Casting Light On Christ’s Birth

John 1:1-18 (NLT) In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created,[and nothing that was created was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything] and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Considering the time of the year this is being written (December), I have studied the birth of Christ from the two gospels that record it, Matthew and Luke and it would have been proper to focus on those passages but as you can see above, the passage I used is from John. Being a chronological thinker, I like to put things in perspective and this passage in John seemed to help put the first block in place of Jesus’ birth.

The birth of Jesus was a significant event at that time when it occurred and there was much that happened in and around His arrival. However, from reading this passage, it makes me wonder if we are right in saying Jesus was ‘born’ because He pre-existed before anything was ever created. This was merely Him taking human form to relate to us but He most definitely was not a new creation placed in the middle of humanity as an afterthought to save humanity.

John starts his gospel by stating that the word existed before everything, it was God and it was with God. He then gives the word personality by using the term ‘he’ (verse 2) and we see it transpose itself into a person, the person who created everything, gave life to everything and gave light to everyone. This person is the person of Jesus Christ who He came into the world He created (verse 10) by taking on human flesh and lived among us (verse 14) to reveal God’s glory.

Jesus’s life brought light to everyone and this light shines in the darkness, therefore dissipating it. Is it not interesting that darkness is the lack of light and only comes into existence when light is put out? Jesus in his later years on earth in human form dealt with evil doers by revealing the darkness in their hearts and they could either respond by receiving His correction or running away from it. Light always reveals things shrouded in darkness and so Jesus’ life brings the truth out in our dark world.

As we draw near to the day many Christians chose to celebrate Jesus’ birth, December 25th, let us now dwell on whether we got the date right or if we should be celebrating his birthday on one day or everyday but instead let us use this opportunity to receive the Word of God into our lives so that He can reveal the darkness in our lives and give us a way to be reconciled with His father so that we may have life and life eternal.

If you want a sense of the power or worth of this Word of God, read the passages below:

The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. Psalm 33:6 (NLT)

He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. Psalm 107:20 (NLT)

Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. Psalm 147:18 (NLT)

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)

The Word of God is true (Psalm 33:4; John 17:17), it is flawless (2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30; Proverbs 30:5), it is infallible (1 King 8:56; 2King 10:10; Psalm 103:20), it is obeyed by angels and it is eternal (Psalm 119:89,152; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25; Psalm 119:103), it is sweet and delightful (Psalm 138:2), it is exalted above all things (Isaiah 45:23), it is irrevocable (Ephesians 6:17), it is the sword of the Spirit (2 Titus 2:9), it is not chained (Hebrews 4:12), it is living and active (1 Peter 1:23) and It is living and enduring.

There is so much more we can study on the Word and I hope today’s passage has inspired you to seek Jesus Christ who came to live among us and die for us so that we might have the opportunity to be reconciled with His father and be called children of God and have an eternal inheritance no one can ever take away.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

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Possessions Or Promise?

Genesis 36:1-8 Now these are the records of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; also Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land away from his brother Jacob. For their property had become too great for them to live together, and the land where they sojourned could not sustain them because of their livestock. So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.

When I read this chapter, I was left with amazement of how God truly blessed Esau even though he was not the one to receive Isaac’s blessing.

Clearly Esau was blessed with a lineage of great kings who ruled the lands around Israel and great wealth that was for all to see. What then is the point of Isaac’s blessing and where is Israel in all of this?

The Lion of Judah – The True Bridegroom

Genesis 30:1-3,9,15,22-23 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.” Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” She said, “Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children”… When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife… But she said to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes”… Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. So she conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”

These are the names of the twelve children of Jacob – Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph. There were born to his wives Rachel and Leah and through their maids Bilhah and Zilpah.

In today’s chapter, we see the problem of polygamy because it creates jealousy and bitterness. The two wives of Jacob want to bear more children so that he would love them more and so that through them their children would carry Abraham’s great blessing.

Nowadays one or two kids is common or no kids is starting to become natural too. Twelve from 4 women sounds like a real responsibility and all caused because of the error of having two wives.

Where was God in Jacob’s life and what does He intend to teach us through this passage?

Jesus Christ – The Ladder between Heaven and Earth

Genesis 28:1-4,18-22 So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. “Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. “May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham”… So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be my God. “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

What a volte-face for Jacob in terms of Isaac’s response to him and what a dramatic change in destinies! As we continue to journey with Jacob now, we see a new man.

Isaac blesses Jacob fully with the covenant blessing that was given to Abraham, his father and himself too.

