Christmas – TGN

Don’t Fall for It This 31st December

Kwesi Sena — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

31st December is here again, and as usual, Watch Night services will be taking place all across Ghana later this evening. Self-proclaimed apostles and prophets will make pronouncements about breakthroughs and material blessings their followers should expect in the New Year. These rituals take place every year, never mind that no one takes stock of the pronouncements made in the previous years to verify whether these so-called prophets are worth their salt.

It is only a matter of common sense that when a prophet gives a prophecy, it is validated whether it actually comes true or not. This was the barest litmus test Moses gave to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 18:22,

When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

Sometimes you kind of feel for these followers, some of whom part with hard-earned money to ‘sow seed’ in the hope that they might receive some prophecies for the coming year. However, as you think of it, you realise that these followers are as guilty as the self-proclaimed prophets. Paul spoke of these followers in

2 Timothy 4:3, “for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” According to Paul, these followers are in on this whole scheme.

Scripture makes it abundantly clear that you can only be deceived after you have deceived yourself. The devil only deceived Adam and Eve after they had deceived themselves into thinking they could actually become “God.” According to one count, there are 53 places in the Bible where believers are warned against self-deception. These self-styled apostles and prophets are only offering what the itching ears of their followers want to hear. That doesn’t in any case absolve them from blame. But what do I know, this circus will be going on across Ghana this evening. Followers will be piling up preachers to preach what they want to hear.

Having said all this, is there a proper place for reflection and planning for the coming New Year? The answer is a resounding YES! As believers, we must constantly, especially at the end of the year,reflect on the receding year and praise God for his providential care during both the good and bad times, with a strong belief that all things have worked together for our good in accordance with his purpose (Roman 8:28). As we reflect and praise God, we should also pray and commit the coming New Year into his almighty hands. As Isaac Watts wrote in his hymn, the God who has been our help in ages past, is also our hope for the years to come. There shouldn’t be any gimmicks or presumptions about this exercise. It must be fully rooted in God’s revealed Word.

In Deuteronomy 29:29, Moses told the Israelites, “the secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” This verse tells us that there are things God has revealed, which are for us and our children for our obedience. And there are things which are not revealed that solely belong to God. Theologians call these the two parts of God’s will:his Revealed Will and Secret Will.

As Christians, we should preoccupy ourselves with the revealed will of God, which is the 66 books of the Bible. The verse says that the things that are revealed are given to us and our children forever, that we may do them. On the other hand, the secret will of God, according to Wayne Grudem, “usually includes his hidden decrees by which he governs the universe and determines everything that will happen. He does not ordinarily reveal these decrees to us…so these decrees really are God’s “secret” will.” Regardless of the antics used by these so-called prophets and apostles, the secret will of God is kept for God.

As you look forward to the year 2023, there is so much God has already revealed concerning you in his written Word that should occupy your attention and obedience. Don’t go looking for any supposed prophecy or word from self-appointed prophets and apostles. Follow the example of David when he says, “LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.” Be content with the clear and sure revelation in God’s Word. Don’t fall for the lies and deception this 31st December!

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WITHOUT EXCUSE!

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:20:40 +0000

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20).

Paul is labouring in our opening text to show why we all need the gospel—the good news about God’s offer of salvation in Jesus Christ, and he starts by pointing out that we are all guilty in God’s courtroom because we have suppressed (stifled, repressed and hindered) the truth. ‘Without excuse!’. That is the Biblical verdict concerning humanity.

What truth? The truth about God. “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the world’s creation, in the things that have been made.“

Our guilt lies in the fact that God has given man abundant evidence of his existence and glory in the things He has created, yet we have wilfully chosen to ignore him. In Biblical theology, revelation refers to disclosing or making plain what is hidden. An aspect of God’s self-revelation is what he communicates to us through nature. We call that general revelation because it is accessible to everyone who has ever lived. As R. C. Sproul puts it, “Anyone with physical vision can walk in the theatre of nature and see the glory of God through the stars, the moon, and the sun. It is a grand theatre“. This is what the Psalmist so eloquently expressed when he said,

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.“ (Psalms 19:1-6).

Paul goes on to say that God writes his laws on each person’s heart so that even the physically blind are not left out: “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.” (Romans 2:15).

As self-evident as general revelation is, it doesn’t tell us the whole story of who God is. For instance, everyone can know by just looking at the sky’s grandeur that a mighty God created the sun and moon; however, these two great lights do not fully convey his character and attributes. But God, in his kindness and mercy, has also given us a special revelation by giving us his word. It is only through the Word of God that we come to know who God is truly.

