The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:1-7, “Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a

census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which

is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

5 in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

6 And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

7 And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.”

“At one time opponents of biblical infallibility criticized the accuracy of Luke’s historical notations in this paragraph, but a careful study of ancient history and archeological discoveries has overwhelmingly vindicated his reliability. Objections to Luke’s accuracy have pertained particularly to the dating of Quirinius’ governsorship in Syria, but wth further research, satisfactory answers to these have surfaced (A Harmony of the Gospels, Thomas & Gundry).

The census was undoubtedly taken for the purpose of taxation. Just how wealthy or how poor Joseph was, we do not know. But his compliance with the order demonstrated him to be an honorable and righteous man. Since Mary’s time for the delivery of her Child was drawing very near, she accompanied her husband from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, a distance of some 70 miles. Providentially, it was there in Bethlehem that Mary gave birth to Jesus.

Understandably, the “little town of Bethlehem” was overly crowded with people, who had come there to register in compliance with the governmental directive. When no room was available for the couple, they settled in a cattle stall. And it was there om an animal’s “eating trough” (???’?? (phatne) that the King of Kings and LORD of Lords made His humble entrance into the world.

It was the LORD’s command from much earlier times that said, “Sanctify to Me every first-born, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel…” (Exodus 13:2). Thus, “At childbirth, the navel cord was cut, the baby was bathed in water, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in ‘swaddling clothes,’ a square of cloth that was wrapped around the Child and tied with a strap” (Gaylin’s Hygiene).

What a contrast with some in every generation, who bask themselves in pride, yet claim to be followers of the lowly Nazarene. May the LORD help us to die to ourselves and ever grow to be more like Him.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Matthew 1:18-25, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to

Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away

secretly.

20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph,

son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy

Spirit.

21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their

sins.”

22 Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which

translated means, “God with us.”

24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife,

25 and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

We are not told how long Mary stayed with Elizabeth. It was possibly until the birth of John. If that be true, then her stay would have been about three months; and by that time her pregnancy would have been obvious. Betrothal

(engagement) was as binding as marriage and lasted for a whole year. In the light of Mary’s pregnancy, Joseph had the choice of putting her to death by stoning (Deut. 22:23ff) or divorcing her quietly. His was considering a quiet divorce, when the angel appeared to him and explained God’s purpose.

Things are not always what they seem. Perhaps we would do well to spend some serious time considering our actions before the exercise them. Is what we are intending the will of God? Has the LORD spoken to us and we’ve failed to discern it? Notice that Joseph slept before he did anything. Thus he gave opportunity for the LORD to reveal His will instead of rushing to judgment. When the LORD spoke to him in a dream, he understood it as a command. He was instructed concerning the Child’s name, just as Zacharias had been with regard to his son. God’s intensions are always complete –if only we would listen!

Barclay notes that “Jesus is the Greek form of the Jewish name Joshua, and Joshua means Jehovah is salvation.”

Jesus was salvation then; and He is salvation now, if only we would believe! He saves us from making mistakes; and the greatest mistake is failing to accept Him as LORD and Savior. If He is our LORD, we surely want to spend time with Him in prayer and in the study of His Word. We want to share Him with others, and give praise to Him for each and every blessing we receive at His hand. Is He that kind of LORD to you? Take a hint from Joseph and give Jesus some serious thought.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Luke 1:8-16, “Now it came about, while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of

his division,

9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn

incense.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.

11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear gripped him.

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth

will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

14 “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy

Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.

16 “And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.”

Have you ever had to backtrack and pick up on something important? Well, that’s what I’m doing here. We last left Mary visiting with Elizabeth as they were both rejoicing over the children to whom they were to give birth. But the miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy was just as exciting as that of Mary’s!

Elizabeth’s husband, Zacharias, was a priest of God; and as he was performing his duties in the Temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, announcing that his wife, Elizabeth, despite her old age, would bear a son. Zacharias wanted to know more, but the angel closed Zacharias’ mouth because he did not believe the sufficiency of the message. Gabriel told Zacharias that his son’s name was to be John. Further, the angel assured him that his son would be “great in the sight of the LORD” and would “be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.” Ultimately, the people of Israel would rejoice and John was destined to “turn back many of the sons of Israel to the LORD their God.”

