Magi were Seeking Christ Icon
John

The Magi of Christmas

/in /by

Magi were Seeking Christ

In our last study, we relived the events that surrounded the days before and after Jesus’ birth. We relived the struggle of the poor family—that is, Joseph and Mary—as they took Jesus up from Nazareth to Jerusalem. We relived the joy of the shepherds when an angel announced to them that Jesus was born, He was their Savior and Christ the Lord. We relived all of the events that surrounded what we refer to as Christmas Day.

Only Shepherds Visited Jesus On Christmas

I was impressed with this passage as I thought about the fact that the shepherds had visited Jesus while He was still in the manger. I was impressed by the fact that no one else apparently visited Jesus—at least it is not recorded. I can imagine there were people from nearby homes who did not visit Him. Remember that the shepherds went from place to place in search of Jesus. Surely there had to be some people who were interested in finding where He was and who He really was. Yet Scripture does not tell us. Scripture only tells us that some shepherds had visited Jesus and then told everybody as they left.

Prophet and Prophetess See Jesus

The next thing we discover in the gospel of Luke is that eight days later Jesus was taken up to Jerusalem to be dedicated. At the same time, He was also circumcised. We are told in Luke 2:25-38 that Simeon and Anna blessed Jesus. Simeon was a righteous and just man, and Anna was a prophetess. They had some wonderful things to say about Jesus.

Then Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to Bethlehem. But they did not go back to the inn, they moved into a house. Matthew 2 is the continuation of the biography of Jesus. It is obviously not an autobiography, because someone else is writing it. It is the “headline news,” if you please. I was thinking about our television programs and how some are simply headline news. That is what the Gospels are. The Gospels are headline news. They do not try to tell us everything and all the details. They only catch the headline news about Jesus, about what He did during His ministry.

Magi Arrive From the East

When we come to Matthew 2, we are given a summary of Luke’s account initially. Here is verse 1,

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem, saying . . . Matthew 2:1 (NASB)

Now if you look at verse 1, you will find seven little, but important words. They are “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.” That is a summary of what Luke described in Luke 2. The gospel of Luke took about seven verses to describe the birth of Jesus Christ, or twenty verses, if we include the shepherds. Matthew summarizes Luke 2:1-20 in seven simple words: “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.” It is very interesting how much attention Matthew gives to the events of Christmas. Matthew 2:1 skips two years right in the middle of verse one. Scripture does that. Scripture will all of a sudden skip a large period of time between verses, and even within verses. This is a great example. We are told,

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea …

Now here we go. Two years later . . .

… in the days of Herod the king, magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem.

A two-year jump has just occurred. Now you might say, “How do you know that it is two years later?” The answer is given in verse 7. It says …

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. Matthew 2:7 (NASB)

We are told that Herod called the magi and asked, “Hey magi, when did the star appear?” Notice that we are told Herod had . . .

… determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

This means the star had appeared for at least two years. The magi had been following the star for two years. It is safe to assume the star had appeared at Jesus’ birth. The time of two years is repeated in 16, which says,

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under . . . Matthew 2:16 (NASB)

So verse 1 gives us a summary of Jesus’ birth. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, and then two years pass. The magi arrive in Jerusalem from the East.

Who Were The Magi?

But “Who were the magi?” Our passage gives us a clue. It says they were “from the East.” Since we know where Bethlehem is located, the magi came from ancient Persia. Persia would include countries that we commonly refer to as Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan.

The magi first appeared about 7th century B.C.[1] They occupied an area known as the Babylonian Empire, which later became the Medo-Persian Empire, which later became the Grecian Empire. Jeremiah 39:3-13 refers to a man by the name of Nergalsarezer. He was the chief of the magi. He had the rights to become a priest by birth. Their Zoroastrian religion was centered primarily on astronomy and astrology. Originally, they believed in one God. They were heavily into the occult. These guys were the wise men.[2]

In the book of Daniel we discover that Daniel was put in charge of the magi (Daniel 2:46-49) but he did not adopt their religion. Daniel held to the true God of Israel. Consequently, Daniel had great influence over them. Later the Babylonian Empire was defeated by the Medo-Persian Empire. The Medo-Persian Empire was defeated by Greece, and eventually Greece was defeated by Rome.

History tells us that as the Romans tried to expand their empire East into the Parthian Empire, they were repulsed in 63 B.C., 55 B.C., and again in 37 B.C.[3] Consequently, there were tensions all along the border. The border between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire was the River Euphrates. When we were told that these magi came from the East, it was not Rome that they were coming from. They were coming from the Parthian Empire. They were coming from the old area that we call Persia.

I believe that these magi believed what Daniel believed. I believe that they read his writings, the book of Daniel. They had the Old Testament, because Daniel had the Old Testament with him. According to Daniel 9:2 he was reading the book of Jeremiah. He had questions about the deportation to Babylon and the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. I have a hard time believing that the magi were not believers, as you are going to soon see.

Saw His Star in the East

So in verse 1 we are told the magi had come from the East. Then in verse 2, we are told they arrive and ask this question,

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:2 (NASB)

Now I find this very interesting. The magi have come searching for . . . Notice what they say. They have come searching for the person who is “born king of the Jews.” They knew who they were looking for, and they said, “We have seen His star in the East.” They did not call it an Eastern star. There is a group known as the Daughters of the Eastern Star. We must be careful to notice the magi did not say the star was the Eastern Star. In order for these men to see the star in the East and travel East, the star had to be in the West. They said, “We saw His star in the East and we have come to worship Him.”

They came to worship Him. These men had some knowledge about this baby. They understood He was to be the king of the Jews. They had associated the star with the king of the Jews. Now I asked myself these questions, “Why did these men associate the star with the king of the Jews? Why did these men believe that the star symbolized or represented this child? How did they make that connection? Who told them that? How did they figure that out?” So you have some very interesting questions.

Here is a very interesting thought. These magi had to be very serious to make this trip from the East. You may ask, “Why do they have to be very serious?” Stop to think for a second: there had been a regional conflict between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire. There had been border skirmishes. Therefore, these men were traveling though dangerous territory to in order to arrive in Jerusalem. That must have been a serious decision. Also, they would have traveled about 1,100 miles. The trip would have taken about two months. They did not have modern day transportation. The trip would have cost money and time. Their trip was not a simple little journey—get in your car and arrive in one or two days.

Two months at a minimum. Most likely, they did not travel by themselves. People often say there were only three magi. They think that because three gifts were brought to Jesus, there were three magi. In reality, there was probably a group of magi, who came with soldiers as protection because there had been skirmishes along the border. They probably had their wives and some children with them. They probably had attendants to prepare food and care for them. This was a big journey. Their trip was not a little fun trip. These men were serious. These men came because they believed they were coming to find the king of the Jews. They were coming to worship Jesus. They were following what they believed was His star. For astrologers and astronomers, to follow a star, that is very significant. These magi were following something they believed would lead them to Jesus.

Correct Time for the Birth of the King

Now why did these men even think that this was the right time to make the trip? Daniel 9:25 gives us some time markers. It prophesies about the time when the Messiah would die or be cut off. Daniel 9:25 states there would be sixty-nine weeks from the decree to build and restore Jerusalem (444 B.C.) to the death of Jesus, the Messiah. Since the seventy weeks is actually seventy times seven biblical years which must be converted into our Gregorian calendar, the date of the Messiah’s death is 33 A.D. Since these men were astronomers, if you please, they are scientists; mathematics was not a mystery to them. They would have known mathematics very well. Having determined the date of the Messiah’s death, they could then determine when he probably would be born. Before a person dies, the person must be born. So it would not be difficult for them to estimate when the king of the Jews would probably be born. So when they saw the star, they connected its appearance with the king of the Jews.

But what is more interesting is the fact that God gave them a guidance system that would have fascinated them and they would have understood. God did not have to give these magi a star. Yet, God gave them a star. These men knew the stars. To find a very unusual star that they would have associated with the Messiah is extremely significant. If they had been studying the book of Daniel, they would have associated the star with the coming of the Messiah, because it was time for the birth of the Messiah to occur.

Numbers 24:17 prophesies of the Messiah using the symbols of a star and a scepter. It is a prophecy of Jesus Christ. Watch this: these men were serious. They believed that star represented the king of the Jews. They believed the king of the Jews was going to be born. They came to worship Him. They planned, prepared, traveled, and spent probably close to over a year planning. The star had appeared for two years and then they prepared for the trip and traveled. These men were very, very serious.

All Jerusalem Was Troubled

Verse 3 then tells that Herod and all of Jerusalem was worried.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:3 (NASB)

Why were they troubled? First, most likely Herod had a pride problem. He did not want any competition. The fact that they would announce that the king of the Jews was born, and that there was a star associated with this king, would have troubled Herod. Second, these men came with an entourage, that most likely included soldiers.

Birth Place of the King of the Jews

Next Herod calls the chief priests and scribes in order to answer the question of the magi. But we can be confident that he also wanted to know.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. Matthew 2:4 (NASB)

Once they arrived he asked where the Messiah would be born. Now notice what Herod did. Herod immediately understood the king of the Jews was the promised Messiah. He understood that, and more than likely the magi did too, because of Daniel 9:25-26. Herod asked the right question, “Where will the Messiah be born?” The scribes and the chief priests responded by quoting Micah 5:2.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” Matthew 2:4-6 (NASB)

Here is Micah 5:2.

But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
Micah 5:2 (NASB)

If you have ever wondered if Micah 5:2 was a prophecy about the birth place of Jesus, notice this very important fact: the chief priests and the scribes understood that the prophecy of Micah 5:2 is about the place of the Messiah.

Herod Questions The Magi

Next, verse 7 tells us that Herod wanted to know when the star had first appeared.

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. Matthew 2:7 (NASB)

Herod was curious about the time of the star’s appearance. I think Herod was already planning to murder the child. He just wanted the magi to locate the baby. Then he would kill him.

Verse 8 tells us that Herod claimed he wanted to worship the baby too! It is difficult to believe that such a ruthless king would worship a baby, and as we discover later he wanted to kill the baby.

And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” Matthew 2:8 (NASB)

I have written in my notes, “Liar, liar!” He did not want to worship this baby. He would not bend his knee.

Magi Travel to Bethlehem

Verse 9 says that the magi finally left to locate the Messiah.

After hearing the king, they went their way . . . Matthew 2:9 (NASB)

Did you notice that no one else went with the magi? Herod did not go. Why? He was not interested in going. He only wanted to know where the child was located. All Herod wanted to do was to murder the child.

