Thursday, December 23, 2004

Christmas Meditation

Christmas Meditation

John 1:14 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.

Our faith is particularly glorious. Many religions claim to have a prophet sent from heaven. And we have a great prophet, for Jesus truly is our prophet, priest and king. But if he is not Emmanuel, then He is the very worst of all the prophets, for he claims the Father as His Father. He told Thomas that if he had seen him, he had seen the Father.

Many men have seen the prophets of the earth. Through the ages, there have been many religious men, mighty men, emperors and kings to whom men seek to give great honor. These have received adulation and many have come to be worshipped as very gods themselves. But none of them are Emmanuel, begotten of God, very God of very God, very light of very light. Begotten, not made, full of grace and truth. The religions of the world seek to honor men as those men prove that they are worthy to be honored. But the one sent from heaven is full of grace and truth. He bestows honor on man because he has come to save him from his sins and set him free from sin and misery. It is all of grace lest any man should boast of his own worth.

If you see Jesus, if you behold him in spirit and in truth, then you have come to the know grace and truth. And it is not a special knowledge, a gnosis, that only a few can know. No, like the wise men, all that look upon this baby king in faith have come to see that God is with us. God has been kind to send Himself from heaven that He might take us to heaven. The Father’s grace is bestowed through the advent of His Son and continues with us through the Spirit of the Father and the Son. If you believe that Jesus is Emmanuel, if you believe that in Him, the power of the law to condemn is condemned, then you, like Him, will also be full of grace and truth. And this speaks to the glory of Emmanuel. God is with us. Let us rejoice and be glad.

Christmas Meditation

Luke 2:21 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

When Mary and Joseph brough Jesus to the temple to have Him circumcised, they came in faith. It was not uncommon that a Hebrew child should be named Jesus(Latin), or Joshua, for the Jews believed that Yahweh would most certainly save. And so Jews named their children Joshua, Jesus in faith believing that God would supply the promises of their salvation and would deliver them, and this child that they brought to be circumcised, from all their enemies. But Mary had much greater faith. For her child was not to be saved but to be Savior, as was foretold by Zacharias when John was born.

Luke 1:68-75 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

So Mary named her child, not God will save us, but God, the Savior. And she believed and she treasured these things in her heart. So, let us believe that Jesus will save us. Treasure these things in your heart.

Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, Father of our Lord Jesus, the Savior of the World. Grant that we would treasure this truth in our hearts and live this truth out in our homes. May the grace of Christ that was given to the world be present in us by Your great mercy. Let us not look to a man-made salvation but cling tight to all of Your promises to us in Jesus Christ, in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen. And may we walk in this great light for the Dayspring from on high has visited us and illuminated our souls. We thank You for Jesus, our Savior. Amen.