Every year, I look forward to the Pantone “Color of the Year”. It’s a chance to think about the state of society and the source of trends throughout the design and art world over the past year, and muse about the direction those trends could take in the coming year.

What is this “Color of the Year” thing?

Ever since the turn of the millennia, Pantone has published a color of the year. Other brands have tried to piggy back on the success of the concept, but Pantone is the original, and in my opinion is the best at doing this.

The 2023 color was Viva Magenta, an authentic shade of pink. I saw this color paired with purple and black pretty frequently early in 2023, especially on websites that wanted to present themselves as cool.

This year, Pantone has selected a pale orange color that they refer to as “Peach Fuzz”.

At first glance you might wonder, ‘Really?? This seemingly random color “peach fuzz” is supposed to represent a year somehow? How bizarre.’

Designers understand that color is connected to feelings and perception. We use color to help tell a story, whether we’re designing a website, or clothing, when working on interior design, or even when making a photograph.

Red can evoke feelings of passion, whether positive or negative. Blue can produce a calm feeling in the viewer, or even one of sadness. Green often reminds us of nature and gives us a feeling of health and safety.

The emotions of these colors are learned through association, very much in the same way we learn language, or how we learn to appreciate certain styles of music. What Pantone has done with the color of the year is to take this idea of story telling for a single color as far as it will let us go.

The thing about design is that it comes from a place of what we desire. The designer has in mind some idea that he or she is trying to communicate in order to fulfill that desire. Everything in the life of the designer leading up to the moment when they do their work will have an influence on them, and thus will influence their work.

But they’re designing something for the future. They’re taking an idea from their experiences and understanding of the target audience and projecting that forward into something they believe will be appreciated for the duration of its use into the future.

Peach Fuzz was selected because there is a desire among society at large for a similar set of outcomes for the year 2024. People are tired of the isolation and separation that was introduced in 2020 and has not returned in full. People miss the personal connection they had with other people before working remotely became mainstream.

People also want to have more stability in the coming year. The shifting nature of geopolitics over the past couple of years has people feeling uneasy. There is a significant aspiration out there to have a solid and stable 2024.

There’s also a general desire for increased wellness. Pantone describes the color as having:

Wellness in every area of life, physical, mental, spiritual, etc. is going to be a focus for a lot of people in the coming year.

This pale orange color, peach fuzz, does a good job of representing all of these ideas in a single color for a majority of westerners, because it carries a sense of calm through its low saturation, a hint of action in the hue, and a subconscious notion of skin tone for us white folks, and it offers a reassuring stable feeling because of its tone.

Again, these ideas could be learned differently in different subcultures or life experiences, and they don’t apply equally to everyone, but I think it’s a pretty brilliant choice based on the state of mind of most of society. Allow me to unpack how I see these ideas in relation to my 3 areas of relative expertise.

Technology and Peach Fuzz

Now that everyone is using technology more and in more ways than they were a few years ago, it seems to me that there is great potential for more people to start to see technology the way technologists see it in 2024. That is, technology is a tool. There are things that technology can help us with, and there are things that technology should not do for us.

With all the hype about AI and VR and meta and the metaverse, I think people are starting to see that there is no substitute for personal connection. We can use technology to bring people closer, and we should. Video conferencing can bridge the gap on distributed teams in a way that a phone call cannot. But there is still and never will be a 100% substitute for being in the same room with someone.

An in-person meeting brings so many countless nuances to an interaction that even the best future virtual reality tools won’t be able to put that person physically next to you.

So, people are embracing the use of technology more now than ever before, and hopefully are primed to begin to understand it in a healthier way. The desire for safety and stability also has the potential to raise the importance of security considerations as decision makers choose the direction they take their stack.

Now, all of this together leads me to believe that businesses will be looking for technology solutions in 2024 that better connect with their personal and business goals, and that help them connect people more effectively. Vendors with a personal touch will have an advantage over vendors who come from the old school or who offer sanitized products and services.

Theology and Peach Fuzz

There is so much to unpack as I think about the state of the church in 2024 and what we can learn through this color of the year. The world is definitively different post-covid than it was pre-covid. While a lot of things have gone back to ‘normal’, some things have forever changed, and for a lot of people, church is one of them.

From a theological perspective, I think it’s significant that the ideas behind this color of the year of personal connection and of stability are on people’s minds. Now more than ever, people want to interact with others and simultaneously have real peace.

I think as the year progresses, people will pursue this peace in all the typical ways that people have tried throughout history. People tend to look for satisfaction in self-fulfillment and at best they might find a mental reward in helping other people through a personal connection with them, but the real satisfaction they are searching for will always remain out of reach.

These desires have the potential to drive people to look for a change in their church and spiritual life. Some churches might recognize this and try to capitalize on the movement, while other churches might not. If this thinking is on-target, we could see a shift of people, particularly millennials from one church to another, from not going to church to starting to attend, or potentially leaving the church to pursue some other activity.

Of course there is no substitute for the real peace that comes from putting our cares on the One who cares for us, and finding fulfillment in fulfilling the Will of Him that sent us. I think there are some powerful ways to communicate this, and I’m sure the pastors who read my blog are already thinking of ways to do that.

Photography and Peach Fuzz

I’ve recently broken through a long-term plateau in my photography, and as I work to start generating the next level of images in my journey, the ideas of the color of the year could help me start to communicate more effectively in my work.

A lot of what I’ve done recently has a grunge feeling to it, and I think this comes from the discouragement that I’ve been dealing with the past few years. Photography, like any art, can be revealing about what’s going on inside a person, sometimes bringing things forward that even they weren’t aware of.

In this photo taken near the Susquehanna river for example, the fog and the rocks drew me in, and I liked the chaos and darkness of the environment.

It’s not a great photo, but it definitely tells a story of where my mind has been. It’s not great because it lacks a core subject. What am I looking at? Is it the bridge? Is it the river? The Rocks?

