Born to Save Sinners

“The LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” –Genesis 39:21

Joseph was in Egypt, but not by choice. He was beaten by his brothers, thrown into a pit only to be pulled out of the pit to be sold into slavery. Yet, the Lord’s favor promised in dreams of his brothers kneeling before him remained on Joseph. He was appointed by his Egyptian master Potiphar to head the home, and his master prospered and had no worries under Joseph’s care.

Yet, Potiphar’s wife kept making sexual advances at the young, handsome Hebrew. Joseph remained faithful saying, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9)? The lustful woman kept advancing, one day trapping Joseph only to see him flee from evil. In the chaos, she held Joseph’s garment and deceived her husband into believing Joseph was the evil one. Potiphar then threw Joseph in the pit, though he did no wrong.

It is here Moses reminds us God’s steadfast love and favor remained on Joseph, and this time in the sight of the prison master. Moses inserts a short story about his brother Judah before returning to the Joseph narrative in Genesis 38, a chapter filled with sexual immorality. First, Judah took a Canaanite woman as a wife, something God prohibited. Then, Judah found a wife for his son named Tamar, who was widowed as both Judah’s sons were wicked and the Lord took their lives.

Tamar then dressed as a cult prostitute to seduce her father-in-law Judah, only to disappear with his belongings. When she was found to be pregnant, Judah judged her guilty and deserving death (Genesis 38:24). Yet, Tamar brought out Judah’s belongings which proved his culpability. It is here, Judah confessed Tamar to be more righteous than him, which in a way confesses his guilt and deserving more than death (vs 26).

Why does God’s Word tell us Joseph has God’s steadfast love and favor on him, yet he is imprisoned and suffers for sexual crimes he did not commit while Judah commits heinous sexual crimes, confesses guilt, and does not suffer as Joseph does? Read on, and we find Judah confessing he deserves punishment for his sin against Joseph (Genesis 44:16), only for Joseph to reconcile with his guilty brothers, draw them near to himself and tell them God sent Joseph ahead in suffering then exaltation to preserve their lives (Genesis 45:4-5). What the brothers meant for evil, God sovereignly meant for good (Genesis 50:20). By his sufferings, the brothers’ lives where preserved by God’s hand.

Think deeply what God is pointing us to in the favored Son Jesus Christ. He is perfectly righteous, yet treated as a great criminal. Suffering mockery and beatings. By His wounds we have inflicted on the Son of God, we sinners are healed. He suffered instead of us, and by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone we receive His benefits.

Think about the great evil of Judah and his brothers, plotting evil against their brother with intense jealousy. Jesus taught on this evil in His parable of the wicked tenants. The tenants were left the vineyard as the master went to the far country. Sending servants to receive his share, the tenants beat them all. Finally, the master sent his son, but the wicked tenants killed the son expecting to take his inheritance (Matthew 21:38).

Jacob, Joseph and the brothers’ father, passed away with a final request for Joseph to forgive his brothers all their sins (Genesis 50:17). On His cross, our Lord cried out, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). At Jacob’s funeral, Joseph gathered his brothers now forgiven and said not to fear twice, then a promise of good. He will provide for them.

Joseph was born to suffer, then be exalted to save his wicked brothers, all by God’s sovereign hand. Deeper still, the sinless Christ was born to save sinners as Joseph was told to name Him Jesus (Matthew 1:21), a saying trustworthy and deserving your full acceptance (I Timothy 1:15).

Dear sinner, think upon the sufferings of the Man of Sorrows. Jesus did this willingly. Christmas is the time we meditate on the Son of God taking on flesh, being rejected and despised, suffered and crucified as a criminal though He did not wrong, to save the wicked. Deeper than the weeping Joseph’s drawing his wicked brothers to himself with forgiveness, Jesus draws sinners to Himself to forgive us and reconcile us to our heavenly Father. Sinner, believe upon Christ and call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

As Linus concluding in his reading of Luke 2, “That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.”

This is what Christmas is all about. God sending His favored Son to suffer and die instead of you to save many, glorifying our God who is mighty to save.

Heavenly Father, as this season draws family and friends together, remind us why Jesus came into the world: to save sinners. A sinner like me. All praise be to our gracious God who placed our guilt on Christ and His righteousness on us that we may glorify our God and enjoy You forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Peace on Earth

“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” –Isaiah 48:22

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s brilliant poem “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” encapsulates the heartbreaking gravity of a peaceless world of human enmity when he says, “And in despair I bowed my head, "There is no peace on Earth," I said. For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.” Longfellow’s wife Frances had passed away the previous year, and he penned this poem in the height of the American Civil War just months after his oldest son Charles was seriously wounded at the Battle of Mine Run. Hearing the cheery bells and carols while surrounded by such human carnage and rage seemed to Longfellow a mockery.

Longfellow’s suffering gives me pause before God who says, “There is no peace for the wicked.” All human experience this side of Genesis 3 is a hopelessly peaceless existence of pain, death, and enmity, enough to cause great despair which cannot be overcome. A restlessness accompanies the human heart in slavery to sin and death. Despair, in the most profoundly ugly way, mingles with the human drive for earthly pleasure and any sense of happiness. The wicked crave and pursue such peace, but the Lord promises, “there is no peace for the wicked.”

