That baby lying in the manger was the personal manifestation of God…not a resemblance or facsimile…Jesus was God incarnate. In Colossians, Paul wrote that Jesus was placed above all creation in that He was the first to rise from the dead with a transformed body…leading the way for us.
Tag: theology
Isaiah 7:14 ” Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah had just gone to King Ahaz reassuring him about the times ahead, but asking him to have faith in God… to the point of asking Ahaz what kind of sign he’d like God to do to prove that the Lord was with him. Ahaz’s faith in God was so weak he wouldn’t give Isaiah a suggestion. Angrily, Isaiah said “you’re trying God’s patience Ahaz, so God Himself will give you a sign”…a extraordinary event, so miraculous to be inconceivable to mere man. And his name will be Immanuel…God with us.
I John 4:9 ” This is how God showed His love among us; He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.”
God could have sent someone else, but so important was the mission, He sent His Son. In ancient times, the more important the matter, the higher the level of the person that was sent as an ambassador. To send a son showed gravity in the situation…to send an only son showed immense seriousness of the undertaking. God commissioned His one and only Son to the greatest mandate known to man…to save the world and give eternal life through His Son Jesus.
Isaiah 42:1 ” Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations.”
There are four “Servant Songs” within Isaiah…Chapter 42:1-9, Chapter 49:1-7, Chapter 50:4-11, and Chapter 52:13-53:12. All these songs are prophecies of Christ Jesus; His life, death, and resurrection. In speaking with His disciples, Jesus used these scriptures to show that He was the fulfillment of the words foretold by Isaiah. This Holiday Season I would urge you to take time to read all these passages and marvel at that tiny baby in the manger, and what He stood for.
Romans 8:3 ” For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering…”
That tiny baby in the manger was fully man…and fully God. What the Old Covenant and animal sacrifices were unable to do, Jesus came to accomplish…once, for all. God offered His Son as an atonement for our sins. But Jesus was also fully man, sharing in our humanity…He looked like a baby, cried like one, acted like one. The biggest difference was that this baby had come to save us from our sins.
Micah 5:2 ” But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.”
The Prophet Micah was given the privilege of revealing the birthplace of the Messiah, and 700 years later the chief priests quoted him to King Herod when he asked where Christ was to be born. Like Jesus, Micah also came from a very insignificant town, and though he was called one of the Minor Prophets, his prophecies carried tremendous importance for the world. Our Lord continues to do this today…He uses unimportant people who think they are worthless to do mighty things for Him. Never dismiss anything the Lord has laid upon your heart as insignificant or irrelevant…just be obedient.
Jeremiah 31:31 ” The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”
The Jewish people had the old Covenant that had been given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now it was being prophesied that a new Covenant would supersede it. This new Covenant came about in a very unconventional and unlikely way. No one could have imagined the little baby born in a stable in Bethlehem would be the author and finisher of this new Covenant…a Covenant of peace presided over by the Prince of Peace Himself.
I Peter 4:10 ” Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
If you’re unsure what your gifts are, ask yourself these questions – What am I talented at, and what things am I passionate about? God gives us gifts that run in conjunction with our personalities and bents. He works with talents and passions we already have within. He won’t give us gifts that are contrary to who we are. Whatever your giftings, you are to care for the needs of others by showing the same loving kindness that Jesus has shown you. Each one of us have different gifts…but we all are to use them to benefit others.
II Samuel 24:24 ” But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’ “
The Lord told King David to build an Altar to stop the plague brought about by his disobedience. The owner had not only offer his threshing floor, but his oxen, threshing sledges, and yokes. But King David refused…he knew that the Lord was looking for an acceptable sacrifice and not one that he had not paid a price for. The Lord is still looking for that type of offering…worthy sacrifices, full of blood, sweat, and tears that have cost us.
I Corinthians 15:33 ” Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”
As my Grandmother use to say…”You hang around the pig pen long enough and you’ll come out smelling like one!” You keep company with questionable people, and even if you don’t partake in ________ (you fill in the blank), others will find you guilty by association. Don’t be deceived and lead astray by the arrogant notion that you are too discerning, or too intelligent, or too spiritual to not be ensnared and lured in by sin. Sadly, your good character can be tarnished by the company you keep.
Safetypinlove 