Christmas Journeys

To you who are familiar with the blessed account of the birth of Christ I propose a question. Has it ever occurred to you how many journeys surround the story of our Lord’s birth? We are familiar with the journey that the wise men made to worship the Christ child, and we are familiar with the journey that the shepherds made to see the King of kings. But did you know that there are at least seven journeys connected with the narrative of the Saviour’s birth? I will give you each of these journeys along with a lesson we can learn from each one.

1. In Luke 1:11-20, the angel Gabriel journeyed from heaven to the temple in Jerusalem. He had a message to give to Zacharias the priest. This journey took place more than a year prior to Christ’s birth. Zacharias was told that he and his wife Elisabeth would bear a son and that his name would be John. Zacharias and his wife were old, well past child bearing age. Nevertheless, she conceived in her old age, bringing forth John the Baptist. The lesson learned from this journey is that of doubt, for Zacharias doubted the word of God. For this he struck dumb until he believed what God said.
2. In Luke 1:26-38, the angel Gabriel makes yet another journey. This time, he journeys from heaven to Nazareth to give a message to a virgin whose name was Mary. He told Mary that she would bring forth a son and that her son would be called the Son of the Highest. Mary, though a virgin, conceived and brought forth her firstborn son. Contrary to Gabriel’s journey to Zacharias, the lesson learned from Gabriel’s journey to the virgin Mary is the lesson of faith. Where Zacharias could not believe, Mary certainly believed. Though, like Zacharias, she questioned Gabriel, it must be told that she also affirmed Gabriel’s word, saying, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”
3. In Luke 1:39-56, Mary journeyed from Nazareth to the house of Zacharias and Elisabeth in the hill country of Judæa. Mary stayed with her cousin Elisabeth for three months. The lesson learned from this journey is the lesson of joy. Mary and Elisabeth rejoiced in the promise of God. God promised both Mary and Elisabeth a child. Elisabeth was seemingly too old to have a child, yet God miraculously gave her a son. Mary was seemingly too young to have a child, being a virgin. Yet when the promise of God came to them, they rejoiced together. This Christmas and every day, the saint of God has much about which to rejoice. Notice that Mary and Elisabeth did not wait until they held their babies in their arms to rejoice and praise God. They praised God at the promise alone. Just the word of God alone is sufficient for every Christian to rejoice.
4. In Luke 2:1-7, Mary and Joseph make a journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The lesson in this journey is the message regarding the sovereignty of God. It is written in the Old Testament, in Micah 5:2, that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph may or may not have known this. Mary and Joseph, lived in the Galilean city of Nazareth. As the time draws near for Christ to be born, the Bible reader may wonder how Jesus is going to be born in Bethlehem if Mary and Joseph abide yet in Nazareth. Have no fear; God is sovereign! God is in control! If God said it, it will happen precisely as God said! Prophecy that God writes is more accurate than history that man writes! Cæsar Augustus, under the influence of the God of heaven, issued a decree that the whole world was to be taxed. I am convinced that God put it in his heart to decree such a taxation. As the result of this decree of taxation, the whole world was traveling from one place to another. Why all the hustle and bustle? The average person of that day would have responded that the hustle and bustle was for the purpose of taxation. From the standpoint of heaven, however, the world was on the move so that one baby boy could be born in Bethlehem! Never forget that God is in control.
5. In Luke 2:8-20, shepherds were in the field, keeping watch over their sheep by night. Suddenly, a heavenly host appeared to them, bringing them good tidings of great joy – that a Saviour had been born in Bethlehem. The angels told them that they would find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. So, in reply the angelic declaration, the shepherds departed for a journey to Bethlehem. The lesson learned in this journey was comfort. “Fear not,” the angel said to the shepherds. There is much to fear outside of Christ, but with Christ, and in Christ, there is nothing for the believer to fear.
6. In Matthew 2:1-12, wise men journeyed from the east to worship the Christ child. Of course, the lesson learned here is the lesson of worship. We do not know how many wise men there were. Many assume that there were three wise men because they brought three gifts. But the Bible does not say. Also, the wise men, though they did make it to Bethlehem, they did not make it to the manger. Matthew 2:11 tells us that they were “come into the house.” Evidently, by the time the wise men arrived, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were lodging in a house. The wise men expressed their worship to Christ in two ways. First, they worshipped by going; second, they worshipped by giving. Worship that is convenient is not really worship. Worship that costs nothing is worship that is worth nothing. If we are to truly worship, it must come from a heart that shows how much we love Him by going to the lost, and by giving to the needs of others.
7. The final journey of the Christmas story is the most important journey of all. This journey is the reason for all the other journeys that surround the Christmas story. The Saviour of the world, forsaking the ivory palaces of heaven, journeyed to this cold, dark, wicked world. Had Christ been born in a palace, He would have taken an incredible step down to do so. But He went further down than that! He was despised, rejected, and poor in this world that you and I might be rich in Him. At Christ's first coming, there were many journeys taken by men and angels. Now, Christ's second coming is near, and there is a journey that accompanies it. Only the saved by grace – the washed in the blood – the redeemed of the earth – the sanctified throng – are going. Everyone else will be left to face the wrath of God. Be ready to meet Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

