What is our faith? Whom do you trust, God or man? What defines you as a believer(saint), what a man says your are or what God says you are? Do you let a man determine whether or not you are saved or do you believe the Word of God and let Jesus settle that in your heart, by the Truth He has given us in His Word. My desire is that you get free, be free and stay free.
Religion has a way of getting believers to wonder whether or not they are really saved or not. It also sometimes attempts to get people to abide by man made doctrines whose only result is to put believers in a type of bondage or even doubting what their faith. Anything that attempts to put a believer back into bondage or doubt their faith is a doctrine of demons. Jesus wants you to be free and know that He is your Savior. Not free to sin, but free from untruths that would put you back into the bondage He set you free from.
Jesus said this in the Gospel of John, Chapter 8, verses 31 and 32:
"If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of mine;
and your shall know the Truth and the Truth shall SET YOU FREE"
So what is the Truth that sets you free? The Gospel is the Truth. Well what is the Gospel?
The Apostle Paul wrote this in his epistle to the Romans, Chapter 1, verses 16-17:
"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God
for salvation to EVERYONE who believes, to the Jew first and also
to the Greek(meaning non-Jew), For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'But the righteous
shall live by faith'."
Note the EVERYONE in that passage. I will be talking about that in detail throughout this blog and maybe into the next. EVERYONE is one of the things that will allow people to get saved and know they are saved when they believe the Gospel.
The Gospel is the Power of God for Salvation. So what is the Gospel (Truth That Sets Us Free)?
The Gospel leads to Salvation. The Gospel sets us free. So Salvation is freedom. So what is the Gospel? So to believe the Gospel, it only makes sense that we know what the Gospel is, in which we need to believe.
The Gospel (Truth)
1. A virgin, named Mary, conceived a Son by the Holy Spirit Himself. Matthew 1:18-21
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When his Mother Mary
was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with
child by the HOLY SPIRIT. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous
man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.
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. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name
JESUS (YESHUA:THE LORD OUR SALVATION), for it is He who
will save His people from their sins'."
You can also read in Luke 1:26-38. If you don't have a Bible you can go to my 4 part blogs on the Christmas story. It will be in part 2.
2. This child, Jesus, will grow up and be the sacrificial Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. The Gospel of John, Chapter 1, verse 29:
"The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him and said,
'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the SIN of the world'."
3. The Lamb of God will be crucified on the cross to bare our sin. Jesus actually became sin so that sin could be put to death and He then buried sin when Jesus, being sin, was buried. Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 6, verse 21;
"He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Jesus."
If you believe this Gospel, this is how you are born of above and born again of the Spirit of God that Jesus said was the requirement to be able to enter the kingdom of God. John's Gospel 3:3-8:
"Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one
is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to
Jesus, ' How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a
second time into his mothers womb and be born, can he?' Jesus answered,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (flesh) and the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of
flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that
I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The blows where it wishes and
you here the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where
it is going; so is everyone born of the Spirit."
So how are we born again? Since it is a requirement to be able to enter the kingdom of God, I am sure that you would agree that it is important to know how this happens. It happens through a baptism that only Jesus can give. Luke wrote this in his Gospel, Chapter 3, verse 3:16.
"John, the Baptist, answered and said to them all, "as for me, I baptize
you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not
fit to untie the thong of His sandal; He will baptize with the Holy Spirit
and fire."
Baptized with the Holy Spirit. Born again of the Spirit. You can see the correlation. So what do we do to be baptized by Jesus? Jesus chose you for Eternal Life when He gave up His own Life to be the Sacrificial Lamb that would become sin, bare your sin, and died on the cross for you, to free you from sin. The Apostle John wrote this in his gospel Chapter 3, verse16;
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have Eternal Life."
Notice WHOEVER, that means anyone and everyone who wants it. If you choose Jesus and what Jesus did for you on the cross, this is what will happen to you as written by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans in Chapter 6, verses 3-4;
"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been
buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ
was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father. so we too might
walk in newness of life.(Born Again)"
4. Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. When you choose Jesus and what He did for you on the cross, you actually put yourself on the cross with Him. You die with Jesus on the cross, you are buried with Him in the grave, you are raised with Him in the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. You have now been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Do you see what has taken place? You, by being submerged into death and the grave, when you have been raised from the dead in Jesus, your soul is now filled with the Holy Spirit, and you have now been born again of the Spirit. Paul continued in Romans Chapter 6, verses 5-11;
"For if you have become united with him in the likeness of His death,
certainly you shall be like Him in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this that our old self crucified with Him, that our body of sin
might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;
for he who has died is free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ,
having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death is no longer
master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin, once and for
all; but the life that he lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourself
to be dead to sin , but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
We have now become part of the body of Jesus. Since Jesus, who knew no sin, was the only person born on the earth that was guiltless according to the law, He is the only person qualified to enter the kingdom of God. With Jesus now becoming our righteousness, and with us being part of His body, He becomes our Arch that will allow us to be transferred from this physical realm into the Eternal Spiritual realm. " Unless you are born of the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God"
This is how it happens. This is the Truth that sets you free. This is what God's plan was. This is why He made the earth. To make an Eternal Spiritual body for Himself and make a New Eternal Creation, in His likeness, for WHOEVER would choose to believe the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation and Eternal Life.
This is what the early believers referred to as "The Way", because Jesus said, " I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."
Everything that is added to this, that a man requires for salvation, is just religion. Jesus set you free. Religion is what Satan has always used to keep people in bondage. Don't go back to Egypt. To many believers (Saints ) do not walk in the freedom and joy they were called to. They are held in bondage by the doctrines of demons. So consider this in Galatians 5:1
"It was for freedom that Christ set you free; therefore keep standing firm
and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery."
In my upcoming blogs I am going to continue to help you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus and help you to continue to walk in the freedom of our Lord.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Be Free......."Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled"
These are not my words, "Let not your hearts be troubled". Jesus spoke these words to His disciples when they had inquired about the signs of the end times. Mathew Chapter 23. Do we understand that worrying is a sin. "That which is not of faith is sin." Romans 14:23. Faith is trusting Jesus, trusting in Him and what he said. I titled this post, "Be Free". Even though the, "Let not your hearts be troubled", referred to the end of days, it also is also meant for all believers today in their lives.
Do we understand that , "He who the Son sets free, is free indeed". John 8:36. Or how about, "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." John 8:32. To understand this, you have to understand what you have been freed from. We have been freed from the bondage of sin, although we still sin, we have power over the sin. We have been freed from death and given life, the Life that is in Christ Jesus. We have been freed from darkness. "For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son". Colossians 1:13. Jesus spoke, "I am the Light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the Light of Life." John 8:12. We have been freed by Truth, from the lies of the devil. Jesus spoke this to the Pharisees, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks it is a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies." John 8:44.
The purpose of this post is to help keep you walking in your freeness. I have been hearing things and am concerned that Satan is upping his efforts to discourage the saints and putting stumbling blocks in the way of those who are yet to come to Jesus, by confusing the Truth with his lies. Theses are also known as doctrines of demons. The Apostle Paul warned in 1st Timothy Chapter 4:1-6
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from
the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrine of demons, by
means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a
branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods,
which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who know and
believe the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be
rejected, if it is received in gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word
of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a
good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith
and of the sound doctrine which you have been following."
So to be a good servant and faithful to Jesus, it is with a happy heart that I help keep us Free and walking in the Joy that Jesus has called us to walk in, no matter.