The lack of stability in my image comes from a lack of direction in my mind, and that lack of direction has resulted in much of my photography over the past few years having similar flaws.

Over the past few months, I have been working on solidifying the direction of a lot of areas in my life, taking time to reflect and think about how best to be used of God, to be a good steward of the gifts He has given me, and how best to be a light in the world.

As I think about the state of society and the desires and hopes and fears that people all around me face, I’m excited to see that people want to connect with each other, and that people want to get things done. There’s a sense that everyone wants to make 2024 a foundational year, and we’re ready to face whatever happens with more courage than before, more resolve to keep things in order, and more intent to have a more healthy perspective on everything we involve ourselves in.

This gives me the note that I need to bring purpose to my art and to try in 2024 to tell a story. Every photograph should tell a story, and the better it tells that story, the more the viewer will appreciate it.

Conclusion

So yeah, peach fuzz might seem like an odd or random color to represent a year at first blush, but there is no accident in the selection of this color at this point in time, and the things we learn from it could be just the spark we need to step into a new year with the right perspective and attitude.

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Little Timothy was very excited about the Christmas presents that Christmas eve. It would be his first Christmas in their new home. He looked down on the shelf next to the Christmas tree and saw the nativity that his mother had set up. A rustic backdrop with a slanted roof and some wooden pillars resembled a small ancient barn. There were wise men and shepherds gathered around Mary and Joseph, and at the center a little manger with a baby inside.

“Tell me the story of the baby Jesus”, he asked his mother. “Oh, the story of Jesus being born in the manger?” she thought for a minute, and her mind flashed across the whole story of Christmas. She knew the story of the angels visiting Mary and Joseph, of their trip to Bethlehem, of the shepherds in the field and the wise men far in the east. She knew of the tower of the flock and of the star the wise men had seen.

In front of her was this incredible teaching tool: a nativity. All the main characters of the story were present, except for Herod, Zachariah, and Anna.

“Well,” she replied, “it began when an angel visited Mary and told her that she was going to have a baby.” She continued to tell the story of the angels and the arrival in Bethlehem, she told him all about the shepherds and what they saw when they found the little baby Jesus in the manger.

Little Timothy’s eyes were wide with amazement as he listened to the story with the little figurines helping transport him there to that little town so long ago. “But why did Jesus come down from heaven?” he asked.

“Because He needed to be born in order to live a perfect life.” she explained. “Do you remember the story of Adam and Eve, how they sinned and had to leave the garden?”

He jumped in with a quick excited answer, “And they ate fruit from the tree that God said not to eat from.”

“Yes,” his mother replied, “and so all of us have sin now, because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve. So, someone had to live a perfect life and then be punished for your sin and for my sin, or we wouldn’t be able to be with God, because God is holy.”

“Oh, so Jesus was born so he could be punished?” There was a little confusion in his little voice, so his mother did her best to explain, “Well, yes. Do you remember how the priests in the old testament would offer lambs on the alter for sacrifices for sin?” she asked.

“Yes”, he replied.

“Well, that’s because the punishment for sin is death. The lambs were killed in order to cover the sins of the people. But they had to keep offering sacrifice after sacrifice because the lambs could only cover their sins. They needed someone to come and live a perfect and sinless life and then take the punishment for sin in our place, which meant he had to die.”

“And that’s why Jesus died on the cross!” Timothy shouted.

“Yes, that’s it.” his mother said as she tried to calm him down with her hand. “Jesus came as the perfect Lamb of God and he was perfect and holy His whole life. Then, when He grew up, He died on the cross to pay for our sins. And then, He rose again and is back up in heaven now.”

The whole story had unfolded in front of him, and little Timothy was starting to get it. It’s a simple truth, although a lot of events surround the story. Scholars will debate the details until the end of time, but the truth of the story rings clear and simple. God came down, was born, and for a time, He lived on the earth.

In John 14:6, Jesus said in a reply to one of His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is only one way to be accepted of God the Father, and that is through the Son.

Timothy’s mother explained to him how he could have eternal life and have a relationship with the Creator God through the free gift that began with Jesus coming down and being born in that manger. She showed him the Romans road, and pointed out Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Have you accepted His gift?

Tomorrow, we will gather around the Christmas tree, with family all around us. We open presents as the wise men did so long ago. We will celebrate the most important story in all of history. Most likely, we will have a nativity or two nearby. Let’s make a special effort this year to tell the real story of Christmas and remember the gift that God gave to us!

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Having seen the infant Jesus, the wise men must have made camp or had a place to stay for the night. If the star stood above them when they arrived at the home of the Child, it was likely late at night.

That night, they dreamed a dream, or one of them did at least.1 In their dream, God warned them that they should not return to Herod. No other details of their dream are mentioned, and so any speculation about what the dream was or what they learned as a result of the dream is just that, speculation. Maybe they learned of Herod’s intentions, or maybe they did not.

And so, they left that little town of Bethlehem via another road. They did not make their way back through Jerusalem. Jerusalem would have been the next place to go on their route back to the east, and so going another direction was a bit out of their way. This was not a problem for them, because they understood that God had another plan.

It sounds from the text like Joseph and Mary were not immediately made aware of the danger that they were in. In verse 13 it says that when [the wise men] were departed, the angel .. appear[ed] to Joseph in a dream.2 This was not a vision, as in something revealed while awake, but a dream, which meant Joseph had been asleep. Either the wise men woke only a few hours later and rushed to leave, giving Joseph enough time to fall asleep again, or Joseph’s dream came on the next night.

Since these wise men would have traveled with a caravan and did not appear to be in a hurry, it makes more sense to me that there was a day between when the wise men left Bethlehem, and when Joseph and Mary left.

This dream that Joseph had was reminiscent of the dream he had before when Mary was found to be with child.3 In both cases the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him to take action. In the case of Mary, he was to take her as his wife. In this case, he was to take “the young Child and Mary His mother, and flee into Egypt”.