Did you notice who else did not travel to Bethlehem? The religious leaders did not go. If anyone else should have been extremely interested, you would have thought the religious leaders of Jerusalem—the Sadducees and the Pharisees, the chief priests and the scribes—would have wanted to go and see the king of the Jews, their Messiah. But they were not interested either! No! They did not want to go. I thought this was really incredible.

But the magi spent time, money, and effort to find the king of the Jews. They followed the star. They came searching. They wanted to worship. They brought gifts. Finally, they arrived in Jerusalem. The Sadducees and the Pharisees tell them where to find Him, but they are motivated enough to take the short trip of six miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. They are not even interested! I could not help but think, surely they must have heard about Jesus. After the shepherds were excited about Jesus, the Sadducees and the Pharisees probably heard maybe some rumors because Bethlehem was near. We know that the Jews were expecting their Messiah. It was rumored in the Roman Empire that the day of the Golden Age was to come. Many believed that someone from Israel would rule the world.

Why did the religious leaders not come? The answer is probably the same reason that some Christians would give today. They were just not very interested in Jesus. Some so-called Christians are too intellectual. The truth is they are not Christians. They are good religious people who are going to hell (Matthew 7:21-23).

There is a very interesting story that is told of an old aunt who made this following statement. She said,

I want deliberately to encourage this longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate, the stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy wanting. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present, or there will be no manifestation of Christ to this people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.

I think she is right. There are so-called Christians who are not hot or cold—they are just kind of lukewarm. They are content. They go to church. They are comfortable doing as they please. “Do not bother me. I do not want to have to do anything extra. I do not want to have to serve the Lord. Let me go to church and then I will go home. That is all.” Is this what the religious leaders in Israel thought?

Did you know I can be preoccupied with serving my service? I can just love serving my service, and miss loving God. It is very easy. I wonder if these religious leaders had that problem? They were buried in serving service and missed loving God? But the magi wanted to worship Jesus! We can understand Herod, but the religious leaders?

So the magi travel alone. Next, Matthew 2:9-10 says the star reappeared to the magi.

After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the East, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Matthew 2:9-10 (NASB)

The Greek tells us that the magi rejoiced with very great joy when they saw the star! Some people have weird ideas about this star. Some people have said that it was a comet. In fact, some people have proposed that it was Haley’s Comet. The only problem with Haley’s Comet is that it had already arrived about 14-13 B.C. and it returns only every seventy-five years.[4] That is a problem since the magi made their trip about 2 to 1 B.C. Some people have said the star was a supernova. There is a problem with that too, as I will explain in just a minute. Some people say it was a planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn with the constellation Pisces. This tremendous conjunction caused these magi to find Jesus. The problem with both of these theories is that this star moved. Notice that we are told the stat moved. “And the star which they had seen in the East went on before them” and later it stood still.

Now everyone knows that when we go outside at night and look up at the stars, the stars do not appear to move. The stars appear to be in the same place. But we know in reality they are moving and we are moving, but they are so far away that the stars appear to be stationary. Now I have to ask a good question. “How is it then that the star led them from one place to another place and then stopped where the Child was?” If the star was truly stationary, then the star had to be moving at the same rotation of the earth. But if that is true, then how did the star move before it stopped? Those who try to explain the star as a super nova or an alignment of planets or stars had ignored the obvious. God performed a miracle. The star was not a comet, Haley’s Comet, a supernova, nor a conjunction of planets. Those are all man’s explanations which try to explain away God’s miracle. God created a special “star” to lead the magi, which led them to Jesus. Remember that verse 10 said,

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Matthew 2:10 (NASB)

Magi Worship Jesus in a House

Verse 11 is the highlight of the study.

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 (NASB)

I love this verse because it tells me two very important facts about these magi. First, the magi came prepared for this visit. They brought gifts. They planned the journey, spent time, spent money, came to worship, and brought gifts in preparation for their worship. They came prepared. These men were—watch this—they were serious. They were serious about God. They were serious about this Child. They were serious about the king of the Jews. They were serious about the Messiah.

The second fact is that “They fell down and they worshiped.” The actual Greek says they fell to their knees! Herod would not do it. The religious leaders of Jerusalem did not want to do that. So, they did not come because they were not interested. But these magi, these Gentiles, came and the bowed the knee in worship. They worshiped Jesus. Notice the verse says, “child and Mary.” It does not mention Joseph. We do not know where Joseph was at this point, but it is the child and Mary. Also notice who they worshiped. They do not worship Mary, they worship Jesus. They worship Jesus. They did not worship Mary at all. This is not Mary worship. They worshiped Jesus.

The Magi Were Seeking Christ

Verse 12 tells us that God protected Jesus and his parents.

And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. Matthew 2:12 (NASB)

Why did God visit these magi in a dream? When they were lost and could not find the star, God did not visit them in a dream and tell them where to go. So, why did God let them to go to Jerusalem on their own and make them ask about the birthplace of the Messiah? Why did God not help them earlier? I think there are two reasons. First, 2 Chronicles 32:31 tells us that God tests us. God tests our hearts. He tested King Herod and the religious leaders and they failed the test. How about you? Has God been testing your heart? God tests all our hearts. God tests us so that we can know if we are faithful. The most important treasure that you are going to find is Jesus. These magi found Jesus—that was the treasure.

Conclusion

Jeremiah 29:13-14 says,

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you . . . Jeremiah 29:13-14 (NASB)

God wants us to be searching and longing for Him. These magi were wanting to find Jesus. They spent two years wanting to find Him. God wants our searching and God rewarded them—they found Him. I believe that they were believers. I believe that if they were not believers before they started the trip, I believe that they were believers when they ended the trip.

I trust that God has spoken to you. God wants more out of us than intellectualism. God wants more out of us than indifference. God wants more out of us than serving service. God wants us to be longing for Him. Do you long to know and love God? Are you searching for Jesus, as the magi were? What is important to you reveals who your heart loves.

 

References:

1. D. W. Jayne. “Magi.” The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Zondervan Publishing. 1977. vol. 4, p. 31.
2. Ibid. pp. 31-35.
3. Ibid. p. 34.
4. Elizabeth Howell. “Halley’s Comet: Facts About the Most Famous Comet.” Space.com. September 20, 2017.

Shepherds Worship Christ Icon
John

The Magnificence of Christmas

/in /by

The Magnificence of Christmas - Shepherds Visit Jessus

When we were married, we had photos taken of our wedding. Couples who have photos of their wedding, often look at them later to remember the happy event. We did that some years ago. Maybe you have. When I looked at our photos, I said to myself, “Wow, you have sure changed!” Back then I was skinny as a rail, as some would say. Today some people would say I was slender.

Our wedding was fun. Friends were there. I do not remember much about the reception line, but I do remember getting away as soon as we could in our old, green Nash Rambler. We had just bought the car. We were in Southern California, and we as drove onto the Long Beach Freeway going towards downtown Los Angeles, the radiator started leaking. We finally arrived at our apartment and eventually had the radiator repaired. We spent the vast majority of the meager funds that we were going to use for our honeymoon repairing the radiator. Needless to say, we had to re-plan our honeymoon. We had to scale back our plans. We were disappointed. But the Lord had a reason for it, and used that experience in our life.

Honeymoon for Joseph and Mary

Our study today is about Joseph and Mary. There is a real sense in which things did not go as they wanted either. This couple, as we have seen in previous studies, had some difficult moments. Mary was visited by an angel and was told that she was going to give birth to the promised one — the Messiah. That was great news for her. But not everyone shared her joy. Her future husband, Joseph, had some doubts about the baby. Just imagine Mary telling her mother and father about the wonderful visit she had from an angel and that she was going to have a baby! I wonder if her parents were really excited to hear the news? Joseph obviously was not very excited when she explained it to him either. It was very obvious that Joseph thought that Mary was not being honest—maybe her mother did also. Maybe Joseph’s parents thought Mary was lying about the baby. The relationship between Mary, Joseph and their families was off to a rocky start.

To be frank, our simple radiator problem with the green Nash Rambler pales in comparison to the trauma that Mary and Joseph went through. But the Lord rescued the situation by giving Joseph a dream. In the dream Joseph was encouraged to continue with the relationship and eventually marry Mary.

In Luke 2:21-24, we discover that when Mary and Joseph dedicated Jesus in the temple, this couple was poor. The reason we know this couple was poor was that they offered birds as a sacrifice at the dedication of Jesus. The Mosaic Law prescribed that there were two kinds of sacrifices that could be given at the dedication of a child. An offering of birds could be given by people of little means. That is what they gave, revealing that they were poor. Not only did they suffer the emotional trauma with regards to the virgin birth of Jesus, but they were experiencing their circumstances as a poor couple! Remember that Jesus was conceived in Mary’s virgin womb by the Holy Spirit. One would think these circumstances were challenging enough, but Luke 2:1 tells us that things actually became worse.

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Luke 2:1-3 (NASB)

Here we are told that Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that people had to go to the city in which they had been born and participate in a census. Most Bible scholars believe this was in preparation for a tax that would be levied. Not only was it a census, but it was a tax. So a poor couple had to make a trip that they had not planned, had to spend money that most likely they did not want to spend, and had to do it when Mary was due to deliver her child. That was not good news for this couple. Yet, that is exactly what happened.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. Luke 2:4-5 (NASB)

Their trip was about 65 miles. It would have been a hard trip that probably took less than a week. But for a pregnant Mary, that must have been a difficult trip, riding on an animal. The journey simply came at the wrong time.

Fulfillment of Micah 5:2

I feel sorry for Joseph and Mary. They must have a struggled. My wife and I may have struggled over a leaking radiator in that Nash Rambler, but that was nothing compared to what this couple experienced. But God had a reason for it. God had already fulfilled a number of prophecies related to Jesus’ birth. He had fulfilled a prophecy about the conception of Jesus in a virgin. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary. It was to be a virgin birth with no human male involved.

Other prophecies had already been fulfilled, but there was a very important prophecy that had not been fulfilled yet. It is a prophecy found in Micah 5:2 which says the Messiah would be born in a little town called Bethlehem. This small town is about six miles south of Jerusalem. This means that Mary and Joseph had to take a trip from Nazareth all the way up to this little town so the prophecy could be fulfilled, because God had said the Messiah would be born there. This means God controlled circumstances to make this happen. Caesar issued a decree that a census would be taken so that people would have to return to the city of their origin. That forced Joseph and Mary to leave Nazareth and travel up to Bethlehem. It is truly amazing to realize that is exactly what God did. God caused this couple to take a trip that they would not otherwise have taken. Why? In order to keep His promise and to fulfill His word. When God says something is going to happen, it will happen.