Simple Truths Regarding the Deity of Christ

1. The word “deity” is defined by Noah Webster as “Godhead; divinity; nature and essence of the Supreme Being.” When I speak of the deity of Christ, I am speaking of the fact that Jesus Christ is God Almighty. In this post, I will refer to the “incarnation” of Christ, which is the act of God becoming man.
2. The doctrine of the deity of Christ is one of utmost importance. In II John, John speaks of the “doctrine of Christ” (II John 9). A person’s “doctrine of Christ” is simply what that person believes about the person of Jesus Christ. John goes on to tell us about those who “abide not in the doctrine of Christ.” He is speaking of those who do not believe the truth regarding who Jesus Christ is. John says that if they do not believe the right teaching about Jesus Christ, receive them not into your house (II John 10). For this reason, if a person denies the deity of Christ, it affects the possibility of fellowship I would otherwise enjoy with this individual.
3. Jesus Christ is not merely a prophet, as Muslims teach. Jesus Christ is not just “a god,” as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. Jesus Christ is not a created being, as those in the so-called “Gospel Assembly” teach. A brief study will show that nearly all cults have a perverted view of the person of Christ.
4. Though Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16-17), it is not enough to teach that Christ is only the Son of God. I know of some who readily admit that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but they have a problem admitting that Jesus Christ is God.
5. In the first chapter of the book of Hebrews, we are told of a conversation between the Father and the Son. In this conversation, the Father refers to the Son as God. “Thy throne, O God,” the Father tells the Son, “is for ever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8). Jesus Christ is not just the Son of God; He is God! God the Father said so!
6. Before I was born, I did not exist. Before you were born, you did not exist. However, though these statements are factual in regard to mortal man, they are not accurate in describing the person of Jesus Christ. Christ, unlike any other man, existed before He was born. Before Christ was born, He was “the Word” who was with God, and who was God (John 1:1). Christ was equal with the Father before He took upon Himself human form.
7. There are those who agree that Christ was God before He was born in the flesh. “But when Christ was conceived in the womb of Mary,” they say, “He ceased to be God.” This is complete falsehood. There is no doubt that Christ humbled Himself to forsake the ivory palaces of heaven and come to this cold, wicked world (Philippians 2:8). Theologians for centuries have attempted to describe the self-emptying, the immense humiliation of our Saviour when Deity put on a robe of flesh. I have often said if Christ had come to this earth to live in a palace, he would have taken an incredible step down to do so. But He went further down than that! It is certain that Christ humbled Himself to become a man. But to conclude that Christ was less than God while upon this earth is to preach heresy. Isaiah prophesied of Christ’s birth. In Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah said, “Unto us a child is born!” Isaiah is prophesying here about Christ’s birth. Isaiah goes on to give a list of names whereby Christ would be called. One of those is “the Mighty God!” Isaiah was not talking about Christ before His birth; Isaiah was not talking about Christ after He ascended to heaven; Isaiah plainly tells us that, at His birth, Christ would be called the Mighty God! Christ was the Mighty God the moment He was born. Christ’s coming in the flesh did not cause Him to cease to be God. When Matthew wrote about Christ’s birth, he reminds us that Christ’s birth was a fulfillment of another prophecy of Isaiah – Isaiah 7:14 – “…they shall call His name Emmanuel.” What does Emmanuel mean? Matthew gives us the interpretation in Matthew 1:23 – “God with us.” Again, Matthew is recording Christ’s birth. At His birth, Jesus Christ was “the Mighty God” – “God with us.” If your theology has Christ being less than God while in the flesh, your doctrine is as dead wrong as it can be.
8. Christ, while living in the flesh upon this earth, was simultaneously God and man. He was just as much God as He was human. Yet He was just as much human as He was God. This is a paradox indeed. God is not a man (Numbers 23:19). Man is certainly not God (Psalm 8:4-5). Yet God became a man. Explaining it to the point of satisfaction is an impossibility. The fact of God becoming a man, without losing, giving up, or laying aside His deity, is a mystery indeed (I Timothy 3:16). Though the most brilliant of minds is incapable of fully grasping the truth of the incarnation, we must not allow this incapability to cause us to doubt or disbelieve it. Someone once asked Daniel Webster if he could understand how Jesus Christ could be both God and man. Webster replied, “So conscious am I of the fact that I am a sinner; so keen is my conviction for sin; so great is my realization that I need a Saviour who is greater than I; I must have One whom I cannot understand as my Saviour. If I could understand Jesus Christ, He would be no greater than I. I do not understand how He could be both God and man, but I firmly believe it.”

Celebrating Christmas - Part 2

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Emphasizing the Birth of Christ – Is it Wrong?

I spoke in my previous post about the radio minister I heard recently while in commute. I told how his entire message could be summarized in explaining why it is wrong to emphasize the birth of Christ. His message was not that it is wrong to put up a Christmas tree; or that it is wrong to teach your children about Santa Claus; or that it is wrong to exchange gifts – the man actually preached that it is wrong for a preacher to emphasize the birth of Christ in his preaching! Rejoicing in the fact that God had become a man to put away our sins, according to this man, is a sin!

As for these people who hate the acknowledging of Christ’s birth – I do not understand them! I could take one month out of the year, and emphasize fasting and prayer, and that would be fine, according to them. I could take a month out of the year, and acknowledge the individuals who founded our church, or the pioneers of our movement, and that would be fine. But if I take a month out of the year, emphasizing and acknowledging that Jesus Christ the Son of God took upon Himself a body that it might be broken for my salvation – THAT WOULD BE A SIN! This would be funny if it were not sad.

I have good news for individuals like this man. Listen to me very closely. I preach the whole counsel of God. I preach the birth of our Lord, as well as the death. I preach His first coming, as well as His second coming. I preach about the need for children of God to be filled with the Spirit of God for the purpose of soul winning. I preach about Christ’s miracles that He performed. I preach about God’s plan for the nation of Israel. I preach against sin, whether individual iniquities or national immoralities. I preach the blood of Christ, as well His resurrection. You may limit yourself, but you shall not limit my preaching. I preach it all! The birth of Christ may be off limits to you, but to us who preach the entire Bible, we will declare that God Almighty became a man! And if we get carried away in this blessed thought, we may take the next six months to sing and preach about the birth of Christ! No aspect of Christ’s being; no subject of Christ’s person; no event in Christ’s life; no teaching from Christ’s lips; and no actions from Christ’s example is a sin for us to proclaim – and proclaim it we will!

The Deity of Christ

I beg the reader to stay with me a little longer. In my previous post, I made mention of the so-called Jehovah’s Witnesses. I explained that this cultish group is completely against the acknowledging of the birth of Christ.

I find it interesting that this same group who hates any emphasis brought upon the birth of Christ also denies the deity of Christ. The Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to honor the Lord’s birth – and they also flatly deny that Christ ever was, is, or ever will be God Almighty. You may get a Jehovah’s Witness to refer to Christ as the Son of God, but you will never get a Jehovah’s Witness to admit that Christ is God!

I have seen this trend in other circles, not just within the “Kingdom Hall.” If you are reading this and you are a Christmas hater, let me ask you a simple question, and I will ask you personally if you contact me regarding this post – “Is Jesus God?”

Some teach that Jesus was God before He was born, but when Christ was born of the flesh, He ceased to be God. NONSENSE! If these people would just read the story of Christ’s birth, they would know better than that! Yes, Christ was God before He was born. But He was still God Almighty when He was born of the virgin Mary. Look at one of Isaiah’s prophecies regarding the birth of Christ:

Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

This prophecy speaks specifically of Christ’s birth. The name of the child would be called Immanuel. Someone tell me the meaning of “Immanuel.” Matthew tells us. Listen to him:

Matthew 1:22-23 – “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord 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.”

Jesus is GOD WITH US – not at His death; not at His resurrection; not in heaven before His conception – but AT HIS BIRTH! No wonder the Jehovah’s Witnesses miss this. They’re not too fond of the birth of Christ!

Let us examine another prophecy of Isaiah regarding Christ’s birth:

Isaiah 9:6-7 – “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Notice again, the prophecy is specifically regarding the birth of Christ – “Unto us a child is born,” the prophet says. At His birth, what is the name given to Christ? “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, THE MIGHTY GOD…” Did you see that?

Christ is called the Mighty God – not at His death; not at His resurrection; not in heaven before His conception – but at His birth! Christ did not cease to be God when He was born. Anyone who teaches this is a false teacher, and it would be wise to refuse them the time of day. Jehovah’s Witnesses would not be so mixed up if they’d only grow fond enough of the birth of Christ to study it!

Look with me at one more passage found in Hebrews 1:

Hebrews 1:6 – “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

The “He” in this verse is God the Father. The verse deals specifically with the birth of Christ. When “He,” that is, the Father, brought His first begotten (Jesus Christ) into the world, He commanded all the angels to worship His Son. Notice two verses later, the Father is still speaking:

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Look at it closely – the Father speaks to His Son, and says, “Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever.” Who said that Jesus Christ the Son is God? God the Father says so! In Hebrews 1:8, the Father Himself refers to His Son as being God.

This verse also answers the question, “How long will the Son be God?” Just until He is born in the flesh? Just until He dies on the cross? Just until His resurrection? Just until He comes again? How long does the Father acknowledge that His Son is God?

