Weekly Devotional 12-21-15 God’s Wondrous Gift To Us
Concerning God’s wondrous gift to us we read from the Gospel of John that at a point in time God moved on behalf of man, and became man Himself. Consider; “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men…. 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-4; 14 NKJV). From the Gospel of Matthew we learn how God accomplished this; “18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’”
As we consider this and search the Scriptures we soon learn that while this was unique, no other human was ever conceived or born in this manner. What is more unique is that He was the only person ever conceived, and so born, that He could die. We read from John 3:16-17, “16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” How amazing this is? Now, as we connect these passages we must conclude that God took upon Himself human flesh so that as man He could die. God, as God, could not die.
This God-man, after His death-burial-resurrection and ascension back into the heaven He left, communicated the following message through one of His servants, the writer of the Book of Hebrews. “1For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. 5Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.’ 7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’ 8Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the law), 9then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:1-10 NKJV).
God the Father willed that the child whom we celebrate at Christmas, conceived by the Holy Spirit and borne by Mary His chosen vessel, would grow to manhood and sacrifice Himself for fallen man so that all who would turn to Him would be saved. However, His death, burial and resurrection, even His ascension back into heaven, is not the end of the story. Through a vision given to John heaven is opened to us and we are able to look into the throne room of God and observe what has become of this man Jesus, God’s wondrous gift to us.
“1And I, John, saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ 3And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’ 6And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation 10And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.’ 11Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!’ 13And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ 14Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.” (Revelation 5:1-14 NKJV).
The baby’s birth we celebrate on December 25th was and is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the Creator of all there is. He is the Redeemer of all those who turn to Him in faith for the forgiveness of their sins. Someday, perhaps soon, we will be part of the heavenly chorus and we will sing “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12 NKJV). This Christmas let us remember why we “born again Christians” celebrate Christmas; as should all of humanity.
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Transforming Power; the Work of God on Behalf of Man