For both the wise men and for this young family, God was directing them to go another way. There had been no intention for them to change their plans, and no reason humanly speaking that they should do anything different than their original plan. The wise men would have gone back to king Herod, and Joseph would have kept his family in Bethlehem.

God sometimes leads us in another way. Sometimes that way seems like it will take extra effort, or extra time, and we don’t usually like it when that happens. There is a way that seems right to us, but there are times when that way is the way of death.4 If we are using only our own wisdom to make the decisions of our lives, we are likely headed for significant trouble.

Given the severity of the danger, that Herod was intent on seeking the young Child to destroy Him, Joseph arose that morning, perhaps December 27th of 2BC, and left Bethlehem toward Egypt.5

Herod would spiral into mental and physical torment, ultimately attempting suicide,6 and then dying a miserable death of kidney disease and gangrene.7 This all after killing countless innocent baby boys in the town of Bethlehem.

I think it is important to pause from time to time, and think about the direction of our lives. We each live a very brief life on this earth, and what we do with it is incredibly important. Do you have the kind of relationship with the Creator God that He would direct you away from danger? Are you spiraling downward into a place of depravity? Are you somewhere in-between?

Remember that even when things of this life are hard or challenging, or when they are so difficult you don’t know what to do, God has prepared another way. If we trust Him, He can lead the way.

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Having seen the star above them and going in front of them on their short trip from Jerusalem, the wise men find themselves approaching the little town of Bethlehem. It was not very common for people of great stature or importance to visit the town, so this would be a significant event for the locals.

Traveling on the solid roman built road topped with stone blocks, the wise men brought their caravan with them. How they found the exact location of the home of Joseph and Mary and Jesus, we don’t know for sure. Scripture makes it seem almost as if they used the triangulation of the star to find the exact place where the young child was.1

They came into the house, perhaps the same house that Joseph and Mary had been staying in when they first arrived at Bethlehem, and perhaps a different house that Joseph could now afford to rent or buy. Regardless, for the time, this would have been a very ordinary house. Just a home in a neighborhood, not spectacular or special in any way at first glance. But as they entered this simple home, these wise men saw something they had come over 500 miles to see: an Infant and his mother.

And when they saw the Child with Mary His mother, they fell down, and worshiped Him.2 The reaction was not to lift their hands or jump for joy, it was not to shout or sing or rejoice. Instead, the sight of God brought them to their knees. I think we often underestimate the power of the presence of God, and we minimize it by our worship of Him in that we lack the recognition of the awe He deserves.

As these wise men opened their treasures, they presented 3 specific gifts to the newborn King. These were very deliberate and symbolic gifts. Each had an important significance.

Gold

Gold in ancient times represented wealth and royalty in even more important ways than it does today. When a king would visit another kingdom, it was customary to bring gifts of gold for the other king, as we see when the queen of Sheba visits king Solomon.3 It is also an important material in the temple, used to overlay all the vessels in the holy place and in the Holy of Holies.

The wise men understood Jesus to be the King.

Frankincense

Frankincense produces a beautiful smell when burned. It was used in perfumes and incense in ancient and modern times. In the temple, it was a core ingredient in the incense4 that was only to be used in the worship of God.5

The wise men understood Jesus to be God.

Myrrh

Myrrh is a medicinal perfume. In its oil form, it is often used for anointing or for preparing bodies for burial. In the temple, myrrh was used as an ingredient in the anointing oil for the sanctuary and for the priests.6 This gives us two potential purposes or meanings as a gift for Jesus. First, it could mean that they knew He was the Great High Priest, and second, it could mean that they knew He was born to die.

The wise men understood Jesus to be the High Priest.

In 3 days from today, we will all gather around a Christmas tree with our families and present gifts to each other. We did our best to pick the most meaningful gift for each family member we could think of. We took our time to make sure it was wrapped or placed in a nice gift bag, because we want to express our love and gratitude for each person who has gathered around on Christmas day.

Great thought had gone into the selection and preparation of these 3 gifts for Jesus. What thought have we given to what we will give to Jesus this year? Will you give Him your time, as He is the Creator of time? Will you give Him your talents as He has gifted you with each of your skills? Will you give Him your money as He has provided for your needs? Will you give Him your heart as He has given you His life?

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Now the Magi, having traveled a great distance, and having made their way to Israel, come first to Jerusalem. This would be the logical place for them to come since they had seen the star of the King of the Jews. Where else would they find a king but in the palace in the capital city?

However, it doesn’t seem as though they knew much about the local politics of the day, and why would they? While it’s possible there could have been some trade between their nations, it is unknown whether word of the state of the Roman empire and the actions of king Herod had reached these wise men. Presumably, they had no idea that Herod was a ruthless ruler who would kill anyone who got in the way of his throne.

Having seen the star of the King of the Jews, the wise men came looking for the great King of kings in the nation of God, to the city of Zion.1 They certainly thought the rest of Israel and Judah were fully aware of the coming of the long-awaited Christ. It was a great moment in history, certainly if these wise men knew He had come, all of Jerusalem was also well aware of this wonderful birth.

Boldly the wise men approach the palace and request an audience with the king. King Herod once hearing that princes from the east have arrived and desire an audience, no doubt welcomed them to see what this was all about. With no hesitation, and with incredible confidence, the wise men inquire, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.”2

The starling question pierced the stubborn king to the soul and he was troubled by the suggestion. Some other king had been born? He had gone to great lengths and killed even those he should have loved in order to keep his throne, and now a new threat was in front of him. Who was this king that had been born?

There is an interesting phrase in the Scriptures about this moment, it says that all of Jerusalem was troubled with him.3 Certainly people of Jerusalem understood the potential ramifications of the news, and they would not be wrong to be afraid. As we know from later in the story, Herod would have all children ages 2 and under killed in the town of Bethlehem.

And so, Herod the Great gathered the chief priests and the scribes together and demanded that they tell him where the Messiah was prophesied to be born.4 Now think for a moment, if Herod was asking the priests of God about the birth place of the Messiah because there was a sign in the sky that He had come, did he not realize that he was dealing with something far beyond his human power? He had set his heart on killing God Himself.