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is FOR EVER AND EVER!”

Isn’t that simple? The Father declares the Son to be God, and declares Him to be God eternally. If the Jehovah’s Witnesses would stop bashing the birth of Christ long enough to study it, they would see that the Son of God is God the Son, and He is God eternally!

A Final Plea to Christians who Hate Christmas

To those Christians who do not celebrate Christmas in any way, let me say first that if you have been born again, having a genuine salvation experience, I consider you my brother or sister in Christ. It does not bother me that you do not celebrate Christmas. I do not care whether or not you put up a Christmas tree. I do not care if you set aside this time of year to reflect on the birth of Christ, or if you do not.

However, I must ask you the question, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, but that He is also God Almighty?” If you have trouble referring to Jesus as God, then I will have trouble extending a hand of fellowship to you. A study of the birth of Christ would reveal to you that Christ was God before His birth, at His birth, during His earthly life, during His death, at His resurrection, and at the right hand of the Father. He never ceased to be God, and never will. If you stutter and stammer at these truths and cannot say flatly that Jesus Christ is God Almighty, no questions asked, then you have serious problems. Your Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.

I would leave you a word of warning:

Colossians 2:16 – “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”

You may not celebrate Christmas, and that is your prerogative. But when you judge someone in respect of a “holyday,” you are in disobedience to the scriptures. There are many who celebrate the birth of Christ during this time of year – and say what you will - whether you like it or not, they are not pagan. They are not worshipping the virgin Mary. They are simply rejoicing in a Biblical truth. You may respond by saying that if someone is merely honoring the birth of Christ, shouldn’t they honor it throughout the year? That is a good point, and I personally honor the birth of Christ throughout the year. But listen to the words of Paul the apostle:

Romans 14:5 – “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”

If your only complaint with someone acknowledging the birth of Christ during this time of year is that some do not acknowledge it year round, then remember – Paul the apostle says that it is perfectly acceptable to esteem one day above another!

In a final word of warning to Christians who refuse to celebrate Christmas, I would advise you to guard against any belief of yours to become a source of pride. If your stance of refusing to celebrate Christmas causes you to look down your nose at someone else, boasting of your spiritual state which is superior to theirs, you are DEAD WRONG even if you are right. If you are sold on the thought that refusing to celebrate Christmas is the correct teaching of the Bible, then I would remind you that having a good spirit every bit as important as having the right doctrine.

CONCLUSION

Yes, I celebrate Christmas. I exalt the Son of God as being God the Son. I am absolutely amazed at the love I see when the Son, in unison with the Father, agreed to take upon Himself a body for one primary purpose – that my sins would be laid upon that body, and that He who knew no sin would die for them! I am astounded that Christ would leave the splendor of heaven’s portals to come to this cold, dark world to bear my sins in His body, willingly dying for them!

I have often said that if Christ had been born in a palace, He would have taken an incredible step down! But Christ went further down than that! He left the glories of heaven to be a pauper! And excuse me for rejoicing in this great thought! I will continue to do so! I pity anyone who believes it is a sin to rejoice in such a great truth! How blinded they must be! They do not know a blessing when they see one!

I close with the words of Henry Barraclough:

Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe;
Only His great, eternal love
Made my Saviour go.

Go to Part 1

Celebrating Christmas - Part 1

To anyone who begins reading this post, my only request is that you read both parts in their entirety. Please do not contact me regarding its contents until you have read both parts in full.

“Do you celebrate Christmas?” That is the question that people often ask me at this time of year. Before I can give a clear answer, we must have a clear question; and the fact is, we do not. Making the question clear centers around defining clearly what is meant by the phrase, “celebrating Christmas.”

By “celebrating Christmas,” if you mean, “participating in the ancient, annual pagan festivals that occurred around the 25th of December,” then, no, I do not celebrate Christmas. If “celebrating Christmas” means “celebrating Santa Claus,” then, no, I do not celebrate Christmas. If “celebrating Christmas” means “exalting the virgin Mary to a place of deity,” as our Catholic friends do, then, no, I do not celebrate Christmas.

But, if by the term, “celebrating Christmas,” you mean “rejoicing in the fact that God Almighty humbled Himself, taking upon Himself human form; taking time to worship Jesus Christ, remembering that He willingly left the splendor of heaven to live in this cold, dark world, ultimately sacrificing His own life that we might live,” then, YES, I most certainly do celebrate Christmas!

Some Hate the Message of the Birth of Christ

Just down the road from my church, there is a cultish organization, known as the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. These so-called witnesses of Jehovah, among other ludicrous beliefs, absolutely hate the idea of anyone taking time to acknowledge the birth of Jesus Christ. I will mention this group again later, but for now, just know that they hate the idea of “celebrating Christmas.”

While driving down the road about two weeks ago, I was listening to a minister preach a sermon on the radio. I do not know the name of the minister, nor the station to which I was listening. But the man’s entire sermon was centered on the evils of acknowledging the birth of Christ. I do not know how many lost sinners were converted through this message, but I can give a good guess.

The Apostles Never Preached the Birth of Christ…REALLY?

As for the radio minister I just mentioned, one of his reasons for hating the mention of Christ’s birth was that the apostles never preached the birth of Christ. And, Christ never commissioned us to preach the birth of Christ. The apostles were always preaching the resurrection of Christ.

Okay, let us examine this for a moment. First of all, it doesn’t take much to see the hypocrisy of this statement. This radio minister just told us that the apostles never preached the birth of Christ, and that is his reason for not preaching the birth of Christ. My question to him – Did the apostles ever preach the forbiddance of preaching Christ’s birth? The answer is no. So, if this minister is going to neglect to exalt Christ’s birth because the apostles never did, then he should neglect to condemn the exaltation of Christ’s birth, because the apostles never condemned it!

Second of all, this minister’s assumption that the apostles never emphasized the birth of Christ is simply dead wrong. All four of the gospel accounts recorded the fact of Christ’s coming into this world. Matthew and Luke give detailed accounts the story of Christ’s birth. John opens His gospel account with Jesus Christ being the Word.

John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John furthermore explains that the Word was made flesh.

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.”

When was the Word made flesh? The answer is simple – at His conception and birth. John noted that God had been born in the flesh.

Mark makes mention of the fact that Jesus CAME in Mark 10:45. When did Jesus COME? He came when we was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary.

Paul, the apostle who wrote the greater part of the New Testament, spoke of Christ’s coming in the flesh.

Romans 1:3 – “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.”

Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

Philippians 2:5-8 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

I Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Peter, in I Peter 4:1, speaks specifically of Christ’s suffering IN THE FLESH.

The Hebrew writer makes several references to the birth of Christ.

Hebrews 1:6 – “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

Hebrews 2:9 – “But we see Jesus, WHO WAS MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Hebrews 2:16 – “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”

Hebrews 10:5 – “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.”

John the apostle, not only in his gospel account, but also in his first epistle, makes reference to Christ being manifested. When was Christ MANIFESTED? You got it – at this conception and birth.

I John 1:1-2 – “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

I John 3:5 – “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

I John 3:8 – “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

In addition to his gospel account and epistles, John the apostle gives a detailed perspective on the birth of the man child, Jesus Christ, in Revelation 12.

