December 29, 2025

NINE days to Bethlehem…

…journeying as magi.

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1.9)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Is there any other gospel that is acceptable apart from that which has been given to us by God Himself in Jesus Christ. He is the One who declared “I AM [is] the way, the truth and the life; there is no other than this which leads to the Father.” (John 14.6) When Paul was speaking to the Galatians, in particular, but to the many Christian communities of faith throughout Asia Minor which he helped to start in the cause of Christ, it was for the sake of “the” gospel. That “gospel” was the same as the angelic proclamation which had been made to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds tending their flocks by night and the magi from distant lands. That proclamation was, if you will remember, “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of a great joy which is for all people. Today, in the city of David, a savior has been born to you which is Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2.11) We know of that angelic celebration of the truth of God’s love for all humankind because of one of the four gospel writers whose witness is a part of our Holy Bible. His name was Luke. The others were Matthew, Mark and John. To be clear, highlighted by the warning of Paul to the Galatian Christ followers, there were other gospels promoted as the truth about God’s plan for salvation. When Paul wrote his letters, there were no such gospel writings as we have today. Biblical historians are in agreement that the Gospel according to Mark (the amanuensis of Peter) was the first written document to declare the “gospel” of Jesus as the Christ. So Paul was speaking of the “gospel” as spoken word and testimony of the life, ministry, death, resurrection and impact of Jesus of Nazareth. That impact was the bestowing of the grace of God for the forgiveness of sins to every person. It was not limited to the Jews to whom it had first been revealed prophetically in the centuries preceding the birth of Jesus. As Luke shares the word of God about Jesus, such salvation was made available to all people. The word in Greek does not limit the scope of people to one race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status or belief system. God literally, as the disciple/apostle John shared, “loved the whole world so much that He gave us His only begotten Son.” (John 3.16) When Jesus was born, He started the journey for everyone that would lead to the Father’s House. The shepherd-king David imagined such a journey himself which began with the knowledge of a sheep being shepherded by God Himself all the way “…to the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23.6) David was not speaking of Jerusalem as the theo-political center of the world. David was already preaching the gospel of Jesus recognizing the “way, truth and life” which it defined for everyone who would submit to the leadership of God as the Good Shepherd.

As we enter into the lyrical “fourth day of Christmas,” the teaching of that poem and song brings our awareness to the gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Some historians say that over eighty gospel writings were considered for inclusion into what would be called the New Testament (or New Covenant). Only four passed the test of prayer and study and became a part of the official witness of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ and His Church. The stories they tell are unique and driven by the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission left by the Resurrected Jesus for His disciples. The stories existed in their memory of events and the oral traditions which had been passed on over four decades of “Go, therefore, into all the world, preaching and teaching and baptizing all nations into discipleship the very words concerning all that I have taught you.” (Matthew 28.19) Those writings became like the first bearers of the Word of God, Mary and Joseph. They became like the first witnesses of the Heaven to earth connection of God’s grace and offer of salvation, the shepherds. They became like the witnesses of the ancient words becoming new and fulfilling all the God had promised, the magi. The One became two then three then four. It declares the exponential impact and outpouring of God’s desire to love His creation back out of the darkness and into the light. To save them from the journey of death they were choosing to travel in sin and bring them back on course into the light of life and love to dwell in righteousness for all eternity. The four gospels reveal the depth of conviction to the truth which Jesus was, what He lived out, what He died for and to demonstrate the full measure of God’s love and mercy with resurrection. Let us remember, mighty ones of God, that we do not journey alone to see the Christ who saves us. We are, in the words of Paul in his writing to the Jewish Christians throughout the empire, “…surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” (Hebrews 12.1) The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John show us that the “word” of God was not simply spoken. It was so real, it had to be put into action as a written witness and lived out testimony. It remains the same for us as we make our way to seeing what God has done in an enduring way, just as the magi when Jesus was only two years of age.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.