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Tag: messiah

  • Emmanuel -1

    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.

    a baby born - is he Immanuel - God with us?

    Look upon the face of innocence, sinlessness flesh born of man, who would remain without sin, a Sacrifice for our redemption.

    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

    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.

    To be continued...

  • God’s Love Through John: Light of a greater testimony

    “John was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

    Jesus, of John the Baptist – John 5:35 CSB 

    The Illustration

    The Apostle John makes more references to light in his Gospel than any other New Testament writer.

    Job, Psalms and Isaiah in the Old Testament also use the concept to evoke reflection on varying comparisons, as Jesus does in John 6. Here are just a few illustrations from the Hebrew definition, familiar to disciples of both John the Baptist and followers of Jesus.

    אוֹר ‘owr – [used 122 times as a noun] means:

    Light of day, of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars), day-break, dawn, morning light, daylight, lightning, of a lamp (as Jesus uses here to refer to John the Baptist), of life, of prosperity,

    As a teacher with the greater ‘light of instruction,’ Jesus compares Himself to John the Baptist.

    John 1: a brief reflection

    Although we will not continually return to the beginning of John’s Gospel, it is important for us to understand the Apostle’s perspective as events unfold in the teaching ministry of Christ Jesus.

    Orazio Fidani, Saint John the Apostle, c. 1640-56

    Just a reminder here that the events of Jesus’ ministry occurred around AD 30 when the Apostle was a young man and John wrote his Gospel [Good News] between AD 70-100 as the only remaining Disciple who had not been martyred for Christ.

    John makes many references to light, including many in John 1, as we have already seen in ‘God’s Love Through John: In the Beginning.’

    Reflections of the Teacher

    John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

    John’s reference to Christ Jesus

    7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.

    John refers to Jesus and the witness mentioned is the teacher, John the Baptist. Then John continues to clarify the difference by restating the comparison of John the Baptist to Jesus.

    8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

    The Gospel-writer then unequivocally states that Jesus the Messiah is both ‘the true light’ and the greater light than John. He was coming to the world as the light – a light of hope – for everyone in the world.

    9 The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

    Gospel of John, of the Messiah Jesus

    As mentioned earlier, John then proceeds to both explain the role of Jesus and continues to reflect on the relationship of the Prophet of the wilderness, John, to the Messiah.

    What John’s Gospel does not say

    And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

    John 21:25 CSB

    Although we are studying the Gospel of John, it is important for us to put some missing events detailed in other gospels about the life of John the Baptist. So before we proceed with Jesus’ teachings, let’s briefly chronicle a few events of the well-known teacher, John.

    Matthew

    Matthew, of course, was the other Jewish writer of the gospels who adds additional detail.

    In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! ”

    Matthew states later of Jesus and his reaction to the political events which led to the Baptist’s arrest, 

    When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

    Matthew 4:12

    Jesus had been in Judea, but leaves for Galilee and gathers Disciples to Himself. John, no doubt, hears of this and sends some of his own disciples to Jesus with questions from John asking for assurance.

    Matthew 11:

    Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples… Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:

    We will continue shortly from the Gospel of John with the signs they would witness to the Baptist and others. 

    “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force. … “Let anyone who has ears listen.

    The Messiah Jesus, Matthew 11:12

    Later in Jesus’ three-year ministry we learn the fears of Herod about Jesus from Matthew:

    At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus. 2 “This is John the Baptist,” he told his servants. “He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

    The Greater Light

    Immediately after John’s most quoted Scripture he testifies to the Messiah’s purpose and mission in Jesus’ own words. Jesus again uses comparisons of light and darkness.

    John 3:

    19 This is the judgment:

    The light has come into the world,

    and people loved darkness rather than the light

    because their deeds were evil.

    John 3:19

    20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

    Before we speak of Jesus’ love we must remember repentance. Darkness and evil envelope our lives, yet some love the darkness. Jesus offers love not only to Israel but to the world.

    The Gospel of John shows many signs of the Messiah which should be recognizable to the Jews, even though many chose darkness.

    Where will you look? Do you have eyes to see?

    Do you rely on a lesser lamp or perhaps even live in complete darkness?

    John presents signs, evidence and explanation of the Messiah.

    Who is your hope?

    To be continued...

  • Disaster From Disobedience, A Savior From Before Eden – 1

    Disaster because of Disobedience

    Jeremiah 6:16 

    This is what the Lord says:

    Stand by the roadways and look.
    Ask about the ancient paths:
    Which is the way to what is good?
    Then take it
    and find rest for yourselves.
    But they protested, “We won’t!”

    Perhaps in these last days one might ask, who wants to hear from the Lord? Yet even now, as in the days of the Prophets and fall of Jerusalem, ‘We won’t.’

    Isaiah 41:1

    Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

    Will we even seek the presence of the Lord in humility and silence? Though we claim His righteousness we speak judgment to the nations without counsel of His Word.

    Ezekiel 12:2

    “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.

    Have we not heard these words before, “you with eyes to see, you with ears to hear?” Yet we also remain a rebellious house, a rebellious nation, a rebellious claimant of God’s favor.

    Why will we not seek God’s leading before the disaster by which the Lord will judge? What difference could it possibly make?

    Exodus 32:

    “Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!”

    7 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. 8 They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them…

    9 The Lord also said to Moses: “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger can burn against them and I can destroy them… But Moses interceded:

    Turn from Your great anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for Your people. 13 Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—

    The Writing on the wall

    The Lord has warned man, made in His Image, over the generations and millennia. 

    Prophets of the Lord have both pointed us backward toward our disobedience and forward to its consequences.

    Daniel 9:

    Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands— 5 we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commands and ordinances. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.

    7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but this day public shame belongs to us…

    11 All Israel has broken Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You. The promised curse written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him… 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not appeased the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to Your truth.

    14 So the Lord kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all He has done. But we have not obeyed Him.

    Some indictment! Those who have claimed the Lord and righteousness have disobeyed the Lord God. Therefore God will judge our sin. Does the Lord our God not have this right – to judge sin and execute justice or show mercy?

    Grace of a Cross and Judgment of all Righteousness

    Some in these last days yet claim that disaster will not come upon us. Others claim that the Lord will not return. After all, it’s been a long time just like with Israel did not know what had happened to Moses.

    Many claim that Christ will tolerate false teaching and false prophets, that the Lord would not punish those who put their trust in the idols of our own desires.

    Yet if Jesus IS, if He IS the true and only Son of the Living God; how can the Lord not faithfully return in fulfillment of all Scripture?

    How can Jesus not return once more, when He IS risen and ascended and He has prophesied a glorious eternal new Kingdom?

    The Final Defeat of Satan

    Luke 9:

    18 While He was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” … 20 “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” 

    Peter answered,

    “God’s Messiah!”

    21 But He strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

    Luke 10:18

    He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning…

    John 8:

    21 Then He said to them again, “I’m going away; you will look for Me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you cannot come.” …

    25 “Who are You?” they questioned.

    “Precisely what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them…

    33 “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered Him…

    34 Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin…

    42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here…

    58 Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”

    He IS before those who prophesied, before David and Moses and Abraham. Jesus IS before Eden and before Adam, created in His Very Image! 

    And as the Lord has promised, He will return. Sin and death will reign no more. All flesh living and dead will be judged and all souls will bow before Him, making account for our sins or proclaiming His own Sacrifice for those He loves.

    Jesus IS Lord. He has saved us from sin and death to dwell in His love forever and ever. 

    As these last days draw to a close, we will examine predictions of His certain return, God willing.

    To be continued…