The fact of the matter is that nearly every New Testament writer, at one point or another, emphasized the great truth that God had become man. So, the claim that the apostles never recognized the birth of Christ is absurd, to put it in a nice way.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Go to Part 2

There's a Song in the Air!

There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a baby’s low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king!*

One of greatest scenes in all of history is the one of the most silent scenes in all of history. A babe lay in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Perhaps ignorance caused the world to be silent. The angels knew who the child was, and they rejoiced. The world, however, knew not the child, and remained silent.

Though He were a stranger to the world at His birth, it has since been revealed to the world the reason Jesus Christ, the babe in the manger, came to this world. I rejoice when I think of how He came from glory into this wicked world. But, why the fuss? Why do the angels rejoice at His coming into this world? Why do we sing with jubilant voices to celebrate the time when God came to us in the flesh? The rejoicing is done and the fuss is made about the babe in the manger because of who the babe is, and what He has come to do. I wish to focus, in this post, on what the babe in the manger has come to do.

He Came to Seek and to Save that which is Lost
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

Amazing to me is how so many churches emphasize everything under the sun, except the salvation of the lost. This is supreme purpose for which Christ came. Christ did not come to baptize; He came to seek and to save. According to John 4:2, Jesus Himself did not baptize. Yet, so many churches believe and teach that baptism is what saves the soul from sin. If Jesus did not baptize, why do so many emphasize baptism as they do? Even Paul, according to I Corinthians 1, baptized very few. He declares, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel!” There are churches today that emphasize not merely baptism, but they emphasize what the preacher says before he puts you under the water! How sad. Christ did not come to initiate communion, to baptize, or to wash feet. Christ came to perform an extensive search for the wayward soul, and bring that soul into the fold!

Christ did not come to start a soup-kitchen, though feeding the hungry is something that Christians should do. Christ did not come to make men comfortable in this life. Christ did not come to establish an organization, association, or denomination. If anyone tells you that you must be a part of their denomination to be saved, RUN! Christ did come, however, to save men and women from sin and its penalty, and place them into His church. So many churches today focus on everything except the salvation of the lost. Some churches emphasize building programs, gymnasiums, youth activities, but very little actual outreach to the lost. They attempt to defeat the very purpose of the babe in the manger.

Luke 5:32 – “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

John 3:17 – “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 12:47 – “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”

I Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

He Came to Take Away Sins
It is often emphasized that Christ came to save men from hell. That is a correct statement, but it is not a complete statement. Christ did not come merely to save men from hell; Christ came to save men from sin. An angel told Joseph what to name the child, and why. Matthew 1:21 states, “…thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” It is not the will of God that His children be in bondage. His blood has power to deliver; the Holy Ghost has power to set free; the anointing has the ability to destroy every yoke of bondage. Be it the filth of cigarettes, the bondage of homosexuality, the scarlet sin of adultery, the forces of pornography, the curse of abortion, the muck and the mire of drugs and alcohol, Jesus did not come to save men and women, only to leave them in such ungodly conditions! The Son of God came to deliver and set men free!

John 1:29 – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

I John 3:5 – “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

He Was Born to Die
We say often of great singers, “They were born to sing;” or of great preachers, “He was born to preach.” While some, because of their great talent, were born to do this, or born to do that, Jesus Christ was literally born to die. His mission in life was simply – to die. Of course, to fulfil the plan of God, Christ had to be buried and rise again, but His death had to occur first. In dying, He paid off the account of our offences; in rising again, He justified us, declaring us to be innocent! He was wrapped in swaddling clothes by Joseph at His birth that He might be wrapped in grave clothes by another Joseph at His death! Jesus came to die!

Matthew 20:28 – “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

He Came to Give Life
It is the devil that destroys life; it is Christ that restores life. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; but I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly.” It is the devil that drags homosexual men down the death-awaiting path to HIV and AIDS; it is Christ who has all power to set them free from that lifestyle of death. It is the devil who drags young women down a path of guilt and immense depression, telling them that abortion is best; it is Christ, however, who can forgive such murderers and give them peace in their hearts. It is the devil who lures young men to pornography, leading them to a life of separation from their families; it is Christ, on the other hand, who can deliver from pornography, and restore families. It is the devil who convinces a man to spend his last five dollars on something to drink, letting his children go to bed hungry; Christ came to set the drunkard free! Christ came to give us life!

I John 3:8 – “…for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

I John 4:9 – “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

He Came to Be a Propitiation for Our Sins
Stated plainly, our sins make God angry. Many in our churches today have such a lax view of sin. But with God, sin is no laughing matter. Because of our sin, the Father required that the only way to pay for sin is death. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “The wages of sin is death.” But in His love toward us, God sent His Son into the world to bear the wrath of God upon Himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, never sinned in word, in thought, or in deed. He never apologized for anything, for it was never necessary.

Because of His sinlessness, and His substitutionary death (that is; He died for our sins, because He did not have to die for His own), the wrath of God is appeased in the work of Jesus Christ. At this point, if you go to hell now, you will go, not merely because of your sins, for they are paid in full. The individual who goes to hell now goes because He has rejected the work of Christ, the work with which the Father is satisfied. For this cause, Jesus said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” God was angry with mankind because of his sins. But the babe in the manger was sent from heaven to take those sins upon Himself, and die for them! This pleased the Father. His wrath was finally quieted. Because of this, those who trust Christ’s work completely are reconciled with the Father. There is no tension between the Father and me, because the cross of Christ silenced the wrath of God. Should you try to appease God’s wrath any other way than the cross of Christ; whether by good living, or by keeping commandments, or by going to church, or by giving in the offering, or anything else; God is still angry with you. The only work that cools his seething anger is the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross. The baby asleep on the hay is there with a mission – to calm the Father’s wrath and reconcile us back to God.

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”**

*Josiah G. Holland
**Charles Wesley

Something to Consider This Christmas

Jesus Christ forsook all the splendors of heaven to be born in this wicked world. Had Christ been born in a palace to reign as a king, He would have taken a tremendous step down to do so! But He went further down than that!

II Corinthians 8:9 - “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Merry Christmas to each and every reader!

Sankey Sang the Shepherd Song on Christmas Eve*

It happened that on Christmas Eve of the year 1875, Ira D. Sankey, to whom God had given wonderful power to sing the Gospel as he worked with Dwight L. Moody, was traveling by steamboat up the Delaware River.  It was a calm, starlit evening, and there were many passengers gathered on the deck.  Mr. Sankey was asked to sing; and, as always, he was perfectly willing to do so.  He stood there leaning against one of the great funnels of the boat, his eyes raised to the starry heavens in quiet prayer.  It was his intention to sing a Christmas song, but somehow he was driven to sing “The Shepherd Song”:

Saviour, like a shepherd lead us:

Much we need Thy tend’rest care;

In Thy pleasant pastures feed us;

For our use Thy folds prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,

Thou hast bought us; Thine we are.

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us;

Be the Guardian of our way:

Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us;

Seek us when we go astray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,

Hear, oh, hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us,

Poor and sinful though we be;

Thou hast mercy to relieve us,

Grace to cleanse and power to free.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,

We will early turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor;

Early let us do Thy will,

Blessed Lord and only Saviour,

With Thy love our bosoms fill.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,

Thou hast loved us, love us still.

