The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus Born in Mary
Christmas Greetings
Christmas Greeting Cards are part of our Advent Season as we send them to our friends and family before Christmas Day. They were introduced into UK in 1843 by the Public Post Office.
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On the right: Front of the card- Christmas Greetings from the International Space Station.
On the left: Inside the card Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. The greeting ‘Peace be with you.’
On the right: Front of the card- Christmas Greetings from the International Space Station.
On the left: Inside the card Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. The greeting ‘Peace be with you.’
Inside every card the seasons sentiments usually a greeting of good will: Happy Christmas, Blessings of the Season’.
Micah 5: 2-5. Luke 1: 39 – 45
St Paul in his letter to the church at Rome gave them 21 greetings from 35 Christians, a greeting-sending their goodwill. Had it been today he would had posted 35 Christmas cards.
In our reading Mary who was cousin to Elizabeth when she arrived at Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home when they greeted one another it was amazing. The outpouring of joy as the Holy Spirit spoke through Elizabeth, her remarks confirmed that the word of Archangel Gabriel and the prophets had been fulfilled.
Gabriel said that the child born in Mary was by the power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her. God himself the Father of Jesus.
The prophet Micah wrote of a person to be born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, “From you Bethlehem shall come forth for me, one who is to be ruler in Israel whose origin is from of old, from the ancient of days.” An eternal being, from everlasting, God himself.
Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. Isaiah 7: 14.
Prophesies are inspiring they confirm the everlasting presence of God, in the here and now and for someone seeking God that helps them come to faith.
However for some they struggle to believe in the Virgin Birth, from a human view point it seems an impossibility, but for those who do believe it shows us that all things are possible with God. When we look at scriptures
God is able to create life where humanly speaking it’s impossible like in Abraham and Sarah’s old age they had a son Isaac and Zechariah and Elizabeth they too were past the age of having children, but God blessed them with a son John the Baptist.
Mary who was full of faith and was willing to bear the Son of God. I look at the Virgin Birth it this way: when a person receives healing through prayer, God heals within the body, without touching the flesh.
Jesus born in us.
I was asked recently “What would you say to someone who is asking about becoming a Christian?” One of the many answers to that question is as follows: There is evidence from the findings of Archaeologists in ancient burial sites that man worshipped. He tried to influence the seasons that provided his food, he was aware of a supreme deity so he worshipped the sun, moon and stars and made idols to them. In Judges 8: 21 After the defeat of the Midianites Gideon removed the crescent moons from the necks of their camels. The Midianites were descended from Abraham and his concubine Keturah.
I was asked recently “What would you say to someone who is asking about becoming a Christian?” One of the many answers to that question is as follows: There is evidence from the findings of Archaeologists in ancient burial sites that man worshipped. He tried to influence the seasons that provided his food, he was aware of a supreme deity so he worshipped the sun, moon and stars and made idols to them. In Judges 8: 21 After the defeat of the Midianites Gideon removed the crescent moons from the necks of their camels. The Midianites were descended from Abraham and his concubine Keturah.
We believe that the true God made himself known through the Hebrew people, and that he would send them a saviour who would save all mankind and establish God’s kingdom of peace on the earth.
Christians believe that Jesus is that promised Saviour and through faith in him we too can be saved
In God’s plan of Salvation out of his great love for us, God caused Jesus to be born in a woman, to become one of us. He knew, as we know today that he would lay down his life in order to pay the price of sin that leads to eternal death.
Jesus was upheld by God during his life time on the earth, especially when he came up against the Pharisees and Sadducees, I thought he would have read from Isaiah 43: 4 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name you are mine.” These words would have given him assurance from his Father that he would fulfil his task.
Jesus was innocent of the sin that he bore on the cross I repeat; Jesus was innocent of the sin that he bore on the cross God raised him from the dead and in his resurrection he was the first to be redeemed, to know the love of God his Father’s forgiveness. Colossians 1 18. “He is the head of the body , the church; he is the beginning the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.”
So through faith in Jesus a person coming to God in prayer recognising their need to get right with God will receive God’s forgiveness and as a result Jesus is born in them.
Colossians 1: 27. “To them, Israel, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
It is like putting a white cloth into water with a dye in it.
The cloth absorbs the colour. So we absorb Jesus, the Son of God, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 2: “For in him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily and you have come to the fullness of life in him.”
The followers at Colossi had come to fullness of life in Jesus. They had recognised their part in being rooted and built up in their faith, by being taught the scriptures by the holy Spirit and studying the scriptures for themselves and with others and giving thanks as they put into practice what they believed.
It is no different for Christians today as we take hold of his words and promises in scripture and expecting answers to prayer because of our relationship with Jesus, he is born in us.
Prayer
Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.Father God, we pray for your holy spirit’s ministry to us, making Jesus known to us. empower us your people to equip us for the work you are calling us to do.
Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.Father God, we pray for your holy spirit’s ministry to us, making Jesus known to us. empower us your people to equip us for the work you are calling us to do.
May we be your willing friends in serving you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.