“And the word was made 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.”
This post on Christmas surprisingly is not from Matthew or Luke, but from John. John does not record the pageantry of Christmas like Matthew and Luke, but he does give us the Christmas narrative in just one verse. What John does is give us the theological significance of the coming of Christ into the world. I will illustrate what I mean in the post. John points out that the “word was made flesh.” This, of course, is about the incarnation, or the infleshment, of the Son of God.” The Good News Bible, which had some success in the late sixties and early seventies, translated this as “the word was made a human being.” While I was not exactly carried away with that particular Bible, I thought that this translation made a vivid point about the word becoming flesh. He was made flesh through the virgin birth, as predicted in Isaiah 7:14. It also stands out that when the word was made flesh, His crib was a manger – a feed trough. The miracle was that God came down to man – period. John points out that He “dwelt among us.” This is a reference to the fact that Jesus lived a normal human existence in a family. The family that Jesus came to was a common family, a carpenter’s family. He lived a common life among common people. This is good news for all common people, for Jesus indentified with us in His coming. Jesus experienced life in every way, except for sin. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin.” It has to be comfort to us that our Savior understands our struggles. In a parenthetical statement, John informs us that “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Of course, we can refer to the great miracles that Jesus performed, such as, walking on water, turning water into wine, healing the infirm, stilling a storm, etc. John, however, along with Peter and James, beheld His glory at the transfiguration. This was not seen by anyone but those three disciples, but it had to be a life-changing experience for them. Thank God that it was recorded in the Gospels for us. What happened there was indescribable, but it did show forth the great glory of Jesus. It is my opinion that what they got a glimpse of was a heavenly vision of the Son of God. No one else has seen Jesus like this, but one day all believers will. John shared with us that Jesus was “full of grace and truth.” In John 14:6, Jesus referred to Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life.” He revealed the truth about God in His teachings that are recorded in the New Testament for us. He revealed the grace of God by His treatment of people, which is also recorded in the New Testament for us. The New Testament makes it plain that Jesus treated all people the same, the rich and the poor. Jesus healed poor people, like Bartimaeus; He healed rich people like Jairus’ daughter, which He actually raised from death. He walked among the poor and the rich. One of His most famous conversions was Zacchaeus, who was a wealthy tax collector. Indeed, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, was “full of grace and truth.” I understand that we usually think of the Christmas story in terms of shepherds and Wise Men, which Matthew and Luke wrote about, but John, in his usual fashion, got right to the point of who and what the incarnate Son of God was and is. Bro. Joe
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(The Couch Potato is taking a Christmas vacation. I'll be back after Christmas. Thank you for your readership. Have a merry Christmas.)
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” Have you ever thought about what it would have been like to be in Bethlehem when Jesus was born? Martin Luther wrote that we think if we had been there we would have done something to help Christ. He wrote: “Yes you would! You say that because you know how great Christ is, but if you had been there at the time you would have done no better than the people in Bethlehem.” However, we return to Bethlehem each Christmas to celebrate Christ’s birth because we know how great He is. As we “return to Bethlehem” this year, let’s consider how we should return. We need to make our return personal. As Christ was God incarnate in Bethlehem, He is the personal incarnation of God in our lives. It doesn’t make any difference who was at the stable manger that night if you are not there in your mind and heart. It doesn’t make any difference what song the angels sang if you do not hear them in your mind and heart as you read about them in Luke. What does it matter that the shepherds heard the news about Christ if you have not heard it, or if you have not shared it with someone else? What difference does it make that gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were given to Him if you do not give Jesus the gift of yourself and your love, dedication and trust. When you return to Bethlehem this Christmas through song, pageantry, preaching and viewing manger scenes, remember that you have a personal stake in what took place there that night. What happened in Bethlehem has a lot to do with your life. We need to make our return meaningful. Who is that baby in the manger? He is the Savior, “Who is Christ the Lord.” He is your redeemer, your Savior who has forgiven you for your sins. He has delivered you from the power of Satan’s darkness. He has delivered you from the guilt that sin has piled on you which has possibly kept you depressed. It is this Christ who was born in Bethlehem who has brought new inspiration into your life. He has inspired you with new wonder. He has inspired you with new love, love that He has not only given to you, but love that you can now give to others. Because of Christ you have been set free to forgive people and to love them instead of hating them, dreading them and not forgiving them. Because of Christ your life has new meaning. You no longer live for just the moment. You have an eternal perspective that you did not have before Christ came into your life. Because of Christ you have peace of heart that is beyond your understanding and you have “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Remember all of this as you return to Bethlehem this Christmas. We need to remember that the Christ who was born in Bethlehem is here. John H. Meyer wrote: “He wants tourists, beggars, and souvenir hawkers to pause, listen and respond. He wants today’s shepherds and Wise Men in the form of factory workers, clerks, teachers, students, lawyers, executives, farmers and business people to stop, listen and be confronted with His redemption in Christ Jesus. More important than your being there is the truly good news that He is here.” It is ironic that we return to Bethlehem in order to remember that He is here too. It is important that you make your return to Bethlehem personal and meaningful. Above all else, remember that He is with you and will never forsake you. In the hustle and bustle of this Christmas season, pause and give thanks to God for the gift that He sent to Bethlehem and to all the world – and praise Him. Bro. Joe "But unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given..."