To do this we must believe the truth that the devil is real and that he is a liar and that he is an adversary whose desire is only to steal, and kill , and destroy. A kingdom divided against itself can not stand, so Satan works to divide. He labors to do this by twisting the Truth that sets us free. Satan doing this for two thousand years has been successful at causing confusion within the saints so that the simple message of Salvation is made hard to comprehend. This makes it very successful in closing up the Kingdom of God to many who might have believed if the truth was presented in all the simplicity it was meant to be. This is what we are really up against and how to combat it, as written by Paul in Ephesians Chapter 6, verses 10-18. This is vital for all believers (Saints) to understand so that they can live free and help others to live free.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the
full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of
the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up
the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and
having done everything, to stand firm...........
I have to interject here that none of this is anything to fear. Demons are subject to us when we invoke the name Jesus. Luke 10:17 We overcome the devil by the blood of Jesus and because of the word of our testimony. Revelation 12:11. If we resist the devil, then he will flee. James 4:7 We resist him by standing on what is true when he comes with lies.
........Stand firm therefore, having girding your loins with (truth), and having
put on the breastplate of (righteousness), and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of (peace); in addition to all, taking up the
shield of (faith) with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming
missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of (salvation), and the (sword)
of the Spirit, which is the (word) of God. With all prayer and petition pray at
all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints."
If you look at everything that I put in parenthesis, they all have one thing in common, and that would be Jesus.
(Truth) Jesus is the Truth. John 14:6
(Righteousness) Jesus became our Righteousness. 1st Corinthians 1:30
(Peace) Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
(Faith) Trusting Jesus
(Salvation) Jesus name (Yeshua) means, The Lord our Salvation. He will save His people from their sin. Mathew 1:21
(Sword) which is the(Word)of God. Jesus is the Word of God. John 1:1
Why is this important to point out? The word tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.. Hebrews 12:2 Actually putting on the full armor of God means to clothe ourselves in Jesus and all who he is. It's not about us, it is about Jesus and what we allow Him to do in us when we call on Him to be our protector. "The name of the Lord (Jesus) is a strong tower, The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10
I have written before that Jesus has nothing to do with religion. Religion is mans attempt to define Jesus. All religions worship some form of God. Many different cultures have incorporated their type of worship for this god they know exist just by instinct or looking at nature. Until God came here, in the person of Jesus, there really wasn't any way for them to know God's real purpose for creating the earth and man. Now they can know the God they worshiped by coming to know Jesus. They can come to understand the purpose and the eternal life He came to give. The problem is that this knowledge has become confusing because of the many different factions among the churches that attempt to represent Jesus. Satan has attempted to infiltrate these different factions. Since Jesus died on the cross and rose again, Satan has been working hard to distort the simplicity of what God did and what Jesus was all about. The more that Satan can confuse the message of the Truth (Gospel), the more people he will keep away from receiving the free gift of Eternal Life.
My reason for writing this post is because I have seen a revival taking place today and Satan is now putting a lot of effort forward to squash it. He is using the different factions to confuse the truth. The biggest harm of this will come to new believers as they are seeking to find a "church" to identify with. That is the problem, we don't identify with a "church, they need to be instructed to identify with Jesus. Problem, most "churches" have left their first love, Jesus. They all have their own quirk to be different for different reasons. Jesus is not about religion. There has never been religion in Heaven and there never will be. None of the denominations will be represent in Heaven. Religion conforms God to their truth instead of them conforming themselves to God's truth. All Jesus asked, is that you receive the sacrifice He made on the cross to make available, the free gift to any person, the promise of eternal life. The early believers referred to themselves as "the Way". Their message was true and simple and it resulted in many people coming to Jesus. Satan wasn't having it. At least not without a fight.
In my next post I am going to delve into what my concerns are and what I can do to help current believers and future believers to............BE FREE.
Ask Jesus to come into your soul and He will come in and dwell. He is what the soul is for.You won't need my words.
May Jesus Peace be with you and guard you mind and souls.
Do we understand that , "He who the Son sets free, is free indeed". John 8:36. Or how about, "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." John 8:32. To understand this, you have to understand what you have been freed from. We have been freed from the bondage of sin, although we still sin, we have power over the sin. We have been freed from death and given life, the Life that is in Christ Jesus. We have been freed from darkness. "For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son". Colossians 1:13. Jesus spoke, "I am the Light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the Light of Life." John 8:12. We have been freed by Truth, from the lies of the devil. Jesus spoke this to the Pharisees, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks it is a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies." John 8:44.
The purpose of this post is to help keep you walking in your freeness. I have been hearing things and am concerned that Satan is upping his efforts to discourage the saints and putting stumbling blocks in the way of those who are yet to come to Jesus, by confusing the Truth with his lies. Theses are also known as doctrines of demons. The Apostle Paul warned in 1st Timothy Chapter 4:1-6
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from
the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrine of demons, by
means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a
branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods,
which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who know and
believe the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be
rejected, if it is received in gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word
of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a
good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith
and of the sound doctrine which you have been following."
So to be a good servant and faithful to Jesus, it is with a happy heart that I help keep us Free and walking in the Joy that Jesus has called us to walk in, no matter.
To do this we must believe the truth that the devil is real and that he is a liar and that he is an adversary whose desire is only to steal, and kill , and destroy. A kingdom divided against itself can not stand, so Satan works to divide. He labors to do this by twisting the Truth that sets us free. Satan doing this for two thousand years has been successful at causing confusion within the saints so that the simple message of Salvation is made hard to comprehend. This makes it very successful in closing up the Kingdom of God to many who might have believed if the truth was presented in all the simplicity it was meant to be. This is what we are really up against and how to combat it, as written by Paul in Ephesians Chapter 6, verses 10-18. This is vital for all believers (Saints) to understand so that they can live free and help others to live free.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the
full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of
the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up
the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and
having done everything, to stand firm...........
I have to interject here that none of this is anything to fear. Demons are subject to us when we invoke the name Jesus. Luke 10:17 We overcome the devil by the blood of Jesus and because of the word of our testimony. Revelation 12:11. If we resist the devil, then he will flee. James 4:7 We resist him by standing on what is true when he comes with lies.
........Stand firm therefore, having girding your loins with (truth), and having
put on the breastplate of (righteousness), and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of (peace); in addition to all, taking up the
shield of (faith) with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming
missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of (salvation), and the (sword)
of the Spirit, which is the (word) of God. With all prayer and petition pray at
all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints."
If you look at everything that I put in parenthesis, they all have one thing in common, and that would be Jesus.
(Truth) Jesus is the Truth. John 14:6
(Righteousness) Jesus became our Righteousness. 1st Corinthians 1:30
(Peace) Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
(Faith) Trusting Jesus
(Salvation) Jesus name (Yeshua) means, The Lord our Salvation. He will save His people from their sin. Mathew 1:21
(Sword) which is the(Word)of God. Jesus is the Word of God. John 1:1
Why is this important to point out? The word tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.. Hebrews 12:2 Actually putting on the full armor of God means to clothe ourselves in Jesus and all who he is. It's not about us, it is about Jesus and what we allow Him to do in us when we call on Him to be our protector. "The name of the Lord (Jesus) is a strong tower, The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10
I have written before that Jesus has nothing to do with religion. Religion is mans attempt to define Jesus. All religions worship some form of God. Many different cultures have incorporated their type of worship for this god they know exist just by instinct or looking at nature. Until God came here, in the person of Jesus, there really wasn't any way for them to know God's real purpose for creating the earth and man. Now they can know the God they worshiped by coming to know Jesus. They can come to understand the purpose and the eternal life He came to give. The problem is that this knowledge has become confusing because of the many different factions among the churches that attempt to represent Jesus. Satan has attempted to infiltrate these different factions. Since Jesus died on the cross and rose again, Satan has been working hard to distort the simplicity of what God did and what Jesus was all about. The more that Satan can confuse the message of the Truth (Gospel), the more people he will keep away from receiving the free gift of Eternal Life.
