Cities here in American and around the world are not getting good press these days due to the events that unfold in them. Today I received an e-mail from a partner in the gospel, a Christian leader in southeast Asia, telling me about unspeakable horrors committed against school children in one of the city's of his nation. The note from this leader included the account of Herod's slaughtering the children in Matthew 2:17-18, "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Racheal weeping for her children, she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." Regardless of which side you take in the unfolding events of our times one thing is clear death brings tears. King Herod was corrupt and ruled from a corrupt throne. His rule brought tears. But before Herod, Adam was to rule for God in the midst of a garden paradise (Genesis 1:26-28). His corruption and treason against God plunged the whole world into tears. The corruption has spread to all of humanity (Romans 5:12).
Like our modern cities of recent days Bethlehem and the region around it became a city and region of tears. The beautiful thing about God and his redemptive purpose is that places of tears also are the same places of promise. Cities such as Nazareth and Bethlehem were locations of the climax of redemptive promise. They become cities of promise not because of the kind of cities they are or were, but because God promises to do astonishing things through his redemptive plan in their midst. Consider the words of such a promise when the angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph concerning Mary in the city of his residence, "She shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins," Matthew 1:21. It is absolutely amazing how much redemptive power can be packed into one sentence of the word of God. Sin and human fallen-ness cause and bring great tears, but God brings and causes great salvation through his Son from a cradle in a city that experienced great sorrow. In fact before the tears and pain came, the promise was already present. If we would only open up our eyes to see that long before we face the greatest problems of a fallen world, God goes before us.
In the next post I will unpack the power of a promised contained in one sentence.
Gary Finkbeiner
Advent 2014
Like our modern cities of recent days Bethlehem and the region around it became a city and region of tears. The beautiful thing about God and his redemptive purpose is that places of tears also are the same places of promise. Cities such as Nazareth and Bethlehem were locations of the climax of redemptive promise. They become cities of promise not because of the kind of cities they are or were, but because God promises to do astonishing things through his redemptive plan in their midst. Consider the words of such a promise when the angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph concerning Mary in the city of his residence, "She shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins," Matthew 1:21. It is absolutely amazing how much redemptive power can be packed into one sentence of the word of God. Sin and human fallen-ness cause and bring great tears, but God brings and causes great salvation through his Son from a cradle in a city that experienced great sorrow. In fact before the tears and pain came, the promise was already present. If we would only open up our eyes to see that long before we face the greatest problems of a fallen world, God goes before us.
In the next post I will unpack the power of a promised contained in one sentence.
Gary Finkbeiner
Advent 2014
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