JESUS
"This Same Jesus"
Christmas is a time to revel, if ever we do revel. The great “I am,” adored by angels, opened the door of Heaven, stepped over the threshold into David’s town of Bethlehem, and entrusted Himself into the arms of an earthly mother who called Him Jesus; His passport name into the kingdom of man. Hidden from the ages, Jesus is our Man; reachable, accessible, and wonderful. He lived a glorious life of triumph, overcame provocation and ignorance and then the fury of human hatred on the Cross. But, God wrote an epilogue. He raised His Son and He ascended to be received in glory. Now comes a wonderful truth; in glory He has kept His earthly name, Jesus. It is the only name there where He has gone. When He left earth, angels assured disciples that He would come back and still be “this same Jesus.”
(Acts 1:11)
"The Redeemer"
How can we fail to celebrate? We have every cause to be glad. At Christmas we indulge in all sorts of good things, but that is because God has indulged us, giving us “His unspeakable gift.” In the days of the Persian Empire, Queen Esther saved Israel from genocide and Scripture says that the day of deliverance was “a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other” (Esther 9:19). Despite the similarities, Christmas is a greater day, a day of rejoicing in the great salvation of our God. Whatever the heathens have made of 25 December, the noise and tinsel has been swept aside by the birth in Bethlehem. The Redeemer has claimed back and redeemed this mid-winter day, bringing the glow and warmth of eternal love to our winter skies.
"The Son of Man"
Jesus never called Himself Jesus, but always “the Son of Man.” His disciples never addressed Him personally as Jesus, but as Teacher, Master, or Lord. Nonetheless, Jesus had been given to us, assuring us that He will be where He belongs. “The Son of Man” is a title on which much scholastic time and ink has been spent. God called Ezekiel “son of man” over 100 times. “Son of man” is simply a way of saying “man” and means “man’s son.” The first words of the New Testament concern Jesus’ Sonship. “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). He is the Son; the true Son of Abraham was Jesus, not Isaac and the true Son of David was not Solomon, but Jesus. He, not Cain or Seth, was the promised son of Eve. “To us a son is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). In Isaiah, the Father sometimes just calls His son “He!” No one need ask who “He” was. All heaven knew. “He” was the only One for the Father. God was a God of love because He loved His Son, from eternity. That is the One He sent on Christmas Day, from the depth of His heart; the Son of His love. There was wonder and excitement in Judea and in the fields of Bethlehem on that first Christmas Day. The very skies were festive, filled with the glittering populace of Heaven, seraph voices resounding at Bethlehem, radiant with happiness, echoing over David’s ancient town like a suburb of glory. But, for us mortals there is equal excitement. “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son, Hail in the time appointed, and His reign on earth begun!” This is the ever-fresh news, the Gospel message. We preach Christ – and if we do not, we betray the world.
Christmas is a time to revel, if ever we do revel. The great “I am,” adored by angels, opened the door of Heaven, stepped over the threshold into David’s town of Bethlehem, and entrusted Himself into the arms of an earthly mother who called Him Jesus; His passport name into the kingdom of man. Hidden from the ages, Jesus is our Man; reachable, accessible, and wonderful. He lived a glorious life of triumph, overcame provocation and ignorance and then the fury of human hatred on the Cross. But, God wrote an epilogue. He raised His Son and He ascended to be received in glory. Now comes a wonderful truth; in glory He has kept His earthly name, Jesus. It is the only name there where He has gone. When He left earth, angels assured disciples that He would come back and still be “this same Jesus.”
(Acts 1:11)
"The Redeemer"
How can we fail to celebrate? We have every cause to be glad. At Christmas we indulge in all sorts of good things, but that is because God has indulged us, giving us “His unspeakable gift.” In the days of the Persian Empire, Queen Esther saved Israel from genocide and Scripture says that the day of deliverance was “a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other” (Esther 9:19). Despite the similarities, Christmas is a greater day, a day of rejoicing in the great salvation of our God. Whatever the heathens have made of 25 December, the noise and tinsel has been swept aside by the birth in Bethlehem. The Redeemer has claimed back and redeemed this mid-winter day, bringing the glow and warmth of eternal love to our winter skies.
"The Son of Man"
Jesus never called Himself Jesus, but always “the Son of Man.” His disciples never addressed Him personally as Jesus, but as Teacher, Master, or Lord. Nonetheless, Jesus had been given to us, assuring us that He will be where He belongs. “The Son of Man” is a title on which much scholastic time and ink has been spent. God called Ezekiel “son of man” over 100 times. “Son of man” is simply a way of saying “man” and means “man’s son.” The first words of the New Testament concern Jesus’ Sonship. “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). He is the Son; the true Son of Abraham was Jesus, not Isaac and the true Son of David was not Solomon, but Jesus. He, not Cain or Seth, was the promised son of Eve. “To us a son is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). In Isaiah, the Father sometimes just calls His son “He!” No one need ask who “He” was. All heaven knew. “He” was the only One for the Father. God was a God of love because He loved His Son, from eternity. That is the One He sent on Christmas Day, from the depth of His heart; the Son of His love. There was wonder and excitement in Judea and in the fields of Bethlehem on that first Christmas Day. The very skies were festive, filled with the glittering populace of Heaven, seraph voices resounding at Bethlehem, radiant with happiness, echoing over David’s ancient town like a suburb of glory. But, for us mortals there is equal excitement. “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son, Hail in the time appointed, and His reign on earth begun!” This is the ever-fresh news, the Gospel message. We preach Christ – and if we do not, we betray the world.
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