My reason for writing this post is because I have seen a revival taking place today and Satan is now putting a lot of effort forward to squash it. He is using the different factions to confuse the truth. The biggest harm of this will come to new believers as they are seeking to find a "church" to identify with. That is the problem, we don't identify with a "church, they need to be instructed to identify with Jesus. Problem, most "churches" have left their first love, Jesus. They all have their own quirk to be different for different reasons. Jesus is not about religion. There has never been religion in Heaven and there never will be. None of the denominations will be represent in Heaven. Religion conforms God to their truth instead of them conforming themselves to God's truth. All Jesus asked, is that you receive the sacrifice He made on the cross to make available, the free gift to any person, the promise of eternal life. The early believers referred to themselves as "the Way". Their message was true and simple and it resulted in many people coming to Jesus. Satan wasn't having it. At least not without a fight.
In my next post I am going to delve into what my concerns are and what I can do to help current believers and future believers to............BE FREE.
Ask Jesus to come into your soul and He will come in and dwell. He is what the soul is for.You won't need my words.
May Jesus Peace be with you and guard you mind and souls.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Jesus and Christmas-- This Gospel Is The Power Of God Unto Salvation and Eternal Life.
Another year has gone by. Again, like last year, this post is just to update and call attention again to the 4 Part blogs I wrote concerning Jesus and Christmas and what it is all about. I can not top what I wrote in those 4 post. They are the essence and purpose for my BlogSpot. In them is the Gospel Truth of the Good News that was proclaimed in Jesus conception and birth story. In this Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation and Eternal Life. It is the True Gift of Christmas. It is the Free Gift of Eternal Life for all those who receive the Love of the Truth(Gospel) as to be saved. If you save someone, it means you rescued their life. Jesus (Yeshua) means [The Lord (Jehovah) our Salvation]. In this Gospel, is revealed how God rescues the soul of man. In doing that He creates a New Eternal Creation. This is the very purpose for your existence.
Be transformed by Jesus in your reading is my prayer. Jesus peace be with you.
Be transformed by Jesus in your reading is my prayer. Jesus peace be with you.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Jesus and Christmas---What's It All About?
With Christmas coming around, I hope that there are many out there who are interested in knowing exactly what it is all about. What is Jesus about? What is the significance in His birth? Who is the real Jesus? Why Jesus? I wrote a four part blog a year ago right before Christmas. I have not written a blog since. I thought that, for what I do, this four part blog on Jesus and Christmas explains what my blog is all about and simplifies the understanding of what is so significant about Jesus and Christmas. I hope you read my last 4 blogs about Jesus and Christmas and come away with a true understanding of the great "Gift" of Christmas.
May the peace of Jesus (Yeshua) be with you.
May the peace of Jesus (Yeshua) be with you.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Jesus and Christmas -- What's It All About (Part 4)
We have been looking into Jesus and what He is all about. I have been trying to give a little insight into the age old question, "What is life all about?" To really understand the meaning of life and why we humans have come to exist, you will never find the answer without looking at Jesus. Man was put on this earth for one purpose and that was to become an eternal living being. Every person, but Adam and Eve, came into this world through a womb. Every person, but One, who has come into the world through a womb, has entered this world with a soul that is empty and without life. Adam and Eve came into the world by God creating them with His word. They came into this world with souls that were filled with the life of God. They lost that life when they broke the one command that God gave them, "On the day that you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die." When they ate from the tree, their body did not die, so what did? It was the more important body. It was the living spiritual body the was dwelling in their souls.
To understand what life is all about, we have to look past what we can see. We have look into the things that are not seen, because that is where reality is and eternity dwells. It sounds a little silly that God would tell them to not eat from a tree and if they did they would die. He is God and of course He knew that they would eat from the tree, right? If that is the case then it has to be part of God's plan. God needed human beings who would bring forth other human beings that had souls that were empty. God could not create such a being, so He developed this plan to make it happen. From that point men and women have been producing human beings with empty souls and a sin nature. That means a life that is separated from God. The empty soul would be the very place where God would create a new Eternal Creation. This new Creation will, at the Resurrection, be in the likeness of the new body that God has made for Himself. God will have a visible spiritual body like the New Creation, that He has created, and will be One with them.
You are probably saying to yourselves right about now, "What does this have to do with Christmas"?
It has everything to do with Christmas. The whole purpose of creation is summed up in the Christmas(birth of Jesus) story. If you have read the first three parts of this Blog on, What's it all about, you will be able to see how reflective the birth story is on what God's plan from the beginning was. Let's look at the Christmas story as recorded in the Gospel of Luke in his 2nd Chapter, verses 1-20;
(1) "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
census, everyone to there 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."
Let's stop and look at these verses and look at the significance of what is happening. In verse1-4 we see that because of a required census made by Caesar Augustus, Joseph and Mary have to go to the city of their birth to be counted. The city is Bethlehem, called the city of David because it was the city were David had lived. Matthew recorded in his gospel the event of the magi from the east and their encounter with king Herod. In Chapter 2, verses 1-5;
(1) "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,
behold. magi from the east arrived n Jerusalem, saying,(2) "Where is He who is born
King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.
(3) And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
(4) And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began
to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.(5) And they said to him, in
Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
An interesting thing here to notice, is that the religious leaders of that day knew what was written by one of their prophets pertaining to where their Messiah was to be born. They end up being the people who resisted the most that Jesus was the Christ. Did it even interest them at all that there might be the possibility that this prophecy was being fulfilled in their time. They were even able to quote the prophecy of this event that was spoken by the prophet Micah in his 5th Chapter, verse 2. The same thing that Matthew said they quoted in verse 6;
(6) "And you Bethlehem, Land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders
of Judah; for out of you should come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people
Israel."
Even as today, there are many things that are misquoted from scripture. They were pretty close, but Micah actually said this,
(2) "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler of Israel, His goings forth are from
long ago, From the days of eternity."
They could have easily sought to find out if this event had actually occurred. Some may have, but events leading to the cross appeared to be that not enough believed. They could not have been able to say that this was just Joseph and Mary wanting to go to Bethlehem to have the baby in Bethlehem to make a self fulfilling prophecy. Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem to participate in the census as decreed by Caesar Augustus, so they had no choice but to go. While they were there Mary had to give birth. I believe that the census was put on Caesar's mind by God. This way no one could argue the point or try to cast doubt that Joseph and Mary just tried to create the event. The prophecy was fulfilled and this baby Yeshua (Jesus) was the Messiah (Christ).
Bethlehem was called, the city of David. This is significant, also, because when Mary was told by the angel to call her child Jesus, the angel followed with this in Lukes' 1st Chapter, verse 32;
"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will
give Him the throne of His father David."
