Who is Jesus?
For most people here in North America where I live and indeed in the western nations of the world. Christmas is a family time. A time to show our love and to exchange gifts as a token of that love.
We think of Christmas trees, Father Christmas and good food.
When we think of the religious aspect of Christmas we think of the traditional concept of the baby Jesus laying in a manger. His parents Mary and Joseph along with the shepherds and the wise men standing around. A beautiful and quaint scene. That for many has great meaning.
But just who is this Jesus who’s birth we celebrate?
Luke’s gospel tells us,
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:1-7.
The apostle John’s gospel speaking in spiritually puts it this way,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
Jesus is more than that baby lying in a manger. More than a good man or great moral teacher. John the Baptist said of Jesus,
...“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
The writer of Hebrews speaking of Jesus tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” ?
Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Hebrews 1:1-9.
Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. He came to this earth with one purpose to show how far God would go to reconcile man to himself.
God knew man could not live a life holy enough to stand before him. Man by his nature sins. Sin is falling short of what God wants for our life. Even the best of people do things wrong and fall short of what God would want for them. That’s why God in the form of Jesus came to this world to offer us hope. The apostle Paul writing,
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:5-8.
God truly love each and every individual that is why he came. To offer each individual eternal life with him.
The apostle John says of Jesus,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13.
Are you a child of God?
Do you believe Jesus is the one and only Son of God, the Saviour of Mankind?
Please think about it.
For most people here in North America where I live and indeed in the western nations of the world. Christmas is a family time. A time to show our love and to exchange gifts as a token of that love.
We think of Christmas trees, Father Christmas and good food.
When we think of the religious aspect of Christmas we think of the traditional concept of the baby Jesus laying in a manger. His parents Mary and Joseph along with the shepherds and the wise men standing around. A beautiful and quaint scene. That for many has great meaning.
But just who is this Jesus who’s birth we celebrate?
Luke’s gospel tells us,
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:1-7.
The apostle John’s gospel speaking in spiritually puts it this way,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14.
Jesus is more than that baby lying in a manger. More than a good man or great moral teacher. John the Baptist said of Jesus,
...“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
The writer of Hebrews speaking of Jesus tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father’” ?
Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Hebrews 1:1-9.
Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. He came to this earth with one purpose to show how far God would go to reconcile man to himself.
God knew man could not live a life holy enough to stand before him. Man by his nature sins. Sin is falling short of what God wants for our life. Even the best of people do things wrong and fall short of what God would want for them. That’s why God in the form of Jesus came to this world to offer us hope. The apostle Paul writing,
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:5-8.
God truly love each and every individual that is why he came. To offer each individual eternal life with him.
The apostle John says of Jesus,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13.
Are you a child of God?
Do you believe Jesus is the one and only Son of God, the Saviour of Mankind?
Please think about it.
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