Because of Jesus we no longer have to be slaves of sin. We can be forgiven because Jesus came into this world, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was resurrected and lives forever to intercede for us and to save us. Because of this we can come to Jesus for forgiveness of our sins and we will receive it. At least that’s what 1 John 1:9 tells us: “If we confess our sins (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus is “faithful and just” to forgive us for our sins. “Faithful” means that He will always forgive us, and “just” means that He, and He alone, is qualified to forgive us for our sins. The purpose of this article is to share with you the meaning of Christmas. First, Christmas means that the time was right on God’s timetable for the Messiah to come into the world. Galatians 4:4-5 reveals to us that “When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Those two verses are loaded with meaning and to fully explain them would take more space than I can take just now. Suffice it to say that Jesus was born into this world at just the right time. Why? Because God said that the time was right. At that time all of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ and types of Christ were fulfilled. Our text from Isaiah 9 is a good example of what I mean. Revelation 13:8 refers to Jesus as “the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” In 1 Peter 1:20 Peter wrote: "He (Christ) was chosen before the foundation of the world..." This means that it had been God’s plan since before time began that the “Lamb” would be slain for us. Second it means what I have alluded to above, that Christmas means that because Jesus came into the world, we can be saved from our sins. Romans 3:23 declares, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Sin is pervasive in this world, and we are defenseless against it except for Jesus. Romans 3:24 completes the thought that was begun in Romans 3:23: “Being justified freely by His grace through Third, Christmas means that we can live better lives. Look around you at the devastation that sin has caused in this world and be grateful that God provided the means for us to not be ruled by it. We will always have to deal with sin as long as we are on this earth, but we do not have to be ruled by it. Sin promises all kinds of pleasure, but it only ends up bringing destruction into people’s lives. Thank God that in His infinite wisdom, He has provided a way for us to escape the prison that sin creates. Because of Jesus we can cease to do those things which are detrimental to our spiritual, mental and physical well-being. Because of Jesus we can begin to do those things that will bring real satisfaction in life. Christmas means more than this, but what I have written should be sufficient to help you have a merry Christmas. Bro. Joe “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
People celebrate Christmas in many different ways. It is viewed by many as a time for family and friends to get together. It is celebrated by the giving and receiving of gifts. It is celebrated, if that is the right word, by joining the crowds at the shopping malls across the country. I am not being critical here, because I also enjoy some of the secular activities surrounding Christmas. But the coming of Christ into the world is not a secular event that is to be celebrated during one season of the year. If you know Christ as your Savior, it is a daily celebration of what He has done for you. We should celebrate Christmas in a spirit of thanksgiving for what God has done for us in Jesus. The angel announced to Joseph concerning the birth of Jesus: “And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Saving us from sin is the stated purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world. Jesus did many mighty works that inform us about His deity, but these mighty works were not the main purpose of His coming. He came to “save His people from their sins.” Since the Garden of Eden, sin has been what has been wrong with the world, and the Bible plainly tells us the story of the devastation of sin. All we have to do is look around us to see the devastation of sin. We can point to our own battles in life that have to do with sin. When we realize the seriousness of sin in our own lives, we should celebrate all the more because Jesus saved us from it, and we should be thankful for it. We should celebrate Christmas in a true spirit of giving. Christmas is all about giving. John 3:16 tells us that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” When the Magi visited the family of Jesus, we are told: “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” My guess is that this is where we got the idea of exchanging gifts at Christmas. You will notice that I wrote that we should celebrate Christmas in a “true spirit” of giving. What is a true spirit of giving? I think that a “true spirit” of giving is a spirit of excitement over the opportunity to give rather than to receive. As you celebrate Christmas this year, thank Jesus for His coming to save us from sin, give in true spirit of giving that it is “more blessed to give than to receive," and in the process worship Him for who and what He is in your life. Bro. Joe (The Couch Potato will be on Christmas vacation until Tuesday, December 26. Have a merry Christmas.)