We know from Matthews' 1st Chapter, verse 8. that.....Mary....was found with child by the Holy Spirit. So we have to look at what is meant when it says that, "The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. David is not His father, obviously. David was His forefather. Jesus came from the lineage of David. Joseph and Mary came from the lineage of David. That if why they had to go to Bethlehem, the city where David came from, for the census. This is why God had to preserve the people of Israel, especially those of the lineage of David, because it was through the lineage of David that He would come into this world. People tend to point out all the violence that was done against the enemies of Israel that was written about in the Old Testament. Satan was always trying to destroy the people of Israel. God had to intervene to defend them or they would have been destroyed and their would not have been the lineage of David and especial Mary through which He would come into this world.
The whole story of Jesus'(Yeshuas') birth and the events of that day reveal this one thing that explains the meaning and answers to the questions, What's it all about? and Why are we here? and What is life all about? It can be summed up in one sentence.
God stepped out of eternity so we could step into it, through Jesus(Yeshua) the Lord.
Luke continues writing on the events of Jesus birth in his 2nd Chapter, verse 6-20;
(6) "And it came about that while they were there, the days were complete for Mary
to give birth.(7) And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in
swaddling cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in
the inn.
There are three revelations in these two verses that reveal God's plan. Jesus was God who came into this world and was born in a stable. People would wonder why would God choose to be born in a stable. Jesus was the Lamb of God who came into this world to sacrifice Himself to shed His own blood to take away the sin of the world. Where else should a lamb be born, but in a stable. As soon as Jesus is born, Mary wraps Him in swaddling cloth. Swaddling cloth is the material that was used when you are wrapping someone preparing them for burial. This is revealing that Jesus came here to die. The apostle John wrote this in his gospel in the1st Chapter, verse 29, quoting John the Baptist;
"The next day he(John)saw Jesus coming to him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!'"
As soon as Mary wrapped Jesus in the swaddling cloth, she laid Him in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough that the animals would eat out of. Jesus said this in Lukes' gospel Chapter 4, verses 3 and 4, when Jesus was fasting forty days, He became hungry and Satan tempted Him and Jesus responded with this;
(3) "And the devil said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become
bread.'(4) And Jesus answered him, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'".
Jesus was quoting this passage out of Deuteronomy Chapter 8, verse 3;
"And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you
did not know, nor did your father know, that He might make you understand that
man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of
the mouth of God."
The things that come out of the mouth of God are words. Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus and His words are our food. His words are food that feed our soul. The Apostle John wrote this in the 1st Chapter of his gospel, verses 1 and 14;
(1) 'In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God , and the Word was
God,........(14) And the Word Became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Jesus said this in Chapter 7 of John's gospel verses 47-58;
(47) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.(48) I am the bread
of life.(49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.(50) This is
the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.(51)
I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he
shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is
my flesh."(52) The Jews began to argue with one another, saying, " How can this
man give us His flesh to eat?"(53) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.(54) He who
eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the
last day.(55) For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.(56) He who eats
My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in Him.(57) As the living Father
sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so He who eats Me, he also shall live
because of Me.(58) This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the
fathers ate, and did die, he who eats this bread shall live forever."
Jesus disciples were having difficulty understanding what He was saying and meant, so Jesus told His disciples this in verse 63;
'It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh prophets nothing; the words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and are life.'
Jesus is saying that the words that he speaks are the food for the spirit that gives life. At the last super Jesus revealed what the significance of His flesh and blood are, when He said this as revealed by Luke in the 22nd Chapter of his gospel in verses 19 and 20:
(19) "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave
it to them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance
of Me.'(20) And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This
cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.'"
So Jesus is the food that came forth from heaven that gives eternal life and this was revealed in Mary laying Him in a manger in the stable. Then the story of the birth of Jesus continues in Luke's 2nd Chapter, verses 8-20;
(8) "And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields,
and keeping watch over their flock by night.(9) and an angel of the Lord suddenly
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were
terribly frightened.(10) and the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid: for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people;(11) for today in
the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
It is interesting that the angel chose to reveal this message to the shepherds. You would think that the angel might want to reveal this event to the religious leaders or the prominent of the community. Mans ways are not God's ways. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It is only fitting and figurative for Him to reveal His coming to these lowly shepherds. David, whose linage Jesus came into the world through, was the little shepherd boy who would slay the giant Galiath and later become king. Jesus will slay the giant, Death and Hades, and become the King of King's. Jesus tells us this in the gospel of John, in his 10th chapter, verses 11;
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
The title of Savior and Lord belongs to God alone. So what is being proclaimed here, by the angel, is that God Himself has been born here in the city of David. Of course God has already been existing for eternity as God the Spirit. This is the God who has put a piece of His very essence in Mary and conceived this child who has just been born as the visible representation of the invisible God. This is the only One, who has been born through a womb, that was not of the seed of Adam, but of the essence of God. He is therefore the only man born without the sin nature from Adam. He is the sinless Lamb of God who will be able to take away the sin of the world. God is now existing as both God the Spirit and God the Man. There is only One Lord(Jehovah), so they must be One and the same. Again we refer to Isaiah's writings in revealing this fact.
Isaiah 43:3 "I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior
Isaiah 43:11and12 (11)"I, even I am the Lord; and there is no savior besides Me.(12) It is I
who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god
among you; So you are my witnesses," declares the Lord, and I am God
Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his(Israel's) Redeemer, the Lord
of hosts; I am the first and the last, And there is no God besides Me."
Jesus is the first and the last as revealed in the Book of Revelations Chapter 1, verses 17and18 and Chapter 2, verse 8;
Chapter 1 (17)............."Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last,(18) and the living one;
and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death
and Hades."
Chapter 2 (8) "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write; The first and the last, who
was dead and has come to life, says this;"
Isaiah 45:5 "I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides me there is no God."
Isaiah 46:21-23 (21)............."Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me."
A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.(22) Turn to Me,
and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God and there is no other.
(23) I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in
righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me EVERY KNEE WILL
BOW, every TONGUE will swear allegiance."
The apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Philippians, in his 2nd Chapter, verse 9-11;
(9) "Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,(10) that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHALL
BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and that
(11) and that every TONGUE should confess(swear allegiance) that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Any one of the shepherds who knew of these passages in Isaiah, who heard the angel refer to this newborn as Savior and Lord knew what they were insinuating. I am sure that they were wondering how this could be possible. The story continues in Luke Chapter 2, verse 12;
(12) "And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling
cloths, and lying in a manger.(13) and suddenly there appeared with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying,(14) 'Gory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.
This is one of the most misquoted passages of the Bible. You probably have heard it quoted this way; " Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will towards men. There is a big difference here. The angel did not say, "Peace on Earth". The angel said, "peace among men with whom God is pleased. This is a peace in the soul, that can only be received by receiving the Prince of Peace, this baby that was born the Lamb of God that will shed His blood to forgive sin and give eternal life. This is the only way we can please God. Remember, Isaiah wrote this in his 9th Chapter, verse 6;
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will
rest on His shoulders; And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, PRINCE OF PEACE."
The Christmas story ends with this in Luke's 2nd Chapter, verses 15-20;
(15) "And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven,
that the shepherds began saying to one another, 'Let us go straight to Bethlehem
then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.'
(16) And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the
baby as He lay in the manger.(17) And when they had seen this, they made know
the statement which had been told them about this Child.(18) And all who heard
it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.(19) But Mary
treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.(20) And the shepherds
went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just
as had been told them."
The shepherds told Mary and Joseph what the angel had told them as recorded in Luke Chapter 2, verses 10 and 11;
"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be
for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ(Messiah) the Lord(Jehovah)."
This bears witness to what the angel told Mary and Joseph both in separate incidences, when they were both instructed to call His name Jesus(Yeshua). They both knew the meaning of this name was, the Lord(Jehovah) our Salvation. The Savior who is the Lord(Jehovah).
