Tag: Hebrews

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In the Bleak Midwinter — Carols of Advent Hope

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 11:1, 39-40
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Revelation 21:1, 3-4
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Reflection: In the Bleak Midwinter — Carols of Advent Hope
By Jon Polk

Despite the lack of any biblical or historical evidence for the actual date of Jesus’ birth, Christmas has been celebrated on December 25th since the 3rd century. However, the mention of shepherds tending flocks in the Nativity story instead suggests a spring date likely for the birth of Jesus.

Nonetheless, Christmas is tightly identified with the winter season, which may explain why the pensive “In the Bleak Midwinter” is one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, 
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; 
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, 
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

While the seasonal details may not be entirely accurate, the poetic implications are clear. The world into which Christ was born is cold, harsh, and dreary, beset by sin and indifference. Into that landscape, our hope, the Messiah, was born.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed 
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

The text was written by English poet Christina Rossetti, daughter of Italian parents and member of an artistic family. Her father was a Dante scholar and taught Italian at King’s College. Her brothers were influential in the development of the 19th-century Pre-Raphaelite art movement.

Originally titled, “A Christmas Carol,” Rossetti’s poem was published in the January 1872 edition of the American journal, Scribner’s Monthly. Music was added to the hymn in 1906, twelve years after her death, by composer Gustav Holst.

Christina encountered her share of suffering in her lifetime. As a pre-teen, her father had a serious health breakdown causing him to retire from work. She lived with an autoimmune disorder that affected her thyroid. In 1893, she was diagnosed with breast cancer which took her life a year later.

Unhindered by her own misfortunes, Rossetti was extremely committed to her faith. She spent her time ministering to former prostitutes and using her gift of writing to bring attention to pressing issues of the day, including slavery and the exploitation of young women. 

It is no surprise, then, that the final verse of her solemn Christmas hymn contemplates not what Christ has done for us, but rather, what we can do for him.

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.

If you are weary from living in a dark and cold world, if you are struggling with adversity or hardship, be reminded to hold on to your faith and hope in the Christ who has broken into our lives in the midst of our bleakest midwinters.

Listen: In the Bleak Midwinter by Kevin Max
Read: Lyrics from Hymnary.org

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments. — Psalm 119.10

Today’s Readings
Esther 1 (Listen 4:14)
Hebrews 11 (Listen 6:22)

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The ancient church did not fix the celebration of Advent around the winter solstice because of history, but because of pedagogy.

This We Proclaim — Hope of Advent
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O Come, O Come, Emmanuel — Carols of Advent Hope

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 10:5-7
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:20-23
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Reflection: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel — Carols of Advent Hope
By Jon Polk

Somewhere across Italy in the 6th century, a series of Latin chants for the season of Advent began to take shape. By the 8th century, these chants, the “O Antiphons,” were being sung in monasteries and convents around the world.

For over twelve centuries, the seven “O Antiphons,” known also as the “Great Advent Antiphons” or more simply, the “Great Os,” have been sung or recited at vespers from December 17th through 23rd, preceding the “Magnificat of Mary” sung on Christmas Eve.

Around the 12th century, the chanted antiphons were converted into a metrical Latin poem bearing the title, “Veni, Veni, Emmanuel.” This hymn was discovered and translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851, published in his Hymns Ancient and Modern as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

The original “O Antiphons” consist of seven passages focused on the meaning of the Incarnation. As might be expected from a series of monastic chants, the resulting hymn is theologically dense, each verse consisting of a Messianic title from scripture with additional explanation.

O Sapientia (Wisdom)
1 Cor. 1:24, “Christ… the wisdom of God”

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh

O Adonai (Lord)
Ex. 3:15, “The LORD, the God of your fathers”

O come, Adonai, Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height

O Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse)
Isa. 11:10, “the Root of Jesse will stand”

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny

O Clavis David (Key of David)
Isa. 22:22, “the key to the house of David”

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home

O Oriens (Dayspring)
Luke 1:78, “the dayspring from on high” (KJV)

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh

O Rex Gentium (King of the Nations)
Jer. 10:7, “King of the nations” 

O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind

O Emmanuel (God with Us)
Isa. 7:14, “The virgin… will call him Immanuel.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel

The first letters of the titles in reverse is an acrostic of the Latin, “ero cras,” meaning “I will be there tomorrow,” a sentiment appropriate for Advent as we await the return of Christ.