“And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son and thou shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” This is the angel’s announcement about the birth of Jesus. When the time was right Jesus can into a world that had great needs. The world is still in need, but Jesus will come into people’s lives and meet their needs. The first need that Jesus met then, and meets now, is the need for salvation. Since “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” all stand in need of the salvation that only Jesus can offer. The angel announced to Joseph “thou shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” The name “Jesus” itself means “one who saves” When people realize that their main problem is sin, they can confess to Jesus and He will forgive and save them. Lest we forget, this is the main message of Christmas.) The second need that Jesus came to meet is personal peace. People who lived in Jesus' day were living in a troubled world, controlled by the Roman Empire, and they did not have personal peace. The fact is that people are still troubled today and still need the peace that only Jesus can give. Jesus promised to give people His peace in John 16:33b: “I have said these things, you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, take heart; I have overcome the world.” This is really the truth and Jesus wants to give you peace in your life. What better time to get the peace that you need from Jesus, “the Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6) at the time of the celebration of His birth that we call “Christmas.” Claim His peace and have a merry Christmas. The third need that Jesus came to meet is the need of personal joy. Jesus promised to give us joy in John 15:11: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” He did not say that we would always be happy, but happiness is fleeting and the joy of Jesus is eternal. In fact the joy that I have in Jesus has rescued me in a lot of unhappy situations. This joy can be yours too. Reach out to Jesus and claim His joy and have a Merry Christmas. I will conclude with what you might have thought I would have begun with: Jesus came to fulfill the world's need for God’s love, grace and mercy. These are at the foundation of all that Jesus brings into our lives. Without God’s love, grace and mercy, we would be eternally without hope. The foundational Christmas passage in the New Testament is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in should not perish but have everlasting life. “Jesus loves (you) this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Bro. Joe “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. 10. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people. 11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Why shepherds? I have asked this question many times, and I know that I have either written, or preached about it before, but it is a question that still intrigues me. Allow me to try to answer this question for my own edification and for your's.. When the angel came to earth to tell the good news about the birth of Jesus, he did not appear to Herod, Caesar or any other notable person, but he appeared to lowly shepherds. The first reason is seen in what happened when the Magi told King Herod about the star that they were following, he proceeded to kill all babies in that area who were two years of age..This was not good news to Herod, for he felt threatened about the birth of a king. God knew that the shepherds would do what they did: They went and told people about Jesus’ birth, and went to see for themselves and to further spread the word. The contrast between the reaction of Herod and the shepherds reveals why the angel announced it to shepherds. God knew the hearts of the shepherds and that they were ready for the birth of the Messiah. We .learn about their reaction in Luke 2:15: “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” They actually felt honored that they had received this good news. God knew that they were ready for this announcement in their hearts and that they would be grateful enough to go and see the Messiah for themselves. God knew that the shepherds would go beyond going to see the Messiah for themselves, for we are told in verse 17: “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” They did not keep this good news to themselves, and they were not threatened by the birth of Jesus, but they received it and shared it as good news from heaven. We can say that this changed the shepherd’s lives in a positive way. We are not told anything about them from this point, but we can believe that they were changed by the experience. Furthermore, in verse 18 we learn that those who heard their message were affected by it as well: “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” This has been my feeble attempt to answer the question “Why Shepherds?" I pray that their positive experience will encourage us to spread the good news about Jesus. Bro. Joe “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
The birth of Jesus into this world was not an accident of history. The Bible is filled with promises that the Messiah would come to save His people. For example: “Now all of this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:22-23 I want to share some of the scriptures which mention the birth of Christ, and the reason why we celebrate Christ’s birth. The first text is Galatians 4:4, which is the text printed above. According to this text Christ was born just at the right time, the time that God established for Him to come. Because of the various prophecies of Christ’s coming, the Jews had looked with hopeful anticipation for the birth of their Messiah. They had wondered when this would take place, and Paul wrote that He was born “when the fullness of time had come.” (This is Paul’s mention of what we call “Christmas” today.) He was born that we might receive the adoption of sons (and daughters.)” This is a good reason for us to celebrate the coming of the Son of God into the world. The second text is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (This is John’s mention of what we call “Christmas.”) The wonderful reality here is that it was because of the great love that God has for us that He sent His Son into the world” in order to give us “everlasting life.” This is the world’s greatest love story. A look into the history of the world, and a look into the history of the Bible, we can see that it had to be love that sent Jesus into the world to save us. Our celebration of the birth of Christ is the ultimate celebration of the world. We do not need to forget, or ignore, this aspect of our celebration of Christ’s birth. The third text, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, is another reminder of a great reason for us to celebrate Christmas: “And all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation: 19. To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” It is amazing that our holy God took the initiative to reconcile us to Him, but it is more amazing that He has also given us the “ministry of reconciliation.” God saves us, and we in turn tell others about what He did for us in order for them to be reconciled to God. Think about these texts as you celebrate Christmas. Bro. Joe