May you receive in your heart this Prince of Peace, the Lord of the universe. Feed on His words and grow in the Spirit and in your spirit. This Lamb of God , was God Himself. He stepped out of eternity to forgive your sin through His death and give you eternal life through His resurrection. He stepped back into eternity as the risen and ascended Lord, Jesus. He did all this so you also could step into eternity. He would now have a visible spiritual body in the heavens and we also would be able to have a body that is made in His likeness.
May His peace that surpasses all understanding guard you mind and soul, now and forever.
To understand what life is all about, we have to look past what we can see. We have look into the things that are not seen, because that is where reality is and eternity dwells. It sounds a little silly that God would tell them to not eat from a tree and if they did they would die. He is God and of course He knew that they would eat from the tree, right? If that is the case then it has to be part of God's plan. God needed human beings who would bring forth other human beings that had souls that were empty. God could not create such a being, so He developed this plan to make it happen. From that point men and women have been producing human beings with empty souls and a sin nature. That means a life that is separated from God. The empty soul would be the very place where God would create a new Eternal Creation. This new Creation will, at the Resurrection, be in the likeness of the new body that God has made for Himself. God will have a visible spiritual body like the New Creation, that He has created, and will be One with them.
You are probably saying to yourselves right about now, "What does this have to do with Christmas"?
It has everything to do with Christmas. The whole purpose of creation is summed up in the Christmas(birth of Jesus) story. If you have read the first three parts of this Blog on, What's it all about, you will be able to see how reflective the birth story is on what God's plan from the beginning was. Let's look at the Christmas story as recorded in the Gospel of Luke in his 2nd Chapter, verses 1-20;
(1) "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
census, everyone to there 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."
Let's stop and look at these verses and look at the significance of what is happening. In verse1-4 we see that because of a required census made by Caesar Augustus, Joseph and Mary have to go to the city of their birth to be counted. The city is Bethlehem, called the city of David because it was the city were David had lived. Matthew recorded in his gospel the event of the magi from the east and their encounter with king Herod. In Chapter 2, verses 1-5;
(1) "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,
behold. magi from the east arrived n Jerusalem, saying,(2) "Where is He who is born
King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.
(3) And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
(4) And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began
to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.(5) And they said to him, in
Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet."
An interesting thing here to notice, is that the religious leaders of that day knew what was written by one of their prophets pertaining to where their Messiah was to be born. They end up being the people who resisted the most that Jesus was the Christ. Did it even interest them at all that there might be the possibility that this prophecy was being fulfilled in their time. They were even able to quote the prophecy of this event that was spoken by the prophet Micah in his 5th Chapter, verse 2. The same thing that Matthew said they quoted in verse 6;
(6) "And you Bethlehem, Land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders
of Judah; for out of you should come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people
Israel."
Even as today, there are many things that are misquoted from scripture. They were pretty close, but Micah actually said this,
(2) "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler of Israel, His goings forth are from
long ago, From the days of eternity."
They could have easily sought to find out if this event had actually occurred. Some may have, but events leading to the cross appeared to be that not enough believed. They could not have been able to say that this was just Joseph and Mary wanting to go to Bethlehem to have the baby in Bethlehem to make a self fulfilling prophecy. Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem to participate in the census as decreed by Caesar Augustus, so they had no choice but to go. While they were there Mary had to give birth. I believe that the census was put on Caesar's mind by God. This way no one could argue the point or try to cast doubt that Joseph and Mary just tried to create the event. The prophecy was fulfilled and this baby Yeshua (Jesus) was the Messiah (Christ).
Bethlehem was called, the city of David. This is significant, also, because when Mary was told by the angel to call her child Jesus, the angel followed with this in Lukes' 1st Chapter, verse 32;
"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will
give Him the throne of His father David."
We know from Matthews' 1st Chapter, verse 8. that.....Mary....was found with child by the Holy Spirit. So we have to look at what is meant when it says that, "The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. David is not His father, obviously. David was His forefather. Jesus came from the lineage of David. Joseph and Mary came from the lineage of David. That if why they had to go to Bethlehem, the city where David came from, for the census. This is why God had to preserve the people of Israel, especially those of the lineage of David, because it was through the lineage of David that He would come into this world. People tend to point out all the violence that was done against the enemies of Israel that was written about in the Old Testament. Satan was always trying to destroy the people of Israel. God had to intervene to defend them or they would have been destroyed and their would not have been the lineage of David and especial Mary through which He would come into this world.
The whole story of Jesus'(Yeshuas') birth and the events of that day reveal this one thing that explains the meaning and answers to the questions, What's it all about? and Why are we here? and What is life all about? It can be summed up in one sentence.
God stepped out of eternity so we could step into it, through Jesus(Yeshua) the Lord.
Luke continues writing on the events of Jesus birth in his 2nd Chapter, verse 6-20;
(6) "And it came about that while they were there, the days were complete for Mary
to give birth.(7) And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in
swaddling cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in
the inn.
There are three revelations in these two verses that reveal God's plan. Jesus was God who came into this world and was born in a stable. People would wonder why would God choose to be born in a stable. Jesus was the Lamb of God who came into this world to sacrifice Himself to shed His own blood to take away the sin of the world. Where else should a lamb be born, but in a stable. As soon as Jesus is born, Mary wraps Him in swaddling cloth. Swaddling cloth is the material that was used when you are wrapping someone preparing them for burial. This is revealing that Jesus came here to die. The apostle John wrote this in his gospel in the1st Chapter, verse 29, quoting John the Baptist;
"The next day he(John)saw Jesus coming to him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!'"
As soon as Mary wrapped Jesus in the swaddling cloth, she laid Him in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough that the animals would eat out of. Jesus said this in Lukes' gospel Chapter 4, verses 3 and 4, when Jesus was fasting forty days, He became hungry and Satan tempted Him and Jesus responded with this;
(3) "And the devil said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become
bread.'(4) And Jesus answered him, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'".
Jesus was quoting this passage out of Deuteronomy Chapter 8, verse 3;
"And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you
did not know, nor did your father know, that He might make you understand that
man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of
the mouth of God."
The things that come out of the mouth of God are words. Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus and His words are our food. His words are food that feed our soul. The Apostle John wrote this in the 1st Chapter of his gospel, verses 1 and 14;
(1) 'In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God , and the Word was
God,........(14) And the Word Became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Jesus said this in Chapter 7 of John's gospel verses 47-58;
(47) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.(48) I am the bread
of life.(49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.(50) This is
the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.(51)
I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he
shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is
my flesh."(52) The Jews began to argue with one another, saying, " How can this
man give us His flesh to eat?"(53) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.(54) He who
eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the
last day.(55) For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.(56) He who eats
My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in Him.(57) As the living Father
sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so He who eats Me, he also shall live
because of Me.(58) This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the
fathers ate, and did die, he who eats this bread shall live forever."
Jesus disciples were having difficulty understanding what He was saying and meant, so Jesus told His disciples this in verse 63;
'It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh prophets nothing; the words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and are life.'
Jesus is saying that the words that he speaks are the food for the spirit that gives life. At the last super Jesus revealed what the significance of His flesh and blood are, when He said this as revealed by Luke in the 22nd Chapter of his gospel in verses 19 and 20:
(19) "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave
it to them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance
of Me.'(20) And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This
cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.'"