Jeremiah’s prophecy makes mention of shepherds claiming “peace, peace,” where there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14). Humanity pursues a false peace, seeking and searching then giving a listening ear to false shepherds offering any sense of the peace and joy we so deeply crave as if such peace and goodwill can be found in the things God hates. Yet, generation after generation of humanity caves to despair of such mocking cheerfulness in this place of sin and death like wave after wave crashing into a rocky shore.

Yet, Longfellow followed up his despair with the final stanza:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Such gracious redeeming of such worthless people in such a dark world is a wonder of wonders that our God would be so loving. Isaiah, upon being confronted by the mighty and fearful God, did not claim himself above the wicked people and wicked world around him; rather, he said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). You are not above the despairing futility of a hopeless pursuit of peace. You and I are not foreigners to this fallen world. You and I need rescue.

Perhaps Longfellow’s hope of God’s right prevailing was invested in a Union victory. Perhaps we can look to our governing powers and judges for some minor victories of justice. From the carnage of war to street crimes to the modern Herodian slaughter of the innocents at Planned Parenthood, true and everlasting peace is despairingly out of reach. Dear reader, such peace from God on earth and His goodwill are only reserved for those “whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).

To be pleased by God requires God’s perfect righteousness. As we enter Advent, we look back to the manger with wonder that God would step His holy feet upon Adam’s cursed ground of thorns only to wear those thorns as a crown in such a violent display on the cross. Our wrong of sin and the embrace of death in our dark world is defeated by the resurrected and soon appearing of the rightful King.

There is plenty to bring despair in this world. Advent reminds us we are not to find peace and joy in the world or the world’s kingdoms. We long for the King’s return to right every wrong. Beloved, your faith means no condemnation. Take comfort, o downcast soul, in your promised eternal worship of God and rejoice. For the King has conquered sin and death to bring peace on earth in His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Dear Christian take heart, lift your head to God’s holy mountain of hope and rejoice.

Heavenly Father, our fallen world and abiding sin gives plenty of evidence to despair. Deliver us from evil, Lord. Guide us by Your Word to be a lamp unto our feet on this dark, dangerous, and narrow path. Speak, dear Good Shepherd, that Your sheep may hear and follow as we long for You to right every wrong. Bless Your church with Your mercies of peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Joy to the World

 “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice.” -Psalm 96:11

A popular song around Christmas time is Isaac Watts’ hymn, “Joy to the World.” Watts wrote this hymn regarding Christ’s second coming, which I do find appropriate to sing at a time remembering our Lord’s first advent. Watts writes, 

Joy to the World; the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King!

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing.

The earth will receive her King when Jesus returns, and the heavens will be glad and the earth rejoice, as the Psalmist writes. We groan along with all creation until then (Romans 8:22). This groaning presses our faces to remain looking forward. No matter the levels of comforts and joys delighted in our brief time on earth, no matter the level of strides we make in maturing in Christ in our vapor-like lifetime, our deepest longings each day of our lives is for Jesus to return. For we assured by the rich mercies of our God that our Lord Jesus returns to us, His church, as Redeemer. 

Do you long for Christ’s return, to rejoice and to be glad with all of His Kingly rule in heaven and earth? His rule is as Prince of Peace, breaking the bow of war, crushing the rebellion of sin, and destroying sting of death forever. The history of redemption written by the sovereign hand of God is incomplete until Christ returns to finish His Kingdom. Let us wait we longing.

Isaac Watts’ hymn continues:

 

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love

The glories of His perfect righteousness, ruling the nations with His truth and grace, displays for eternity the wonders of His love. Beloved of Christ, remember this glorious truth today and always, no matter the anxieties and pains and joys of your brief life: our loving Bridegroom will return for us to redeem us to enjoy His presence forever.

Heavenly Father, my heart and flesh fail daily, stripping the motivations of obedience, growing weary in doing good. Forgive us, Lord. Strengthen us, Lord. Make us ready for our Savior’s return for His church that Your gospel goes to the nations that the heavens and all the earth rejoice. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God's Purpose in Christmas

Jesus said, "For this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." - John 12:27-28

Christmas time conjures up so many sentimental images and memories in our minds. A large family meal, red and green sweaters with little white snowflakes on them, and the family gathered in the living room to hear the Christmas story in Scripture. We hear of angels filling the sky singing to God’s glory. God is glorified in sending His Son Jesus into our world as an infant in humble settings on earth.

Jesus came to earth as an infant for God’s glorious purpose. Jesus explains in John 12 that His coming suffering and execution makes God look great: “Father, glorify Your name.” God is glorified in Jesus obeying God’s purpose in sending His Son into the world.

For what purpose did God send Jesus to suffer and die? How did this make God look great?

The Apostle Paul knew our heavenly Father’s purpose to send His Son: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” God is glorified, as the hymn “To God be the Glory” says, in Jesus saving “even the vilest offender.”

Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, glorified God. Jesus was born for the purpose of the hour of His suffering and death to save sinners. God displays His greatness in saving sinners through Jesus, and by faith in Jesus we receive His peace on earth and goodwill; divine joy forevermore as children in God’s family.

So, as we gather with our families this Christmas, let us remember the purpose of Jesus’ birth: to glorify God by His suffering and death to save sinners that we receive the fullness of joy in God’s family, and life everlasting as Jesus defeated death by His resurrection. Just as the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending Jesus into our world, to bear our guilt and sin to the cross, to die our death. What glorious purpose, and what joy we receive in Your salvation! Glorify Your name in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.