As I reflect upon this, I can’t help being gripped by the startling realisation that the Christmas season offers an unmistakeably greater revelation, in that it reveals a great deal of the truth about who God is through Christ, the world’s saviour, to our world. Christmas reminds us of God’s special revelation when he came into our world to show us who he truly is. From the very name, Christ-mas, to the nativity scene—the traditional symbol of Christmas—to the carols we sing during this time, we are consistently reminded that Bethlehem’s babe was no ordinary child. Year in and year out, we sing about his divinity, mission, why he came to earth, and the fact that if we believe in him, we will receive God’s promise of eternal life. Christmas presents overabundant evidence to support the divine ruling that we cannot claim ignorance of the truth about Christ.

For example, when we sing or hear “Once in royal David’s city“, we are reminded how Mary’s child “came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all“. The third stanza to that tune further affirms, “for that child, so dear and gentle, is our Lord in heav’n above“. “Hark, the herald angels sing“ proves the truth about the person of Christ even more forcefully. It reads, “Christ, by highest heav’n adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord: Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’swomb. It couldn’t be clearer than this: the baby Jesus is the Godhead revealed in the flesh; God with us! Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail th‘incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.“

Arguably, the most popular Christmas song, “Joy to the world“, opens with an evangelistic call to make room for the King of the world:

“Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let Earth receive her King, Let every heart prepare Him room.“ It goes on to proclaim how Jesus came to reverse the curse of sin and the fall: “No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow; Far as the curse is found…“.

Here, as in many more songs too many to recount here, the truth about Christ is evidently set forth.

And so, ‘without excuse‘, the verdict remains. Each time we put up the Christmas tree, decorate it with angels and the star, each time we observe the nativity scene in school plays and our favourite Christmas movies, each time we light up our streets and homes with Christmas lights, each time we wish our friends and loved ones “Merry Christ-mas“, we are inadvertently accruing evidence to the cosmic charge. What have you done about the self-revelation of Christ at Christmas? Isn’t God gracious and merciful? Not only has he revealed himself in creation, but he also came down through the giving of his Son in an extraordinary way so that we might turn from sin and trust in him.

If you don’t know Jesus, I admonish you to consider the evidence. “If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart“ (Hebrews 3:15 and Psalm 95:8). “Light and life to all He brings. Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth.“ Jesus brings life and light into every heart that will receive Him. He gives them second birth. The promise of a new life. Will you receive him today?

For you, my Christian friend, do you stop to ponder the wonder of God’s grace at Christmas? Does it make your heart throb? O may we never lose sight of the magnanimous grandeur of our Saviour’s love set on tour across the world during Christmas.

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WHAT DO YOU KNOW? (CHRISTMAS QUIZ ANSWERS)

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 22:06:55 +0000

I am keen to know how you got along with yesterday’s Christmas quiz! Here are the solutions as promised. The answers follow the same order as the questions. Grab a piece of paper and a pen, and let’s get cracking!

Answers

1. True. I’m sure he may have said something, but there is no record of him speaking in the gospel accounts.

2. False. The number of wise men (magi) is not mentioned. They were not kings.

3. False. What little drummer boy? There is no mention of a drummer boy in the Bible.

4. True. It appeared above Joseph’s family’s house (Matthew 2:9-11).

5. True. Rahab was a prostitute, David and Uriah’s wife were adulterers, Tamar & Judah committed incest, and Ruth was from Moab (Matthew 1:3, 5, 6).

6. False. They were both descended from Judah. See Matthew 1:1-16 for Joseph’s genealogy and Luke 3:23-38 for Mary’s. As it was not common practice to include women’s names in genealogies at the time, Luke begins Mary’s genealogy by saying he was “the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli…“. Heli being Mary’s father and Joseph’s by marriage (father-in-law). Matthew points out Joseph’s dad was called Jacob. Moreover, the angel Gabriel affirmed that Mary was of Judean descent when he announced that Jesus would sit on His ancestor David’s throne (Luke 1:32).

7. Trick question. Mary was first, but we don’t know the name of the angel who appeared to Joseph (Matthew 1:20). It might well have been Gabriel, seeing as he is often the messenger angel mentioned in Scripture, but it might well have been Harold – you know, “Hark the Harold angel sings“. The point is, we were not told.

8. False. A donkey does not appear anywhere in the Biblical account. Ask a heavily pregnant woman if she would like to ride a donkey?! She probably walked.

9. True. Luke 2:1-5.

10. Apparently not. The wise men saw the star in the east (Matthew 2:2), but it did not take them to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, they asked for directions. When they left Jerusalem, the star reappeared and led them to the house in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9).

11. True. The wise men arrived sometime after Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:1). At that time, Jesus is referred to as a child rather than a baby (Matthew 2:11), and they were now living in a house (not the manger where Jesus was born – Luke 2:7). It is likely he may have been as old as two years since Herod ordered for two-year-olds and below to be murdered, upon learning from the wise men the specific time they saw the star announcing Jesus’ birth.

12. False. Actually, God sent an army of warrior angels. See Luke 2:13. “Company“ and “host” are military terms. Also, whenever angels appeared in human form in the Bible, they always took the form of mature males.