So Jesus is the food that came forth from heaven that gives eternal life and this was revealed in Mary laying Him in a manger in the stable. Then the story of the birth of Jesus continues in Luke's 2nd Chapter, verses 8-20;
(8) "And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields,
and keeping watch over their flock by night.(9) and an angel of the Lord suddenly
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were
terribly frightened.(10) and the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid: for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people;(11) for today in
the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
It is interesting that the angel chose to reveal this message to the shepherds. You would think that the angel might want to reveal this event to the religious leaders or the prominent of the community. Mans ways are not God's ways. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It is only fitting and figurative for Him to reveal His coming to these lowly shepherds. David, whose linage Jesus came into the world through, was the little shepherd boy who would slay the giant Galiath and later become king. Jesus will slay the giant, Death and Hades, and become the King of King's. Jesus tells us this in the gospel of John, in his 10th chapter, verses 11;
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
The title of Savior and Lord belongs to God alone. So what is being proclaimed here, by the angel, is that God Himself has been born here in the city of David. Of course God has already been existing for eternity as God the Spirit. This is the God who has put a piece of His very essence in Mary and conceived this child who has just been born as the visible representation of the invisible God. This is the only One, who has been born through a womb, that was not of the seed of Adam, but of the essence of God. He is therefore the only man born without the sin nature from Adam. He is the sinless Lamb of God who will be able to take away the sin of the world. God is now existing as both God the Spirit and God the Man. There is only One Lord(Jehovah), so they must be One and the same. Again we refer to Isaiah's writings in revealing this fact.
Isaiah 43:3 "I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior
Isaiah 43:11and12 (11)"I, even I am the Lord; and there is no savior besides Me.(12) It is I
who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god
among you; So you are my witnesses," declares the Lord, and I am God
Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his(Israel's) Redeemer, the Lord
of hosts; I am the first and the last, And there is no God besides Me."
Jesus is the first and the last as revealed in the Book of Revelations Chapter 1, verses 17and18 and Chapter 2, verse 8;
Chapter 1 (17)............."Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last,(18) and the living one;
and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death
and Hades."
Chapter 2 (8) "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write; The first and the last, who
was dead and has come to life, says this;"
Isaiah 45:5 "I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides me there is no God."
Isaiah 46:21-23 (21)............."Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me."
A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.(22) Turn to Me,
and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God and there is no other.
(23) I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in
righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me EVERY KNEE WILL
BOW, every TONGUE will swear allegiance."
The apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Philippians, in his 2nd Chapter, verse 9-11;
(9) "Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,(10) that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHALL
BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and that
(11) and that every TONGUE should confess(swear allegiance) that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Any one of the shepherds who knew of these passages in Isaiah, who heard the angel refer to this newborn as Savior and Lord knew what they were insinuating. I am sure that they were wondering how this could be possible. The story continues in Luke Chapter 2, verse 12;
(12) "And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling
cloths, and lying in a manger.(13) and suddenly there appeared with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying,(14) 'Gory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.
This is one of the most misquoted passages of the Bible. You probably have heard it quoted this way; " Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will towards men. There is a big difference here. The angel did not say, "Peace on Earth". The angel said, "peace among men with whom God is pleased. This is a peace in the soul, that can only be received by receiving the Prince of Peace, this baby that was born the Lamb of God that will shed His blood to forgive sin and give eternal life. This is the only way we can please God. Remember, Isaiah wrote this in his 9th Chapter, verse 6;
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will
rest on His shoulders; And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, PRINCE OF PEACE."
The Christmas story ends with this in Luke's 2nd Chapter, verses 15-20;
(15) "And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven,
that the shepherds began saying to one another, 'Let us go straight to Bethlehem
then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.'
(16) And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the
baby as He lay in the manger.(17) And when they had seen this, they made know
the statement which had been told them about this Child.(18) And all who heard
it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.(19) But Mary
treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.(20) And the shepherds
went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just
as had been told them."
The shepherds told Mary and Joseph what the angel had told them as recorded in Luke Chapter 2, verses 10 and 11;
"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be
for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ(Messiah) the Lord(Jehovah)."
This bears witness to what the angel told Mary and Joseph both in separate incidences, when they were both instructed to call His name Jesus(Yeshua). They both knew the meaning of this name was, the Lord(Jehovah) our Salvation. The Savior who is the Lord(Jehovah).
May you receive in your heart this Prince of Peace, the Lord of the universe. Feed on His words and grow in the Spirit and in your spirit. This Lamb of God , was God Himself. He stepped out of eternity to forgive your sin through His death and give you eternal life through His resurrection. He stepped back into eternity as the risen and ascended Lord, Jesus. He did all this so you also could step into eternity. He would now have a visible spiritual body in the heavens and we also would be able to have a body that is made in His likeness.
May His peace that surpasses all understanding guard you mind and soul, now and forever.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Jesus and Christmas - What's It All About? (Part 3)
If we look at the events of what we have come to know as Christmas, Jesus birth, from what Joseph experienced, we will see events that validate the fact that Jesus is God. Joseph at the point of these events, knew already that his wife to be was pregnant, with child. You can only imagine what was going through Joseph's mind. I am sure that this was not the first time that someone, that people had known, were pregnant out of wedlock. I can only believe that this was the first time a man had gotten this excuse by his wife to be as to how she could be pregnant and by whom. I am sure that Mary couldn't wait to tell Joseph of the good news, that she had become pregnant by the very Spirit of God and that she was going to give birth to the Son of the Most High. Could you imagine what was going through Mary's mind as to, how she was going to tell her husband to be, how she could be pregnant. If the angel Gabriel didn't frighten her, I am sure this did. The Bible doesn't say how Mary told Joseph, but he didn't believe her and I don't think any man would have. All we know about Joseph's reaction is that he was going to put her away secretly, not wanting to disgrace her and probably spare himself the humiliation. This is revealed by Matthew in his gospel writings in his first chapter when he writes this in verses 18-25;
"(18) 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
Emmanuel," which translated means, "God with us."(24) And Joseph arose from his
sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took her as his wife.
(25) and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Looking at these verses, the one thing we might ask ourselves is, "What was the main thing that the angel said to Joseph that resonated so much to him that would make him arise from his sleep and take Mary as his wife. It had to have been something that was said that clicked in his mind that let him know that Mary had told him the truth. Obviously one thing is that he told Joseph to name the baby Jesus. I am sure that Mary had told Joseph that the angel, that appeared to her, told her to name the baby Jesus. The less obvious might be the quote from the prophet. I think that Joseph might have, at that point, recalled what had been quoted by the prophet Isaiah, when the angel had told him in verse 21;
"And she (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call his name Jesus, for it is He who will
save His people from their sins."
Joseph was understanding that this was the fulfillment of the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah, when Isaiah wrote in his 7th Chapter, verse 14 what Matthew quoted here in the 23 verse;
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, a virgin will be with child and
bear a Son , and she shall call His name Emmanuel."
Joseph new what Mary was saying when she said that she was to name the baby Jesus (Yeshua). He probably thought that this was blasphemy. Joseph knew that the name Yeshua means, The Lord our Salvation. By naming a child Yeshua you are calling the child God. When the angel told Joseph to name the child Jesus (Yeshua), Joseph knew what this meant and it was probably all starting to make sense. Joseph was beginning to put it all together. What the angel told him was similar to the words of the prophet, except for calling His name Emmanuel. Joseph knew that Emmanuel meant, God with us. If you call the baby Jesus (Yeshua) The Lord our Salvation, you are also declaring that this child is God with us." These are the words written by the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah's 45th Chapter, verses 21-23;
(21)"..........And there is no other God before Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There
is none except Me.(22) Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other. (23) I have sworn by Myself, Thy words have gone
forth from my mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, That to Me every knee will
bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance."