Before we rush into the joyful exuberance of the Christmas season, distracted by parades, pageants, and presents, the calm and quiet “O Come, O Come” reminds us that all the trimmings and trappings of the season are temporary. Our true hope and longing is for another Kingdom where the coming Messiah King soothes our doubts, heals our afflictions, wipes our sorrowful tears, and rescues us from captivity to sin.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Listen: O Come, O Come Emmanuel by Sixpence None the Richer
Read: Lyrics from Hymnary.org

From John: I was excited to see Jon writing on the O Antiphons since I was only introduced to them last year when the church I attend used them as the focus of our Advent season. You can check out more info about them on our church’s website, including a video explaining their history, sermons from last year, and pictures of an art gallery focused on the O Antiphons. (You can even spot me and my wife, Melissa, looking at the art in the gallery.)

Divine Hours Prayer: The Small Verse
Keep me, Lord, as the apple of your eye and carry me under the shadow of your wings.

Today’s Readings
Daniel 12 (Listen 2:40)
Hebrews 10 (Listen 5:33)

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Leaders…shrivel before our eyes like a diseased root…but there is a leader coming, the “Root of David”, who will set all things right.

One Worth Rejoicing In — Joy of Advent
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Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus — Carols of Advent Hope

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 9:14-15
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Haggai 2:7
7 “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord Almighty.

From John: Jon Polk is kicking off our Advent devotionals this year with another music-focused week on the Carols of Advent. We are always thankful for Jon’s contributions, especially so in this format. We pray your Advent season is filled with hope, love, joy, and peace as we anticipate the celebration of Christmas.

Reflection: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus — Carols of Advent Hope
By Jon Polk

With lyrics expressing profound longing and hope, there are few hymns more suited for the season of Advent than Charles Wesley’s “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.”

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Charles Wesley, younger brother of prominent English preacher John Wesley, was a theologian in his own right and a remarkably prolific hymn writer, credited with the authorship of over 6000 songs. In 1744, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” one of Wesley’s most enduring Christmas hymns, was first published in his Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord, a small collection of only eighteen hymns that proved to be so popular, it was reprinted over twenty times in his lifetime.

Partially based on a previously written prayer, the lyrics were also inspired by Haggai 2:7, “what is desired by all nations will come.” Wesley was troubled by the poor living conditions of orphans in the city around him and the obvious class divisions in Great Britain at the time. The lyrics express a palpable sense of longing for deliverance, both physically and spiritually, for the oppressed. The long-awaited King of Israel would, in fact, be the hope of all the world.

Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Wesley effectively utilizes the literary device of repetition to emphasize the aspects of Jesus’ mission as God’s Savior for a broken world. Each use of the word “born” adds layers to the hope we have in Jesus as our redeemer: born to set us free, born to deliver us, born as a King, and born to reign eternally.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

Absent from the hymn are references to any details of the Christ-child’s birth. No manger, angels, shepherds, or magi. Instead, the focus is on the mystery of the Incarnation, with lyrics suited for both reflecting back upon the birth of Jesus and looking ahead with hope towards his Second Coming.

By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Certainly, the season of Advent is a time of preparing our hearts and minds for celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas day. More importantly, however, Advent is a time set aside on the Church calendar when we are reminded of our great hope that the child who was born a King will one day return to bring us into his gracious eternal Kingdom.

Listen: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus by Sara Groves
Read: Lyrics from Hymnary.org

Divine Hours Prayer: The Cry of the Church
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Today’s Readings
Daniel 11(Listen 8:13)
Hebrews 9(Listen 4:40)

Read more about Deuteronomy’s Dream for the Poor“…there need be no poor people among you…he will richly bless you if only you fully obey the Lord your God”

Deuteronomy’s Dream for the Poor

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Deceit Hardens Hearts

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 3.15-19
15 As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. 

Reflection: Deceit Hardens Hearts
By John Tillman

The teacher of Hebrews repeats a warning twice in just a few verses: “If you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.” Why does the writer feel we need this message so deeply? Who was it that hardened their own hearts? It was not unbelievers or those who had never heard from God. It was God’s own people.