The scribes and the priests, after searching the Scriptures and chatting with each other to find the prophecy, come forward with the book of Micah, one of the 12 minor prophets, and they read the section that pointed to the birthplace of the Messiah, Bethlehem.5

Then king Herod called the wise men privately and asked them when exactly the star had appeared.6 If we take our Bethlehem star, it would have first appeared in September of 3 BC. It is now December of 2 BC, about 15 months later. The rendezvous with Venus, symbolizing the birth, would have happened in June of 2 BC, only 6 months earlier.

And he sent them to Bethlehem in search of the young child.7 I wonder if the wise men were initially discouraged. They had come to the place where the King of kings should have been born. They had come to the people of God and the nation of God in search of God, but they didn’t find Him there. Instead they had found an Edomite king, and a city that was entirely unaware of the birth of God on earth.

I fear that many who profess to follow God today are just as blind to the truth as the people of Jerusalem in that day.

As they walked out of the palace that night, the wise men looked up in the sky, and there it was!! The star was in the sky, almost directly above them. As they made their way to Bethlehem, the star seemed almost to lead the way, as it slowed, then stopped directly over the very place where Jesus was born.8

The clash of motives between the wise men and Herod the Great is significant. On the one hand, we have thoughtful men of science and philosophy who are willing to travel any distance just to be near the King of kings and Lord of lords, so that they can worship Him. On the other hand is a king who wants nothing but to destroy the very God that created him.

But where were the priests and the scribes? They had heard of the star, they knew of the prophecy of the coming Christ, and now they had evidence in front of them that He was born! Only the wise men would go down to Bethlehem. Perhaps for fear of what Herod would do, perhaps for skepticism that these wise men had gotten it wrong, or perhaps out of apathy, all the rest who heard this news largely ignored it.

Have we ignored the news? Have we ignored the powerful truths we find in the Scriptures? This Christmas, we should do our best to come near the King and not miss what He has done.

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Most renderings of the story of Christmas go straight from the shepherds visiting the manger to the wise men coming to see Baby Jesus. However, it would be something like 6 months before the wise men from far in the east would arrive in that little town of Bethlehem. They have seen His star, but it would take them some time to prepare a caravan and make their way to Israel.

Only 8 days after the birth of Jesus we find another very important part of the story.

In Genesis 17, God makes a covenant with Abraham that every man child shall be circumcised the 8th day.1 This was an important sign for the Israelites of the everlasting covenant with God. And so on the 8th day, every baby boy was taken to be circumcised.

As the time came when little baby Jesus was 8 days old, Joseph and Mary took the little baby and traveled the 5 miles or so to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. According to the law, it was necessary to bring a lamb to be offered as a sacrifice at the temple for this newborn baby, and in addition, either a young pigeon or a turtledove. 2

Apparently, Joseph was unable to provide the money for a lamb, because we find in the same law an exception for those who were not able to bring a lamb: “And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons;”3 The second turtledove or pigeon was offered as a substitute for the lamb.

Although vague, the record in Luke indicates that no lamb was brought to the sacrifice, but rather two birds.4 Could it be that a lamb would not have been appropriate as an atonement for the very Lamb of God? Perhaps in this case the second dove or pigeon was offered as a substitute for a lamb, as only this would be an appropriate offering.

Of all the people at the temple, there were two individuals who recognized the Christ on His arrival, even as this little infant. One, a man named Simeon, and the other a prophetess named Anna. We know very little of these two individuals, but we know that they both walked with God.

Simeon is described as having the indwelling Holy Spirit upon him.5 And it was the Spirit that led him to come to the temple at this moment, and as Joseph and Mary entered the temple grounds, Simeon took the child into his arms and in a beautiful moment, he praises God for letting him see the salvation of the world, a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.6

And Anna the prophetess, coming at that same moment, gave a similar expression of praise.7

I wonder if we, like Simeon and Anna, would recognize the Savior of the world if we saw Him as a little baby. We may think of Him as the great creator of the universe and the King of kings, but do we hear His still, small voice?

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On the night when Jesus was born, a star appeared a star in the sky. The same star was visible to all who would look up to the sky and see it, but no one really seemed to take notice. That is, except for a handful of wise men from “the east”.1

Who were these wise men, and what could have caused them to take notice of something so visible that they could identify it as the star of the King of the Jews when no one else seemed to know it was there?2

For this, we have to do some careful thinking about what we do know instead of wildly guessing at what we don’t know. Then perhaps we can make some better educated guesses.

First, what do we know about wise men? The old testament refers to wise men in several contexts. When Moses came before Pharoah, there were wise men who advised Pharoah.3 Wise men were appointed as judges in Israel under Moses while they were in the wilderness.4 There were wise men that advised King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther.5 And then we find wise men in Babylon at the time of Daniel.6

In each case, we find that wise men were given the great responsibility of offering advice or making decisions. And in example after example, we find that wise men without God cannot replicate what God can do, cannot interpret dreams or messages from God, and cannot determine truth. It took a man of God to discern a plan for 7 years of famine, to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream, and to bring the plagues of Egypt. Without God, wise men can only guess at the best course of action.

King Nebuchadnezzar brought the wisest children of Israel into captivity to learn their language and study under the scholars of Babylon, then ultimately to stand before the king as wise men.7 We know the story of Daniel and how he faithfully served God and continued in his faith even in the face of death. His wisdom and his faith granted him great success under Nebuchadnezzar, and he was then appointed over all the wise men of the kingdom.8

It would make sense that Daniel would have taught the other wise men of his day about the God of the Bible. Although we have no specific evidence that the generations that followed Daniel preserved any of that knowledge, I would ask, who else would have had such knowledge of the coming of a Messiah?