Mary Gives Birth to Jesus in Bethlehem

Look at verse 6-7,

While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 (NASB)

Shortly after the couple arrived in Bethlehem, Mary started feeling birth pangs. We are told that while they were there, she gave birth to Jesus. Verse 7 says there was no room for them in the inn. The Greek word that is used for “inn” is not the word normally used for an inn, hotel, or motel. The Greek word that is used here is katalyma. It actually has the idea of a guest room.

We have some interesting views about the Christmas account these days. The story has been repeatedly told in so many different ways, in books, various media and plays. But what is very interesting is that Jesus was not born as normally portrayed in an inn or in a cave. In those days, the homes typically had two levels. The people lived and slept on the second level of the home. The bottom floor was for cooking food, and the guest room was located there. Also, the animals were kept at night in the ground floor of the home. We believe that is the kind of home in which Mary and Joseph stayed. When scripture says there was no room for them in the “inn,” that means there was no more room for them in the guest quarters on the first floor of this home. So Mary and Joseph had to spend the night where the animals were on the lower floor of the home. Jesus was born there.

The Bible says that Jesus was put in a manger or a feeding trough. The feeding trough, more than likely, was attached to the wall, or it might have been off to the side of the room. Whether you believe Jesus was born in a cave, or someplace else, the story is essentially the same. Jesus’ first bed was in a feeding trough, with animals nearby.

Note we are told that Jesus was wrapped in cloths. Why did Luke tell us that He was wrapped in cloths? There are so many details missing, but there is a reason why we are given this detail. We will talk about that soon.

Shepherds out in the Fields at Night

Just like in a good movie, the camera leaves the scene of Joseph and Mary and Jesus in the guest room, and we now see what is happening out in the dark fields with some shepherds. Verses 8-9 state,

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. Luke 2:8-9 (NASB)

The Greek text is very descriptive. It does not just say that they were terribly frightened. The Greek words are phobeo phobos megas. The literal Greek says that they were greatly “greatly fearing fear” or terrifyingly terrified. These shepherds were terribly terrified! Also notice we are told “The angel stood before them.” In many of the scenes about the angels and the shepherds, there is a choir of angels in the sky above, singing, with the shepherds down below and light shining down. That is not completely accurate. The correct scene is that an angel stood on the ground in front of the shepherds. That is the idea.

The angel stood before them and they were terribly frightened. Verses 10-11 add,

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (NASB)

What a great message! “There has been born for you in the city of David”—that is, Bethlehem or David’s place of birth— “a Savior!” He is Christ, or Messiah, the Lord. That is the message of the angel. Is it not interesting that today our Christmas cards and the messages we hear on television and radio are often about peace and good will towards men?

We do not hear proclaimed so often that Jesus is Christ the Lord! He is the Savior of the world! That was an important part of the message of the angel also. We have to come to church to hear that message; or we have to read it in the Bible. The best message of all is that the Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in Bethlehem.

Verse 12 adds:

This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:12 (NASB)

When I read this verse, I wondered why is a baby “wrapped in cloths” a sign? Today, it is difficult to answer this question because we are used to disposable diapers or cloth diapers. But what is clear is that the swaddling cloths were unique and the fact that Jesus was in a manger was unique. Otherwise, the angel would not have mentioned the swaddling cloths. It has been reported that in those days cloth diapers could only be afforded by the wealthy. So when the shepherds found Jesus, they saw an unusual scene. He was lying in a manger, near a group of animals. But He is wrapped in cloth diapers that only the wealthy people could afford—not a poor couple. It was a very inconsistent picture to have a baby wearing cloth diapers or swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Now that was a sign for these shepherds! The angel gave them a great sign. “You will find Him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Verse 13 says,

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. Luke 2:13-14 (NASB)

The angel said, “Peace on earth,” but not for everyone. Peace on earth—was a promise not for the entire world. Peace on earth—not for our nation. The angel was proclaiming “Peace on earth for those with whom He is well pleased.”

Do you belong to Him today? Are you one of His chosen ones? Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? If so, then you are one of those with whom He is well pleased. You are one who belongs to Him. You are part of His family, and He is pleased with you because of what Jesus did thirty-three years or so later.

Verses 15-20 continue telling us what happened next,

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Luke 2:15-20 (NASB)

What a wonderful message these shepherds received. These shepherds had been told that the Messiah, the Lord, had arrived. Then they left the sheep and found Jesus in a manger. Do you wonder how the shepherds found Jesus? I doubt that the shepherds knew exactly where they were going. I suspect that they went from one place to another asking about a newborn baby that was wrapped in cloths and in a manger. Can you just imagine how people must have been reacting? More than likely, these shepherds probably told them about the angels. They probably had the entire little town talking and wondering what all was really happening! Can you imagine what eventually happened when they finally found Jesus among the animals, and lying in the manger? If we correctly understand the scene, there were guests in the lower part of the house. Can you just imagine how they responded? I believe there was a wealthy family that may have provided the swaddling clothes. Can you imagine what people were saying as these shepherds walked toward Jesus?

In verse 19 we are told that Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart. Most likely Mary knew what the angels had said to the shepherds. These shepherds were telling everybody about what the angels had said. Imagine the excitement that must have been in that small town.

Jesus Is Our Humble Savior

When Jesus was born, He was not born into the family of a chief priest. When Jesus was born, He was not born into the family of a king. When Jesus was born, He was not born into the family of the Levites. When Jesus was born, He was not born into a wealthy family. When Jesus was born, it was not in a hospital. When Jesus was born, He was not born in a luxurious hotel. When Jesus was born, He was not born in a home with servants. No, when Jesus was born, He was born into humble circumstances. His bed was a manger among some animals, and His parents were of humble means.

He chose the humble, poor couple as His parents. He was born to a righteous couple, because we are told in Matthew 1:19 that Joseph was righteous, and Mary was chosen by God the Father to be Jesus’ human mother. Did you know that righteousness and holiness are a priority? Jesus did not mind being born into a poor family because He was to have a ministry to poor people. The gospel is for those who are poor in spirit. The gospel is for those who know that they need a Savior. Jesus came for the poor in spirit. He did not come for the wealthy. Oh, not that He ignores the wealthy, but He came as a poor person to demonstrate His humility. We have a loving God who cares about us. The announcement of His birth was not by See’s candy cigars. The announcement of His birth was not by birth announcement cards. The announcement of His birth was by angels, to shepherds who were in a field taking care of lambs that were headed for slaughter in Jerusalem. The announcement came to shepherds, declaring that the Savior, Christ the Lord was born. That was the announcement. The angels gave the most important announcement that had rung in the heavens for ages and ages. The shepherds understood and went looking for their Savior and Messiah, Christ the Lord.

Conclusion

We have talked in past studies about the miracle of Christmas, which was the virgin birth. We have talked about the mystery of Christmas, which was God becoming man. In this study we have talked about the magnificence of Christmas, which is Jesus. He was and is a gift! He was a gift to Mary and to Joseph. He was a gift to the shepherds. He was a gift to the people in Bethlehem. He is a gift to us today as well. Jesus is the best gift. Jesus is the magnificence of Christmas!

If you desire to have your sins forgiven, then Jesus will forgive your sins if that is your heart’s desire. If you believe that Jesus, our God, died for your sins and rose again, and if you desire to have your life changed and transformed, Jesus will do that. For those of us who already believe in Jesus Christ, for those of us who have already asked Him to forgive us of our sins, just bear in mind that Jesus is the best gift of all. He fulfilled all of God’s promise.

Mystery of Christmas Icon
John

The Mystery of Christmas

/in /by

Mystery of Christmas

Previously we looked at “The Miracle of Christmas” and discovered that the miracle was the virgin birth. The virgin birth occurred about 2,000 years ago (2 B.C.). The prophecy was given about 700 B.C. Jesus had no human father; instead he was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. That was the miracle of Christmas!

The second most important fact of Christmas deals with what I call the mystery of Christmas. It is mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 where the prophet says,

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)

That is the prophecy that was given 700 years before Jesus actually was born. It predicted the virgin birth. It predicted what we call the miracle of Christmas. It also, interestingly enough, predicts the mystery of Christmas.

Birth of John the Baptist

The mystery of Christmas is found in Luke 1. The Christmas account in Luke 1 starts with the prophecy of John the Baptist’s birth. We are told that the angel Gabriel visited the priest, Zacharias, while he was in the temple performing his service before the Lord. The angel announced that Zacharias and his wife would have a child, and the child’s name would be John. (In time John came to be called John the Baptist). He would be the forerunner of the Messiah.

We also learn that Gabriel visited Mary six months later in verse 26. The account reads,

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:26-33 (NASB)

What happened to Mary is very interesting. This young woman may still have been in her teens when the angel visited her. I doubt the angel came through a door. He probably just appeared inside the room. Mary saw the angel, and learned that she would have a child to be named Jesus.

The Mystery of Christ

In verse 34 we are told that she asked the right question.

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34 (NASB)

How could she have a child when she was a virgin? Apparently her marriage was still a long ways off; so she is asking the right question. Verse 35 gives us the angel’s reply,

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35 (NASB)

The angel gives a simple answer that is impossible to understand. He said the Holy Spirit would came upon Mary and she would conceive a child. That is the miracle of Christmas, but the mystery of Christmas is different. The mystery of Christmas is found in the very last part of this verse. It says, “For that reason, the holy child shall be called the Son of God.” The mystery of Christmas is that the child will be the Son of God.

In Isaiah 7:14, the mystery also appears at the very end of the verse. The end of the verse is,

. . . she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)

The word Immanuel means “God with us.” The mystery of Christmas is the fact that Mary’s son would be God and man. Jesus was both God and man. He would be the God-man.

Now you may ask, “Since Luke 1:35 says the holy child shall be called the Son of God, how do we know that the words ‘Son of God’ refer to the fact that He would be God?” The answer is found in John 10:34-36 where Jesus is talking with the Jewish religious leaders. They have accused Jesus of committing blasphemy. They have accused Him of claiming to be God. In that verse Jesus asks, “Do you accuse me of blasphemy because I have said that I am the Son of God?” There the meaning of the phrase “Son of God” is revealed as the religious leaders understood it to mean that Jesus was indeed claiming to be God.

When the apostles wrote the New Testament, they referred to Jesus as the Son of God. To the Jews that meant that Jesus was God. That is what the phrase means now and meant then. Jesus defined the term for us. We do not have to ask someone. We do not have to guess. We do not have to pick up a Bible commentary or a Bible dictionary. All we have to do is look at John 10:34. Jesus defined the term for us. Son of God means God. So when the angel Gabriel said that the child shall be called the Son of God, that meant that this child would be God.