The teacher is quoting from Psalm 95, which references events in Deuteronomy. (Psalm 95; Deuteronomy 1.27-36) Those who hardened their hearts had been brought out of Egypt through miracles and victory. The elders had seen his physical presence and dined with God on Sinai. (Exodus 24.9-11) The people who rejected God were the ones God stayed with day and night as a pillar of fire that gave light at night and a pillar of cloud that gave guidance by day. (Deuteronomy 1.33)

We may think of non-believers as hardhearted and there may be a few hardhearted atheists or unbelievers in the world. The Pharoah they escaped is the biblical prototype of hardheartedness. (Choices and Hard Hearts) The teacher, however, is not writing to hardhearted unbelievers. The greater concern is that believers might have their hearts hardened by “sin’s deceitfulness.” (v 13). 

Sin hardens our hearts by deceit. That deceit is often about the character of God. The Israelites believed a lie and hardened their hearts out of fear of God’s treatment. “If we trust God, he’ll bring us harm.” (Deuteronomy 1.27)

Whatever sin you are tempted by, there is a lie about God’s character at its root. The more deeply we believe the lie, the harder our hearts can grow.
“If I follow God, I’ll never be happy.”
“If I follow God, I’ll never be fulfilled.”
“If I follow God, I’ll never be successful.”
“If I follow God, I’ll never be ________.”

What lie is in the blank for you?

The psalmist restates God’s decision to not allow the rebellious and hardhearted people into the promised land: “they shall never enter my rest.” (Psalm 95.11) The truth is: “If I don’t follow God, I’ll never find rest.” 

Sin’s deceit will leave us wandering in the desert of desire and want. God’s rest leads to well-being beyond any thing we fear the lack of. When we rest in God’s goodness and follow him, we’ll find greater things that God has in store for us.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, God reveals himself in glory. — Psalm 50.2

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Daniel 5(Listen 5:47)
Hebrews 3(Listen 2:25)

Read more about Weighed and Found Wanting
“Writing on the wall,” has become a worldwide idiom that shows up in countless cultural references…it comes from the Bible.

Weighed and Found Wanting

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Fully Human

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 2.14-18
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,  fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Reflection: Fully Human
By John Tillman

Hebrews describes the power of death as a weapon wielded by the devil. Fear of death fuels sinfulness. Greedy obsession with possessions, prideful pursuit of prominence, insecure demands for recognition…these temptations are defenses we raise against death.

The death and resurrection of Jesus strike at the root of this power. We don’t need to race death to make ourselves significant or raise ourselves to prominence. Our significance is in his sacrifice for us and, like Jesus, we will be raised from death in the same way and by the same power.

The teacher is emphasizing Jesus’ humanity because early Christians had difficulty with the idea. The first heresies the early church dealt with were ones which diminished (or completely denied) the humanity of Jesus.

Some, even today, struggle with the idea that Jesus could be human enough to be tempted by sin. They theorize about whether Jesus could have chosen to sin or not. Scripture, however, confirms that not only was Jesus tempted, but that he “suffered” in it. It is Jesus’ experience of suffering temptation that, according to Hebrews, makes him uniquely qualified to help us in our temptations.

Paul said that if Jesus was not raised, Christians are most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15.17-19) But if Christ was not fully human and fully experienced in the suffering of temptation and death, then what is his resurrection other than a meaningless stunt by an untemptable, unkillable God? Jesus is not a not-quite-human God who laid down for a few days to trick everyone. No. There is no hope in that for us.

Our hope rests in Jesus who was human enough to touch, to bleed, to have dirty feet that needed washing, and hands willing to dirty themselves washing the feet of others. Our hope is not in his invulnerability, but that his vulnerability leads us on a path to victory.

We need not fear death or temptation. Jesus has suffered them and defeated them both. When we fear death, the answer is not piling up security but resting in Jesus. When we suffer temptation, the answer is not surrendering to longing but resting in Jesus. Our high priest, Jesus, despite being human, remained God, remained faithful, and won every battle that was impossible for us to win.

When fear comes or temptation comes, turn to him who knows and cares and can help us endure and conquer.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me, and I shall be clean indeed. — Psalm 51.8

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Daniel 4(Listen 7:27)
Hebrews 2(Listen 2:47)

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Humility will save you and your nation. Pride will destroy you and your nation. If only kings had ears to hear.

Humbling Nebuchadnezzar

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