There was a deep stillness.  Words and melody, welling from the singer’s soul, floated out over the deck and the quiet river.  Every heart was touched.  After the song was ended, a man with a rough, weather-beaten face came up to Mr. Sankey and asked, “Did you ever serve in the Union Army?”

“Yes,” answered Mr. Sankey, “in the spring of 1860.”

“Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright moonlight night in 1862?”

“Yes,” answered Mr. Sankey, very much surprised.

“So do I,” said the stranger; “but I was serving in the Confederate Army.  When I saw you standing at your post, I thought to myself, ‘That fellow will never get away from here alive.’  I raised my musket and took aim.  I was standing in the shadow, completely concealed, while the full light of the moon was falling on you.  At that instant, just as a moment ago, you raised your eyes to Heaven and began to sing.  Music, especially song, has always had a wonderful power over me, and I took my finger off the trigger.  ‘Let him sing his song to the end,’ I said to myself.  ‘I can shoot him afterwards.  He’s my victim at all events, and my bullet cannot miss him.’  But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now.  I heard the words perfectly,

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us;

Be the Guardian of our way.

“Those words stirred up memories in my heart.  I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother.  She had many, many times sung that song to me.  But she died all too soon; otherwise, much in my life would no doubt have been different.  When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim at you again.  I thought, ‘The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.’ – and my arm of its own accord dropped limply at my side.  Since that time I have wandered far; but when I saw you just now, standing there praying, as on that other occasion, I recognized you.  Then my heart was wounded by your song.  Now I wish you would help me find a cure for my sin-sick soul.”

Deeply moved, Mr. Sankey threw his arms about the man who in the days of the war had been his enemy.  And this Christmas Eve, the two went together to the manger in Bethlehem and to the Christ of the cross.  There the stranger found Him who is the only Saviour, the One of whom the angel and the prophet sang many centuries ago:

“And the angel of the Lord…said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:9-11

*Taken from Great Preaching on Christmas.  Sword of the Lord Publishers.  Murfreesboro, TN.  ©1988.  pp. 192-193.

The Body of Christ - Part 3

At this time, it is of utmost importance that we look at the body Christ received and lived in during His time upon the earth.

Jesus Christ Was Born of a Virgin

Perhaps the greatest miracle concerning the birth of Christ is the fact that He was born of a virgin. This fact is a cardinal truth of Christianity, and in no wise can it be compromised. No one who teaches otherwise is a Christian! To claim to believe any other way concerning Christ’s birth is to believe a lie! Look at the scriptures:

Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Matthew 1:22, 23 – “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord 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.”

I am fully aware that many of the newer versions of the Bible omit the word, “virgin,” replacing it with “young woman.” THIS IS WHY I HAVE PREACHED, AND CONTINUE TO PREACH, THAT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A KING JAMES BIBLE, YOU ARE IN DIRE NEED OF A BIBLE! If the only Bible you possess is a New International Version, a plain-Jane, dog-eared, King James, Gideon Bible would beat your so-called Bible all to pieces!

Yes, I believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Mary was a virgin when she brought forth her firstborn son, Jesus Christ. The atheist says, “That’s not scientific!” Well, I’ve got news for the atheist. The same atheist who says that the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is not scientific will turn around and say that the first human being was born of apes (or at least a non-human “missing link”). THAT’S NOT SCIENTIFIC EITHER! So, dear atheist, if you are going to discount the Bible because of its miracles, then quit being a hypocrite and denounce the goofy miracles of evolution and the big bang theory (neither of which are scientific).

“What is the big deal about the virgin birth?” you may ask. The virgin birth is of vital importance because it defines clearly who Jesus Christ is. Jesus Christ had a Father – but not an earthly father. Had Mary not been a virgin when Christ was born, then Christ’s father would be Joseph. But Christ’s father was NOT Joseph! Christ was not the son of Joseph; Christ was the Son of God!

Luke 1:35 – “And the angel answered and said unto her [Mary], The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

It would be good, at this time, to point out that Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh, was Mary’s Saviour! Mary made this claim! Had Mary not had a Saviour, she would have gone to hell. MARY WAS NOT IMMACULATE! Mary herself claimed to have had a Saviour!

Luke 1:46, 47 – “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Yes, the body that Jesus Christ received was a product of a virgin!

Christ’s Body Was Like Ours!

Romans 8:3 – “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

Philippians 2:7 – “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

It is another vital fact that Christ not only took upon Himself flesh, but He took upon Himself flesh like ours! He was made like me and you! He knows what it is to grow tired, to get hungry, to be betrayed by friends, to be mistreated, to be rejected, to pray in agony, to feel alone, to suffer physically, and to be poor. Everything you have ever suffered, whether you can comprehend it or not – our Saviour has experienced it!

Hebrews 2:17, 18 – “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

Hebrews 4:15 – “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.”

In His body, Christ suffered what we suffer. Yet He suffered it without sin. He suffered it without complaint. He suffered it, providing us an example of victory. His example of a holy life in a human body makes us inexcusable. The same Christ who lived holy in His body can live holy in yours! Two crucial facts concerning Christ’s body while upon the earth – His body was like ours; and in His body He was perfectly sinless!

Understanding that Christ’s body was like ours, we know that Christ was limited. Jesus Christ, the limitless God, voluntarily limited Himself by clothing Himself in a body. It is very difficult for us to grasp – the fact that Jesus Christ humbled Himself in such a manner. Scholars through the centuries have tried to explain this great humility of our Saviour, and most such endeavors are insufficient. Scholars call it the “self-emptying” of Christ. There are many debates concerning HOW Christ emptied Himself; and TO WHAT EXTENT Christ emptied Himself. But let us not forget the important fact – Christ took upon Himself a human body, limiting Himself in the flesh. He who was once omniscient humbled Himself, “increasing in wisdom.” He who was omnipresent confined Himself to one location in a human body.

Oh, how our great Saviour humbled Himself, departing from the ivory palaces of heaven to live in this dark world. No one will fully understand the demotion that Christ took to rescue mankind from our sins. May we stand in awe in His presence, dwelling upon such a great matter as this!

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Body of Christ - Part 2

Having seen to some degree the importance of the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had a body, I will continue to discuss this actual, physical body our Lord obtained.

The Body of Christ before His Birth

First, I want to look at the body Christ had before He was born. Jesus Christ did exist before He was born. No, I am not teaching the false idea that when Christ was born He was reincarnated. Reincarnation is a lie from hell. However, Christ did exist prior to His birth in the form of God. At His birth, He who was in the form of God took upon Himself the form of flesh – the form of a servant:

Philippians 2:6, 7 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

Christ existed before He was born. His existence was not in the form of an animal, another human being, or any earthly creature. He existed in the form of God!

Although Christ existed before He was born – He had no human body! His Father prepared Him a body. The scripture records this conversation between the Father and the Son, concerning the Son receiving a body. Before I look at this conversation, allow me to briefly discuss a couple of points that will benefit the reader.

God is Holy!