Mystery of the God-Man

The next question is, “How can it be that Jesus was the Son of God?” How is it that this child would be God? There is an interesting fictitious story told of a mouse and elephant. It begins with the elephant in a river enjoying himself. He was taking up water with his trunk and then spraying himself and splashing in the water. This elephant was just having one grand old time, just like a little kid in a bathtub. Also, there was a mouse on the sandy shore of the river. The mouse was really unhappy, absolutely miserable. After looking at this elephant he finally yelled out, “Come out of the water at once!” The elephant laughed and said, “Why should I come out?” The mouse said to himself, “I do not like being ignored.” So he started repeating his demand, “Come out, come out, come out, come out, come out at once!” After a while the elephant began to realize that in order to get any kind of peace and quiet, he would have to come out of the river and do what the mouse wanted him to do. So the elephant slowly, little by little, lumbered out of that river, out of the water, and walked up to the mouse. He looked down at the mouse, and said, “Now, why did you want me to come out?” The mouse looked up at him and said, “I just wanted to see if you were wearing my bathing suit.” Now can you imagine a tiny little mouse’s bathing suit on a huge elephant? That is just an incredible thought.

I think it is easier for us to think of the impossibility of an elephant wearing a small mouse’s bathing suit than it is for us to imagine God becoming like us. It is easier to think of that tiny bathing suit somehow being stretched and fitting an elephant than it is for God, who is beyond our imagination, to become like us.

When Jesus was born, He was God in human flesh. Now let us discover how this happened. How is it that God became like us? How is it that God became a man, walked among us, and had the ministry He did? How did this really happen? Philippians 2:5-8 gives us that answer. The Apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this passage. Paul used Jesus as an illustration of one who was not selfish. In Philippians 2:3-5 Paul wrote this,

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus . . . Philippians 2:3-5 (NASB)

He says, “Do not be selfish.” Do not look out just for your own personal interests, but look out for the interests of other people. Then in verse 5 he makes a profound statement.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ.

Existed in the Form of God

He says just as Jesus was not selfish, we are to be selfless. Then he states in verse 6,

. . . who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped . . . Philippians 2:6 (NASB)

Now this verse is loaded with important theological truth. The question is what does it mean that He existed in the form of God? What does that mean? The Greek word for “existed” here actually has the idea that He existed in the very essence, the very nature of God. The Greek tense indicates a present participle which implies continuing action. So Paul said that Jesus existed as God in the past, and He just continues existing as God. He was and is totally God. You miss that message in your English Bibles. Jesus never, ever changed. Philippians 2:6 says,

. . . He existed in the form of God . . .

The Greek word for “form” is morphe. It has the idea of the “very nature and character.” That is, Jesus was the exact image of God in His attributes and outward appearance.

Equality With God

Jesus was God in every way, shape, and form. In the last part of verse 6 we are told,

. . . did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped . . .

The word “equality” just implies equal. All it is saying is He was equal to God, and this equality was not something He tried to grasp or cling to. The Greek word, harpagmos, that is translated as “grasped” has the idea of holding onto something. So when Jesus came down from above, He did not try to hang onto His deity. Now you ask, “What does that mean?” The answer is given in verse 7. It says,

. . . but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7 (NASB)

Form of a Bondservant

Now let us take the last part of the verse. We will skip the key word, “emptied” for a minute, and just look at the last part of the verse. It says, “and He took the form of a bondservant.” Since the Greek word for “form” is once again morphe, we understand this to mean that Jesus had the same attributes and outward appearance that a man has. This reveals that Jesus was a man in His appearance, while still remaining God. He was totally God and totally man. It is a mystery. It is the mystery of Christmas. How can that be?

Emptied Himself

Now we consider the key word which is “empty.” We want to talk about this stunning little word because it tells that when Jesus came here, He emptied Himself. And the question is, of what did He empty Himself? He gave up His divine prerogatives. John 5:30 describes one prerogative He gave up,

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30 (NASB)

What did Jesus say? He said, “I can do nothing on my own initiative.” Do you know what He did? When Jesus became a man, He gave up His right of divine choice, He gave up His right to make independent decisions. When He came to this earth, He subjected Himself completely to God the Father, the first person of the Trinity.

Matthew 24 describes another prerogative Jesus gave up. Matthew 24:36 says,

But of that day and hour….

Jesus was talking about the future, the Second Coming. He said,

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Matthew 24:36 (NASB)

Now, I have a question for you. If Jesus is God and knows everything, why did He not know the date of His second coming? Why is it that only the Father knows this? We can understand that the angels do not know everything, but why is it that Jesus did not know everything if He is God? That is because when He became a man, He emptied Himself and did not hang onto His prerogative to know all things. He was willing to limit the use of His divine prerogative. He did not lose His attribute of omniscience; He just limited the use of it.

Luke 2:52 confirms this conclusion. When we come to Luke 2:52, Jesus is a youth. Verse 52 says,

And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52 (NASB)

Now my question is: if Jesus is God, why did He need to increase in wisdom? When He became a human man, He limited the use of His total, absolute, complete, awesome wisdom. He was willing to limit Himself so that He could experience what it was like to be like us. How could He ever know what it was like to be one of us if He had total knowledge, if He had total wisdom?

Now let us read Luke 5:17. This is a very stunning verse. The verse says,

One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. Luke 5:17 (NASB)

Do you realize what that says? It says power was available for Jesus to perform miracles. The implication is that the power of the Holy Spirit was not always present. A review of the New Testament reveals that the Holy Spirit was with Jesus when He was tempted. Jesus was anointed by the Spirit every time He healed. The Spirit was there when He died on the cross. The Spirit was responsible for bringing Him back to life. The Spirit was present from the beginning of His ministry, throughout His ministry, through His death, and at His resurrection. Jesus limited the use of His own power. When He came into this world, His power was limited. That is the third divine prerogative He limited.

Another divine attribute that He limited is found in John 17:5. Jesus is approaching His death on the cross and He is praying. In His prayer He says the following:

Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:5 (NASB)

Jesus said here that He had glory before He came to earth and took on human flesh. When you think of God in His glory, what do you imagine? Do you think of God looking just like us? Or do you think of God with His Shekinah glory? In Revelation 4 we find that God appears like a rainbow. He appears in emerald light mixed with red. He is like a prism. He is a rainbow of colors. In Isaiah 6 God appears as a rainbow again.

In John 17:5 Jesus refers to the glory that He had before He came down to earth. But when He walked among us, Jesus did not look like a prism. Do you think Jesus was aglow with light all around Him? He did not shine like that at all. Jesus said, “Now Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory that I had with you before the world was.” He said, “I would like to have the glory that I had when I was with you.”

In Hebrews 1:3, the writer of Hebrew writes,

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature . . . Hebrews 1:3 (NASB)

When Jesus came to this earth, He limited His glory. He did not shine like He used to shine except on one occasion. Do you remember His appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-8? At the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus blazed like the sun. He glowed like the sun. His Shekinah glory was on display. Jesus was and is God and man. He was God and limited the use of divine prerogatives. He never ceased to be God, but He limited Himself so that He could live life as you and I do. But He also did it because His end goal was not to continue to live here forever. His goal was to end up dying for us.

In the Gospels we are told that Jesus was hungry, sleepy, walked, and became tired. These are all indications that Jesus was really and truly a man.

Years ago a Jehovah’s Witness came to the door of my home. I thought I knew a lot about the Bible and that I could answer all their questions. I remember they came to the door, and so I stepped outside. I was prepared to talk with them about what they believed. They showed me a passage where it referred to Jesus being a man. Suddenly, I realized I did not know how to answer the woman. I did not know how to respond. After she left, I remembered that Jesus was both God and man. Sometimes scripture focuses on Jesus as a man. Other times the scripture has Jesus in view as God. We must remember that Jesus was both.

Conclusion

The miracle of Christmas was important so that He did not enter this world with a sin nature. The mystery of Christmas is important so that He could live life as a sinless man. Both the miracle and mystery of Christmas are absolutely essential so that Jesus could die on a cross as the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—takes way your sin and takes away my sin.

There is a true story told about a farmer who one cold winter night heard some rapping on one of his windows. The rapping was irregular. After a while he became annoyed, and decided to go over to the window, and see what was going on. He pulled back the curtain and noticed that there were some sparrows pecking at the window periodically. He could tell they were cold, and were drawn to the warm heat coming off the window. The farmer felt compassion for these sparrows. So he bundled himself up with clothes and went outside. He opened the barn door and retrieved some hay, and then took some saltine crackers and with these started making a trail. He broke up the saltine crackers to leave a trail from the window where the sparrows were to the barn. Then he hid himself in the hopes that the sparrows would come, pick up the saltine crackers and find their way into the warm barn. The sparrows did not come, and the sparrows did not come. So after a while, the farmer went back into the woods and tried to scare them to move them towards the house where hopefully they would find the saltine crackers. But everything he tried was a failure; nothing ever happened. The sparrows had fled because they saw a big, alien being, whom they did not recognize. They were afraid to come close to the house while he was outside. Eventually the farmer realized that all of his attempts were a failure. So he went back into the house where he got comfortable again. After a little bit, the noise on the window occurred again. The farmer went and looked, and sure enough, they were there again. He started asking himself, “Why do they not understand? Why do they not understand?” Eventually he began to realize, “If only I could become a sparrow, then I could help them understand. Then I could help them find the crackers. I could help them find the warmth.” Then this farmer, who was a Christian, began to realize the truth of Jesus becoming a man. Jesus had to become a baby to help us know and understand truth about the Father. Jesus had to become a man to show us how much He loved us, and to die for our sins. Jesus had to become a man to make all of these things possible. Jesus had to become a man to help us obtain forgiveness of our sins, and someday to live with Him eternally. Thank you, Father, for the gift of Your Son.

Miracle of Christmas Icon
John

The Miracle of Christmas

/in /by

Miracle of Christmas

Christmas! What a wonderful time of the year! It is a time of trees and lights, decorations, glitter and music. It is a time for fun, family, holiday foods, and festivities. It is a time when we enjoy a variety of foods. One of my favorites is eggnog. Eggnog is wonderful as are the yams and turkey and oh so many other food dishes. Some of you are nodding your heads and indicating you also enjoy the Christmas season. Ninety-six percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. But how much do they really understand about Christmas? What does it really mean to them?

