Fear Not!

“The angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias . . .” (Luke 1:13)

What’s your favorite saying of the Christmas story? What the angel said to Mary, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women!” (Luke 1:28)? Or what the angel said to the Shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11)? Or to Joseph, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

But what about the “Fear Nots” of the Christmas story?

To Zechariah, the angel said, “Fear not!” (Luke 1:13). His fears about his future posterity would not happen—God would bless him with a son, John, to turn many of the hearts of the people back to God.

To Mary, the angel said, “Fear not!” (Luke 1:30). Her fear for her future as a woman would not happen—God would bless her with a son, Jesus, who would be the King to sit on David’s throne.

To Joseph, the angel said, “Fear not!” (Matthew 1:20). His fear for his future as a righteous man would not happen—God would bless him with a son who would be the Savior for the people.

To us, God is saying, “Fear not!” Our fears for our future do not have to happen—God has blessed us with His Son who is the way of salvation from all fears. “Fear not!” Christmas is about how Jesus came to give us life, and He will not betray us nor let us down. “Fear not!” God will protect us and encourage us. “Fear not!” God is in control and He will take care of us.

“Fear not!”—God’s message to us because of His Child born for us at Christmas!

Norm Baker, Adjunct Faculty, Bible & Theology Department

Flight Simulators, Adam, and Biblical Authority

“. . . those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)

I tore open the wrapping paper to reveal . . . a box of rocks. No, not a rock tumbler set. My mom had literally wrapped my childhood rock collection. Underneath it, however, I found a note: “We wanted to buy you a joystick, but we wanted you to pick it out.” The rocks were just there so I could open something. Flying a simulated fighter jet with my new joystick later that afternoon, I knew the givers of the re-gifted pebble pile had fulfilled their promise of a better gift.

God gave a gift like that. He used the first man, Adam, to foreshadow Jesus. Sadly, some scholars deny that Adam was a historical person, tossing him aside like a re-gifted rock box. Making Adam figurative, however, contradicts Paul’s comparison of Adam with Jesus. Adam’s sin brought death and condemnation to all, but Jesus brings righteousness to those who believe (Romans 5:15–18). Remove a real Adam from this passage, and Christmas becomes pointless. There is no need for a savior when there is no sin. God gave the first Adam the gift of life, but Adam brought death. Jesus, the last Adam, brings life from death—a perfect re-gift.

Challenging Adam’s historicity reveals a deeper problem, though: it questions biblical authority. Did God really say Adam had to be historical? Imagine me throwing my re-gifted rock collection across the room—clearly, a lack of trust in the gift’s source. The real rock collection pointed to a better (and equally real) gift of the joystick.

The Christmas season can sometimes get rocky—maybe unexpected tragedies past or present make it an emotional time, make it seem like a big pile of rocks. Where you place your trust matters. Will you toss the rocks or read God’s “note” to you and His “better gift”?

Thomas Crank, Director of the Clark Academic Center and Disability Support Services, Instructor of English

Christmas and The Scarlet Thread

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah . . .” (Matthew 1:1)

With modern technology, it’s amazing how many ways we can trace our ancestry. We can do it by using various websites where we lose ourselves for hours tracing the line of our family. There are resources where a drop of blood or saliva can unlock the ethnic roots of our distant past, telling us about our family lineage. It would appear from just these two popular resources that our personal history is extremely important.

In the Book of Matthew, we find that the ancestry of Jesus is extremely important. The first verse read, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (NASB). In this specific genealogy, Matthew begins with Abraham (through the nation of Israel, cf. Gen. 12:2) and the Son of David (underscoring the promise given by God that David’s greater Son, would physically rule over a united Israel in the future, cf. 2 Sam. 7:8—16). Matthew then goes through great pains to trace out what has been called by many “the scarlet thread,” the physical ancestral line of the Messiah who was to be born (Matt. 1:2—17). This is Messiah who through His death, burial, and resurrection the world would receive the forgiveness of sins. Matthew’s tracing of His genealogy was important to the Jewish people, proving by genealogy that He was indeed the Promised One sent to them.