If Joseph had read this scripture and could recall it, he would know that for Jesus to be able to save His people from their sins, He would have to be a Savior and if He is the Savior, then He must be the God who spoke through Isaiah.
The apostle Paul gives acknowledgment to this when he wrote in his letter to the Philippians in the 2nd Chapter, verses 5-11;
(5) "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,(6) who although
He existed as God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,(7) but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of
of men.(8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.(9) Therefore also God highly
exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,(10) that at
the name of Jesus ever knee shall bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth,(11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father."
God Made for Himself a Body in the person of Jesus. He would sacrifice His own earthly body, on the cross, for the blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Because He was not from the seed of Adam, but of God, He had no sin. He is the only Son of Man, according to the law, who could have access into heaven, because He was guiltless. If anyone accepts the sacrifice Jesus made for them, they put themselves on the cross with Jesus, they are buried with Jesus, their sins are left in the grave and they are risen with Jesus a New Creation. They become born of above, with the Spirit of Jesus dwelling in them, and they now have an eternal living being that is being developed in their souls. Jesus was the first born of all the New Creation. God now had a risen glorified heavenly body that could now be visibly seen in heaven and able to fellowship in likeness with the New Creation he is creating. Everyone who receives what Jesus did for them will receive the same glorified body at the resurrection.
The early church new what they were saying when they referred to Jesus as Lord. For there is only one Lord and that is God. Again God speaks through the prophet Isaiah when He says this in Chapter 43, verses 11-13;
(11) "I, even I, am the Lord (Jehovah), And there is no Savior besides Me.(12) It is I
who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you;
So you are my witnesses declares the Lord (Jehovah), And I am God,(13) Even from
eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of my hand; I act and who can
reverse it?"
For Jesus to be Lord, He has to be God. Emmanuel, "God with us". Jesus (Yeshua),"The Lord our Salvation. The Christmas story, the birth Jesus, reveals all of this in a special way. We will see this in my next Blog.
My the peace of the Great God and Savior be with you.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Jesus and Christmas - What's It All About? (Part 2)
The Christmas story reveals many things about God and His plan for man. The story of the birth of Jesus has become a nice story to tell. If we look at it, stopping to ask, "What does that mean?", and really understanding what took place, we may find it more than just a nice story.
The first hint of the birth of Jesus and who He is, was revealed by the prophet Isaiah in his 7th Chapter, verse 14;
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."
Immanuel means, "God with us". That would be something to ponder. This child being called, "God with us, what might that mean? A virgin being with a child, how is that possible and what might that mean? To make it even more to ponder, Isaiah made another revelation of this child in his 9th Chapter, verse 6;
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest
on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."
This is a very popular scripture on some Christmas cards, but if we are looking at what it is saying, we have to ask ourselves, "What does this mean? "His", being capitalized, refers to the child as being God. This is backed up by the fact that one of His names is Mighty God. To make it even more interesting, this child's name will be called Eternal Father. How could this child be a God and Father?
If we look at the story of Jesus birth, as revealed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we can learn how this is possible. Luke writes this in his 1st Chapter, verses 26 - 38;
(26)"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee,
called Nazareth,(27) to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.(28) And coming in, he said
to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.(29) But she was greatly troubled
at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.(30) And
the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; For you have found favor with God.
(31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name
Him Jesus.(32) He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the
Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David;(33) and He will reign over
the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."
There are a few things to look at here in these verses. First, it is a great honor to be told that you have found favor with God. Isaiah wrote in his 64th Chapter, verse 6, that all man's righteous deeds are as filthy rags. So how did Mary find favor with God? What was it about Mary, that God would find favor with her? I don't think that it was because God was just looking for a virgin, for I am sure that she was not the only virgin in Galilee. There had to be something else about Mary that God felt favorable towards. Maybe she was a girl who read the old testament writings and understood what God really required of man. The burnt offerings that the High priest would perform, once a year, for the cleansing of sin, I am sure that Mary participated in the Passover Feasts to receive this temporary forgiveness. I am sure that Mary probably also fasted. Both these acts are good, but these things are for a persons benefit, it is not that they are benefiting anyone else by practicing such things. I am sure that other virgins in that day in Galilee also practices such things. Maybe Mary, in her readings in the old testament, understood the heart of God and what He really liked.
These verses from the Old Testament writings might be what caught Mary's attention;
The prophet Micah wrote this in his 6th Chapter, verse 8;
"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but
to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
The prophet Isaiah wrote this in his 58th Chapter, verses 3-11 about what God's fast means;
(3)"Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves
and Thou dost not notice? Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And
drive hard all your workers.(4) Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike
with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
(5) Is it a fast like this that I chose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing
one's head like a reed, And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you
call this a fast, even a acceptable day to the Lord?
(6) Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the
bonds of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?(7) Is it
not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
(8) Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring
forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your
rear guard.(9) Then you will call and I will answer; You will cry, and He will say,
'Here I am'. If you remove the yoke from your mist, The pointing of the finger, and
speaking wickedness,(10) And if you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire
of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become as
midday.(11) And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in
scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
If you notice here, it is not what we do in ourselves to please God, but what we do to benefit others that pleases the heart of God and brings His blessings upon us. Mary must have understood and practiced such things, because she loved God enough to want to do what was pleasing in His sight.
In return Mary found favor with God and would be found as blessed by God. The writings of Isaiah were probably a common read by Mary, for when Jesus would teach in the synagogues, He would read from the prophet Isaiah. When He would read about the parts in Isaiah that told about Himself, Jesus would tell them that today in your hearing this is being fulfilled.
And in Psalm 51, verses 16 and 17, David wrote this in regards to burnt offerings;
(16)"For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, other wise I would give it; Thou art not
pleased with burnt offering.(17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and
contrite heart, O God , Thou wilt not despise.
So God chose Mary for this very special event. Here we have Mary a virgin, who can not be very old, told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a Son that she shall call Jesus(Yeshua).
Mary understood what the name Jesus meant, for it was a Hebrew name meaning, "The Lord our Salvation". Mary may have known also, from the writings of the prophet Isaiah, that her God that she worshiped was the only Savior. For Isaiah wrote this in his 45th Chapter, verses 21-23;
(21)" Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has
long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A
righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.(22) Turn to Me, and be saved,
all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.(23) I have sworn by
Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn
back, That to Me every Knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
Where we have come to learn that this is Jesus, the Lord our Salvation, from what the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians in his 2nd Chapter, verses 5-11:
(5)" Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,(6) who, although
He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men.(8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humble Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.(9) Therefore God
Highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,(10)
That at the name of Jesus every name shall bow, of those who are in heaven, and on the
earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
How is this possible though and what does it mean? How can God come to the earth, being born to a virgin, desiring to be called Jesus, and why? The story of Christmas, Jesus birth, answers these questions. We know after the fact, but Mary was experiencing what we now know. She knew that she was going to give birth to the Lord our Salvation, but how?
In Luke Chapter 1, verses 34-38, Mary asked the question to Gabriel and he gives her the answer;
(34) And Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I am a virgin?'(35) And the
Angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be
called the Son of God."
Do you really think that this answered her question, or at this point do you think that she was living by faith, trusting God?