It is generally accepted that there was a community of Jews that remained in Babylon after the captivity, and it’s not unlikely that some of these Jews continued in the role of wise men under the following regimes. So, it’s possible that the wise men who came from the east to Jerusalem were Jewish wise men serving in Babylon. We can’t be sure, but it’s an interesting possibility, and the one we have the most compelling hints to believe.

If we were to look into the sky toward the constellation Leo, the Lion, in September of the year 3BC, we would have seen the king planet, Jupiter, rising in the east. Over a period of nights, Jupiter would make three passes of the king star, Regulus, playing out a heavenly coronation in the stars. Rising in the east just behind Leo is the constellation Virgo, the Virgin.

In June of 2BC, Jupiter had continued westward where it met with the mother planet, Venus, in an incredibly spectacular event as the brightness of both Jupiter and Venus combined and outshone everything in the night sky. This very notable event happened toward the west, pointing the wise men to Jerusalem.

Was this the star?

While I recognize that there are many miracles in the Bible that need no scientific explanation, the appearance of the star was never described as a miraculous event. No one else noticed this star until it was pointed out by the wise men. In Genesis 1:14, God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” The first purpose of the stars was to be for signs, to tell a story to the people of earth.

It is difficult to be certain about these things, but it makes sense to me that the Creator would have set the sign of His coming into the great clock of the sky and made it something that all look diligently enough can see.

There are many more details about the appearance of Jupiter at this time and the events in the sky that surround it. You can follow the complete and fascinating journey of the star of Bethlehem on the Star of Bethlehem website: https://bethlehemstar.com/setting-the-stage/why-are-we-hearing-this-now/

There are things that God does that are miraculous, and there are miraculous things that God does that are ordered, but ordinary. We may not have many details about the wise men’s lives, their role or position, their personalities, or even for sure how many of them there were. What God wanted us to know is that these regal men saw the handiwork of the Creator, they believed, and they came to the place where God was.

Are we willing, even for a moment, to give up the pleasures of our day to day lives, the comforts of our screens and our music and our constant distractions, and come to the place where God is? This Christmas, let us come to the King.

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There were in the same area, some shepherds who were keeping their flocks. It was nighttime.1 Suddenly, a bright and shining light surrounded them! An angel had appeared right in front of them.2

The shock of this moment cannot be fully explained with words. There are very few moments in all of history that God has chosen to reveal the light of His glory, or that he has sent messengers in such a vivid and glorious way. Now that we are more familiar with the manger scene, perhaps we can see the importance of this message coming to the nearby shepherds.

The angel tells them not to be afraid because he brings them good tidings, or good news that is of great joy! He makes it clear that this news is not just for the shepherds, but that this news is for all people.3 These humble shepherds would be the first to know of the birth of the Messiah, but this message would not be just for them, but would be for all people. The message to them is the message to us: “..unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”4

These shepherds are not mentioned by name, and we don’t see or hear from them for the rest of the gospels. But the message must be told to them first. The Lamb of God has been born. The sign of His birth is that He was wrapped in swaddling cloth and laid in a manger. This sign would mean little to other people… why would the King of kings be born in a place made for animals?

The significance is lost on our generation as much as it would have been for the pharisees of that day. We imagine the glory of God as deserving great elegance and wealth, because we think of wealth as material, physical, or monetary wealth. But God did not reveal His glory to the priests, the kings, the wise men, or the scribes. He showed the light of His glory to the humble shepherds in the field, because they would be the ones to understand.

The magnificence of the moment is then amplified as a large number of angels join the first messenger to these shepherds and begin to praise God with the words “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”5

When the angels were gone, the shepherds talked with each other. Perhaps they pinched themselves to make sure it wasn’t a dream. If this was real, they wanted to see it! So, they said to each other, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass…”6

Having left their flocks on the hills nearby, the shepherds made their way down to the tower of the flock at Bethlehem. Upon entering the lamp-lit room at the base of the tower, they found Mary and Joseph, and there in the hay, in the place where many sacrificial lambs had been born was a little baby boy.

It’s hard to imagine the feelings and the thoughts that went through their minds at this moment. Here in front of them was the Savior of the world that would with one sacrifice pay the price for the sins of every person in all of history.

They wanted to go to this place, because they wanted to see. The news alone was not enough, they had to go and they had to see. Are we content with the news that God sent His son? Are we content with hearing the stories of the Bible and hearing that Jesus paid for our sins so that we can be saved? Or are we, like the shepherds near Bethlehem, motivated to go and see what God has done?

2:17 when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying that was told them… - they told everyone they knew! But who else would come to see Him?

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Bethlehem, a small, quaint town, nestled in the hills of Judah. Shepherds kept watch over their flocks in the hills nearby, raising lambs, some of which would be offered as a sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem, some 5 miles away.

On the outskirts of the town stands a watch tower used by shepherds in days of old to shelter themselves and to keep watch over their flocks. It was a place of refuge, a place where ewes could safely birth their lambs.

As we saw, Joseph and Mary both likely had family in Bethlehem due to their heritage and the other connections to this place that we see in scripture. Joseph would likely have connected with relatives and not needed to find a place to stay in some hotel. In fact, the word “inn” in Luke 2:7 is translated “guest chamber” in the two other places in the new testament that it is used.1

It’s also important to note that they didn’t start their stay in Bethlehem near the manger. Luke 2:6 says “And so it was, that, while they were there…” that is, they came to Bethlehem, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth.

If you have been present for a birth, you understand the challenges that come with that. It’s important to have a space for the birth, a place with access to water is preferable, somewhere secluded where other people won’t interfere or add stress to the mother. Luke 2:7 explains that this birthing event happened at the manger because there was no room for them to have the birth in the chamber where they had been staying, not that there was no room for them to stay in the guest chamber.2

But then, there is the biggest shift in our story. The prophet Micah points out something important and powerful about the real story of Christmas that brings significance to His coming here to this place. In Micah 5:2 we have the prophecy that the scribes of Herod give to the wise men when they inquire where the Christ should be born:

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

But, if we back up in the book just a few verses, Micah 4:8 is presented in the same context and it points to something very interesting:

And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

The tower here is a place called in Hebrew, “migdal eder”, the tower of the flock. It is here, at the tower, where lambs were birthed, some of which plausibly would have been offered as a sacrifice to God at the temple.