As we surround ourselves with immediate and extended family this Christmas season let us remember the family line of “the scarlet thread” of the One who through His death, burial, and resurrection has given us the greatest gift: the forgiveness of sins and peace with God. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Dr. Luther Smith, Program Director of the Undergraduate Biblical Counseling Department

The Ultimate Cross-Cultural Experience

“Being born in the likeness of men…” (Philippians 2:7)

Pets are common Christmas gifts, but not all Christmas pets are easy to communicate with. How would you communicate with a fish?

Say, for example, you got a very delicate, exotic fish for Christmas—beautiful to see, fascinating to watch, but hard to talk with (despite your “talks” every time you feed it). But how do you tell it to clean its tank? For your fish to live, the tank must be clean, but who will do it?

Would you place your face against the glass of the tank and calmly try to tell your fish what to do? Not only does your fish not speak your language, but your overly large countenance pressed up against the glass of the tank may be frightening in its own right.

Would you catch the fish with your bare hands—believing the fish will understand better if you communicate through touch?

Would you translate your speech into fish language?

Perhaps you could get another fish to communicate for you?

Let’s be honest—the only way you could ever communicate your good intentions to a fish … is to become one! You must have a “cross-cultural” experience!

The Incarnation represents the ultimate crossing of cultures as Jesus clothed his glory and majesty in human flesh. “Being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, ESV), Jesus was God’s incredible act of becoming a human being in order came into our world to communicate grace to us.

In doing this Christ also gave us an example for ministry, especially cross-cultural ministry. Paul challenges believers to “become all things to all people that by all possible means [we] might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22, NIV). Whether across the road or across an ocean how might we incarnate ourselves into the contexts of those around us to share Christ with them?

Joshua Paxton, Director, Burnham Center for Global Engagement

Christmas Peace?

“And His name will be called . . . Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year. Families gather for joyous celebrations, communities put up Christmas lights for holiday atmosphere, and even the air itself smells special—all raising “peace on earth, goodwill to all” expectations all-around.

But contrary to many Christmas movies, trials and tribulations do not take the holidays off. While we look forward to Christmas and hope it will be a great time, we live in a fallen world which can even make Christmas painful.

For some families, there will be an empty place at the table because a loved one is no longer there. For some parents, the hope for a prodigal child to return in time for the holidays will be met with their continued absence. Some will be surrounded by people but feel outcast and abandoned. Still, others will find themselves alone during this season wishing that someone would love them.

Whatever happened to “peace on earth, good will toward men?”

Regardless of where you find yourself in life, be reminded that Christ loved the world so much that he came down from Heaven. And He did not come to just sit around in a manger. He came to bear the cross for sin and its consequences—provide salvation to anyone who will believe in Him.

Living in a fallen world means there is chaos—instead of peace—chaos that we contribute to daily. Yet Christ came into this chaotic world and bore upon Himself the sins of the whole world. Why? Because He loves everyone, including you and me. But no matter where we find ourselves this Christmas season, we can find hope and comfort in the person of Christ, if we will seek Him! “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Luke Pauli, Director of Advancement & BA Degree Major in Pastoral Studies

Who Was Joseph?

“Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah…” (Matthew 1:16)

We all know the Christmas story. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin who conceived of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus, the Messiah.

But who was Joseph?

Joseph seems to get left out of the limelight. A necessary figure in the Manger scene, but more like the plastic figure than the real-life man that he was.

Joseph was a young man with a “problem” to solve. His betrothed, Mary, was with child before they had joined together. But Joseph was a righteous young man—which meant divorce: he could not marry. But as a righteous man, he had to follow God’s leading, which told to him by an angel, meant marrying his betrothed: “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Joseph was a young man who solved his “problem” righteously.

Joseph was a husband and father with a “job” to do. He had the “job” of ensuring a safe birth for the Savior: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He had the “job” of protecting the Savior from those who sought to harm Him: “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him” (Matthew 2:13). And he had the “job” of providing the nurture of a faithful father: people in His hometown asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:54–55).

Who was Joseph? A righteous man of faithfulness to his God-given tasks—a great example for those who follow the Savior his wife delivered for us.

Gwen Allen, Human Resources Director