Tag: Jesus

Our Savior Weeps

Claire's Prayer

There are times when the ache in your heart threatens to overwhelm you, when your heart literally feels pain because of a grief so great or a burden too deep.  The only way to relieve that pressure that presses deep into your soul is to weep.  To cry great heaving sobs, oceans of tears, and then perhaps, but only perhaps, there is some sense of respite.   So many people tell me that they feel great after a ‘good cry,’ but I don’t.  I feel terrible, my head aches, and my eyes are red and irritated, and I’m an ugly crier, a hot mess.

Right there in the middle of a victory celebration, where palm fronds were waved, and thousands cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9) the King of Kings, riding on the back of a young colt looked out over Jerusalem and literally began to sob. “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:41-42)

My heart hurt when I read this verse, knowing that my Savior was so overcome with sorrow during this short celebration.  This was not simply a few tears that stained Jesus cheeks but the Greek tells us this was mourning, sobbing, or wailing aloud!  The grief that hit Jesus’ heart as he looked at Jerusalem caused His shoulders to shake as he began to cry. 

The future loss of His beloved city was almost too much to bear.  This should have been “their day!”  “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day…”.  Not only were there 300 prophecies about the Messiah but this was such an important day that it had been prophesied by Daniel 483 years before!  It was a day that Israel could and should have recognized. 

Sir Robert Anderson, the former head of Scotland Yard, calculated in his book, The Coming Prince, that Jesus’ triumphal entry was exactly 483 years after Daniel spoke of it in Daniel 9:25. Incredible!  The day Zechariah predicted, the day Daniel spoke of, was such an important day, and it could have been “their day.” 

No wonder our precious Savior’s shoulders shook with grief, no wonder a sob escaped his throat, as He contemplated the future of His chosen people.  The signs were all there but they didn’t see Him, they didn’t recognize their Messiah!

Is today “your day?”  Your appointed time, the day in which you need to acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah prophesied about countless times in the scriptures?  A day created for you from the beginning of time.  A day that will bring you peace, freedom, and joy in Christ, the beginning of a journey with the King!

The Christmas Star

Claire's Prayer

Last night we climbed up a small hill near our home and waited with great anticipation as the sun set in glorious golden colours.  I held my breath as the sky became deep blue, would we see the Christmas Star?  We missed it on the 21st as it had been cloudy but tonight was a crisp, clear, night and stars were beginning to twinkle. 

Suddenly, there above the horizon, the Christmas Star appeared, bright, beautiful, glorious!  “There it is!” I shouted in excitement. A magnificent gift from above!  As I stood and took in its sparkling edges, I thought to myself, am I gazing at the very same star that the Wise Men followed so many years ago, and I smiled to myself, wrapped up in the warm glow of His love.  In a year filled with so many difficulties the God who spoke the planets into existence, the God who sprinkled the heavens with a trillion sparkling lights, gave us this miraculous gift of the Christmas Star.  A reminder that He. Is. Coming.  An invitation to seek out the newborn King!

It all reminded me of a sticker I had once seen on a car – ‘Wise men still seek Him!’  So many of us know and love the story of the wise men and have watched many a Christmas nativity play and perhaps have even acted in one!  This may be our frame of reference but something wonderful jumped out at me when studying those Wise Men.

Matthew 2 tells us that the Magi, who saw the star, travelled a considerable distance to Jerusalem to seek out the King of the Jews.  Once in Jerusalem, they enquired of King Herod, the chief priests and scribes, all who knew and studied the scriptures, where the Christ was to be born.  These incredible scholars of the Word of God immediately quoted Micah 5:2; “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.”   The Christ will be born in Bethlehem of Judea.  Interestingly these learned men, scholars of the scriptures, chose not to seek out the Messiah, the Saviour, even though he was born only 5 miles away! They knew the scriptures well, but were not changed by them.

In contrast the wise men headed off to Bethlehem and Matthew 2:10 tells us; “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.”  From this we can deduce that the star had not been visible during the whole of their travels.  The star had appeared many months before guiding the Magi to the general area, it then appeared again in Jerusalem leading them to the King.  These Wise Men heard the Word of God and they acted upon it.  In faith they travelled on to Bethlehem and were overjoyed when they saw the star again.  The wise men stood on the scriptures, sought the Christ, and found Him!

So, this Christmas, the question that remains is – will you seek Him?  Will you take the time to stand on faith, believe that God’s Word is true and seek the Newborn King?  Knowing that this King will not forever be newborn, but is in fact your Saviour, your Redeemer, the one who came to draw you to Himself because He cares for you!  Knowing that this tiny baby came to earth to go to the cross, taking on your sin and mine, because He loves you!  Wise Men still Seek Him!

Tonight, another clear night, I am going to climb my hill again and watch the sun set in all its splendour and marvel at this year’s gift of the Christmas Star, perhaps I’ll imagine I’m a wise man and in faith I will set off into the unknown, knowing that if I seek Him – I will find Him!