The shepherds would know this as a sign that this baby was the promised Messiah. Here, lying in a manger they would find a little baby. A manger, the place where the lambs were birthed, they would find the Lamb of God!

And so the time came for Mary to give birth.3 No doubt the house erupted with the hustle of the midwife and a relative or two gathering needed comforts to support the birth. Rather than trying to handle everything in the small guest chamber where Mary and Joseph were staying, Mary made her way to the small shepherds tower just a short way from the house. Here there was ample water at the ready, and it was far more private than the stone house in town.

What was to Mary and Joseph a response to their situation, was in fact a powerful and meaningful moment. It was a fulfillment of prophecy, and a picture of the magnificent way in which God directs our every step when we trust in Him. Even the little details become important parts of the story.

We may face situations and challenges that seem insignificant and pointless in our daily lives, I have had many of those moments in my own life, and I’m sure you’ve had your share of problems to solve and situations to respond to. But God, when we rest in Him, can use even the most ordinary moments to do the most extraordinary things.

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In those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.1 This is a challenging part of the real story of Christmas because we need to go back in history to understand the political landscape and the driving factors that caused Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem. There have been many differing proposals around these events, so let me do my best to make it very simple.

The word translated “taxed” here is used one other place in the new testament, Hebrews 12:23:

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written ^G583 in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Some argue that this was not a taxing but rather a census. Whether money was collected at this time or not is not really the point. If you live in the United States, you have to “file” your taxes. If you do everything correctly, you hope to avoid the dreaded IRS audit. These are steps in the process of taxing in our modern day, and there were similar steps in place in the SPQR. From what I found in a cursory search of how taxes worked in the Roman empire, taxes started first with an assessment, which was followed by a selection of collectors via auction, which would be followed by the collection of money. This process could take years to complete.

It’s important to note that Luke 2 says specifically that this taxing was “first” made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.2 That is, this may not have been the most notable tax of the time. In fact, Luke references a taxing in Acts 5:37 that appears to line up with a more significant taxing mentioned by Josephus.3

And so the time came to return to his “own city” with all of his possessions and his betrothed, so that King Herod could carry out the assessment as ordered by the empire.4

The Roman empire built roads. Famous roads. Joseph and Mary would have traveled on these Roman roads as they made their way to Bethlehem.

As we learned yesterday, the route from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which we find the couple to be quite familiar with at this point in the story, began by going south-east toward the Jordan River. The first crossing they would have used is known as the northern border crossing, and is still active today. They would have proceeded down along the east side of the Jordan, stopping at night in the various towns that they came to. When they reached the area near Jericho, they would have crossed back over the Jordan river, made their way to Jerusalem, and then on to Bethlehem.5

It is most likely that Joseph had family in Bethlehem and so they were able to stay in the home of one of Josephs relatives, possibly his father Jacob. We will learn more about this situation tomorrow.

Bethlehem was a town of a similar size to Nazareth with a population of something like 300. The name Bethlehem means “House of Bread”, possibly so called from the harvest of wheat and barley in the surrounding lands. Grasses grew on the hills of the countryside near the town, and it is here that shepherds would graze their flocks.

The area was dotted with natural caves and the occasional tower where shepherds could shelter themselves and watch and tend to their flocks.6 There is evidence that these shepherds were raising their flocks for use in the temple, which is an important point a little later in our story.

As Joseph and Mary walked into this familiar town, the ‘house of bread’, I wonder what they were thinking. They knew their firstborn would be the very Messiah, the Savior of the world. But did they know that He would call Himself the Bread of Life?7 Did they know he would feed many thousands with bread and fish, that he would feed many more with His perfect words?

When we hunger, He is ready to give us bread. As He taught us, we should simply say to our Father, “Give us this day, our daily bread.”8

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Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country, to an unidentified city in the land of Judah.

Interestingly, her relatives Zachariah and Elizabeth lived in Judah, not in Galilee. Perhaps it is through this connection that the marriage of Mary and Joseph was arranged. The area in Judah referred to as the “hill country”, encompasses the mountains from Bethel to Beersheba1. In the heart of this region is a small town called Bethlehem. There’s no way of knowing whether this was the location of Elizabeth’s home, but it’s a very valid possibility.

The world at this time is under the power of Rome, the SPQR (Senatus PopulusQue Romanus or “Sentate and People of Rome”). The era is the great Pax Romana, the “peace of Rome”, and the empire is in a time of relative stability.

However, the Edomite, Herod the Great had been in power in the regions of Galilee and Judea for over 30 years at this time. Herod was a ruthless ruler with a reputation not unlike the dictators of the 20th century. He had wife and several of his sons killed for no reason other than that he feared they may attempt to take his throne.

Violent as he was, he was under pressure from the Roman empire to keep things in order, and so he was compelled to do whatever it took to quell any rebellion in the region while carrying out the wishes of Ceasar if he was to keep his throne.

Our story continues with Mary making her way to the home of Elizabeth. Was this perhaps in response to the revelation that she was with child? The timeline is a bit difficult to pinpoint, but it could make sense that once she is found with child, and Joseph has agreed to proceed with the marriage, that arrangements might be made for her to leave town for a period of time. This might have prevented rumors from materializing in Nazareth in an already stressful situation.

Still, I find it curious that Mary travels to see Elizabeth in the hill country of Judah, a journey of equal distance to the trip Mary and Joseph would take from Nazareth to Bethlehem, seemingly alone. The Bible says she went “with haste”, indicating that she did not spend much time preparing for her trip. Perhaps the roads were safe enough under the Pax Romana that she could travel alone, or perhaps she quickly found a caravan to travel with. We can only speculate.

What we do know is that this was not a trivial trip. It would have taken several days to travel to the northern Jordan river crossing, follow the river south, crossing back over the river near Jericho, then traveling to Jerusalem, and then on to Bethlehem2 if this was her destination.