13. False. Shepherds could not remain ritually pure according to Pharisaic laws and were considered unclean in the first century B.C., Yet God chose them for His birth announcement. What all-inclusive grace!

14. Yes. See Matthew 1:20-21 and Luke 1:31. Babies were consistently named by their fathers in biblical times. God the Father gives Jesus His name.

15. False. All of Jerusalem was disturbed by this news of a new king (Matthew 2:3).

16. False. Jesus was in a house by this time (Matthew 2:11).

17. Correct. They were excited and wasted no time visiting the new king! (Luke 2:15-16).

18. Yes. His obedience was quick, cheerful, and complete (Matthew 1:24).

19. False. They went to see the baby immediately, spread the word, and praised God for what they had been permitted to see and hear. No doubt there at all (Luke 2:15-20).

20. Surprisingly true. Luke records, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!‘“ No singing is mentioned.

Concluding remarks

I hope you found that both fun and educative! Did you get caught by any of the questions? For me, it was questions 8 and 20. My kids have been singing about the “Little donkey“ that carried Mary on their way to register in Bethlehem, and of course, the good old hymn, “Hark the herald angels sing“, played a big part.

In their book “Journey into God’s Word“, Duvall and Hayes point out how our preunderstanding (all our preconceived notions and understandings that we bring to the biblical text) can heavily influence our interpretation of Scripture. Two good examples lie in the idea of Mary travelling on a donkey or of the angels singing – both of which are ideas suggested by our culture (songs and movies, in this instance). Thus, even though Scripture never mentions a donkey, most of us fill in the blanks and picture Mary riding on a donkey to Bethlehem. Similarly, when we think of the first Christmas, we quickly picture a choir of cute angels with cute trumpets harmonising the words, “Glory to God in the highest“.

As we prepare for the New Year, you and I must resolve to consistently come to God’s word ready to submit our preunderstandings under God’s word rather than letting it stand over it. As we grapple with Scripture, we allow it to change and modify our preconceptions in light of the plain teaching of Scripture. Look out for a follow-up post where we delve deeper into this subject!

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WHAT DO YOU KNOW? (CHRISTMAS QUIZ)

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 16:34:17 +0000

One of the things we all enjoy about Christmas is the opportunity to spend time with family and loved ones. I have just had the most delicious “omo tuo and nkatse nkwan” (rice balls and peanut butter soup) with my family and some Christian friends after Lord’s Day cum Christmas service before writing this. In the small group that meets at our house, we included a quiz on the Christmas narrative during our Christmas social to refresh our knowledge of what the Bible says versus what we might have picked up from tradition (or the movies!). It was both fun and revealing—None of us got them all correct!

This motivated me to put them out here for you to try with your family or small group. So, why don’t you and your loved ones find out what you know about Christmas? The questions require a True or False answer. Give them a try and you can look up the answers God willing tomorrow in a follow up post.

Questions

1. There are no records of Joseph speaking in the Christmas story.

2. The wise men were three kings from the orient.

3. The little drummer boy came to the manger after the other shepherds.

4. The star did not appear above the manger.

5. Jesus’ ancestors include a prostitute, an adulterer, a woman who committed incest, and a non-Israelite.

6. Both Joseph and Mary were descendants of Levi.

7. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary first and then to Joseph.

8. Mary rode a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

9. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because of a decree by Caesar Augustus.

10. The wise men followed a star as it moved from their eastern land to Israel.

11. The wise men did not arrive on the night of Jesus’ birth.

12. God sent a choir of chubby angels to announce Jesus’ birth to the shepherds.

13. Shepherding was considered a very noble occupation.

14. Both Joseph and Mary were told the baby was to be named “Jesus”.

15. When Herod heard about Jesus, he was the only one concerned about this new King.

16. The wise men found Jesus lying in a manger in the town of Bethlehem.

17. After the angels’ announcement, the shepherds went straight to Bethlehem to see Jesus.

18. Joseph married Mary immediately after the angel appeared to him.

19. Some of the shepherds doubted and refused to believe the message they heard from the angels.

20. There is no record of angels singing at Jesus’ birth in the Bible.

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Christmas: The Greatest Gift

Enoch Anti — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 13:51:16 +0000

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Arguably, this is the most popular Scripture of Christianity and many people know it. Even non-Christians. Also, I believe we all know the essence of the season we have entered into. And this Scripture captures the essence of the season succinctly. This season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a season that is universally marked by showing love and the exchange of gifts. Friends share gifts with friends, families exchange gifts with one another, and society at large reaches out to the less privileged.

And rightly, it is a season of love and giving because the greatest love and gift of all human history was given by God through the birth of Christ: “For God so love the world…” So Christmas is a display of God’s love to humanity. And we know that love gives. Love shares. In displaying his love, therefore, God gave Jesus for the world: “that he gave his only Son”.

