The Lord's Theme For The Year

The Lord has crowned the year (2011) with His goodness and caused us to walk in His paths that drips with His fatness (Psalm 65:11)

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Jesus Came Specifically For A Purpose - To Die For Us!

As we celebrate this Christmas season, let us be reminded of the real reason why Christmas is to be celebrated as what it really is - it is not just about giving of presents but is all about reconciliation of relationships with our Heavenly Father.
On the night that Jesus was born, angels announced His birth to shepherds out in the fields, 12 "This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)
Now a 'sign' points to something and this is precisely the message the angels wanted the shepherds to have - that the baby can be found snugly tugged and lying (placed) in a manger. How many newborns are placed in mangers? I submit to you that baby Jesus was the only one to have that unique experience and it is for a reason as well. 
Mangers in Israel are actually carved out of stone and not what we have been so used to seeing in nativity scenes of a wooden box with crossed legs. No, mangers are actually feeding troughs for domesticated animals - cattle, sheep, goats. Hay is usually placed in the manger and the animals are led there to feed. (see picture on left)
Now the shepherds, once they saw the baby lying in the manger, knew the significance of the scene - that the baby is meant to be fed on. Now I am not saying that the shepherds were to be turned into cannibals and start feeding on the helpless baby lying in the manger - far from it. What the Lord wanted to tell the shepherds was that the baby would grow up and one day would be placed in a tomb embalmed just as they saw the baby that evening.
Now we witnessed that prophecy fulfilled on Good Friday when Jesus was crucified and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (see picture on right). Because Jesus was a much taller man than Joseph, they had to cut a niche so as to place his corpse flat.

So, as we celebrate Christmas at this time, remember the purpose why Jesus was born and why He was given to us - as a Gift of Salvation and of Righteousness through faith - as we feed on Him and His finished work at the cross.

A New Believer's Prayer

Thank you Father for loving us so much that You sent Your precious Son Jesus Christ to this world to die for all our sins. I receive Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior.
Thank you that all my sins have been nailed to the Cross on Jesus at His death and because He died in our place, I am now saved forever. I have been made righteous in Your sight because of what Jesus did and I can now enjoy Your blessings over my life. Thank you for the privilege of being called Your Child and for the Gift of Your Holy Spirit in my life. AMEN