This is the forgotten attribute of God today. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, the heavenly hosts cried out, “Holy, holy, holy!” The church world today cries out, “Love, love, love!” But Isaiah beheld angelic beings acknowledging the holiness of God. Upon beholding God in his holiness, Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me! For I am undone!” In the first five chapters of Isaiah, we read where Isaiah cries out against the sins of various people. In Isaiah 3:9, he cries out, “Woe unto their [Jerusalem’s] soul!” In Isaiah 3:11, it was, “Woe unto the wicked!” In Isaiah 5:8, he cries, “Woe unto them that join house to house!” In Isaiah 5:11, he states, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink!” He continues in Isaiah 5:18, “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity.” In the same chapter, verse 20, Isaiah says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” This verse is followed by verse 21, where Isaiah says, “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes.” Then in verse 22, “Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine.” But when we come to Isaiah chapter 6, and Isaiah catches a glimpse of God Almighty upon His throne, the tone changes. It is no longer, “Woe unto this one,” and “woe unto that one!” Now, Isaiah’s heart’s cry is, “Woe is me! For I am undone!” God is so holy that even Isaiah the prophet, a good man, had to hide his face in the presence of a holy God. When I say God is holy, I am saying that God is spotless. God is pure. God is righteous. God is without any blemish of any kind. God is perfect, as far as you wish to spread that word. God is so holy that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in His sight!

Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

God is so holy and pure that when John the Revelator saw Him upon His majestic throne, the question rang out throughout the heavens, “Who is worthy to open the book?” The Father had a book in His hand, sealed with seven seals. No one in heaven and earth was found worthy to even OPEN A BOOK in the presence of a holy God! There was one who finally was found worthy, and it was Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God! I have heard people boast of their own sinlessness. How sick! I read on Facebook once where a man claimed to have gone 27 years without committing a single sin! However, when I read Revelation 5, and the question is asked, “Who is worthy to open the book?” none of these sinless people step forward! Let us get this straight – God is absolutely holy, and mankind is disgusting in His sight! Flesh reeks in the nostrils of God Almighty!

The Holy God of the Bible is Just, and He Hates Sin!

When I speak of God’s holiness, I am speaking jointly of God’s holy hatred toward sin. This is another point that so many ministers wish to skip over. But we must not avoid it. Sin is abominable in the sight of God Almighty. God is INTOLERANT toward sin. Offending God Almighty is serious business!

God is not only holy in his character; but He is also just in His dealings with sin. God will deal with sin. Sin will not be winked at; it will be recompensed. Mankind is guilty of sinning against a holy, just God. What should God do with us? I’ll tell you what God should do. If there were no gospel message; if Jesus had never come; if God Almighty had left us to ourselves; if God the Father would open up the earth, and swallow every human being into the pit of a dark, black hell – that would only be fair! That would be just and right.

“If God is just,” you say, “then why doesn’t He just cast us all into hell?” That brings us to this ever-important point.

A Conversation between the Father and the Son

Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was in heaven with the Father, equal with God. At some point before His birth, Jesus Christ the Son had a conversation with His Father about the very point we are discussing. In the following passage, we have the Son speaking to the Father:

Hebrews 10:5-7 – “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but A BODY HAST THOU PREPARED ME: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

The Son acknowledged to the Father that it was the Father’s will for a body to be prepared for the Son! Jesus would come to earth and be given a human body! The Son tells the Father, “A body hast thou prepared me!” I like that word, “prepared.” God the Father spent centuries preparing this body! He called Abraham out of the land of the Chaldees, to make a great nation of him! This great nation would be the people from which Christ’s body would come! Ruth left Moab to meet Boaz. Why? Because God the Father was preparing the Son a body! Samuel went to Jesse’s house; not just to anoint a king; but because God was preparing His Son a body! The righteous line that led to the birth of Christ was attacked by the enemy, but it was preserved by God the Father! The Father was preparing a body for His Son!

What is the big deal about the Son telling His Father, “A body hast thou prepared me”? Here are some important implications of this truth:

1) Jesus would take upon Himself a human body.

2) In this human body, Jesus would live a sinless life. This is extremely important.

3) Jesus would give His body to the wrath of His Father. God, who hates and must punish sin, would lash out in anger against His own, innocent, sinless, spotless, holy Son! Jesus wanted His Father to give Him a body so that His Father’s wrath could be poured out upon that body, instead of being poured out upon us! If Jesus had committed one sin in that body, He would not be able to die for us; He would have died for His own sin!

Yes, I am humbled to think that the Son of the living God, who is perfectly holy and innocent, would ask His Father for a body, for the sole purpose of bearing His Father’s wrath for me! What a Saviour!

The Body of Christ

God Became a Man!

Upon seeing the subject of this post, the reader may assume that I will write concerning the church of Jesus Christ. In assuming this, the reader is only partly right, as truths concerning the church constitute only a small part of the content herein.

I want to focus on the physical body of Jesus Christ for my subject today, and trust that the reader will be blessed.

I rejoice in the truth that God Almighty took upon Himself a human body. Had there been no body, there would have been no blood. And without the shedding of blood is no remission for sins. The scriptures also make quite an ordeal about God clothing Himself in humanity.

Matthew 1:23 – “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.”

John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…”

Romans 8:3 – “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

Philippians 2:5-8 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

II Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…”

I make an ordeal about God being clothed in flesh because the Bible makes an ordeal about it. Shepherds traveled over the plains to see the King wrapped in swaddling clothes. Wise men came from afar to see God Almighty who was wrapped in the form of a child. Angelic hosts praised God from the heavens when God became a man! The Father Himself beheld as His only begotten Son would exit the glory world, taking a journey to this corrupt and filthy earth to redeem lost mankind. Since the scriptures make such a big deal of this dynamic doctrine, it would be in order for every gospel preacher to make an equivalent ruckus concerning the matter.

I will go as far as to say that the doctrine of God becoming man is as important as any doctrine of the Word of God. If you do not believe that Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh, you do not believe the Bible. If you believe that Jesus Christ was God prior to His birth, but at the time of His birth lost His deity, you have departed from the solid teachings of Scripture. The Father Himself promised the Son that His throne of deity would NOT be temporary, but that it would be forever.

Hebrews 1:8 – “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

Now, it goes without saying that, in order to take on a human body, limitations would be placed upon God’s omniscience. Luke tells us that the child “increased in wisdom.” One who is omniscient (knows everything) does not increase in wisdom. Obviously, Jesus laid aside His omniscience to become a man. BUT LAYING ASIDE OMNISCIENCE DID NOT CHANGE WHO HE WAS! While in the flesh, His name was called Emmanuel, meaning “GOD WITH US!” Obviously, since Jesus was in a human body, He was not omnipresent (everywhere at once). A body limited Him. But a body did not change who Jesus was! No matter how much God limited Himself to take on a human body, none of these limitations changed God! God changed forms – He who was in the form of God changed forms, taking upon Himself the form of flesh – but the form of flesh could not change who He was! If you saw Jesus, you saw the Father! If heard the words of Christ, you heard the words of God!

God, in the person of Jesus Christ, took a human body upon Himself. We celebrate this truth each time we take communion. “This is my body,” Jesus said, “which is broken for you!” Had it not been for His broken body, how lost we would be!

TO BE CONTINUED…

Out of the Ivory Palaces

Psalm 45:8 - "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad."

Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
Made my Saviour go.*

The Greatest Journey
The Bible is a book that records the journeys of men. Within its pages, we are told of Abraham, to whom God spoke, commanding him to leave his country for one he had never seen. Later, God speaks to Abraham, giving him orders to take his son Isaac to a mountain called Moriah, and slay his son there for an offering to the Lord. It was a three-days' journey. It was a journey up a rugged mountain. With the Father Abraham walking alongside his son, this Father had plenty of time to change his mind about offering his son. But no such persuasion came to him. The only argument that persuaded him was this sublime truth - that the God who commanded him to slay his only begotten son was able to raise him up, even if he offered as a burnt offering. When Abraham and Isaac arrive to the place on Mount Moriah, Isaac is bound to the altar. It is not ropes, however, that hold him there; it is submission to his Father. Abraham's hand is drawn, and he prepares to slay his son. Suddenly, a hand stops him. Abraham learns that this was only a test. A ram is caught in the thicket, and the ram dies in Isaac's place. There are a few attributes of this story that are similar to that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walking up Calvary's mountain, and being crucified for the sins of the world. There are also striking differences. Christ walked up a mountain, as Abraham walked up a mountain. Christ, the Son of God, however, did not walk alongside His Father. Isaac walked beside his father; Christ cried out, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" Isaac was bound to the altar with ropes; Christ was bound to the cross with nails. In spite of those ropes, it was submission to his father that kept Isaac on the altar; and in spite of the nails, it was submission to the will of the Father that kept Christ on the cross. When Abraham is prepared to take his son's life, a hand stops him; but at the hour of death on Calvary, such a hand is absent. The Father does not stop death from taking His own Son. When Abraham's hand is held back, Isaac lives because a ram in the thicket dies in his place; at the cross where Jesus died, it should have been me on that cross, but Jesus took my place!

Abraham's journey up the rugged mountain of Moriah is an incredible journey, but not the greatest. The queen of Sheba's journey to Jerusalem is memorable, but not the greatest. The journey of the shepherds in the fields to the manger is remarkable, but there is a greater journey than this. The journey of the wise men from the east to worship the Christ child is history-making, but there is yet a greater journey than this.

The 45th Psalm starts this way - "My heart is inditing a good matter." It is a prophecy concerning the King of kings. He would be anointed with the oil of gladness. He would love righteousness and hate iniquity. And, in verse 8, He would leave the ivory palaces of heaven, and take the greatest journey ever taken, from the ivory palaces of heaven to this dark, dreary, wicked sinful world. He took that journey that He might take another - the journey up Calvary's rugged mountain. It is often preached that the road to heaven leads by the cross; but it is just as true that the road to hell leads by the cross. To go to hell, you must pass the scene of the cross, and trample of the blood of Jesus Christ under your feet.

When I speak concerning the journey our Lord took when He departed from heaven and arrived in Bethlehem that night, it is true that our finite minds cannot grasp it. But one thing is certain. When we get to heaven, and see what all the Saviour left to rescue our wicked souls from sin and hell, how our hearts will melt. How our love for Christ will swell and His praise will undoubtedly be in our mouth eternally. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift - the babe in the manger who left heaven's splendor to die for me!

Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
Made my Saviour go.*

*Henry Barraclough

No Room in the Inn

Luke 2:7 – “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

In my previous post, I discussed the child in the manger. But why the manger? Why did Mary place her baby boy in a manger? Of all places to place her child, she placed Him in a feeding trough for cattle. The above verse gives us the explicit reason why the Christ child was laid in a manger – “because there was no room for them in the inn.”

During the time of the above text, the entire world is traveling. The emperor, Caesar Augustus, made a decree that all the world should be taxed. In the fulfillment of this new law, every man traveled to the city of his birth to pay his tribute. Anyone who is sensitive to the work of God can clearly see that God Almighty is at work behind this scene. Bro. Dollas Messer brought out the point that God put it in the heart of Caesar Augustus to tax the whole world, just so one man named Joseph could travel with his espoused wife named Mary, so that she could bring forth her firstborn son in Bethlehem, fulfilling Micah 5:2. All the world is in a “hustle and bustle” mode. Why all the rush? God’s sovereign hand is in it, bringing about His divine will. He gets the whole world moving just so Jesus could be born in Bethlehem!

Arriving in Bethlehem, the weary couple, Mary and Joseph, find an inn in which to rest. An inn in New Testament times is much different from our perception of an inn today. In the time of Mary and Joseph, an inn was not a public building with rooms for an overnight stay. An inn was rather a private house. The owner of the house would open a few rooms for weary travelers. It is such a private house where Mary and Joseph attempted to find rest for the night. It appears that the owner of the house, or the innkeeper, was very nice, in spite of many Christmas pageants that portray him as evil. It seems that he told Mary and Joseph with regret that there was no other room available. I believe it was the innkeeper who owned the cattle that fed from the manger where Christ was laid. I believe the story went something like this: Mary and Joseph knocked on the door of the inn, which was in Bethlehem. After the innkeeper answered, Joseph asked for a room. The innkeeper, upon seeing that Mary was expecting a child, regretfully told them, “I’m sorry; I have no more room!” Perhaps Mary and Joseph began to walk away. Beholding their departure, the innkeeper stopped them. “Wait!” he says. “I’m out of rooms in the house, but I do have some room with the cattle. It’s not much, but you’re welcome to it.” One thing is for sure – the babe was laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn.

No Room for Christ
At His birth, the Christ child had only a bed of hay to lay His head. During His earthly life, the foxes had holes; the birds of the air had nests; but Jesus Christ was still in search of a place to lay His head. Now, the Spirit of Christ goes through the earth, looking for a place to dwell. I think often of Peter, James, and John when they were with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. They saw Jesus with Moses and Elijah, and they heard the Father speak from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son.” Upon hearing this, Peter spoke up to the Lord, and said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us build three tabernacles; one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” I used to wonder what gave Peter the idea to build three tabernacles. Now I understand that He was on the right track. Jesus wanted three tabernacles that day. Jesus was not interested in building one tabernacle for Himself, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. However, He was interested in tabernacles. A tabernacle is simply a dwelling place. And the Lord wanted three dwelling places that day. He wanted to dwell in Peter; He wanted to dwell in James; and He wanted to dwell in John. In our day, the Spirit of Christ is looking for a place to abide. When He knocks at your heart’s door, will you tell Him, “There’s no room here?” That is the response of the world. In America, we give Santa Claus a place; we give Allah and Muhammad a place; we give homosexuals a place. But we’ll file suit after suit to make sure there’s no room for Jesus Christ. The crooked and sick ACLU will go to court to make sure that a child can’t carry his Bible to public school, and then go to court to defend the rights of Muslims to read the Koran in American prisons. When Christians take a stand for God’s definition of marriage, we are told by the liberals of our day to shut up and be tolerant. Then those same liberals will file suit to have one cross taken down from the public square. They’re hypocrites to the fullest degree, as every liberal is hypocritical by definition. They preach tolerance when it comes to every sick thing under the sun, but they absolutely hate every bit of truth for which Christians stand. They defend animals and kill babies. They claim to fight AIDS, but they will neither admit nor combat the major cause of the disease. They defend the building of a mosque at ground zero, but they flop on the floor and foam at the mouth if one pastor even threatens to burn a single Koran. Their media outlets will give weeks and months to the story of the murder of George Tiller, the late-term abortion doctor; but they give one or two sentences at the most to the story of the murder Jim Pouillon, a peaceful pro-life advocate.