And that is the greatest gift in view. But what necessitated this display of love towards humanity one may ask. The text further says: “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” This phrase points us to the reason Jesus was born. To save through faith those who are perishing.

But another question arises. Who are those perishing? The answer: all of humanity.

You see, the Bible paints a certain picture of all human beings. And that picture is that we are all sinners. Indeed there’s no single one person who can plead innocence. The biblical verdict is truly that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This simply means because of sin, we are all separated from God and stand condemned in judgement before God. The verses that follow John 3:16 explains this
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

This is what makes Jesus the Greatest Gift from God. He came to restore our broken relationship with God, so that through him sinners will be reconciled to God.

What then is required of sinners?

When a gift is given, we have to receive it: “whoever believes in him.” This is what we are to do with this Greatest Gift.. Believe in Jesus. Surrender your life to him. This is the reason for the season. That Jesus came to reconcile sinful humanity to God through faith. This is why we celebrate Christmas. And one day we will all stand before God in judgement. What we do with Jesus now will determine whether we will stand justified before God or will be condemned. Every gift we will receive here on earth is temporal. But the gift of God of salvation is eternal. We receive life when we believe. And condemnation if we reject this gift.

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Encountering God’s Glory in Christ

Kwesi Sena — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 16:54:01 +0000

“Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beingsand crowned him with glory and honor.” Psalm 8:5

The desire of man for glory is a very well known fact. It explains why sports men and women spend hours upon hours in training. It is the motivation that drives many in the corporate and political world to put in the hard work, in the hope that they might ascend the pinnacle of power. Parents leave no stone unturned, in the hope that their children may succeed since the success of a child is a crowning glory of a good parent. This desire for glory does not exist in a vacuum. Made in the image and likeness of God, our desire merely reflects who we were created to be. David tells us in Psalm 8:5 that God “crowned him [man] with glory and honor.”

However, we all know that the “glory” that often comes after much toil and hard work doesn’t often seem so glorious after all or in most cases doesn’t last. Sporting records are eventually broken, and no one remembers the previous record holders. Powerful CEOs and politicians are replaced by new ones, who in trying to cement their own legacy undermine the contributions of their predecessors. Despite the gallant efforts of parents, children may not turnout as hoped. In all of this, one thing is clear. Even though we were made for glory, our life experiences do not seem to corroborate this. Something seems to have gone wrong.

Genesis 3:1-15 tells us exactly what went wrong. In disobedience to God, our first parent fell for the lie that they could attain glory outside of their creator. Ever since then true glory has eluded man, because we became disconnected from the source of glory. In place of that, each of us try in vain to find worth in other places – career, sports, money, good deeds and the list goes on. However, it was in the midst of such gloom and darkness that God in his kindness descended 2000 years ago. In John 1:14, the apostle tells us that the eternal Son of God who is also referred to as the Word, “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

All of us have sought glory in that which is not true glory. In the process, we have distorted and projected a wrong image of the one we were made to reflect. That is a cosmic offense which deserves death. The reason why the eternal Son of God came into the world, was to show us what true glory looks like, full of grace and truth. Christmas is the time when the glory of God was put on full display through the birth of his Son Jesus Christ. God’s desire is to restore his glory in us, through our being united with him through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. As you celebrate this Christmas, don’t find glory in the fanfare and the gifts. Instead, fix your gaze on the Word who became flesh, that you may find true joy and peace throughout this season and beyond. Merry Christmas!

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Five Interesting Facts About Christmas

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 13:02:10 +0000

Congratulations—the long wait is over. Christmas is finally here, hurray!

As a Christmas present to you, here are five interesting facts about Christmas that may come in handy in your various conversations around Christmas.

Interesting Fact #1: On Baby Angels and Scripture

Angels have played a key role in redemptive history, and no less during the first nativity. The Bible makes us know the angels were quite busy around the time of Jesus’ birth! We read that an angel,

announced to Mary that she will be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:26-28).
announced the birth of Christ to the Shepherds (Luke 2: 8-12). Following this, we are told that multitudes of angels joined the angel to praise God for His glory in the highest and the proclamation of His peace on those who please Him on earth (Luke 2:13).
appeared to Joseph in a dream, when he contemplated ditching Mary, after he found out he was pregnant with baby Jesus by the Holy Spirit before they had wed (Matt. 1:20).
warned him to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus, and subsequently aided their return to Israel.

Most Christmas cards and nativity scenes depict angels as little chubby children with wings and a halo around their heads, hovering above a baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The interesting fact about angels, however, is that whenever they appeared to humans in the Bible, they took on the form of an adult male (Gen. 18:1-21, 19:1-22; Judges 13: 1-22; Acts 1:10-11). We have no record of angels as women or children, whenever their appearances were recorded in such detail. Here’s where depictions of angels in works of art, movies etc. have sometimes led us astray.