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I think many people know that. It is about a baby who was born over 2,000 years ago. The birth was the culmination of a myriad of prophecies. But today we will focus on two astonishing miracles. The first miracle was prophesied about 6,000 years before it actually occurred. On this miracle the four gospels hang. If this miracle had not occurred, your Bible would be empty or pointless.

Prophecy of the Virgin Birth

I would like to slowly introduce the prophecy and the miracle, little by little. It is found in Genesis 1:26. It is a very familiar passage. Verse 26 tells us,

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 (NASB)

This verse tells us that after God had made light, the land, the stars, the sun, vegetation, land animals, sea animals, then in verse 26 God said, “Let us make man in our image.”

He made humans! He gave us intellect, emotion, and will. God also made our forebears, Adam and Eve, without sin. These were really incredible individuals. Adam was probably the most handsome man that there ever was, and Eve was undoubtedly the most beautiful, gorgeous lady you could have ever seen. Some have even said they were probably the most intelligent persons who have ever lived on earth. These folks were perfect individuals. Genesis also tells us they lived in a garden. The garden of Eden is described in Genesis 2:4-5a,

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, . . . Genesis 2:4-5 (NASB)

If we read down to verse 8, we read,

The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Genesis 2:8 (NASB)

God made His own garden. Some of the prophets refer to this as God’s garden, the garden of God, or the garden of the Lord. Imagine, Adam is in the garden of God, the garden of the Lord. How incredible that garden must have been! Just imagine the gorgeous flowers! Just imagine the magnificent trees that must have been there and the pristine, clean, crystal-pure water that ran through the streams. At that time none of the animals were extinct. There were animals that now no longer exist. But Adam saw all of them. Think about the fruits, vegetables, and the herbs they had to eat. At that time Adam and Eve were vegetarians. The Garden of Eden, God’s garden, or the garden of the Lord, was one unbelievable place. Maybe Tolkien was right. Perhaps the animals were able to talk back in those days. We have no idea. We do not know what really transpired before Adam and Eve sinned and caused the earth to fall into corruption and futility.

When we come to verse 15-17, we find that God gave them a simple command. Verse 15 says,

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15.

I do not know exactly what Adam had to do, because there would not have been any weeds, no thorns or thistles, no insects, disease, or fungus. Verses 16-17 tell us what God commanded them to do,

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 (NASB)

God’s command was very simple. They could eat from any tree in the garden, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they could not eat. We know the rest of the story. Eve was formed in the latter part of chapter 2.

Sin Becomes A Reality

When we come to chapter 3, things take a sour turn. Verse 1 says,

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden . . . Genesis 3:1-3a (NASB)

That is an interesting description. It tells us that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was in the middle of the garden. It was the centerpiece. It must have been an exquisitely beautiful tree.

. . . God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” Genesis 3:3b (NASB)

Notice the last word “die.” We know what happened next. After the serpent (Satan) tempted Eve, she ate from the tree.

Verse 6:

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened . . . Genesis 3:6-7 (NASB)

Notice what happened. Their eyes were not opened until Adam ate. He had to eat before the Fall occurred, before sin entered the world. He was the one who had to eat—not her. 1 Timothy 2:14 says that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not deceived. He was the one who willfully, disobediently, brought sin into the world. He was the one who caused the problems that we have. Adam and Eve did not grow up in a bad home. They did not grow up in an economically depressed area. Their parents were not bad to them. They were not disciplined poorly. None of these bad things happened to them! They lived in an unbelievable place. They were just created. They had no parents or any other people to lead them astray. The Garden of Eden was a wonderful, perfect environment. Yet they sinned. We sin not because of our environment. We sin because we are sinners. We do evil because every one of us is evil on the inside.

God Seeks Adam and Eve

I just love the way God responded. Verse 8:

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8 (NASB)

This tells us that the Lord God came walking in the garden, and in verses 9-10:

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:9-10 (NASB)

This is really unbelievable. Think about this with me. God came walking along and He does not say, “Hey, Adam, I know that you have sinned. Come, let us talk about what you have done.” God does not do anything like that. God does not condemn them. Instead, He calls out to them. He asks, “Where are you, Adam?” Adam replied, “I heard you walking in the garden.” Not too long ago somebody asked me, “Was this really God? Did God actually walk through the garden? What does this mean? Or is this just a figurative statement?” I believe this is a theophany of Christ. A theophany is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ, God the Son. The angel of the Lord came walking through the garden. Adam’s response was very interesting. He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden.” How would Adam know that God was walking through the garden, unless this had occurred before? This tells us that they were used to spending time with God in the garden. They had a relationship with God. I could not help but realize they were really comfortable with God. I think we can become too comfortable with God and think, “He will forgive.” We become too comfortable with God, take His presence for granted and then sin. Apparently they became too comfortable and sinned.

God asked, “Where are you?” And Adam answered, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Verses 11-12:

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:11-12 (NASB)

Many pastors and teachers get carried away with this verse. But I am amazed by Adam’s honesty. He told the truth. Sure, he blamed Eve, but he was honest.

God Promises A Savior

In verse 13 God speaks to Eve.

Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” Genesis 3:13a (NASB)

God did not rebuke Adam for blaming Eve. Instead, God asked Eve a question.

And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13b (NASB)

Eve told the truth too! Obviously she blamed Satan and did not take responsibility. At least Adam and Eve were honest. I believe they knew that God would know. There was no reason to attempt to deceive God. God already knew the truth.

Verse 14:

The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life. . .
Genesis 3:14 (NASB)

Initially the serpent was probably a very beautiful animal, and then as a result of God’s judgment on him, he became a snake. That was his punishment. Verse 15:

And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Genesis 3:15 (NASB)

The word for “enmity” in this verse is an interesting Hebrew word eba. The Hebrew word actually refers to “a state of hostility,” or “a state of hatred.” It has the idea of war between Satan and the woman, between her seed and Satan’s seed. “Your seed” refers to Satan and all unbelievers (John 8:44) and her seed as a reference to Christ.

God was talking to Satan, and told him that the seed of the woman would bruise him on the head. The woman’s seed is a male since it is in the male gender. The statement “He is going to bruise you [Satan] on the head” is a prophecy of a future miracle. Why is it a miracle? Because her seed implies that there would be no husband involved. This is a virgin birth. This is a miraculous conception – a miracle! This prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ was prophesied at least 6,000 years before it actually occurred. This is called the protoevangelium, or the first gospel about the coming Savior to be named Jesus the Christ.

Satan Will Be Defeated

The word “bruised” in the statement “And you shall bruise him on the heel” comes from a Hebrew word sup which is better translated as “to crush” or “attack,” like a battle, like a war between soldiers—attack. That is, Satan will attack Christ but Christ will defeat Satan.

What God told Satan here is that Jesus Christ would ultimately win the battle. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that Christ rendered Satan powerless. Satan had the power of death, but Jesus Christ rendered Satan powerless. It was a blow to Satan’s head. Romans 16:20 tells us that Satan soon will be crushed. That is a prophecy of the future. Hebrews 2:14 refers to when Christ died on the cross. Roman 16:20 is about the future. That is described even further in Revelation 12:9. Ultimately, in Revelation 20:2 Satan will be bound in the abyss. Genesis 3:15 is the first prophecy dealing with the virgin birth.

The Virgin Birth – Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 7:14 is the next prophecy about the virgin birth. It says,

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)

The word Immanuel means “God with us.” Some people have said that the word “virgin” in this verse really does not mean virgin. It really means “young woman.” Critics say, “This is not a prophecy about a virgin birth. It is just about a young woman giving birth.” But that is not correct. The Hebrew word for “virgin” is alma. When this passage was translated into the Septuagint, which is the Greek version of the Old Testament, the authors, who were closer to the ancient Hebrew than we are today, translated that into the Greek word that means “virgin.” This means alma refers to a virgin birth. It is very clear that is what alma means.

What is also very interesting is that this verse promises that this would be a “sign.” A sign reveals something significant will happen. Is it significant if we say that a married woman had a baby? If we take the word “virgin” to mean that it is a young woman, or a married woman, then how is that a sign? The answer is that is not significant at all. But if an unmarried woman, who is a virgin, gives birth to a child, then that is a sign—a significant sign.

The Virgin Birth – Matthew 1:23

Matthew 1:23 echoes the prophecy of Isaiah. It says,

BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” Matthew 1:23 (NASB)

What is Christmas about? Christmas is about One who was born of a virgin. Christmas is about One who was the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Importance of the Virgin Birth

What would happen if Jesus was not born of a virgin? Let us just assume for a minute that Jesus was not born of a virgin. What would that mean for us today? First of all, that would mean that Jesus was not the spotless, sinless Lamb of God. Second, if He was not sinless, that would mean we are not born again and our sins are not forgiven.

Why? The answer is that a sinless, spotless sacrifice had to die for your sins and my sins so that we could be forgiven. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that He was . . .

… without sin. Hebrews 4:15 (NASB)

Jesus had to be without sin. If Jesus was not virgin born, then Joseph would have been His father, Mary His mother, and He would have had a sin nature, because our sin nature is inherited from our parents. Jesus had to be sinless so that He could take away the sin of the world.

Conclusion

God the Father did not ask Adam or Eve to do any penance. He did not ask them to do anything at all. I believe He may have told them more than what is revealed in scripture. I believe Adam and Eve knew about the Messiah, knew about the coming Savior, knew He would be virgin born, and die for their sins and ours. Jesus had to be virgin born.

The early Church fathers attest to the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin. Justin Martyr (A.D. 150) in his writings, said Jesus was virgin born. The Apostles’ Creed echoes this truth. We read,

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

A more contemporary writer, David Cloud states,

The entire Gospel stands and falls on the truth of the virgin birth.

If Jesus was not virgin born, then we are wasting our time as Christians. We are wasting our time celebrating Christmas. But the truth is: Jesus Christ was virgin born so that He could die for your sin and my sin, the sins of the whole world, and the sins of everyone who has gone before us, including Adam and Eve.

Let me share with you the lyrics to a wonderful Christmas carol titled, “There’s a Song In the Air” about Jesus. It says,

There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a Baby’s low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
There’s a tumult of joy o’er the wonderful birth,
For the virgin’s sweet Boy is the Lord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
In the light of that star lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King!
We rejoice in the light, and we echo the song
That comes down through the night from the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Savior and King!
– Josiah G. Holland

I trust Jesus Christ is your Savior. He is not just a baby in a manger. He is not just a good man. He was virgin born. He is our Savior. He is the King. He is our God. Jesus’ virgin birth is the miracle of Christmas.

John

Marks of Spiritual Maturity

/in /by
Christ's Triumphal Entry - Icon
John

The Humble King – Palm Sunday

/in /by

The Humble King - Header

I like true stories. I would like to read a true story about a father and a young son. The father took his son with him on an overnight camping trip one week. It was the first time for the young son to go camping. While it was still dark, the father arose and started a fire. Then he roused his sleeping son and even though the boy was protesting a little bit, he got up and together they stood by the fire and tried to keep warm as they waited for the sunrise to come. Soon the sun began to rise, and the blackness in the east gradually turned to gray, the gray turned to blue, and the image of a lake and shadowy trees began to emerge out of the darkness. The blue turned to a near-white color, finally pink and violet and orange hues emerged in the east over the pines. Suddenly the valley was flooded with light. They watched the spectacular display in silent awe. What a magnificent sunrise they had watched. Finally the boy could not stand it any longer. He turned to his father and wistfully said, “Dad, do it again! Do it again!”

Remembering Palm Sunday Again

I could not help but think about that story. There is a sense in which I would like to be able to “do it again.” I would like to have been present on that first Palm Sunday. I would like to see history repeated. I would like to be able to go back and experience it. I would like to be able to see all the events that occurred that day. I am not sure I would really want to see all the events that followed, but I would because it is related to my salvation. Would you like to see it again? I think I would like to see all the events that occurred before the Palm Sunday events. I would like to see everything that happened in Jesus’ ministry. I would like to have been able to follow the One who was made lower than the angels. I would like to be able to see the One who was born of a virgin, who lay in a manger and who was nursed by a human mother. I would like to see the One who grew in wisdom, knowledge and stature with men. I would like to see the one who experienced being a teenager – God in human flesh. That must have been exciting. Just think about Jesus having to experience life as a teenager—growing up, His body changing, His voice changing, and growing a beard. What was it like for God in human flesh to have had that experience?

Jesus Was Always Obedient

I cannot imagine how Jesus reacted. I know how I reacted. You know how you reacted, but would it not have been great to have seen Him go through all that? It would have been helpful to discover how He reacted to His experiences of pain, hunger, thirst, fatigue as a result of work, fatigue as a result of His own ministry and all the things that He did. Scripture says in Hebrews 5:8 that He learned obedience from His own sufferings. He was God in human flesh and through His sufferings, He learned what obedience was like. He learned what it meant to be obedient. We began to learn obedience as children. As adults we do not really understand what obedience is like. As adults we are in many ways masters of our own destiny. Yes, we must be obedient in the workplace, but usually we operate autonomously because we have legal and social rights. Consequently, we lose the understanding of what obedience was like as a child. But Jesus was obedient from His birth until His death. Jesus was obedient all the time.

The Way of Jesus

It would have been great to have walked with Jesus when He walked among us. We read in the Scriptures that He was the light of the world. He was holiness in a dark, sinful world. That is what John 1:9-10 tells us. He was on a mission when he came. Mark 1:38 tells us that He came to teach us and to preach. I went through the New Testament looking for every occasion when Jesus stated why He came. I wanted to know why He came to do the things He did. He came to teach and to preach. He came to show His light. He came to tell us that His yoke was easy. He came to reveal the Father to us. He came to display Himself and to reveal the Father.

He said in John 10:10 that He came that we might have life! He came to give us life. He hinted at things to come. Therefore, Jesus came to teach, preach and to give us life. I cannot give life, but I can teach. I can point you to the One who gives life. I can point you in the direction of life. But Jesus is the only One who can give spiritual life. Yet He was the one the Pharisees wanted to kill. Their hatred of Him and passion to murder Him started early in His ministry. In John 5:18 we discover that after Jesus had healed a paralyzed man, the Pharisees were upset. Their desire at that point was to murder Jesus. That was their goal. He was a threat to them.

In John 7:1 we find that they started actively trying to kill Him. In John 7:25, the people finally became aware that their religious leaders wanted to kill this One whom they regarded as a prophet and a miracle-worker. It is just stunning! Think about what Jesus was doing and teaching!

In John 8:37 and 40, we are once again reminded that Jesus was the one they wanted to kill. They wanted to kill Him because of the miracles He did. They kept wanting to kill Him. In John 11:13 we are told that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they desperately wanted Him dead. I could not help but think to myself of what it must have been like for Jesus to be healing, teaching, caring, loving, training, giving of Himself, and all the time be aware that there was a group of people who wanted to murder Him. There was a group of people who wanted to snuff Him out of this world. What great stress must He have experienced?

All the time He was aware of what they wanted to do to Him. As a result, after He healed someone, He would tell them to tell no one about the miracle. “Tell no one that you were healed. Tell no one what I did for you.” In Matthew 8:4 He told a leper not to tell anyone that He had healed him. In Luke 8:56 He told a synagogue official to tell no one that his daughter was healed. In Mark 7:36 He told a blind man not to tell anyone that he was healed. In Matthew 12:16 we find a statement that leads us to believe Jesus must have repeatedly asked people to tell no one, because in Matthew 12:15-16 we read,

He warned many who had been healed to tell no one about their healing. Matthew 12:15b-16 (NASB)

Jesus was constantly aware of the pursuit of the religious leaders and their desire to murder Him.

Tell No One

There is also something else that reveals that Jesus was aware of His danger. Jesus kept saying that His hour had not come. Do you remember at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when His mother asked Him to provide more wine? It was Jesus who decided to turn water into wine. Jesus replied to His mother, “My hour has not come.” John 7:30 and John 8:20 reminds us that this was an issue.

The crowds were responding. They were enthusiastic and throughout His ministry the crowds were growing larger. He could not even spend time in His own home in peace and quiet. He could not go anywhere without people recognizing Him. People came after Him no matter where He was. Crowds were responding to Jesus in incredible ways, but the Sadducees and the Pharisees were in the background always watching. Therefore, Jesus was telling people, “Do not tell anyone!” His “hour had not come yet!”

People Come To The Passover

Just on the skirts of Palm Sunday, we are told in John 11:55 that the passover of the Jews was near and many were going to Jerusalem.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. Passover was near, and they were seeking Jesus. John 11:55-56a (NASB)

Isn’t this great?! They were seeking Jesus. Are you seeking Jesus? I trust you are. I hope Jesus is the one you are looking for. These folks were looking for Jesus. Verse 56 lets us hear some of their discussion.

. . . and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?” John 11:56b (NASB)

They were talking to one another. They were asking if anyone knew if Jesus was coming to the Passover.

In verse 57 we are introduced to another group who hoped Jesus would come too!

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him. John 11:57 (NASB)

So here is the backdrop. The people wanted to see Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to see Him too, but they have a different reason and purpose. They wanted to murder Him.

In John 12:9-11 we are told that the large crowd knew Christ had come.

The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. John 12:9 (NASB)

The crowds also wanted to see Lazarus whom Christ had raised in John 11. That was an incredible miracle. News of the miracle had spread throughout the region and city. People wanted to see Jesus and Lazarus. John 12:10 adds that the chief priests not only wanted to murder Jesus, but Lazarus also. While we are not given the reason, the most likely reason is that seeing Lazarus provided proof that Jesus raised him from the dead.

But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also . . . John 12:10 (NASB)

Wow! They wanted to remove the proof of the miracle. Verse 11 says,

. . . because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. John 12:11 (NASB)

These religious leaders were extremely wicked. Verse 12 tells us that it is the next day.

And on the next day . . . John 12:12a (NASB)

Triumphal Entry Of Christ Begins

This was the beginning of what we call the Great Processional or Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus was outside of the city and the people were excited that Jesus is coming. They were waiting and eager.

On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees . . . John 12:12-13 (NASB)

On the next day the people were looking for Jesus. They had been seeking Jesus and now they have heard He is here. Matthew 21:1 tells us that Jesus is approaching Jerusalem. He is near Bethpage, close to the Mount of Olives which is somewhat northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus and His disciples are walking along a path near Bethpage, moving towards Jerusalem. Matthew 21:1-2 tells us that Jesus chose two disciples.

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.” Matthew 21:1-2 (NASB)

This is straightforward information. Jesus sent two disciples to a village—apparently not Bethpage—to get a donkey and a colt. The colt would be a young donkey. They were to untie them and bring them. Mark 11:3-6 tells us,

“If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.” They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. Mark 11:3-6 (NASB)

Jesus told the two disciples that if anyone asked questions as to why they were untying the colt, they were to answer, “The Lord needs it,” and they would then be allowed to take the animals. That was exactly how the events unfolded.

In verse 7 we are told they brought the colt to Christ.

They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. Mark 11:7 (NASB)

Luke 19:30 states that no one had ever sat on the colt.

Go into the village ahead of you; there, as you enter, you will find a colt tied on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. Luke 19:30 (NASB)

Then Mark 11:7 simply states, “And he sat on it.” We can be confident that this colt knew something that the disciples did not know. The colt knew who Jesus was. You can be guaranteed this colt did not buck Jesus but sat quietly. It obeyed and heeded the commands that Jesus gave it. It knew its Creator.

Now Jesus sat on the colt and rode along the road. Luke 19 tells us that when Christ came near the Mount of Olives, the people began to rejoice because of all the miracles they had seen Him do.

As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen . . . Luke 19:37 (NASB)

Mark 11:8-10 reports that people were spreading branches on the road and shouting, “Hosanna!”

And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:8-10 (NASB)

John 12:13-15 reports some of this same information but also provides more information. The apostle John reports the people,

. . . took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” John 12:13-15 (NASB)

Now the people are shouting. The people are responding. In Jesus’ day royalty and nobles did not sit on donkeys. Instead, they sat on horses. They sat on beasts of honor. John 12:13 quotes Zechariah 9:9 and in the process indicates that it is a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. Now it is important to know that the Talmud reports the Persian King Sapor when commenting on the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 said,

You say your Messiah will come on an ass. I will send him a brave horse.[1]

This reveals that the Jews in Christ’s time knew that Zechariah 9:9 referred to the Messiah. Jesus did not come on a brave horse, but on an animal of low regard. Jesus could have come on a brave horse to impress others, to seek His own glory, to obtain their submission or to receive adoration, but He didn’t. He came as a humble king. Someone with humility does not have an “I problem.” Jesus was a humble king. He came on a colt.

Religious Leaders Were Angry

In John 12:16-18 we are told once again that some of the people had come because Lazarus had been raised from the dead and they wanted to see the miracle worker, Christ.

These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. John 12:16-18 (NASB)

What would it have been like to have been a bystander and watch Christ walking along? That would have been an experience to just watch Him. Do you wonder what it would have been like if you were one of Jesus’ disciples walking just behind Him, seeing this crowd of people shouting, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!”?

While the people were thrilled, the religious leaders were angry because Luke 19:39-40 reports that they wanted Jesus to rebuke the crowd.

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” Luke 19:39-40 (NASB)

The Pharisees were upset. In essence they said, “Hey, Jesus, just tell them all to be quiet.” Jesus said, “No, if they do not cry out, the stones will.” That would have been even more impressive. But there were bigger concerns for the Pharisees because Matthew 21:11 tells us the people thought Jesus was at least a prophet,

And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:11 (NASB)

And in John 12:19, we read,

So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” John 12:19 (NASB)

Apparently the Pharisees turned to one another because the “you” is in the plural. That is, one Pharisee turns to another Pharisee and says, “Do you see what you are doing is not working? The whole world has gone after Him.” Now you can imagine what they thought. Jesus has been walking from Bethpage near the Mount of Olives. He is walking towards Jerusalem. The people are shouting and we can imagine the excitement when an entire crowd is doing this. What an incredible experience! It was a glorious day! It was Palm Sunday! It was awesome. Jesus was being honored. He was being exalted as king! He deserved it because He was the King. He was not going to become a King. He was then and is today the King!

My Hour Has Come

If we look ahead at John 12:20, we discover an amazing thing.

Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip . . . John 12:20-21 (NASB)

Philip was one of Jesus’ disciples.

… who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” John 12:21 (NASB)

Isn’t this wonderful? The wanted to see Jesus. “Sir, we wish to see Jesus!”

In verse 22 we are told that Philip came and told Andrew, and Philip told Jesus. Verse 23,

And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23 (NASB)

Now what a strange response to Philip – “it is not my hour, my hour has not come.” All of a sudden there is a change. What we today call Palm Sunday was the culmination or the turning point in Christ’s ministry. Palm Sunday was a key day because it was no longer that “my hour has not come.” It is now, “my hour has come, my hour has arrived.”

Notice verse 27,

Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, “Father, save Me from this hour”? But for this purpose I came to this hour. John 12:27 (NASB)

Jesus is talking to the Father and says, “Lord, save Me from this hour.” Then He says, “No, this is the reason I came.” This is the reason I taught, healed, and put up with these Pharisees and Sadducees. This is the reason I have done everything.” He says, “And now, my hour is here.”

Do you know what Palm Sunday is? Palm Sunday is the turning point in Christ’s ministry. Palm Sunday is the first day of the very week in which the prophet Daniel prophesied Jesus would die (Daniel 9:25-27). Now that week had arrived. When you think about Palm Sunday, think about it this way. This was the turning point in His ministry. His hour had come. He was now marching to His death. Jesus was no longer avoiding the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus will no longer tell people, “Don’t tell anyone.” From here on the plan, the purpose, the goal, was to die. His hour had come! That is what the Triumphal Entry was all about.

The Humble King

I could not help reflecting on the fact that the humble king had come. He had come to do the Father’s will. In 1 Peter 5:4 we find a promise. Verse 4 says,

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:4 (NASB)

This is a promise to the elders of a church. There is a similar promise for the deacons in a church (1 Timothy 3:13). Then in verse 5 we are told that,

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 1 Peter 5:5 (NASB)

Do you know what characterized Jesus? Jesus was humble! Notice what this verse tells us. It defines humility. Have you ever wondered what humility means? We hear about people who are self-deprecating. They never directly honor themselves. They downplay their importance. We say “that is a humble person.” But that is not really a good definition of humility. That is our culture’s definition of humility. The Apostle Peter actually defines humility here in verse 5. We are going to discover that Paul does too.

The first hint about the definition of humility here is in verse 5. It says, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders” That is a key statement. The young men are to submit to their elders, and, “all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.”

The apostle Peter just connected submission and humility together. In verse 6,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God . . . 1 Peter 5:6 (NASB)

This reveals that if you humble yourself under God, you are in submission. You will not be humble if you are not willing to submit. Philippians 2:3-4 echoes the same truth.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

A humble person does not put his or her own interests first, but is concerned for the interests of others. Verse 5 gives us the example of Christ.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped . . . Philippians 2:5-6 (NASB)

Here we are told that Christ was willing to become a man. Verse 8 is where we want to go.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient . . . Philippians 2:8 (NASB)

What is humility? It is obedience. Watch this: If we are unwilling to obey the Lord, if we are unwilling to be His servant, if we are unwilling to do exactly what He wants us to do, then we are not humble. Humility is reflected in submission and obedience. Humility is doing what God asks us to do.

In 1 John 3:23 we are given a command. It is the first sign of humility. Notice how the verse reads,

This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He . . . 1 John 3:23 (NASB)

What does it say?

… commanded us.

The first sign of humility is belief in Jesus. Look at 1 John 2:4.

The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:4-6 (NASB)

The one who does not submit is a liar, and he is also not humble. Jesus came riding on a donkey. He was the humble king. Why? Because He came to do the Father’s will. Jesus showed Himself to be the humble king. Praise God!

 

References:

1. Sanhedrin. Babylonian Talmud. 98.

 

Questions or Comments?

John

Shipwreck of Paul

/in /by
Mary Comes to Tomb Icon
John

I Have Seen The Lord

/in /by

Mary Comes to the Tomb Header

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday and it was a magnificent day. This morning is truly a morning fit for a resurrection since the sun is bright. It might have been on a day such as this that Jesus came riding on a donkey. He left Bethpage and moved towards the foot of the Mount of Olives. People were chanting, shouting, and cheering as He continued to ride on that donkey. He rode on an animal that kings would not ride on. Kings rode on horses, and Jesus came riding on a donkey. Eventually He came to Jerusalem and people were still shouting “hosanna” and calling for Him to be their king. It was wonderful to be reminded of what had happened, with palm branches everywhere. Maybe they were waving or fanning them. We know that palm branches were littered all across the road as Jesus came riding on the donkey towards Jerusalem. We saw that people were seeking Him. Some religious leaders were seeking Him too! But they had a different motive. They had a different agenda. They wanted to murder Him.

After The Triumphal Entry

On Monday, the day after the Triumphal Entry, Jesus entered the temple. This was not the first time that Christ entered the temple. This was the second time He entered it and cleansed it. The first time was at the beginning of His ministry. The second time was at the end of His ministry. I find it interesting that the reason He cleansed the temple was because He was a holy king. Jesus was a holy, righteous person. He was also a humble person.

Then on Tuesday we are told the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, challenged Jesus. They asked Him the toughest, orneriest questions that they had. They tried to stump Jesus. But Jesus answered their questions and won the debate. The Scriptures tell us that He dumbfounded them. They were not able to respond to Him. Jesus was not just a holy, humble king. He was a wise king. On Wednesday He pronounced a series of “Woes” on the Pharisees, His condemnation of them. He then preached His last sermon which is known as the Olivet Discourse.

Thursday – The Passover Meal

Thursday was the day of preparation. Thursday was the day that He and the disciples were in the upper room celebrating the Passover. It was the day on which He instituted the Lord’s Supper. They ate the Lord’s Supper or the Passover meal together. It was also the time He washed the feet of His disciples. That was an act of humility because in those days, washing another person’s feet was a duty only servants performed. It was not something one would expect the Lord Jesus to do. It was not something that the disciples were expected to do either. Therefore, the disciples did not budge. They did not move to serve in this way. Therefore, Jesus washed their feet. The humble, holy, wise king, reminded everyone once again that He was the humble king. He washed their feet.

Thursday – The Arrest

Towards the end of the day, Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane and has finished praying to the Father. Then Judas arrived along with some soldiers and spectators who wanted to see what was happening. We can imagine the soldiers approaching and a crowd is forming. They walked right up to Jesus, and Judas walked over to Christ and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him on the cheek. The soldiers then bound Him and dragged Him away. Matthew 26:56 tells us that the disciples fled. They were afraid. John 16:32 tells us that they went home. These disciples were not brave, except for Peter who sliced off an ear, which Jesus chose to immediately heal. But everybody else fled and left Jesus alone with the soldiers and Judas. We are told later that two disciples followed Jesus from a distance. They were Peter and John.

Thursday – Peter Denies Christ

Peter’s courage did not last very long before he denied Jesus three times. Not once. Not twice, but three times he denied Christ. We are told that on the third time, Jesus’ eyes and Peter’s eyes met. When they looked at one another, the Scriptures tell us that Peter left weeping bitterly. He was really distraught. He was beside himself. The Greek has the idea that he was bawling. He could not control himself as tears were streaming down his face. There was only one disciple left at that point. It was John. The Gospel of John tells us that John was in the courtyard of the high priest, and he watched what happened to Jesus. He saw the trial and the events that followed. In fact, it was John who actually let Peter into the court of the high priest. John had arrived there first. John was watching all the events, all the false witnesses against Christ.

Friday – Christ Before The Crowd

Eventually, on Friday, the next morning, Jesus was brought first before Pilate and then was taken to Herod. After meeting with Herod, He is taken back to Pilate. Eventually He is standing with Pilate before a crowd. One would think, “Why is Jesus standing before the crowd?” The answer is that He had been accused by the religious leaders of falsely claiming to be their Messiah. That was the accusation. But that was not the real reason. He was not there because He was God or holy. He was not there because He was a humble king. He was not there because He was a wise man. He was not there because He healed thousands and thousands of people. He was not there because of His teachings. He was there, Matthew 20:17-19 tells us, because of envy or jealousy. The religious leaders were so extremely jealous that the people were more interested in Jesus than in them. They were jealous of Christ. That is why Jesus was standing with Pilate before the crowd.

Jesus stood there with Pilate and Barabbas, a thief. It was an opportunity for Pilate to release Jesus. Pilate believed that Jesus was innocent and was trying to find an acceptable reason to let Him go. I could not help but wonder what Jesus noticed at this point. Did He see John? John had been with Jesus throughout the trial but at a distance. Was John still there? I wonder how Jesus felt? I wonder how Jesus felt when Pilate said, “Who shall I release to you, Barabbas or Jesus?” I wonder what He was thinking and feeling.

Jesus just stood there while the people were shouting and chanting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” I was wondering, “What was Jesus thinking as the people were chanting and shouting, ‘Crucify Him!’” Did Jesus think back to Palm Sunday? Did He remember the people who had been shouting as he rode the donkey from Bethpage to the Mount of Olives and on to Jerusalem? Did Jesus remember the palm branches and the shouting of “Hosanna! Hosanna!”? I wonder if Jesus thought back to the first time John, James, Peter, and Andrew believed that He was the Messiah? What did Jesus think about as He stood there before the crowd? Did he think about Matthew, who was the next one to believe in Him and eventually all twelve who believed in Him. Did Jesus think about their walks, talks and the times they ate together and ministered together? Peter had called Him the Holy One and had said, “You are the Christ.” What was He thinking about?