“…And His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The name of Jesus has always been associated with peace. He came to give peace to those who would give Him their lives by putting their faith in Him. Those of us who have trusted Jesus as Savior know Him as The Prince of Peace. The peace of Jesus is “peace in spite of…” What this means is that we have the peace of Jesus in our lives in spite of all that is going on around us. In John 16:33, Jesus said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you shall have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (trouble) but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus did not promise a trouble-free life, but He did offer His peace. We have His peace no matter what is happening in the world. Whatever troubles you are encountering at this moment, Jesus has promised that you can have peace in spite of it. I have had to claim this promise many times in my life, and it always brings a sense of peace to my mind and heart. This brings me to: The peace of Jesus is peace in our hearts and minds. Paul illustrated this for us in Philippians 4:6-7: “Be careful (anxious) about nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. 7. And the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” I pray that you have claimed this peace of heart and mind for your life. The peace that we have in Jesus should help us live in peace with each other. We need to invite The Prince of Peace into the fellowship of our churches. Before we break fellowship with each other over the little nit picking things that we fuss about, we need to claim the peace that we have in our hearts and minds for our church fellowship. When we do this, the world can see The Prince of Peace at work in our lives and see the need to claim Jesus as their Savior. Just saying….. Bro. Joe “His name will be called wonderful, counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
I want to emphasize the fact that Jesus was referred to as “The Everlasting Father.” This has also been interpreted as “Eternal Father.” What does this tell us about our Savior? It tells that Jesus has always been…period. As the psalmists wrote about Jehovah that He is from “everlasting to everlasting,” the same is said of Jesus. Here is what John wrote about Him in John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John wanted us to know that the One who gave His life for our salvation, was the eternal Son of God. In John 8:58 Jesus said: “Before Abraham was I am.” This was another way of proclaiming that He has existed from “everlasting to everlasting.” It tells us that Jesus will always be…period. When they crucified Jesus, they thought that the world was through with Him. But Jesus arose three days after He was buried, proving that He was still alive and that the world would never be through with Him. Jesus is alive today and working in the world to bring people to Himself. We can sing with joy and inspiration: “He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today….You ask me how I know He lives…He lives within my heart.” Put leads me to: It tells us that Jesus wants to be alive in our lives. He wants to save people and take them into eternity with Him. Jesus made a great promise to those who trust in Him in John 14:2-3: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” The wonderful thing is that Jesus loved us enough to come from eternity into the world to save us from our sins. For that reason, we need to give praise to “The Everlasting Father.” Pause and praise Him now! Bro. Joe ,“…His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, The Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace.”
Jesus is described as “The Mighty God.” I want to share some incidents from the New Testament that show that Jesus is indeed The Mighty God. In John 2, Jesus attended a wedding in Cana of Galilee. During the course of the wedding they ran out of wine. His mother, Mary, suggested that He supply the wine. They filled six water jars with water. (The jars held twenty to thirty gallons.) Jesus made an impossible transition by turning the water into wine. I don’t know a lot about wine, but I know that water cannot be turned into wine. This is something that only God can do. In Mark 4, Jesus was with His disciples on the Sea of Galilee when a ferocious storm came up and the small fisherman’s boat was about to sink. Jesus was asleep on the stern of the boat. The disciples woke Him up and said, “Don’t you care that we are about to perish.” Verse 39 tells us what Jesus did: “And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, peace be still.” Immediately the wind ceased and sea was calm. Afterward His disciples said, “What manner of man is this, that event the wind and the sea obey Him.” This was something that only The Mighty God, promised in Isaiah 9:6, could do. In Matthew 14, Jesus’ disciples were again encountering rough water on the Sea of Galilee. At about three o’clock in the morning Jesus came to them walking on the water. They were afraid so Jesus said to them: “Be of good cheer, it is I do not be afraid.” Simon Peter, ever to one to speak up, asked that Jesus let him walk on the water to Him. Jesus beckoned Peter to walk on the water toward Him. As he did, he noticed the winds and waves and began to sink. He asked Jesus to save Him. Jesus took Peter’s hand and lifted him out of the swirling sea. The point here is that only The Mighty God could walk on water and enable Peter to do the same. In Matthew 14, immediately before the incident mentioned above, Jesus did something that was humanly impossible. There were five-thousand, or more, people who had followed Jesus into the country to be taught by Him. There was no food feed this crowd, so Jesus took what food they had, five small barley loaves and two small fish, and fed the whole crowd. Only Thr Mighty God could multiply this small fare to feed so many people. I trust that these incidents have illustrated what Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah as The Mighty God. Bro. Joe |
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