The significance of this fact is that angels are messengers of God who do His bidding—they point to God in each instance they have featured in redemptive history. And at the climax of history at the Lord’s birth, they rejoiced to see the dawn of the salvation of mankind. The God of angel armies Himself had come down to earth to make His dwelling with us!

Interesting Fact #2: On How Many Wise Men Came to Visit the Baby Jesus

The traditional Christmas favourite, “We Three Kings” presents the idea that three Wise Men (or Magi) visited the baby Jesus as His birth. However, the Bible does not explicitly tell us they were three in number. The narrative simply says,

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2).

The number three has arisen largely from the fact there were three gifts presented to the Christ child; gold, frankincense and myrrh. We are also not told their names; although some traditions include their names as Gaspar, Melchoir and Balthazar.

An interesting fact about the time the Magi visited is that Matthew tells us Jesus and His parents were living in a house by then; no longer in the Manger.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. (Matthew 2: 10-11a).

Some have suggested it took them two years to get to Bethlehem, deduced from the fact that Herod in a jealous fit ordered all children aged two years and below to be slaughtered, based on the time the Wise Men indicated they saw the star which guided them.

The significance of Wise Men from the East visiting the Lord at His birth, is that He is the Saviour of all; for both the Jew and the Gentile. This is a major theme throughout Luke’s gospel in particular.

Interesting Fact #3: On the Virgin Birth vs a Non-virgin Birth

Some higher critics, in an attempt to discredit the credence of the virgin birth, have argued that the root word translated “virgin’” in Isaiah 7:14 could as well be translated “woman” or “a young maiden who has not given birth”.

The interesting fact about the nativity is that a non-virgin birth does not quite cut Isaiah’s prophecy right. The root Hebrew word, “almah”, which most translations render virgin (except for RSV, for example), means “veiled” or “hidden”—which was the typical way in which unmarried women dressed up during Bible times. Culturally, a woman was expected to be celibate before marriage; and a woman found to have lost her virginity before marriage would be stoned to death. Although “young woman” is one possible way to interpret the text, the original recipients of the gospels would have naturally translated this to mean a virgin.

The context provides further support for this. The birth that is announced in Isaiah’s prophecy was to be a sign, in other words, something spectacular. There is nothing special or amazing about a married woman having a child, therefore any interpretation of “almah” as a married woman or non-virgin would quite plainly not fit the context.

Another interesting contemporary fact about this is the fact that the Fante word for a young lady, “Akatasia” would support a virgin interpretation of “almah”. Akatasia literally means, “covered up and hidden from sight”. To wit, a young unmarried woman in typical Ghanaian culture dressed up in such a way as to conceal her beauty until she unveiled this to her future husband. In short, the term for a young woman inherently carried the idea of celibacy and decency in the historical-cultural context, not only in Israel but across several cultures going well past the time the prophecy was written.

Interesting Fact #4: On Which Year Jesus Was Likely Born

On the year of Jesus’ birth, the editors of the ESV Stydy Bible write:

“According to Josephus, Quirinius was governor of Syria A.D. 6-7 and conducted a census in A.D 6 (which Luke is aware of and mentions in Acts 5:37). But this cannot be the census Luke is referencing here, since it occurred after the death of Herod the Great in 4B.C., and it is known that Jesus was born during Herod’s reign (cf Matt. 2:1; Luke 1:5). Various plausible solutions have been proposed. Some interpreters believe that because “governor” (participle of Gk “hegemonuo”) was a very general term for “ruler”, it may be that Quirinius was the administrator of the census, but not the governor proper…Though the year cannot be determined with complete certainty, there are several reasonable possibilities which correspond to Luke’s carefully researched investigation (Luke 1:3-4) and to the historical and geographical accuracy evidenced throughout Luke and Acts. The most reasonable date is late in the year of 6 B.C. or early 5.”

Interesting Fact #5: On Whether December 25 Was Christ’s Actual Birthday

Christmas is celebrated on the 25^th of December; however, we have no proof from Scripture that this is the actual birthday of Jesus. Working backward from the angel’s announcement to Zechariah re the birth of John the Baptist (the time of Zechariah’s high priestly assignment), we can deduce a date of conception in December, and his delivery sometime around September instead.

David divided the priestly service into what is known as courses (or divisions); each course serving twice a year for a week at a time (from Sabbath to Sabbath) (1Chron. 9:22; 1Chron. 24; 2 Chron. 23:8; 35:4), except at the three major festivals when all the priestly divisions served together (2Chron. 5:11). Luke tells us Zechariah belonged to the eighth course, that of Abijah (Luke 1:5, 8). The first course served from the first day of the month of Nisan (March 29th), the beginning of the Jewish calendar.