(36) And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age;
she who is called barren is now in her sixth month.(37) For nothing is impossible with
God.(38) And Mary said, 'Behold the bond slave of the Lord; be it done to me according
to your word.' And the angel departed her."
What the angel Gabriel said to Mary in verse 35 is the clue to how this child will be God. Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit of God. This makes the Holy Spirit the Father of this child. Back in verse 32 Gabriel told Mary that the child would be called the Son of the Most High.
This is how this child Jesus is both the Mighty God and Eternal Father. You have to look at it from God's plan. He wants to come into this earthly realm, so He puts a very part of His presence in an egg of Mary. What is growing is not like a man making a women pregnant, for the mans child is different than the man. In this case this child that grows in Mary is from the very essence of God. It is actually a piece, if we might say, of God Himself growing in Mary. He is an actual piece of the Father, the Holy Spirit, growing in Mary. God at this point is existing as both Spirit and Man. You can look at it as if Jesus is more God's body than a son as we would perceive Him to be. Jesus did not come into this world under the sin curse of Adam as we have all descended from, for Jesus comes forth from the very seed of God Himself. This is how Jesus was sinless and the only one, according to the law, who could qualified for entrance into heaven at His death.
A lot to ponder. Part 3 will view this event from Joseph's perspective. Could you imagine?
Jesus peace be with all of you.
The first hint of the birth of Jesus and who He is, was revealed by the prophet Isaiah in his 7th Chapter, verse 14;
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."
Immanuel means, "God with us". That would be something to ponder. This child being called, "God with us, what might that mean? A virgin being with a child, how is that possible and what might that mean? To make it even more to ponder, Isaiah made another revelation of this child in his 9th Chapter, verse 6;
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest
on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."
This is a very popular scripture on some Christmas cards, but if we are looking at what it is saying, we have to ask ourselves, "What does this mean? "His", being capitalized, refers to the child as being God. This is backed up by the fact that one of His names is Mighty God. To make it even more interesting, this child's name will be called Eternal Father. How could this child be a God and Father?
If we look at the story of Jesus birth, as revealed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we can learn how this is possible. Luke writes this in his 1st Chapter, verses 26 - 38;
(26)"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee,
called Nazareth,(27) to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.(28) And coming in, he said
to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.(29) But she was greatly troubled
at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.(30) And
the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; For you have found favor with God.
(31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name
Him Jesus.(32) He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the
Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David;(33) and He will reign over
the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."
There are a few things to look at here in these verses. First, it is a great honor to be told that you have found favor with God. Isaiah wrote in his 64th Chapter, verse 6, that all man's righteous deeds are as filthy rags. So how did Mary find favor with God? What was it about Mary, that God would find favor with her? I don't think that it was because God was just looking for a virgin, for I am sure that she was not the only virgin in Galilee. There had to be something else about Mary that God felt favorable towards. Maybe she was a girl who read the old testament writings and understood what God really required of man. The burnt offerings that the High priest would perform, once a year, for the cleansing of sin, I am sure that Mary participated in the Passover Feasts to receive this temporary forgiveness. I am sure that Mary probably also fasted. Both these acts are good, but these things are for a persons benefit, it is not that they are benefiting anyone else by practicing such things. I am sure that other virgins in that day in Galilee also practices such things. Maybe Mary, in her readings in the old testament, understood the heart of God and what He really liked.
These verses from the Old Testament writings might be what caught Mary's attention;
The prophet Micah wrote this in his 6th Chapter, verse 8;
"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but
to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
The prophet Isaiah wrote this in his 58th Chapter, verses 3-11 about what God's fast means;
(3)"Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves
and Thou dost not notice? Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And
drive hard all your workers.(4) Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike
with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
(5) Is it a fast like this that I chose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing
one's head like a reed, And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you
call this a fast, even a acceptable day to the Lord?
(6) Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the
bonds of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?(7) Is it
not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
(8) Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring
forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your
rear guard.(9) Then you will call and I will answer; You will cry, and He will say,
'Here I am'. If you remove the yoke from your mist, The pointing of the finger, and
speaking wickedness,(10) And if you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire
of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become as
midday.(11) And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in
scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
If you notice here, it is not what we do in ourselves to please God, but what we do to benefit others that pleases the heart of God and brings His blessings upon us. Mary must have understood and practiced such things, because she loved God enough to want to do what was pleasing in His sight.
In return Mary found favor with God and would be found as blessed by God. The writings of Isaiah were probably a common read by Mary, for when Jesus would teach in the synagogues, He would read from the prophet Isaiah. When He would read about the parts in Isaiah that told about Himself, Jesus would tell them that today in your hearing this is being fulfilled.
And in Psalm 51, verses 16 and 17, David wrote this in regards to burnt offerings;
(16)"For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, other wise I would give it; Thou art not
pleased with burnt offering.(17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and
contrite heart, O God , Thou wilt not despise.
So God chose Mary for this very special event. Here we have Mary a virgin, who can not be very old, told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a Son that she shall call Jesus(Yeshua).
Mary understood what the name Jesus meant, for it was a Hebrew name meaning, "The Lord our Salvation". Mary may have known also, from the writings of the prophet Isaiah, that her God that she worshiped was the only Savior. For Isaiah wrote this in his 45th Chapter, verses 21-23;
(21)" Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has
long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A
righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.(22) Turn to Me, and be saved,
all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.(23) I have sworn by
Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn
back, That to Me every Knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
Where we have come to learn that this is Jesus, the Lord our Salvation, from what the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians in his 2nd Chapter, verses 5-11:
(5)" Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,(6) who, although
He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men.(8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humble Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.(9) Therefore God
Highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,(10)
That at the name of Jesus every name shall bow, of those who are in heaven, and on the
earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
How is this possible though and what does it mean? How can God come to the earth, being born to a virgin, desiring to be called Jesus, and why? The story of Christmas, Jesus birth, answers these questions. We know after the fact, but Mary was experiencing what we now know. She knew that she was going to give birth to the Lord our Salvation, but how?
In Luke Chapter 1, verses 34-38, Mary asked the question to Gabriel and he gives her the answer;
(34) And Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I am a virgin?'(35) And the
Angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be
called the Son of God."
Do you really think that this answered her question, or at this point do you think that she was living by faith, trusting God?
(36) And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age;
she who is called barren is now in her sixth month.(37) For nothing is impossible with
God.(38) And Mary said, 'Behold the bond slave of the Lord; be it done to me according
to your word.' And the angel departed her."
What the angel Gabriel said to Mary in verse 35 is the clue to how this child will be God. Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit of God. This makes the Holy Spirit the Father of this child. Back in verse 32 Gabriel told Mary that the child would be called the Son of the Most High.
This is how this child Jesus is both the Mighty God and Eternal Father. You have to look at it from God's plan. He wants to come into this earthly realm, so He puts a very part of His presence in an egg of Mary. What is growing is not like a man making a women pregnant, for the mans child is different than the man. In this case this child that grows in Mary is from the very essence of God. It is actually a piece, if we might say, of God Himself growing in Mary. He is an actual piece of the Father, the Holy Spirit, growing in Mary. God at this point is existing as both Spirit and Man. You can look at it as if Jesus is more God's body than a son as we would perceive Him to be. Jesus did not come into this world under the sin curse of Adam as we have all descended from, for Jesus comes forth from the very seed of God Himself. This is how Jesus was sinless and the only one, according to the law, who could qualified for entrance into heaven at His death.
A lot to ponder. Part 3 will view this event from Joseph's perspective. Could you imagine?
Jesus peace be with all of you.
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