Weekly Devotional 12-19-16 A Fact of History
Many deny, to their peril, that Jesus the Son of Mary and the stepson of Joseph ever existed. This is foolish. Beside the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth, life and death, there are many secular writers that confirmed Jesus was a person in history. Among them that so attested were: The first-century Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote that there were many who suffered under Pontius Pilot because of their devotion to Christ (Annals 15.44); Flavius Josephus was a famous Jewish historian. In his work “the Antiquities”, he mentioned James with reference to him being the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ; Julius Africanus quotes the historian Thallus when discussing the darkness which followed the crucifixion of Christ (Extant Writings, 18); Pliny the Younger, in his Letters 10:96, recorded early Christian worship, including the fact that Christians worshiped Jesus as God, and that they were very ethical; The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) confirms Jesus’ crucifixion on the eve of Passover, the accusations against Christ of practicing sorcery, and encouraging Jewish apostasy; a second-century Greek writer, Lucian of Samosata, wrote that Jesus was worshipped by followers who called themselves “Christians”; Many Gnostic writings including “The Gospel of Truth”, “The Apocryphon of John”, “The Gospel of Thomas”, to name a few, all mention Jesus.
Thus is the record of secular history. Those who may wish to deny His being, do so not because there is no proof, but because they choose not to believe. If they admit that He existed, then they must begin considering that He is who He claimed to be, the Son of God. Not just the Son of God, but that He is God the Son which makes Him God making them responsible to Him.
Why continue to deny Him? He came, He lived, He died, and He rose again. These are all facts of history. He ascended back into heaven where He now sits on the right hand of God, in authority, making intercession for those who place their faith in His sacrifice. He gave His physical life for such persons, taking God’s wrath upon Himself. Know then, that He gave His life not only so that those who place their faith in Him would gain heaven, but that they (we) could have a more abundant life now (John 10:10).
I close with these words from the writer of the Book of Hebrews; “1God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJV).
The Baby in the manger in Bethlehem was God; God, the creator of all that is, humbled Himself and became a man. As the writer of Hebrews affirms, He did this for you and for me. On the 25th of this month most of the world will celebrate the birth of the baby who was conceived of Mary and the Holy Spirit. God Himself took upon Himself human flesh; what a wonder!
Have a wonderful Christmas
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Christian National Church