The course of Abijah in 4-6 B.C. is worked out to have been around sometime in May. Following the angel’s visit and Zechariah’s dumbness, he would have likely been discharged from his duty for the week, according to Levitical laws (Leviticus 21:16–23). John the Baptist would have been conceived shortly after and is likely to have been born somewhere around March, placing Jesus’ birth six months later, likely in September.

This fits well with the fact that Shepherds were out in the fields when Jesus was born, although it is argued that winter in Palestine is mild and Shepherds could be about their duties even in mid-winter time.

An interesting fact about Christmas is that, it is a commemoration of our Lord’s birth, and what it means—He shall save His people from their sins—and the date on which this is done is really secondary.

On that note, we at TGN wish you a very happy Christmas and pray that the joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven will fill your hearts with peace this season and beyond!

Bibliography:

ESV Study Bible; Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois, 2001; ESV Text Edition: 2011; page 1947, Notes on Luke 2:2.

True Love’s 12 Gifts at Christmas

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 06:42:51 +0000

Do you remember the song, “The 12 days of Christmas“? You may recall the 12 sets of gifts from the narrator’s true love given during the Christmas period–taken traditionally to begin on 25th December and end on 6th January.

Since 1984, the PNC Bank, based in Pittsburgh has published a yearly estimate of what it would cost to deliver all the gift items by the 12th day. The gifts accumulate across the 12 days of Christmas, totalling 364 gifts altogether. According to the 2018 estimates, buying (or hiring) all 12 sets of gifts add up to a whopping £14,272.96. The cheapest, the partridge in a pear tree, is estimated at £24.50; and the dearest of all the gift sets, the Ten lords-a-leaping, is set at £5,000. If one were to procure all the gifts in the cumulative manner described in the song, the total figure is more than trebled, amounting to a sum of £43,070.80.

To give a true love’s gift, going by this folk song, would require one to have a seriously fat bank account. Well, thank God we don’t have to go to that length to prove our love at Christmas! The reality, however, remains that most people tend to spend more at this time of the year; mostly on Christmas presents. Growing up, Christmas was the one time when you could expect that special meal and a more than a generous ration of meat. Much unlike today, it was only at Christmas that you would expect to have a soft drink served with your food. Times were hard, nonetheless, parents would ensure to purchase or sew a “Christmas wear” for the occasion and exchange gifts with other members of the extended family. Families, therefore, generally tended to spend a bit more during this time. And still do.

Against this backdrop of the over-commercialisation of Christmas, it is easy to misconstrue true love’s gift as something to be measured in monetary value alone. The greatest gifts in life, however, can often not be purchased with money. The Bible will have us know that greatest gift anyone can give is to lay down his or her life for their friends.

Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.
(John 15:13)

This is what happened at the first Christmas. God so loved the world, that He gave His best gift, His only Son, to come into the world and die in our place so that believing in Him, we might have eternal life.

You may have probably dispatched your Christmas gifts to friends and family by now, or purchased and wrapped them, ready to be sent on Christmas Eve or Boxing day. If you were asked to prepare a present for the baby Jesus, what would it be?

The most precious gift for me is captured in the words of Christiana Rosetti, in the poem she published in 1872 under the original title, “A Christmas Carol”. Years later when Gustav Holt provided the melody to go with it, it was published under the name “In the Bleak Midwinter”. In it, Christiana asks,

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am? —

If I were a Shepherd

I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man

I would do my part, —

Yet what I can I give Him, —

Give my heart.

Christmas reminds us that the real value of love’s most precious gift is not in money. In the previous verse, Rosetti marvels at the fact that at the first Christmas, a simple stable sufficed for the almighty God whom heaven cannot hold nor earth sustain. The maker and ruler of all things did not delight to be born in a palace or a mansion, or covet an affluent beginning, but resorted to lowly Bethlehem.

And the Saviour of the world does not require precious sacrifices or expensive gifts from us either. He is after our hearts.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.(Psalms 51:16-17).

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (1Sam. 15:22).

Any material gift we will offer to Him will be redundant; He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and the silver and gold are His.

Like the proverbial Father, He calls to each of us amidst the frenzy of the festivities, “My son, my daughter, give me your heart“.

… because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
(Romans 10:9-10).

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Ding Dong Merry Christmas

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 10:22:36 +0000

The BBC on 3rd December, 2018 carried an interesting article on its website. The title read, “Should we stop listening to these Christmas songs?” In it, a Radio station in Cleveland, Ohio had pulled the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside” from its playlist for the season due to its perceived sexual undertones. The article went on to mention other traditional Christmas songs whose lyrics some people find problematic.

So, is it time we reviewed the songs we played at Christmas? And on what basis? A disclaimer will be helpful at this point. This article will attempt to discuss what constitutes healthy Christmas carols; but it will do so from a purely Christian stand point. The basis for such a discussion will be solely God’s Word and the wisdom it provides for godly living this side of eternity. So, must we strike out some songs from our playlist this Christmas, and which ones?

