Advent
Week Four: Love – The Road Home and The Forever Christmas
By
Pastor Jim Allen and his Golden Doodle “Paddy”
The
fourth purple candle of our Advent wreath flickered, casting a soft, dancing
light across the living room. The air was thick with the scent of fresh pine
needles and cinnamon from the kitchen, battling the draft of a cold December
wind howling outside the frosted windows. On the rug, the grandchildren were
building a tower of blocks, their quiet giggles providing a gentle soundtrack
to the evening. Beside me sat Paddy, my Golden Doodle and theological debate
partner, his head resting heavily on my knee, staring deeply into the fire that
crackled in the hearth.
“So,
Dad,” Paddy nudged my arm with a wet, cold nose, breaking my trance. “We left
off with the Magi and the Joy candle. But Joseph had to run, right? Because of
that bad King Herod?”
“That’s
right, buddy,” I said, scratching him behind the ears, watching his tail thump
a slow rhythm against the sofa. “God warned Joseph in a dream to take Mary and
Jesus and flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13). It wasn't just a vacation; it was a
desperate escape under the cover of night. Imagine the dust of the road, the
heat rising from the desert floor, and the strange, foreign sounds of a new
language.”
I leaned
back, picturing the scene. “They likely went to Alexandria. It was a loud,
bustling city with a huge Jewish presence. You can almost smell the spices in
the air and the wet mortar of new construction. Joseph, along with his brother
Cleopas, set up their business there. Alexandria was in the middle of a massive
building boom, so God provided work for two skilled tektons (builders) amidst
the noise and limestone dust of the city.”
Paddy
tilted his head, his golden curls falling over his eyes. “So, they stayed there
forever?”
“No.
They stayed until Herod the Great died around 4 BC. God has a way of closing
doors and opening new ones. When the coast was clear, Joseph and Cleopas
gathered up their families—Jesus was just a toddler then—and began the long,
arduous 11 day journey back to Israel (Matthew 2:19-21). I imagine that long
walk gave them plenty of time to reflect as the scenery changed from Egyptian
sands to the green hills of Judea. They likely talked about everything: the
star, the shepherds, and that specific day they took Jesus to the Temple for
his dedication and circumcision.”
Paddy’s
ears perked up, twitching slightly. “Circumcision? What’s a circumcision?”
I froze.
The grandchildren were right there, stacking a blue block on top of a red one.
The room suddenly felt very quiet. I leaned down low, shielded by the arm of
the sofa, and whispered the clinical definition into Paddy’s flopping ear.
Paddy’s
eyes went wide, reflecting the firelight in a look of pure horror. He barked,
loud enough to startle Grandma who was asleep in her recliner, “Whaaat? They
did what to baby Jesus?”
“Shh!” I
hushed him, glancing at the kids and Grandma. “I’ll explain the theology later.
But practically, it was done on the eighth day because that is when a newborn
infant’s Vitamin K peaks, ensuring the blood clots and the wound heals quickly.
It was a sign of the Covenant cut into the flesh (Leviticus 12:3; Luke 2:21).”
Paddy
shuddered visibly, pulling his tail in close between his legs. “I am sure glad
you didn’t have to do anything like that to me! Right, Dad?”
I looked
away, suddenly finding a loose thread on the upholstery very interesting. The
fire popped loudly, filling the awkward silence.
“Dad?”
Paddy persisted, nudging me harder with his snout.
“Well,”
I cleared my throat, shifting in my seat. “You didn’t have a circumcision…
ahem… you had something else done.”
Paddy
stood up, putting his heavy paws on my knees, staring me down. “Just what did I
have done? Or better yet, what did you have done to me?”
“Remember
that ‘long sleep’ you had at Doc Gretchen’s office four months ago? The one
with the cold metal table and the sterile smell?”
“Yeah,”
Paddy said skeptically. “I got a treat after. What about it?”
“Well,
the Vets did something called ‘neutering’ you.”
“What’s
neutering?”
Once
again, mindful of the innocent ears of the grandchildren, I leaned down and
whispered the answer, shielding my mouth with my hand.
Paddy
gasped, the air leaving his lungs in a wheeze. “You did what!” His voice
was pure panic. “My legacy! Gone!”
