Eve may have believed that one of these two sons might provide the remedy.  But until Seth's birth, Genesis 4:25-26, makes it clear that it would be Seth's line that held the promise.  Nearly 1650 years later, we see Shem's descendants carry the promise forward.  Shem was Noah's son coming through the line of Seth.  Not all of Shem's descendants were godly men.  Nimod started a revolt at the Tower of Babel, maybe the first attempt at a one-world order apart from God.

     We are familiar with the story of Abraham and the covenant God made with him in Genesis 12.  Ishmael would not be part of God's plan of redemption, but Isaac would (see Genesis 17 and 21).  The next marker falls on Jacob, the second-born son of Isaac.  We see God's promise in Genesis 25 and 28.  Jacob produced a large family of twelve sons.  It also would not be the firstborn, Reuben, that God would bless, nor the second, nor the third, but the fourth son Judah.  God would make a covenantal agreement with him.  In Genesis 49, we read, "the scepter shall not depart from Judah." There was a promise of a king.

     Deuteronomy 23:2 poses a problem for the fulfillment of this prophecy.  Judah had three sons (Er, Onan, and Shelah).  Two died, and none produced an heir.  However, through deception, Judah's daughter-in-law, Tamar, had two illegitimate sons.  God chose Perez to carry the lineage to Jesus.  After ten generations, it was possible to produce royalty through the line of Judah.  That happened to coincide with the downfall of Saul (a Benjamite) and the appointment of David (Jesse's Son) by the anointing from the prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel 16).  This is where the famous Isaiah 9 passage identifies Jesus' ancestors.  Upon his anointing, the Holy Spirit rushed upon David from that day forward.

     The next clearly defined path passes through King David to his son Solomon.  God kept the lines of identification very clear so that no imposter might be mistaken for the Messiah (see 1 Chronicle 28).  The prophet Jeremiah revealed that the kingdom would divide after Solomon's reign, and the remaining kingships would hold no relevance for the Nation of Israel.  They would be taken into captivity by the family line of Abram's humble beginnings (the Chaldeans, or Babylon).

     The prophet Isaiah lived nearly 700 years before Christ and Malachi 400 years ahead.  Yet, both men predicted Jesus' forerunner, John (see Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3).  After four hundred years of silence, having someone prepare the way for Jesus makes sense. But, would anyone still be looking for Him?  Anyone who studies genealogies tracing their family back to its origins would have a hard time creating such a clear path from start to finish, as we see recorded in God's Word.

     Isaiah 7 tells us of the virgin birth, Jeremiah tells us of God's curse.  Daniel nine tells us the timing of Jesus' arrival, and Micah tells us the location without denial.  The last sign the Magi would see is the rising Celestial Announcement recorded in Numbers 24:17.

     Not only can we arrive at this understanding through the analogy of a treasure map or a road map, but we can also look at Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection through a history lesson provided by Luke in his gospel.  Maybe you like a mystery.  Then the apostle Paul lays out Scriptures and reveals meaning and secrets held for centuries until God would open the path of Salvation to us Gentiles.

     As there are three responses to Jesus' birth: Wise men seeking, kings opposing, and religious leaders indifference, we find the same response to God's Word today. Therefore, I couldn't let the holiday pass without pleading with those who know of Jesus Christ to pick up the Word and begin to enjoy the beautiful story of redemption.