The American radio station appealed to what has been termed the MeToo era for its decision to revise its Christmas playlist for the consumption of the general public. Should Christians be similarly selective in their choice of songs, and if so what should guide our choices?

What should constitute a Christmas carol?

Christmas is about a person. Regardless of the view you take on it, there can be no Christmas without Christ. When the BBC published its article, a listener on the BBC Radio Norfolk texted that Christmas without Christ is simply M a(nd) S. This listener meant his or her comment on a lighter note (M&S is a popular retail company in the UK); however, this is not far from the truth. When we write patriotic songs for our nations, we do so with the aim to engender the feelings of nationalism, often drawing on the sacrifices our forebearers have made to bring our nation to where it is. Similarly when it is time for the FIFA world cup, artists are called upon to compose songs that talk about the game and encourage sportsmanship. You probably get where this is going.

Songs that fit the bill as Christmas carols must centre on the person of Jesus Christ, whose birth is being commemorated at this time of the year. If we are to vet songs for their lyrical contents, then this must be based on their contents being glorifying to the Christ more than they being offensive to some sections of the public or not. Each person has a right to choose which songs to listen to. However, songs that are to be Christened Christmas songs must be centred on the birth and life of Jesus Christ. It is true that we commemorate the Lord’s birth at Christmas, however we must not dwell on His birth only. Many children were born in the year Christ was born, and many more before and after that. What makes Christ’s birth stand out is the fact that He was born to die to save the whole world. He is the only person in history whose birth and life altogether was foretold in more than 300 prophecies years before even one of them came to be. Each detail of His life, including where He was to born and how He would die was carefully purposed by God Himself to lead up to His death and the salvation of mankind. This is what makes His birth worth celebrating. And songs that are put forward as Christmas songs must defer to this core, non-negotiable historic truth about His person or else they don’t qualify to bear the name of Christmas carols.

Growing up, I read a story that gave me cause for pause. A couple who had waited years for a child were finally blessed with a baby boy. To celebrate they booked a restaurant and invited friends and family to dinner. Amid the celebrations, one of the invites guests asked to see the baby. The couple responded, “we thought that he would cry and distract the guests, so we left him at home with the nanny.” What a travesty to leave the celebrant out of His own birthday celebrations!

What must guide our choice of carols?

Any song that draws attention away from the Christ must not be given a place on our playlist. A typical example will include songs that make Santa out to be the god of Christmas. A traditional favourite is the song that says,

“You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is comin’ to town
He’s making a list and checking it twice
Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin’ to town
He sees you when you’re sleepin’
He knows when you’re a wake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is comin’ to town”

Santa is made out in this song and many Christmas narratives as one who sees everything all children do, even when they’re sleeping. Children are made to believe all the presents they get at Christmas come from Santa. Few days ago, I chanced on a letter my two daughters had secretly written to Santa asking for a doll for Christmas. I used the opportunity to let them know that Mummy and Daddy will be the best people to buy them presents for Christmas, and it is to them they must direct their requests and subsequently their thanks, not Santa. In the same vein, God is the one who has so loved the world that He gave His Son to come in human form and die for our sins. And it is He who deserves to be worshipped with our songs at Christmas.

Christmas carols are just like any other songs Christians sing in worship of our God, they are sacrifices of worship and praise. So, whether writing, singing or listening to them, we must do so with one object in mind, to glorify God! Paul in two of His epistles that are considered the most spiritual of all His works had this to say about Christian singing:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
(Colossians 3:16‭-‬17)

” … addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. “
(Ephesians 5:19‭-‬20)

Two themes run in both passages. Christians are to, 1) do everything in the name of the Lord, and 2) give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To sum up, everything the Christian does must be aimed at bringing glory to God and the Christian must be able to give thanks to God for everything he or she does.

Wishing you a worshipful Christmas!

The post Ding Dong Merry Christmas appeared first on TGN.

The Surprising Plot of Christmas

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:19:33 +0000

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…

And Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

…and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. (Matthew 1: 1; 3; 5-6).

Genealogies were a big deal to Jewish people in Bible times (still is!). A story recorded in the book of Ezra illustrates how crucial it was for a Jew to be able to trace his or her ancestry.

During the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem and Judah to rebuild the house of God, they took a census according to their clans. Certain persons, purporting to belong to the priesthood family were excluded from serving in the house of God, because they could not prove their history and lineage within the tribe of Levi.

And from among the priests:

The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim. (Ezra 2: 61-63).

Writing his gospel for a primarily Jewish audience, Matthew labours to show that Jesus was rightly descended from David, and the promised Messiah who would assume the throne of David forever (2Sam. 7:12; Ps 89:3-4; 132:11). He starts his genealogy from Abraham, because, to a Jewish audience, tracing the family history of Jesus back to Abraham was critical to establishing this claim. A long time ago, God had promised Abraham that through his seed, the whole world would be blessed (Gen. 12:3; 22:18; Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:8, 16) and this was a well-known fact. Thus, Matthew takes pain to detail the long line of descendants from the time of Abraham till the birth of Jesus.