“I’m
sorry, Paddy, but it’s what responsible owners do.”
Paddy
stared into the middle distance, watching the flames dance, a look of dawn
realization washing over his face. “Well,” he muttered, “That explains why I
completely lost interest in my subscription to PlayDog Magazine.”
“Okay,
can I continue with the Christmas story now?” I asked, trying to suppress a
grin.
Paddy
sat back down on the rug with a huff, one eyebrow raised sternly. “Yes. But we
will have to talk about this later. And there better be extra treats involved.”
“Deal,”
I said. “So, back to the story. Joseph and Mary must have reflected on that
eighth day in the Temple. That was when Simeon and Anna, two elderly prophets
who smelled of incense and old parchment, saw the baby and prophesied that He
was indeed the Christ (Luke 2:25-38). They stored all this in their hearts as
they returned to live in Bethlehem for those first two years.”
“Until
the bad man came?” Paddy asked, his voice softer now.
“Yes.
Herod the Great, in his paranoia, ordered the slaughter of the innocents. It is
estimated that 24 to 32 babies under the age of two were killed because Herod
feared one of them would take his throne (Matthew 2:16-18). But by the time the
soldiers’ boots hit the pavement, God had already moved Joseph and Jesus to
safety.”
“God
always has a plan,” Paddy noted, resting his chin on my slipper.
“He
does. And now, with Herod dead, they were moving to Nazareth (Matthew 2:23).
“Why
Nazareth?” Paddy asked.
“Because
God provides. It was announced that Herod Antipas was rebuilding a city called
Sepphoris, just four miles away, a mere hour's walk. It was a massive project,
destined to be the 'Ornament of all Galilee,' filled with theaters and villas.
This guaranteed decades of steady work for skilled builders like Joseph and
Cleopas. So, Jesus was raised there in Nazareth, working alongside his earthly
father and uncle, with calloused hands and the smell of sawdust in his hair.
This fulfilled the prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.”
“You
mean like the ones in Point Township?” Paddy thoughtfully asked..
I
laughed, “No Paddy, just like John the Baptist wasn’t a Baptist, Jesus wasn’t a
Point Township Nazarene. We love our Nazarene and Baptist friends, but it was
what they called the good folks who came from Nazareth.
“Oh, but
wait!” Paddy interrupted. “What happened to Joseph? He disappears from the
Bible later on.”
“We
assume Joseph, being much older than the Virgin Mary, passed away or had an
accident on the job sometime after Jesus turned twelve—after the famous trip to
Jerusalem where Jesus stayed behind in the Temple (Luke 2:41-42).”
“Oh
yeah!” Paddy wagged his tail against the floorboards. “When His Momma Mary
asked, ‘Didn’t you know we were looking for you?’ and Jesus said, ‘Didn’t you
know I would be in my Father’s House?’” (Luke 2:48-49).
“Exactly.
After Joseph was gone, his brother Cleopas stepped in. In that culture, he
became the ‘Kinsman Redeemer,’ helping to raise Jesus and care for Mary. That’s
why Luke 24 is so important, Paddy. After Jesus was crucified and rose from the
dead, we find two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13).”
“I know
this one!” Paddy barked. “It was Cleopas!” (Luke 24:18).
“Right.
Picture it: The sun is setting, casting long shadows across the dusty road.
Cleopas and his wife Mary—the sister of the Virgin Mary (John 19:25)—were
walking home, their sandals coated in grit, their hearts heavy with grief.
Suddenly, a stranger joined them. They were amazed he didn’t know what had
happened in Jerusalem. But Jesus was hiding his identity from the two people
who helped raise him—his own uncle and aunt. He wanted to reveal something
deeper than just his face (Luke 24:16).”
“Just
like His presence is revealed to you when you take Holy Communion, right Dad?”
“Exactly
right, Paddy. They stopped for the night, the smell of baked bread and wine
filling the room (Luke 24:30-31). And then, Jesus began to share what I call…”
Paddy
jumped up, putting his paws on my chest. “I read your dissertation paper, Dad!
He revealed the Holy Hermeneutic!”
“Yes,
Paddy! You’ve been paying attention! Jesus showed them how to see Him in
every part of the Old Testament. He started with Moses and the Prophets (Luke
24:27).”
