Unlike any other child in all of history
Published 5:40 am Sunday, December 23, 2018
Baby Jesus, so soft, tender and helpless; a newborn; much like every other baby, yet unlike any other child in all of history.
Like any other child, He cried when hungry and someone needed to change his diaper. Unlike any other child, long before He was born, He spoke the universe into existence (John 1:1-14; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3’ Revelation 4:11). It is somewhat ironic that many people who do not believe any god had anything to do with the origins of the planets, stars, and all of nature call those things the “universe.” Look at the makeup of the word; “uni” means one; “verse” means voice. The name of the universe indicates it was created by one voice.
About 700 years before Christ’s birth the prophet Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would conceive and the child’s name would be Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). In the New Testament, Matthew 1:23, an angel, while explaining Mary’s pregnancy to Joesph, told him to call the child Emmanuel and that the name means, “God with us.”
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh …” (1 Timothy 3:16). Possibly the greatest mystery of them all, and the greatest miracle of all — God became 100 percent man and remained 100 percent, God. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the great I AM, left heaven above, entered the womb of Mary, and was born with the animals and placed in a feeding trough, also known as a manger.
With the extra events on the schedule, family get-togethers, additional shopping, school and church programs, work parties and the like; December morphs into the busiest month of the year. With the focus moved to the check and date books the joy that is supposed to be Christmas turns to frustration and depression.
Stopping the gift giving and the event attending is not the answer to relieve the strain of the Christmas season. The secret to having joy throughout December and the other 11 months of the year is having Baby Jesus in your heart.
The same angel that told Joseph the baby inside Mary was the Son of God also told Joe the purpose of the God-child’s birth — Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
To save us from our sins, the Babe in the manger would become the man on the cross. As the Lamb of God, the blood of the Son of God, saves us from our sin (Genesis 22:8; John 1:29, 36; Ephesians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
Real joy in life only comes from God; the baby Jesus manifested that joy. The shepherds heard of the joy that is Baby Jesus the night He was born.
Matthew 2:7-15, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
From me to all who read these words — Merry Christmas!
Preacher Johnson is pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County, Indiana. Email: preacherspoint@gmail.com. Preacher Johnson is available for revivals, prophecy conferences and other speaking. Sermons and archived Preacher’s Point can be found at www.preacherspoint.wordpress.com.