The Jews prided themselves in the fact that they were God’s special people. They so cherished this special status that they reviled all the other nations, calling them dogs (unclean) (Matt. 15:26). As Paul notes in Romans 9:4-5, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”

There are, however, quite a few names Matthew mentions in his genealogy that are quite stunning, even to a 21st century audience; namely Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah. This is because, these names represented a dent in the character of their patriarchs and heroes. They were a painful testament to the fact that even the very best of our heroes are human, and are flawed with weaknesses. They also included some who were non-Jewish by birth.

Matthew could have spared us the fine details of their inclusion in the lineage of Jesus, and merely mentioned the patriarchal figureheads. But he doesn’t. God, in His grand plot of redemption, chose to not bypass the weakness of man, but rather condescended so low as to use even their sins, and their mistakes, to fulfil His good purposes. This article considers how these women feature in the plot of Christmas and what we can learn from them.

Tamar

Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, had three sons by a Canaanite woman. Their names were Er, Onan and Shelah. Tamar was the wife of the firstborn, Er; a marriage that Judah himself arranged. For an act of wickedness Er did of which we are not told, God took his life before he had any children by Tamar. In order to preserve the family inheritance, which was passed down through the line of the first-borns, Onan was required to marry Tamar, following the Levirate marriage custom (Deut. 25: 5-10; Ruth 1: 11-13; 4: 1-12). He did this half-heartedly. Knowing that any children born to Tamar by him would technically bear his brother’s name, Onan selfishly refused to fulfil in private what he had agreed to do publicly, and so he too attracted God’s wrath and was killed. Fearing for his last-born son’s life, Judah sends Tamar packing to her family under the pretext that she will marry Shelah someday. But that day never comes. Tamar, therefore, decides to take matters into her own hands, and disguised as a prostitute, Judah has an affair with her that results in the birth of Perez.

We see in this passage the patriarch Judah at his worst. Here we see a picture of the depravity of man. The sinful nature on full display is selfish, hypocritical and capable of unimaginable vices. In spite of the Judah’s flaws, Jacob prophesied that “the sceptre will not depart from Judah” (Gen. 49:10). Against all odds, David’s dynasty, and that of Christ was going to come from the line of Perez.

Rahab

Rahab was a prostitute from the city of Jericho. If we were to nominate one person from all of Jericho to be spared from annihilation during the war against Joshua’s men, we probably would not have considered her. She was the last candidate you might expect to see God’s hand in the invasion of her city. Notwithstanding, she gladly received God’s people into her home, hid them from capture, and aided their escape from Jericho when they came to spy out the land. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that she did these by faith (Heb. 11:31), and was saved when the city tumbled under the roar of the mighty army of Israel.

Have you ever done something that you thought was beyond forgiveness? Like Rahab, I have been the recipient of God’s forgiveness for sins that I thought were beyond redemption. But the gospel attests to the fact none of us can fall too far that God’s grace cannot reach us.

Ruth

We will recall the story of Ruth, the Moabite. For one, she was not a Jew, and would have been excluded from the covenant of God with Abraham, going by her natural circumstances. When her husband died, she chose to accompany her mother-in-law to her home in Bethlehem, preferring to serve the God of Israel as her God for as long as she lived.

The story of Ruth buttresses the fact that God is not a respecter of persons; but accepts all who come to Him in faith.

The wife of Uriah

What shall we say of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah?

You will remember how David schemed to get her. Not only did he commit adultery, but he also covered up his sins and added murder to the list, just to fulfil his lustful desires. Consistent with His nature, however, God forgave him when he confessed and owned up to his actions.

Later on, he wrote,

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32: 3-5).

At the start of his prayer of confession, he exclaims, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

You too can be a part of God’s plot for His kingdom

Like Tamar, Ruth, Rahab and Bathsheba, God desires to include each of us in His grand family tree. Far more than an Abrahamic heritage, being a part of God’s family is to be treasured above any earthly family lineage because it holds value not only in this world, but also in the world to come. Whereas being of Abrahamic descendant qualifies one to be a Jew, it takes the new birth to be made part of God’s family. All who come to God in faith through Jesus Christ are adopted into God’s true Israel, as spiritual descendants of Abraham (Rom. 9: 6-8; Galatians 3: 6-9).

If we look closely in redemptive history, we will notice that God has always used people who felt they were too far below the mark to receive His love. But such is the nature of grace—it is undeserved! Paul observed this so aptly when he said,

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1Cor.1:26-30).

Christmas is a reminder of God’s offer of forgiveness in Christ Jesus. He calls one, and He calls all. Let this be the Christmas when you give God the present of your heart.

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