““Or let him rely on My protection,
Let him make peace with Me,
Let him make peace with Me.’
In the days to come Jacob will take root,
Israel will blossom and sprout,
And they will fill the whole world with fruit.”(Isaiah 27:5-6 NASB).

Israel ישראל 2024

My friend Dwayne Russell sent me this Scripture today along with these comments: “Israel has filled the whole world with its fruit! We have been touched by this one nation more than any other. Our laws were taken from the law given to Moses! God gave the Jews the scriptures even the majority of the New Testament. In a sense we are Jews by faith in the promise given to Abraham! I believe the millennium will be God fulfilling His Promises to the Jewish nation! So we need to make sure we are staying the right side of Israel.”

I didn’t intend to start this blog with Israel, but I also included two chapters about Israel in my latest book, God Stays Near, which should be available in January or February 2025, saying: “It seems I can’t write or understand history without referencing Israel, because of the central place she plays in God’s plan for the planet and our day-to-day lives.”

You can start with Adam, or start over with Noah, when looking at God’s plan. Or start with Job, the oldest book in the Bible, written between the times of Noah and Abraham to see what the ancients knew and thought about God. But starting with Abraham about 2000 BC, the path recorded in Biblical and secular history, gets more clear. We can trace God’s steps on our planet throught the steps of one small ancient nation one-fifth the size of Arkansas and still at the center of world history, appearing in our headlines every day.

The Jews were bearing God’s image to the most ancient and powerful cilivizations like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It appears to have been God’s plan to use Greece to give the world a common language and then Rome, with it’s worldwide lines of communication, to prepare for the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God to make His appearance and bear God’s image further into world history and the hearts of men and women by His most Holy Spirit, to both Jews and Gentiles — those who could see Him and choose to believe. It’s a wonderous story beginning in Israel, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, as foretold by the Hebrew prophets, extending to the whole world as described in the Acts of the Apostles, and the history of civiliztion.

Why Christmas?

So why Christmas? Why Jesus Christ? Why Yeshua the Messiah or ישוע המשיח? The word messiah literally translates to “anointed one” or “chosen to rule.” Yeshua in English is Joshua and translates to “Yahweh saves.” You can meditate on that if you wish.

The arts and sciences point to His beautiful story in the stars, the Scriptures, and the records of mankind and civilizations. It’s all there for men and women who will hear and believe. One of the most beautiful tellings of the story I have enjoyed for the last few years is “The Star of Bethlehem” by Rick Larson. It’s available on DVD here, or by streaming within another movie “God of Heaven and Earth.” This telling involves astronomy, science, history, with beautiful art and music, as a lawyer puzzles out clues from Matthew (2:1-12) about the Magi. Who were they? Why did they come? How did they know when to come?

After it’s telling, one feels like worshiping! This is a season for worship and retelling the most wondrous story ever told engulfing God and mankind in a sweep of creation and history. Oddly, Christmas and Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, both occur this year on December 25th. The Jewish Jesus celebrated this “Feast of Dedication” as it is also called (John 10:22-23) in Jerusalem.

Why Christmas? Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us succinctly what the whole of Scripture tells us in many stories and an easily solved puzzle. The Jewish prophets said Yeshua would come like He did, telling us many facts about His birth and death. The Disciples and Apostles, mostly Jewish, would explain to the world what had happened, was happening, and some future events to come. And they would explain and demonstrate the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit being poured out into their lives and realms from on high. We have the incarnation so we could have the cruxification — our Father, Creator God, making a way to draw us back to Himself and dwell with us now and for eternity as Emmanuel.

I pray all of us enjoy the light of His revelation and dedicate ourselves to His person and purposes during this magical, mystical season we call Christmas or “Mass of Christ” since before 1050 AD, and celebrated on December 25 as early as 200 AD. Gloria in ecelsis Deo to the timeless One, who sent His only Son.

The most famous Jewish king, save One, who ruled, wrote, and prophesied around 1000 BC said this about God: “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness [humility, meekness, condescension] makes me great” (Psalm18:35). Walking around our lake this frozen morning, I had the Christmas thought, “What I treasure most about the Lord is His mercy and His majesty — what undoes me is His mercy.” Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and may the shalom [peace] and joy of Christmastime be poured out in our hearts. Noel. ✨

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“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, roo little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them…For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,” (Isaiah 9:2,6.7).

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth’ ” (Isaiah 49:6).

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

The Star of Bethlehem website

“Why Christmas?” by John Piper

The Christ Child meets Chris Tomlin’s Noel ft. Lauren Daigle

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Barlow Girl

One King Point of Grace

Go see “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” in theaters now