When Mary arrives at the house of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, we begin to see why the angel mentioned Elizabeth’s pregnancy to Mary and the incredible significance of their meeting.

Mary came into the house and greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby she carried, John the Baptist, jumped for joy! The word we have to describe this in the Bible is that he “leaped”. It was such a movement within her that Elizabeth exclaims the moving of her baby to Mary. She blesses Mary and knows without question that Mary carries the Lord in her womb.3

Here in this meeting, Mary voices her humble submission and magnification of her God and Savior in what is known as the “Magnificat” from the Latin, “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” or literally, “magnifies soul my Lord”.

Oh that we would recognize the work of God in our lives as Mary did. No, we will not be this close to the physical presence of God incarnate, we will not birth the Messiah or raise a perfect child, but for those of us who have received Him, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Just as He came upon Mary and was with her through all of these challenges and experiences, God will come with us on our own journey in this difficult world.

And Mary stayed in the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth for 3 months before making the trip back to Nazareth, presumably again on her own.

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Joseph is a most fascinating character study. It’s not that we know much about his personality, or that he has a lot to say, in fact he seems to be a rather quiet person, no doubt diligent in his work. There are two plot twists to the story when we look closer at the life of Joseph, so this becomes a challenging, but fun part of the story to tell.

First, there is a real question about where Joseph is from. We assume as we read the story that he was born and raised in Nazareth. They had to make this big trip you see, from their home in Nazareth to the town of Bethlehem because that’s where Josephs ancestors lived. But is that really the whole story? Does that really fit what the Bible says and what we learn from history?

I see four specific hints in Scripture that indicate it’s possible that Joseph’s home town was Bethlehem, and not Nazareth. Observe:

1. Luke 2:3 says that everyone went to his “own city” to be taxed. It does not say that everyone went to the city of their heritage or of their fathers to be taxed.

2. Luke 2:22 when Jesus is 8 days old, they travel to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, but they return to Bethlehem instead of proceeding onward to Nazareth (as evidenced by Matthew 2).

3. Matthew 2:11 when the wise men arrive in Bethlehem, not only are Mary and Joseph and Jesus still in Bethlehem, but they have a house there. This fact is a strong indication that they had planned to live in Bethlehem for some time.

4. Matthew 2:21-23 Upon returning from Egypt, Josephs original intention was to return to Bethlehem, or at least to return to Judaea, not to Nazareth. It was the reign of Archelaus that drove him to return to Nazareth instead.

I will point out that my father (a pastor and great Bible teacher) disagrees with this line of reasoning, pointing out as we did yesterday that Nazareth was not a great place to make a life, and so perhaps they wanted to live in Bethlehem because it was a nicer place to make a living.

But, if we grant the possibility that Joseph was from Bethlehem, he would have come into Nazareth for a period of time as he looks to wed his betrothed. It would not have been hard for him to find work while in Nazareth, and he could have spent considerable time there. A young man will go to great lengths for love, you know. And he was no doubt excited about the idea of getting married and starting a life together with Mary.

One day while he is there, it is learned that Mary is pregnant.1 This is devastating news to young Joseph who for the moment believes that his arranged marriage has been violated.

Joseph it seems had a genuine love for Mary, and he was not at all interested in bringing shame to her for what was an obvious act of promiscuity.2 He leaned heavily toward annulling their marriage as quietly as possible.

While he thinks on these things, he has a dream. In his dream, an angel appears to him with some intriguing news. He tells Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because, he explains, the Baby in her womb was conceived of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).3

We aren’t given any details about what went through Josephs mind when he hears this news. He doesn’t ask any questions or get any clarification, he simply rose from his sleep and did as the angel had said and proceeded with the marriage, without consummation until after the birth of their firstborn. This would have brought the potential for shame on himself, as there were at least some who knew of Mary’s pregnancy before their marriage. This was a burden that he was apparently fully willing to bear.

The second shift in our thinking about the character of Joseph relates to his occupation as a carpenter. Although Joseph doesn’t talk much and we don’t get much insight into his personality, other than his being quiet and submissive to the leading of the Spirit, we do know his occupation.

Why would God send His Son to be raised in the home of a carpenter? Why not a priest, or a shepherd? There are so many other occupations that He could have chosen. What was a carpenter in those days, and what was it that Joseph did?

The word translated “carpenter” is the word “tekton” in the Greek. This word alone is a very general term, and refers to the work of building or constructing things. There were tektons of stone, tektons of wood, and artisans of metals. But stated as it is the general term, we would best understand this in our modern day as a ‘general contractor’. He would certainly build roofs for homes, make doors and build and assemble shelves and other parts of a home. It’s also possible that his skill as a builder extended in to the more artisan work of building tables and chairs and other furnishings and tools. He could also have extended his work into the very construction of walls and even whole houses.

There is no doubt that Joseph worked with wood, but it’s important to note that the term “tekton” is general enough that it’s likely he worked with other materials in addition to wood. What does it mean that Jesus was born into this home and occupation?

Remember that the expectation was for the son to follow the occupation of the father in those days. The son would apprentice under the father, learning the trade-craft from their youth. This allowed for men to have significant experience with their trade by the time they reached adulthood and needed to begin making a living.

This Carpenter was the one who had carefully and masterfully crafted the world. He was the Tekton that collected uncountable particles into the swirling spiral galaxies, and stars, and planets that hang above us, built the mountains and carved the valleys on this earth and made the countless plants and creatures that dwell here.4 And it was this Master Craftsman that formed man and made the woman who would be the mother of all living.

I know a Carpenter who lived a sinless life. I know a Carpenter who cares about the lives everyone in the world and takes the time to help them if they ask. I know a Carpenter who gave Himself to die on a wooden cross, carrying my sin and your sin with him to the death that I deserved to die. I know a Carpenter who rose again and lives today at the right hand of God.

Do you know this Carpenter too?