“Like
the Angel of the Lord appearances!” Paddy yipped, jumping down and spinning in
a circle on the rug. “That was Jesus! And the Commander of the Lord’s Army at
Jericho! Right?” (Joshua 5:13-15).
“Yes!
Jesus showed them that He was there all along. And then He must have taken them
to the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac—a vivid picture of the Father
sacrificing the Son (Genesis 22). Then He likely turned to the scrolls of the
prophets.”
I picked
up my worn leather Bible from the end table. “He would have quoted Isaiah 7:14
about the virgin birth, and Isaiah 9:6, ‘For unto us a Child is born, unto
us a Son is given.’ He surely walked them through the agony of Psalm 22 to
show his crucifixion and Zechariah 12:10 about them looking on the one they
pierced.”
“And
Micah 5:2!” Paddy added. “About being born in the little town of Bethlehem!”
“Precisely.
In a flash, after breaking the crusty bread, Jesus disappeared and went to
Jerusalem to teach this same Holy Hermeneutic to the rest of the disciples
(Luke 24:44-45). And do you know who else learned it? Philip.”
“The
Deacon?”
“Yes.
Not long after Jesus ascended, Philip found himself on a hot, desert road (Acts
8:26-27). A chariot rattled by, carrying an Ethiopian Eunuch. The man was
reading Isaiah 53 but didn’t understand it. Philip used the Holy Hermeneutic to
explain that the suffering servant was Jesus (Acts 8:35).”
Paddy
stopped wagging his tail. He looked down at his paws, then back at me with a
soulful expression, the firelight catching the amber in his eyes. “Dad… I just
had a thought. Am I a eunuch?”
I
paused, looking at my faithful, neutered friend. “In a way, yes you are, Paddy.
But listen to me: that means you are set apart for a special purpose. God used
that Ethiopian Eunuch to take the Gospel to an entire continent. No matter what
happens—good or bad, or what we lose in this life—God uses it for good.”
“Wow,”
Paddy whispered. “Someone like me is in the Bible getting saved!”
“That’s
right. This week is the week of Love, Paddy. ‘For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son.’ (John 3:16). That love includes
everyone who believes.”
Paddy
leaned his heavy head against my leg, letting out a deep sigh. “But Dad! Tell
me the best part!”
“The
best part?”
“Yeah!
The part where Christmas never ends!”
I
smiled, looking at the twinkling lights on our tree. “Ah, yes. The prophecies
didn't end with the first Christmas. Isaiah 65 and Revelation 20 tell us that
Jesus is coming again to set up a Kingdom—a Millennium where it will be like
Christmas for a thousand years (Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 20:1-6). Peace,
joy, and the wolf lying down with the lamb.”
“Or the
Golden Doodle lying down with the squirrel?” Paddy suggested hopefully.
“Maybe
even that. And after that, Revelation 21 and 22 describe the New Heaven and New
Earth. No more tears, no more death, no more pain (Revelation 21:4). God
dwelling with us forever in a city that needs no sun because the Lamb is its
light. That, Paddy, is the Christmas that never ends.”
Paddy
closed his eyes, content. “I like that, Dad. A forever Christmas. And hey…
since it’s the week of Love, does that mean you love me enough to give me that
extra treat now? You know, for being a brave eunuch and all?”
I
laughed, the sound mingling with the kids' play, and stood up. “Come on, boy.
God provides, and today, He’s providing a milk-bone.”
As we
walked to the kitchen, the fourth Advent candle burned bright against the
winter night—a symbol of a Love that traveled from a manger to a cross, to an
empty tomb, and one day, to a Kingdom that will never end.
For More Information: Pastor Jim encourages you to attend your Church of
choice, but if you are looking for a Church home, please feel free to join us
at the 10:10am Sunday Worship in the Trinity Evangelical Church Sanctuary.
Pastor Jim and Paddy will be excited to share the Christmas Story with you. We also invite you to our Christmas Eve
Services at 5pm with the Puppets, our Traditional service at 8pm, and our
Gospel Country service at 11:30pm. All services end with the Candlelight
ceremony as we conclude with Silent Night. Trinity is located at the corner of
5th and Mulberry Streets in Mount Vernon, Indiana.