Obviously the previous blessing Isaac had given to him thinking he was Esau was not as wholesome because both he and Rebekah were concerned for how Esau chose to live his life, forgoing his birthright, marrying Canaanites and living a carnal and sinful life.

The condition to the blessing however was the new life Jacob had to pursue by going away to Rebekah’s brother’s home in Paddan-aram and finding his own bride. That’s a contrast from what occurred in Isaac’s betrothal where Abraham’s trusted servant brought Rebekah from Laban’s home to Beersheba.

How could Jacob make a conditional covenant with God based on God’s provision to him?

Is Suffering Gain?

Genesis 26:1-4,6-7,12-17 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. The LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. “Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham… So Isaac lived in Gerar. When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful”… Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

Today’s chapter has a lot more than just the few verses I’ve selected and I sometimes wonder if we should draw more from it but there will be a time for that in the future. After Abraham and Sarah’s journey, we are now journeying with Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob.

Amazing how true the statement is that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree! Isaac says to the Philistines the very same thing his father Abraham said to them that their wives were their sisters.

They were operating in fear instead of in faith and it is only by God’s grace that they were spared. We read later that Abimelech discovers the truth, is angry again, and prohibits anyone in the land from touching Rebekah.

Because Isaac does not go down to Egypt but stays in the land God promised to bless him in, he is now blessed with abundance of everything, so much so that Abimelech requests him to leave the land and Isaac then moves to the valley of Gerar and settles there.

As we read this passage, we can see the pain of lying, the fruit of obedience and the nature of God. What probably surprises us is why God permits suffering in our lives when we willingly follow Him?

Blessed Be The Sinners?

Genesis 25:21-23,27-34 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger”… When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

This chapter tells us of the last years of Abraham’s life when he took another wife and had children with her and then decided to get right before God and gives Isaac his entire wealth and gives the children of his new wife, Keturah, gifts and sends them away.

Quite a let down from a righteous man such as Abraham but at his deathbed, both his sons Isaac and Ishmael are present together and they bury him in the same grave as his wife, Sarah. This is wonderful after years of animosity because of Abraham and Sarah’s poor choice in using Hagar as a surrogate mother.

Finally we read about Isaac and Rebekah’s twins who were born as an answer to prayer. Why do the people of God seem to have such tough situations in their lives compared to others one wonders?

Jacob, through whom was born the twelve sons who formed the twelve tribes of Israel, was not entitled to the birthright of being the one to lead Israel. He stole the birthright from his older brother Esau for a mere bowl of red lentil soup!

It is hard to imagine that Jesus, the son of God, was born of Abraham’s lineage which was full of broken men and women. All of these stories don’t show Jesus’ ancestry in good light and makes us wonder what God is speaking to us through it?

The Final Message

Revelation 22:10-21 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

I am amazed how this challenging book of Revelations turned out not to be as hard as I imagined because it is nothing but a revelation of Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This book has been used and still is used by several scholars to predict the future (now mostly past) and to determine the Lord’s coming. There are other great scholars who have shown Revelation reveal itself through the ages and trying to determine when the Lord will return. However, we are reminded in verse 18 and 19 that we are not to add or take away from these words because these are from God to us. Also, we are not to belittle John or the words of this prophecy as a dream and disregard them but accept them as God’s word to us and that we are to ask God for wisdom to reveal and He will do so.

What then is the purpose of this book if not for the doom and gloom, pain and suffering and poetic words that make little sense?

New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:5:8 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The new heaven and earth is shown to John and he describes it as a place that be fitting for God to reside in. Resplendent in every sense and bearing the name of God in every inch.

The questions that comes to mind are why would God want to make all things new and how could there be no more death or pain here when we know that our bodies grow old naturally and die?

The Great White Throne Judgment

Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Chapter 20 brings in the actual judgments and shows what is finally to take place. Satan’s thousand year imprisonment is introduced, the ones who died for the gospel and the many who survived tribulation without being marked on their forehead or hands live together in Jesus’ presence for the period and then Satan is released only to try and cause the people of God harm but God rains fire on him and his adversaries and puts them into the lake of fire. This is hopeful and wonderful news!

After that, the white throne judgment takes place and while the thought of white seems to indicate a good judgment, it is not all wonderful. It is in fact something I pray no one I know would ever go through for the ruling is horrendous!

What is God’s yardstick for people who are to be judged in the white throned judgment, who are these people and is there hope for us from this gruesome end?

Word of God Revealed

Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

What a powerful chapter to read today and I wish I could piece it over many days so that we could savor its richness but I do believe the key to today’s chapter for me is the revelation of the person above.

In all the imagery of this prophecy, who is this person who has four names and is even referred to as The Word of God?