We today have this promise from God. The LORD is always aware of what is occurring on Earth. “He who keeps you will not slumber…The LORD is your keeper…” (Ps. 121:3ff). While we worry and grieve over world conditions (to say nothing of our own!), the LORD’s plan of deliverance is already in place. Our difficulty is that we are looking at the problem instead of the solution. Yes, John will ultimately be slain, and his cousin, Jesus, will be sacrificed on a cross. But, out of that chaos, the LORD God Almighty had pre-determined to deliver His people! He still will. We just have to believe!

Who knows what benefit came from the angel Gabriel’s shutting the mouth of Zacharias? Our lesson is surely that we are to rest our faith in the LORD. He is in charge of our world today, just as He was in charge of the first-century world! When I was a boy and occasionally got hurt, my tears were always wiped away with my mother’s assuring voice that said, “It will be alright.” Today, I’m hearing my LORD’s voice saying, “I am in control. It will all be well.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Luke 46-56, “And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,

47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will

count me blessed.

49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.

50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him.

51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.

53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed.

54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy,

55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.”

Good news seems always to elicit singing. Music is often an indication of inward peace and joy. At the same time, it is a means of healing when anxiety floods our lives. Mary was excited beyond measure! While her external rejoicing filled the home of Elizabeth, her soul (psuche) and her spirit (pneuma) exploded with thanksgiving! She openly acknowledged her humility and pledged her allegiance to the LORD. Her praise focuses solely on the LORD, and she rejoices as she praises His Name.

Thomas and Gundry offer this brief statement from their Harmony of the Gospels: “This ‘vocal meditation’ of Mary recalls the type of literature found in the Old Testament Psalms. Mary describes God’s actions with seven past tense (Greek aorist tense) verbs (1:51-54). From the nature of the circumstances, however, it is obvious that these are anticipations of what God was going to do in the future through the Child in her womb. Hence, these are anticipations of ‘prophetic aorists’ after the analogy of the Hebrew ‘prophetic perfect.’”

Mary demonstrates her humility when she calls herself a bondslave. By contrast, she speaks of the LORD’s mercy

toward those “who fear Him.” The fear (phobos) of which she speaks is not “a mere ‘fear’ of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him, a ‘fear’ which banishes the terror that shrinks from His presence” (Vine). The LORD controls all aspects of humanity. He exalts those whom He pleases to exalt, and brings down those whom He pleases to bring down. But He fills the spiritually hungry with good and satisfying things.

Where do you stand with respect to the LORD? Do you belong to Him? Is your life praising Him? Are you pleasing Him with how you live your life? Joy does not come from material possessions; it comes from the dedication of our lives to Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Have you been spiritually born again? Ask Him to forgive your sins and take control of your life. You will then begin to sing joyfully as Mary did; and He will become your Joy!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Luke 1:39-45, “Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah,

40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was

filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your

womb!

43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

What do you do when you have some good news? You want to share it, don’t you? Even things we have bought, things of our own doing, we want to share with others. So it was with Mary. Having seen the LORD’s angel and having heard his message that she was to have a Son directly from God, what could she do but share it with her relative Elizabeth, who was also about to deliver a child?

Distance is not a problem when we have good news to share. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the unborn child in Elizabeth’s womb responded with significant movement. At that same moment, the Holy Spirit of God entered into the life of Elizabeth! Subsequently, but not in this passage, we will learn that Elizabeth’s child is John the Baptist. And it is John who will introduce Jesus to the world and then himself fade from the scene. Jesus then will undertake the work His Heavenly Father has given Him to do – all the way to the Cross.

The final verse above (v. 45) should encourage us to believe that everything the LORD speaks will be fulfilled! We are “prisoners,” as it were, of the world in which we live. Circumstances that we don’t understand prevail and we lose sight of God who controls all circumstances. Those who are truly born-from-above believers, should focus on the LORD, despite the gloom that momentarily surrounds us. As He delivered on His promises to Mary and Elizabeth, so He will deliver on His promises to us. We must simply believe; the LORD delivers on all His promises.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom