May 1
Judg 13:1-14:20 | PS 102:1-28 | Prov 14:15-16 | John 1:29-51
Years ago, there was a radio commentator, Paul Harvey, who told this story: A farmer, who was a religious skeptic, on one cold winter night, heard a thumping sound at his window. He went to the window and watched a small group of sparrows beat themselves against the glass, attracted to the warmth inside. Touched, the farmer bundled up and opened the barn for the struggling birds. He turned on the lights, tossed some hay in the corner, and sprinkled a few crackers to lure them inside. But the sparrows hid in the darkness, afraid of him. He tried to drive them in, but nothing worked. Back in his house he watched to see if they would enter on their own. He then realized that he was seen as a huge, alien creature to them. The birds couldn't understand that his desire was to help them. As he continued to watch, a thought hit him: If only I could become a bird - one of them - just for a moment. Then I wouldn't frighten them, I could lead them to warmth and safety. At the same moment, another thought dawned on the farmer: He had grasped the concept of the incarnation."
The purpose of Samson's birth was announced to the wife of Manoah in Judges 13:5, "...he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines". The Israelites were under bondage, and Samson would be used to free them. Interestingly this announcement, was made by the Angel of the Lord, none other than Jesus Christ Himself, in a Christophany, or pre-incarnate appearance. After the interaction, between the Angel of the Lord and Samson's parents, we read in 13:22, "And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!" They were frightened, as they saw Jesus as unapproachable. But there is something much bigger at stake for humanity, as we are in bondage to sin. Freedom from this bondage cannot be brought about by the sacrifice of an animal, or by some feat of strength by some ordinary human being. We read the origins of our Savior in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." As God, He always existed. We then read of His incarnation, as this was the only way to free us in 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." And His mission was clearly announced in 1:29, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
As the farmer noticed he could not do for those struggling birds, our Savior did in fact do for us. God became man, in order to save man. Many have become so inoculated with the Christmas story that they fail to see its significance, the magnitude of what Jesus was willing to do for us, and that without this, how we would be utterly without hope. Like the birds above destined to die in darkness unable to approach the safety of the warmth of the barn, we would all be destined to die and spend eternity in hell, in darkness, completely unable to enter the beauty of heaven based on our own merits, strength, or "goodness". May we never minimize the degree of humility, that Jesus exemplified for our sake, as we read in Philippians 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: