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Emmanuel -1
7:14 לָכֵן יִתֵּן אֲדֹנָי הוּא לָכֶם אֹות הִנֵּה הָעַלְמָה הָרָה וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן וְקָרָאת שְׁמֹו עִמָּנוּ אֵֽל׃
prophesy of Isaiah [יְשַׁעְיָה – Yĕsha`yah]

Emmanuel – I AM: born a man, GOD for us

As I have written previously, contemporary celebrations of Christmas have been much overblown in our worldly “christian” pageants, performances and present-buying excesses. Our sins of false witness in this season go back centuries and as I also mentioned earlier at one time celebrations of Christmas were actually outlawed by Puritans and other Christian believers. Furthermore, Christmas was never celebrated by believers of the early church.

Christmas isn’t the important story of Good News, but every story must have a beginning, even the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

Look upon the face of innocence, sinlessness flesh born of man, who would remain without sin, a Sacrifice for our redemption.
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I do not assume that all Christians will know the full biblical meaning of many common 'christian' terms. If you don't know one, go ahead: click on the secure link and look it up. RH
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The Gospel Stories of Christmas

Mark

1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

Mark simply begins from the prophesy of Isaiah (as I have above), proceeds to the witness of John the Baptist that Jesus is the Messiah, then tells of the grown man, Jesus in His ministry to us as the Son of Man. No mentions of the virgin birth which all knew to be prophesied by Isaiah and no ‘nativity scene,’ by which we have become so enthralled.

Although he makes no mention of Jesus’ birth, Mark clearly witnesses in his Gospel that Jesus IS who He says He is: the Son of Man.

Mark 14:61b

Again the high priest questioned him,

“Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? ”

“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 14:62

John

We rarely hear from the beginning of John’s gospel during the Christmas season, because like Mark, John offers no nativity narrative.

John doesn’t approach his Gospel as “Good News” or “glad tidings,” but rather explains a more personal relationship with Jesus.

I must confess my personal preference to John’s look back at the beginning of the Good News of Christ. For after all, if Jesus IS GOD, then His story does not begin in a manger.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1

A remarkable reference to Christ! In the beginning, is of course a reiteration of the opening of Genesis. God creates by speaking and John refers to Jesus as “the Word,” or logos. John places Jesus “with God,” then continues with the inescapable premise: and the Word was God.

Therefore, John states of the time of creation, Jesus IS God!

John’s singular reference to the birth of Christ occurs after the introduction of John the Baptist, explaining how Jesus came to us as the Son of Man, to whom the Baptist had already testified.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Immanuel – עִמָּנוּאֵל

Immanuel (Hebrew: עִמָּנוּאֵל‬ meaning, “God with us”; also romanized Emmanuel) – Wikipedia

The name of Immanuel, clearly referred in the Gospels, originates in the scriptures of the Old Testament from the book of Isaiah.

Immanuel = “God with us” or “with us is God”
Blueletterbible.org
- symbolic and prophetic name of the Messiah, the Christ, prophesying that He would be born of a virgin and would be ‘God with us’
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 CSB

In two of the four Gospels we have no mention of the nativity or birth of Jesus.

Our Christmas traditions, teachings, songs, stories (and yes, myths and false impressions) all come from the two remaining Gospels, Matthew and Luke.

Yet in all, Emmanuel appears, God as a man. And all mankind begins as newborn babies. In this very personal sense, God becomes a man like us – God With Us.
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To be continued...
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December 23, 2018
Another Sabbath: No Rest
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:
Exodus 20:8

Sabbath? So what?

We were making plans for Sunday shopping after church, but then we missed church. Some Sundays we hurry out of time-extended gatherings at our church to join the crowds in local restaurants. This week we had no Sabbath and no rest.

As Christians we were raised to know that actually Saturday is the Sabbath – שַׁבָּת – shabbath, the seventh day of the week; however Christians call Sunday, our ‘day of rest.’ Yet when was the last time you felt like you had ‘a day of rest?’

Closed on Sunday – Rest in the Lord (it’s a Commandment).

So what’s this “rest day” all about?

And what does the Sabbath have to do with God?

After all, when we attended church last week for more than three hours, it seemed alright to slip out early (before the music and worship mercifully concluded).

Lot’s of rules, but little holiness

You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.

You must not do any work —
Exodus 20:10

—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.

So who’s working?

We are shopping… and we have to eat. It’s all those kitchen and superstore slaves who are working, not us.

Isn’t a day off a sort of ‘Sabbath?’

The Bible seems to have a lot of old rules that don’t apply to Sunday.

Rest from Above

“Observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must be put to death. If anyone does work on it, that person must be cut off from his people. – Exodus 31:13

Imagine anyone, even devout Christians and most Jews, calling for capital punishment for someone profaning the Sabbath. Yet the Lord established this holiness of routine for a set-aside culture to make us different.

שָׁבַת shabath: Rest, when no one else rests; worship, when no one else acknowledges the LORD.

Holiness and rest require separation. These are more than a command, but a gift from the Lord to set us apart from the world.

“Observe the Sabbath because it is holy to you…

LORD, who is like you among the gods?
Who is like you, glorious in holiness,
revered with praises, performing wonders?
Exodus 15:11 CSB

The One True God is unlike any other god!

He is not like the angels nor is the LORD like a man. We were created in His Image from the dust of the earth and the Lord breathed spirit into our lowly being. GOD is above all, separated by the glory of His holiness, and He commands us to rest, making the Sabbath holy.

An archaic common understanding was that the LORD is like a King, therefore man is a common subject of this heavenly King or Kings. Mankind is separated from the Eternal Highest by His own holiness.

We are commoners, yet made in His Image.

Chaos reigns in the life of man, while in the creation of God righteousness will reign, providing rest in our purpose and meaning.

Rest requires our holy separation from the chaotic fallen daily drudgery of this selfish failing flesh.

Jesus and Sabbath Controversies

Mark 2:

23 On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry — 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?”

27 Then he told them,

“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27

A Sabbath for mankind

Dear sojourner through this difficult life,

Are you not famished for the bread of heaven?

Jesus journeyed from town to town with good news for all and as he does so, even on the Sabbath, the Lord and His disciples snack on the grain of the fields.

(You eat on the Sabbath, right?) It is no sin, according to Jesus.

In fact, the Lord refers to a time when David, anointed King of Israel, fled Saul and was fed by a priest, who replaced the Bread of the Presence set aside for worship with warm bread.

John 6:51

“The Sabbath was made for man,” Jesus assures us; but rest a little.

It is the Lord’s will that we separate this day of rest from our week, dedicating our Sabbath-rest to Him.

Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus also assures us that “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

In another place in scripture Jesus refers to Himself as the manna – the bread of heaven. Jesus IS the bread and wine, the body and blood Present on the altar of Sacrifice. He IS the manna of life sent down from heaven, that we might have eternal life.

The Son of God IS the Son of Man, He who commanded us to rest on the Sabbath. He IS Lord of the Sabbath and the rest of your week.

Will you set aside a time of holiness to worship the Lord?

Consider the Lord of שָׁבַת [the Sabbath] this Sabbath. Set aside a time of rest.
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To be continued...
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November 30, 2018
Judgment among the gods – Psalm 82

A Plea for Righteous Judgment

Where, O Lord, will we find righteous judgment, truth of testimony, a jury of understanding?

If not at the Throne of Heaven, give us gods among us with Your own heart for justice and mercy.

Have mercy upon us, heavenly Father, for all men are sinners. Yet let us know your love for righteousness by Your penalty of the guilty.

Vindictive man of dust, cunning woman of deceit:

Do you cry out for vengeance against those who have trespassed your rights, while you plea for mercy for your betrayal of good?

What jury will hear their guilt while overturning your own sin?

82:1 מִזְמֹור לְאָסָף אֱֽלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת־אֵל בְּקֶרֶב אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁפֹּֽט׃

Psalm 82: A psalm of Asaph.

God stands in the divine assembly;

he pronounces judgment among the gods:

“How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?

The LORD God Most High! Among other gods?

What can it mean to speak of a divine assembly? Who can judge? Who are these judges of men and women?

We cannot know or face Almighty God in this life. Man knows not the judgment of the Most High, justice which makes right all that is wrong. The plea of this Psalm cries out to the Judge of all, to his appointed rulers.

God takes His stand in His own congregation;
He judges in the midst of the rulers.
Psalm 82:1 NASB

The NASB translation of Psalm 82 may help clarify, referring to the other gods as the congregation of God, rulers over the judged who He also judges.

Almighty God has all Authority! He sits among other gods, rulers of that which the Lord delegates.

Justice required of other gods

3 Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and needy;
save them from the power of the wicked.”

5 They do not know or understand;
they wander in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Our earthly judges, rulers seated in the thrones of justice, must judge rightly, helping their own subjects. These other gods in our earthly congregations owe obedience to the God above all gods.

6 I said, “You are gods;
you are all sons of the Most High.
7 However, you will die like humans
and fall like any other ruler.”

I say: to the President, the Premier, the Prime Minister; to the King and Prince, the Queen and Empress: You are gods – rulers over men and women under your dominion. Yet know your Authority comes down from the Most High God of Creation.

Though you eat bread by the sweat of your subjects, you will return to dust and you will fall like any prince, your ashes returned to dust.

Our plea to God

He IS God! above all men, above all spirits, above all rulers of heaven and earth! Our Father God rules over the congregation of the other gods. We can ask for justice and we may ask for mercy. Yet in true humility and obedience all will bow down.

8 Rise up, God, judge the earth,
for all the nations belong to you.

The Lord will judge the earth and nations.

Until that Day, He appoints judges, gods among us, men and women subservient to Almighty God.

David also says:

86:8 אֵין־כָּמֹוךָ בָאֱלֹהִים אֲדֹנָי וְאֵין כְּֽמַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃
Psalm 86:8 KJV

elohiym ‘Adonay ma`aseh

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

David also declares:

For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
Psalm 96:4-5 KJV

Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
Psalm 96:10 KJV

The LORD יְהֹוָה Yĕhovah shall judge righteously.

He IS a God among the gods of the earth, even in the council of the rulers of the heavens and the earth.

The gods and idols of the heathen, other nations who do not judge righteously must bow down to the LORD God, for He will give the rulers of the lands true and just council.

God among other gods

Many men and women of many nations worship gods of many names. God appoints other gods, rulers and judges, over the heathen and over the faithful. These will bow down to the Lord God, as will all men of dust and angels worship at His Throne.

We are His created. Let us worship the Lord.

One Flock, One Shepherd

6:4 שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃
6:5 וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
Deuteronomy – KJV

: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל‬; “Hear, [O] Israel”

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Jesus, Shepherd of Israel, Son of God

Controversy erupts in Jerusalem among religious and political leaders – controversy even to this day. The Messiah Jesus comes before us as Redeemer and Sacrifice for our sins.

He was and IS and will be God, Judge of all souls.

Yet in this incident Jesus stands accused as a Son of Man, a god among other gods appointed to rule over the Jews.

John 10:

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus then refers to the rulers of the Jews, as “hired hands,” judges who do not care for the lives of their flock. It’s no small insult to the leading religious authorities, who later will convict Jesus wrongly before their own court. This God will become the Perfect Sacrifice for the sin of the world.

Solomon’s Porch overlooking the Temple courtyard

God among the appointed gods

23 Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep…

“I and the Father are one.”
John 10:30 CSB – words of the Messiah Jesus

The religious officials answer:

33 “We aren’t stoning you for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because you—being a man—make yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them,
“Isn’t it written in your law, I said, you are gods?
If he called those whom the word of God came to ‘gods’—and the Scripture cannot be broken— do you say,
‘You are blaspheming’
to the one the Father set apart and sent into the world,
because I said: I am the Son of God?
John 10:34-36 CSB

Jesus escapes their stoning during the Festival of Lights to become the Sacrifice of Most Holiness during the Passover.

He IS the body and blood, shed for our sin.

Let us worship and bow down only to Christ, our Lord and Savior. He IS a God among other gods and He will judge their righteousness and ours.

Amen.

November 7, 2018