The root of it all is simple – our nation is giving Jesus Christ no room at all, let alone His rightful place. The desire of Jesus Christ today is that He might have a place in the hearts of men and women. But the desire of so many is that Christ would depart from them as they express the fact that there is no room for Jesus Christ.

Thou didst leave Thy throne and thy kingly crown
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room
For Thy holy nativity.*

He Made Room for You
When Jesus Christ died upon the cross, there are many accomplishments that were made. There are several analogies that can be used to explain why Jesus died upon the cross, and they are all correct. You could say that Jesus died upon the cross to undergo the penalty of sin, which is death, for all mankind. You could say that Jesus died upon the cross to pay a debt that we owed and could not pay. You could say that when Jesus died upon the cross, He was giving a dowry to the Father to purchase a bride. You could say that Jesus laid down His life to purchase lousy building material with which to build a church. You could say that, because of the cross, Jesus paid a ransom that would set slaves free. All of these are exactly right. But however you word it, understand this: Christ died to make room for all who will come. The gospel is not limited in its availability. It is for “whosoever will.” Any and all who will come will be free. If you reject Jesus Christ, it will not be because the atonement was limited and did not include you. It will be because you chose to give no room to the One who made room for you. No wonder we can sing the old hymn, “…though millions have come, there’s still room for one. Yes, there’s room at the cross for you!” Make room for Christ today, because He made room for you.

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.

O Come to my heart, Lord Jesus;
There is room in my heart for Thee.*

*Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliot

Child in the Manger

In my previous post, I discussed the mission of the child in the manger. In this post, I will look at the child Himself. What child is this? Who is He?

Who He is to the World
It is an unfortunate truth that to the world, this child is a stranger. The world, that is, the unregenerate, know little or nothing about Him. There are even atheists who claim that Jesus Christ never existed. How ridiculous! As for the atheist, he would rather believe the ridiculous than to believe the truth. There are even theologians who have never been born again, who know little or nothing of this child in the manger. There are ministers across our land today who have never met Jesus Christ. There are church-goers in the land today who make it evident that, to them, Jesus is a stranger.

The Jesus of the Bible is the Christ, or the anointed One, who loves righteousness and hates iniquity. Hebrews 1:9 – “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” When you read your Bible, and the Bible describes something as being a sin, or an iniquity, or an abomination; Jesus Christ HATES it! But we live in a church world today where the liberal idea of tolerance prevails. People believe that Jesus is a limp-wristed sissy who accepts and tolerates everything. The truth, however, is that when this child in the manger returns to earth again, He will not be tolerant! He hates sin, and the Bible tells us He is coming to execute judgment! It is evident that many who claim to be a Christian do not know this child in the manger.

To the world, He is a stranger; but for the world, He became sin. The world may not realize or understand it. But upon this child in the manger our sins were laid! He bore our sins in His own body! He did not become a propitiation for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world. When I say that Christ became sin, I am not saying that He became a sinner. This child in the manger was as sinless as you wish to stretch the idea of sinlessness. He never sinned in thought, in word, or in deed. He pleased the Father in every aspect of His earthly life. He was qualified to die for the sins of the world because He did not have to die for His own sins! He had no sins for which to die! The world hates the child in the manger because of His sinlessness. His sinlessness condemns them. Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and yet lived without sin. The world hates to look at the Ten Commandments, a collection of law that Jesus never broke. It reminds them that they are accountable to God Almighty. Though Christ never sinned, He took our sins upon Himself. He bore those sins up Calvary’s rugged tree. He paid the great debt that the world even collectively could never pay. All who believe, or trust, His payment will be free from sin’s penalty, power, and eventually its very presence.

Child in the manger, infant of Mary,
Outcast and stranger, Lord of all;
Child who inherits all our transgressions,
All our demerits on Him fall.*

Who He is to us who are Saved
While to the world, He is a hated stranger; to us who are saved, He is our beloved King! He is first and foremost our salvation. The Law of Moses condemned us to death, but that was all the law could do! Romans 8:3 tells us that what the law could not do, Jesus did! The law condemned us, but Jesus condemned the law! God’s law revealed to me my guilt; trusting the sacrifice of the child in the manger set me free from all guilt and shame. When keeping laws could save us, Jesus did! When “turning over a new leaf” couldn’t save us, Jesus did! When Islam, Buddhism, the New Age Movement, and other idolatrous religions left us lost, Jesus saved us! When any attempt by man to save himself miserably failed, as it always does, Jesus saved us!

To the saved, Jesus is our standard. I hear talk of “holiness standards.” When many speak of “holiness standards,” they often speak of modest dress and the outward appearance. While the Bible absolutely promotes modesty, distinction of the sexes, and other aspects of the outward appearance; one can dress modestly and yet be as lost and unholy as anything. Modesty and separation from the world are not our standard. Jesus is our standard! His blood alone makes us holy. Without His blood applied to the doorposts of your heart, you are as unholy and as sickening the heavens as you can be, in spite of the presence of any good works or the absence of any evil works! Jesus is our holiness. He is our righteousness. His blood makes us holy; His word continues to wash us; His Spirit gives us power to live in a holy manner. Jesus is our standard for holiness. Yes, Christians need to live holy. But remember – we must BE holy before we can LIVE holy! You have to be MADE HOLY before you can LIVE HOLY! We are made holy, not by works; not by law-keeping; not by “doing better;” not by any other sorry attempt by man. We are made holy by the blood of Jesus Christ, and by nothing else. At the point when the blood cleanses us from sin, the Spirit of God moves into our hearts and gives us power to then live holy. Attempting to live holy without the blood of Jesus applied to the heart is abominable to God. Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags! Our best works are completely incapable of pleasing the Father! Only the work of His Son, the child in the manger, pleases the Father. As for our works, only what is done by the Holy Ghost within us pleases the Father.

Once the most holy child of salvation
Gently and lowly lived below;
Now as our glorious mighty Redeemer,
See Him victorious o’er each foe.*

Who He is to the Heavens
In the heavens, Jesus is known. To the prophets who have gone on, He is the One of whom they foretold. He is the subject of their writings. He can be found in the earliest of scriptures. He is Job’s redeemer that liveth. He is Ruth’s near kinsman. He is the brazen serpent, upon which we look and live. He is the voice in the burning bush. He is the fourth man in the fire. He is the Passover lamb. He is shewbread, of which we eat and never die. He is burning candlesticks in the holy place. He is sacrifice upon the brazen altar. The prophets know Him. They have spoken so clearly of him that it is a wonder that there is in existence even one unbelieving Jew. The law and the prophets have revealed Him to those who would hear them.

Angels know Him. They worship Him. They worshipped at His birth, and they continue to do so. The scriptures declare, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” The question of His deity is settled. The angels declare it every time they bow! This child in the manger is “God manifest in the flesh.” His name is Emmanuel, meaning, “God with us.” When Jesus walked in flesh among us, God walked among us. When you heard the words of Jesus, you heard the words of God. When you met Jesus, you met God.

Prophets foretold Him, infant of wonder;
Angels behold Him on His throne;
Worthy our Saviour of all our praises;
Happy forever are His own.*

Mary MacDonald; Fred Bock