As we draw near to the time of the year we call Christmas Season, we are often reminded of the account of the birth of Christ from the gospel of Luke, chapter 2. I must admt it has long been one of my favorite passages of Holy Scripture because of the love of THE HOLY ONE whom that account is recorded and preserved for our edification..
This year The Lord has laid on my heart a different passage that has my attention. It is significant because not many reachers preach from this account of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Blessed SON of God. Our Redeemer, Saviour, and LORD forever, amen!
May I share with you what the Lord has placed on my heart?
Let's look at the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 and verses 20 thru 23.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
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 want to draw your attention to verse 21 and in particular The NAME given to the Son of God, JESUS, and the PURPOSE for which HE was born in the likeness of mankind!
Thou shalt call HIS NAME JESUS ! He is also called Emanuel, SON OF GOD, Prnce of Peace, LORD of LORDS, King of Kings in other passages of The Holy Scriptures...
Notice please the FAITH of Mary to be Obedient to the WILL of the Lord God to bear the CHILD who is sent from Heaven to earth to take upon HIMSELF the form, the very flesh and blood of human beings. The BIble says in another place that being found in the form of man, He made Himself of NO REPUTATION, ......
Jesus submitted Himself to the will of GOD the Father to take upon himself the very nature and form of a human so that HE could pay the price and penalty OF our sins and FOR our Sins because HE was made flesh as we were and yet he was without SIN, sinless. So he became the sinless sacrifical offering to GOD for the sins of the whole world for all time, for every person whoever will live or is living or has already lived. HIS POWER is THAT strong and HIS BLOOD is THAT POWERFUL..
FOR THIS REASON HE CAME into the world.. Look at verse number 21 please.
And she shall bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins"
WHO are HIS PEOPLE? ALL who call upon the name of the Lord for forgiveness of their sins and ask HIM to be LORD of their Life! THOSE are HIS PEOPLE. Jesus dies for the SINS of the WHOLE world, not just a small part of it! Everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of GOD according to Romans 3:23. Not only that, but JESUS came into this world to become the only acceptable sacrifice that was worthy and acceptable unto GOD for the payment of our sin debt! This is called PROPITIATION and Romans 3: 25 declares that HIS BLOOD was the only acceptable sacrifice that would be sufficient to pay for the SINS of the whole world!
SO then, WHY then did the Lord Jesus leave HIS THrone in Heaven and come to be born as a baby boy to Mary in a lowly cattle stall ? According to Matthew, chapter 1, HE came to save us from our SINS if we will simply confess our sins and ask HIS forgiveness in Faith.
HE will not force you or I or anyone to come to HIM by faith because then it would not be by FAITH but by FORCE.. HE wants us to come unto HIM belieiving as a little child trusts her mom and dad, so should we place our trust In HIM to save us from our sins!
For this purpose was GOD the SON, JESUS, born into this world at this time we celebrate and call Christmas.
I do hope that you will reflect on the wondrous LOVE that God has for you and I to send HIS SON to earth for the express purpose of dying on a horrible Roman cross and spilling HIS holy blood in an agonizing death so that we may by FAITH in HIM alone have forgiveness of our sins, be set free from the power of sin, and have a HOME in Heaven prepared for us by our Lord Jesus who told us that was what He was going to do when He left the Apostles and ascended into Heaven.
May the JOY of our Lord fill your hearts and give you peace and hope and comfort thru these times and days we are living!
The Lord Bless you and find you in His Arms is my prayer for you.
Blessings in Christ,
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