12.04.16~“The Good News of God’s Lamb!”
About 2700 years ago, two of God’s prophets wrote about the future birth of a male child to a virgin, in Bethlehem, in Judea.
Isaiah 7:14, “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.”
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 of old, from ancient times. "
About 700 years after these prophecies were made, a young woman, said to be a virgin, gave birth to a male child in Bethlehem, in Judea.
The baby was given the name Jesus and He was called Immanuel [God with us]. This child would be the source of salvation for all mankind, the fullness of God in human flesh, just as God had told the world ahead of time, so it would believe and trust in God’s Son, Jesus, the Christ [Messiah], for salvation.
Some Rabbis, long before the birth of Jesus, wrote,“The Messiah is to have no earthy father. The birth of the Messiah will be like that of no other man.”
Genesis 2:7 says Adam, was formed from the dirt of the ground by the hands of God, life was breathed into him by God. God then formed Eve from Adam’s flesh, and brought her to him as a helpmate, perfect for him.
All humans since Adam and Eve have been born of a man and a woman, that is, all but One!
Matthew 1:18-21... Notice, Mary was pregnant “before [she and Joseph) came together” (before they had a sexual relationship), i.e., Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant with Jesus, her conception by the Holy Spirit is a great and marvelous mystery.
Joseph was a good man and a devout worshipper of God, he clearly did not want to publicly expose Mary in her “sinful condition” [pregnant out of wedlock = adultery = stoning], so Joseph considered how he might “put her away quietly,” i.e., divorce her, and send her away.
While Joseph was struggling with the situation, an angel came to him in a dream (v. 20); the angel declared that Mary’s pregnancy was from God, and in fact Mary would have a son (v. 21), and also that Joseph (although not the biological father) would have the responsibility for naming the baby the name given him by God.
Jesus [Yeshua] means “Jehovah saves" or "God's salvation,” God’s Son came to be our Savior; Joseph was divinely chosen to raise Him as a his own son; although, Joseph is never directly called the father of Jesus, and Jesus is never directly called the son of Joseph.
Matthew 1:16, “Jacob [was] the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Luke 3:23, “Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was the son, so it was thought [as was supposed], of Joseph, the son of Heli” [Joseph’s father-in-law, Mary’s father].
Matthew 1:22-23... The virgin birth was predicted in the OT “All this” (v. 22) refers to the specific facts spoken through Isaiah and Micah; the greatest being that the mother of God’s Son would be a virgin, the Father is God Himself.
When God made Adam He commanded him (Genesis 2:17), “not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
In Genesis 3:6-19 we are told what happened. Adam and Eve ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing sin’s consequences upon them and all of mankind. Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent, and God then (vv. 14-15) curses the serpent, saying He will put enmity [hostility] between the offspring of the serpent and a certain male offspring of the woman, who will crush the serpent’s head.
God makes it clear throughout the OT, that the Savior of the world, the Messiah, would be born to a woman who was an ancestor of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and King David (Joseph, Matthew 1:6, through Solomon; Mary, Luke 3:31, through Nathan).
Isaiah 53:5-8 tells us that God’s punishment for sin would be placed upon Christ, God’s Servant-Son, Who would be pierced for our sins; sovereignly led like a lamb to the slaughter, being put to death in our place.
See Luke 2:19... Mary treasured up all that had happened: the angel’s announcement, Joseph’s response to her pregnancy, Elizabeth’s greeting, the shepherds proclamation of the Savior being born in Bethlehem; quite a bit for a teenage girl to consider, yet there was more (see Luke 2:21-35).
Mary had birthed God’s Son, the consolation of Israel, she would raise Him and love Him, knowing that through Him salvation would come to the whole world; although His own people the Jews would reject Him, and her own soul would be pierced as with a a sword.
In John 1:29, seeing Jesus coming toward him, John said, “Look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Philippians 2:5-11 tells us, through Jesus Christ, God put on flesh, that He might go to the cross, shedding His own blood, even dying for us.
Hebrews 9:15 tells us that Christ “died as a ransom to set [us] free” from the penalty we deserve for our sin; verse 22 declares, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness,” and for that reason (v. 26), “Christ has appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” (v. 28), “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people.” (i.e., most people will not believe in Him).
Hebrews 10:4, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” [therefore] (v.10), “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,” (v. 14), “by the one sacrifice [God] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy,” (v. 17), quoting from (Jeremiah 31:34) says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more”.
Romans 4:25, “He (Jesus Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
This child (God’s One and Only Son) was born that He might die for our sins, an innocent lamb sent to slaughter, but He could not be kept in the grave because He is God.
In Revelation 1:8, Jesus, fully God, says, ”I am the Alpha and the Omega,”... ...”who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” 18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!.”
There is not a more important message for you and I to share with those we love and care about, then this (1John 5:11-12), "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus Christ is the Savior to Whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. Do you have God’s peace about your own salvation? 1John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
What about those you love and care about? Do they know that Christmas celebrates the birth of the Savior, God’s Lamb. Jesus was born that He might die for you, for me, and for all who would believe in Him? Do those you love and care about know that Easter celebrates the victory of God’s Lamb, God’s Son, over sin, death and judgement? He did this so that everyone who repents of their sin and believes in Him, will saved to eternal life.
The greatest thing you or I can give to anyone is the Good News of God’s Lamb. Prophesied in the Old Testament, Born to Mary in Bethlehem, Baptized by John in the Jordan, Commissioned by God the Father (Matthew 3:17), “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased,” (Matthew 17:5), “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Jesus Christ: Crucified, Resurrected, and Coming Again; and that is why we are able celebrate and exclaim, Merry Christmas!
Pastor Mike <‘(((><