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The story of Jesus birth begins in a town in the hills between Galilee and the mediterranean. It was a simple life then. Small homes built with stone had a courtyard at their center, chalk-stone pottery, and perhaps some very simple tools for cooking adorned the walls.

Nazareth was a town of between 300 and 400 people, out of the way of normal travel routes. Most of the inhabitants raised animals, but there was room for a synagogue, and a few craftsmen of various trades to make a small living. At least some of their pottery was imported to the ancient town1, and they were not known for any particular art or export.

What we do know is that the town of Nazareth had at best a poor reputation, and at worst may have had a very negative reputation. In John 1:46, Nathanael says to Philip, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”2, implying that the city had a reputation for not producing anything good.

We also find in the Gospels, that this is the town that would attempt to throw Jesus off a cliff! Luke 4:16, “And He came to Nazareth…”, Luke 4:28-30, “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way”.

It is here that our story begins. In Luke 1:26-273 an angel appears to a young lady in this town with some startling news! Mary is the fiance of an upstanding man named Joseph, more about him tomorrow. She is a virgin, a devout Hebrew, respectful in subjection to her parents and to the betrothal that was likely arranged for her.

The angel begins with an incredible salutation, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”4 It is significant that God would chose to honor Mary with the privilege to mother the Messiah. God has chosen the woman to bestow the gift of childbearing, the honor of giving life, the wonder of raising infants to maturity. And to this woman, He chose to give the highest honor of human motherhood.

Mary did not question the angel of the Lord, she didn’t hesitate to believe the angel, and we see a heart of complete meekness and tranquility in this young virgin. Living in a town with noHer upbringing in this quaint remote town may have helped her develop this wonderful heart attitude, but no doubt her family and friends also played a role.

She was not troubled at the appearance of the angel, or the idea that a message would come from God, rather, she was troubled at the greeting the angel gave and began to imagine the different possible messages that could come next…5 was there about to be a judgment on their little town of Nazareth? Would something happen to her family or her fiance?

The angel calms her fears and then proceeds to explain just what is about to happen. She will conceive and bring forth a son whose name will be “Jesus”.6 This was not a completely uncommon name in those days, but there was significance to its meaning: ‘Jehovah saves’. This child that Mary was about to carry in her womb was to be the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of the world.7

Mary’s response is very interesting and telling of her great character of which we see but a glimpse in the pages of Scripture.8 She does not deny the message of the angel, perhaps she was familiar with Isaiah 7:4 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” However, she is curious to know how this would happen, how it would work. It’s almost as if her desire is to submit herself to the will of God under any circumstances, and so her question is to know what process she should plan submit to.

The angel’s answer is a very powerful and meaningful answer. It is given in 3 parts:

1. What will happen.9

2. Evidence that God is able to do this and is doing similar things with others.10

3. A statement of God’s power.11

What will happen? The Holy Ghost will come upon her: as He had in some rares specific cases in the old testament, the Holy Spirit would indwell an individual. He was certainly capable of indwelling people before the cross, but this was a significant event.

The evidence? Mary’s cousing Elizabeth had conceived miraculously as well! Mary will have to go see her…

The statement of God’s power? “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

The example of Mary in the real story of Christmas is a vivid challenge to you and I to be fully submitted to the will of God. Are we ready as Mary was to yeild ourselves completely, regardless of how overwhelming or challenging or impossible the call that we believe God is calling us to?

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The real story of Christmas is one you probably have never heard.

Behind the bright lights and exquisitely wrapped gifts, there is a story. We have some vague idea about this story because we see the nativity scenes in many of our Christmas decorations. And sure, we know that it isn’t all about Santa Claus and his elves at the north pole. But what is the real story of Christmas?

Was there really a stable with cows and donkeys behind an inn in ancient Bethlehem? Was it this dirty and stinky place that the Messiah was born? Who were Mary and Joseph? How did these events unfold in actual history? Or, is it even possible to know what really happened so long ago?

With some careful consideration of recent archaeological work and research combined with a tedious examination of Scripture, we can come much closer to the real story of Christmas than the common or mainstream narrative at least. In fact, I think it’s important to let go of the traditional nativity narrative we were told and begin to learn what may have actually happened.

This is a time of year when a lot of what we do is connected with the holiday, and we can wander blindly through the season following the crowd of shoppers and stocking stuffers and bright and colorful lights… or maybe this year, we could take a moment to reflect on the meaning of Christmas.

When we celebrate the birth of Christ, we should know what it is that we are celebrating. This is such a significant event in history that we have pegged our calendars to this event, although there is ample debate on the exact timing. Give or take a few years, the birth of Christ happened at approximately 0AD. Yes, I know it wasn’t exactly at 0AD, but the intention was to make our calendars point to this moment.

The abbreviation “AD” comes from the Medieval Latin phrase “anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi”, which is to say “The year of our Lord Jesus Christ”. This phrase was shortened to “Anno Domini” or literally “year Lord”, which we abbreviate now as “AD”. There was once a complementary abbreviation “AC” which came from the Latin “ante Christum natum” or “before Christ was born”. Somehow in our etymology, this was changed directly to English where we have the term “Before Christ” abbreviated with “BC”.

So, the significance of this event cannot be understated. It was not the death of Christ which the orthodox scholars determined to be the moment which defined history, and it was not His resurrection. It was not the ascension of Christ into heaven, or the coming of the Holy Spirit on the believers on the day of pentecost that defines our years and our centuries and our millennia. It was the incarnation of God on earth that was to mark the dividing line between past and present.

In this series, starting December 13th, I will be walking through the real story of Christmas one “day” at a time. Taking 12 days in the lead-up to Christmas day to look at 12 different days surrounding the historical events of the birth of Christ. We will see these events like never before as we explore the settings, the culture, and the events that marked this most important historical moment.

I hope you will join me on this journey and read along as we travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, see the star of the King of the Jews, find the Baby in the manger, and follow these events in more vivid detail than ever before.

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