Friday – Disciples Who Fled

What about the disciples? Jesus had warned them. He had told them about the events that were to come. In Mark 8:31 we read,

And He began to teach them . . . Mark 8:31 (NASB)

He had taught the disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priest, and the scribes, be killed, and after three days rise again. That was the essence of what was going to happen. He had stated the facts plainly. Once Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him when Jesus spoke of His death. Peter did not understand. Jesus told him what was going to happen. Did Jesus think about that? They just did not understand. In Mark 9:31 Jesus taught them again.

For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” Mark 9:31 (NASB)

Then in the next verse we are told that the disciples did not understand.

But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. Mark 9:32 (NASB)

They did not understand. I wonder if Jesus was thinking about their reaction as he stood before the shouting, chanting crowd. I could not help but wonder, “What was Jesus thinking?”

In Mark 10:32 we are told,

And they were on the road . . . Mark 10:32 (NASB)

Jesus and the disciples were going up to Jerusalem. This occurred just before Palm Sunday. They were walking on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking on ahead of them. Those who followed were fearful that Jesus was going to die.

They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Mark 10:32-34 (NASB)

The disciples were just absolutely clueless. They did not understand what Christ had said. They did not understand at the Last Supper. They did not understand when Jesus prayed. Remember that they fell asleep while He prayed! They were in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers arrived. One of them tried to fight and the others ran away. Why run away if you understand what is really happening? They just did not understand; they absolutely missed it!

I wonder how Jesus felt? You might be thinking, “Jesus was God. He did not have any of those feelings. He understood everything.” Oh, really? Stop and remember that as Jesus walked towards Jerusalem, Luke 19:41 tells us He wept over Jerusalem. Jesus cried over Jerusalem. He cried over Lazarus even though He knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the grave. Jesus even cried over the realization that He was going to die according to Hebrews 5:7. Jesus had human emotions. I believe Jesus felt emotion while He was standing before the crowd with Pilate and Barabbas. But He knew who was going to be chosen.

There was only one disciple still remaining with Christ. All the others had left. Matthew 27:24 tells us that Pilate, because he feared a riot was breaking out, made his decision, and gave the people what they wanted. He turned Jesus over to the soldiers, who then led him off to be crucified. They nailed Him to a cross. They put nails in His hands and feet, and hoisted Him up and dropped the cross into a hole, and there He hung.

Friday – Jesus Dies

But Jesus was not alone. Oh, Jesus was not alone. The disciples may have fled, but Jesus was not alone. He had two thieves beside Him. He had soldiers on the ground who were there to make sure He died. Jesus was not alone. The fickle crowd stood there, watching to see how long it would take Him to die. Jesus was not alone: The Sadducees and the Pharisees were there also! They were really happy they were finally getting rid of this man!

Jesus was definitely not alone! Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleophas, Mary the mother of James and John, Salome, and many other women were there! The gospel of John tells us that John was at the cross.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, there was an earthquake and darkness covered the known world. Eventually, Jesus pronounced, “It is finished.” It was finished; the mission was completed. The perfect Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world was sacrificed for you and for me. Finally, we could have our sins forgiven.

Friday – The Clueless Crowd

But the crowd, the soldiers, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the women, John, the disciples—none of them understood what had just happened as you will discover shortly. Only Jesus and heaven knew what He had accomplished. That evening those who were at the cross returned home. I wonder how Jesus’ mother, Mary, felt? It was a sad Sabbath for them. Since the Sabbath started Friday at 6:00 p.m. and ended on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. no one would have visited the tomb. No good Jew would have ventured out. Everybody would have stayed home and mourned.

Sunday – The Resurrection

Now we come to John 20:1.

Now on the first day of the week . . . John 20:1 (NASB)

This refers to Sunday and on this day . . .

… Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. John 20:1 (NASB)

That is a very interesting statement. Mary Magdalene had been at the foot of the cross when Christ died. Now she comes in the early morning while it is dark to the tomb. The other Gospels tell us that there were other women there also. Christ’s mother was not among the women. Mark adds two other women are there along with Mary Magdalene. They are Mary the mother of James and Salome. Luke adds Joanna and some other women. They may have included the women mentioned in Luke 8:1-3.

But the apostle John singles out Mary Magdalene. He is not interested in all the other women. We are told that she came early in the morning to the tomb while it was still dark and noticed that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. She must have come with grief in her heart. She also did not understand that Christ must die and would return to life three days later. Verse 2 says that she ran away to find Peter.

So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved … John 20:2a (NASB)

Who was it that Jesus loved? The gospel of John says it was the apostle John.

…and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” John 20:2b (NASB)

They Did Not Believe

Mary went searching for the disciples. Next the gospel of John focuses on two apostles: Peter and John. What was Mary’s message? She said that someone had removed Jesus’ body. It is obvious she did not believe that Christ had risen from the dead. Why would she say, “They stole His body” if she believed He would return to life? It is very obvious that Mary Magdalene did not understand what had happened.

In verses 3-7 we are told that Peter and John hurried to the tomb in order to investigate.

So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. John 20:3-7 (NASB)

This is an interesting picture. Peter and John race to the tomb. They want to see it for themselves, and we are told John arrives first, looks in, sees the wrappings, and sees that Jesus is not there. The linen wrappings are flat. The body is gone. But Peter just darts in. That is just like Peter! Peter is bold and brash. He runs in and sees the linen wrappings but Jesus is not there.

In Christ’s time when someone was buried, spices were put on the body and then the body was tightly wrapped in cloth. Consequently, Peter walks into the tomb and sees the linen wrappings lying flat. There was no body – just the linen wrappings. The head cloth was rolled up, but lying by itself.

Luke 24:12 reveals to us that Peter was surprised by what he saw. Peter was still lacking understanding as Mary Magdalene had been. It is important to notice that we are not given any information about the other nine disciples. There is no record that they came to the tomb. After Judas died, there were only eleven left. Two of them came to the tomb. That reveals what the disciples understood about Jesus returning to life. They did not understand either. Mary Magdalene thought she had an answer—His body was stolen.

Kent Hughes makes a very interesting comment about the resurrection of Christ. He writes,

A grand truth that emerges from this story, as it does in none of the other Gospels, is that the disciples did not invent the resurrection story. At first, they neither understood it or believed it. None of the Gospels tell us how Jesus was resurrected because none of the Gospel writers saw it. How did they resist creatively imagining such a spellbinding story for the Church? They resisted because they were not myth-makers but witnesses. In Alexander MacLaclaren’s words, “The evidential value of the disciples’ slowness to believe cannot be overrated.”[1]

The obvious slowness of the disciples to believe cannot be overlooked. The disciples were in discovery mode; they were learning.

John 20:8 is focused on the apostle John.

So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. John 20:8 (NASB)

Now John enters the tomb, sees the linens, sees the head cloth, and what are we told he did?

. . . and he believed.

He saw and believed. He saw and believed. There are some today, who just like Mary, have excuses, have explanations as to why Jesus was not in the tomb. Mary thought His body was stolen. That was a logical idea. Some people today like that explanation. There are some people who look at the biblical evidence and just like Peter they just do not understand. Then there are others who are like the apostle John and believe!

John did not believe because of stories, a slick preacher, a television evangelist or because of some book that moved him emotionally to respond. He did not believe because of the Scriptures. You might say, “Wait a minute, I thought for sure he would have known the Scriptures.” Then read verse 9. It says,

For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. John 20:9 (NASB)

John did not understand the Scriptures yet! He did not understand Psalm 16:10 that says,

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
Psalm 16:10 (NASB)

John did not understand about that prophecy. Instead, John saw with his own eyes and he … believed. He already knew what Peter would discover later. He already knew what the nine disciples would discover later. He already knew what Mary Magdalene was going to discover in just a few minutes because in verse 10 Mary remained at the tomb and guess who came to her?

So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping . . . John 20:10-11a (NASB)

This tells us that apparently while John and Peter were there, Mary had returned and stood outside crying. After the disciples left, the last part of verse 11 says Mary looked inside the tomb.

. . . and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting . . . John 20:11b-12a (NASB)

Two angels showed up again!

. . . one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” John 20:12b-13 (NASB)

Mary still did not understand. She still thinks Jesus’ body has been stolen. Verse 14 continues the description of what happened.

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” John 20:14-15a (NASB)

Conclusion

Can I ask whom are you seeking?

Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” John 20:15b-18a (NASB)

I imagine that Mary went back shouting, “I’ve seen the Lord! I’ve seen the Lord! I’ve seen the Lord!” She finally was no longer clueless. She finally understood. She finally believed. I could not help but think the women were at the foot of the cross, and the apostle John was at the foot of the cross. Peter was not at the cross. The other nine disciples were not at the cross. Only the women and the apostle John were at the cross.

Who arrived at the tomb? At first, only the women, except for Jesus’ mother, came to the tomb. Why is it that Jesus and the angels appeared only to the women? I think it was an expression of God’s love for these women to help them believe. Later others of the apostles believed without seeing the empty tomb. We read in verse 29 that Jesus spoke these words to the one disciple who continued to doubt. He is called doubting Thomas,

Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. John 20:29 (NASB)

The apostle John did not need two angels and he did not need to see Jesus in order to believe. He saw the empty tomb, the linen wrappings were flattened and understood and believed. Let us change the words. As you read the facts about Christ’s resurrection that the tomb was empty, the linen wrappings were flattened, do you understand and believe? The message of secular accounts and the gospels are that He returned to life. He was resurrected. He is risen!

There is a wonderful song called “Alleluia, Alleluia” about the resurrection of Christ. The author is Christopher Wordsworth. Here are his words.

Now the iron bars are broken, Christ from death to life is born;
Glorious life and life immortal on this resurrection morn.
Christ has triumphed and we conquer by his mighty enterprise;
We with him to life eternal by His resurrection rise.

Alleluia! Alleluia! hearts to heaven and voices raise;
Sing to God a hymn of gladness, sing to God a hymn of praise.
He, who on the cross as Savior for the world’s salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the King of glory, now is risen from the dead.

He is risen!

 

References:

1. R Kent Hughes. Luke. Preaching The Word. Crossway Books. 1998. vol. 2. p. 403.

 

Questions or Comments?

John

Plot To Assassinate Paul

/in /by
John

Paul’s Arrest and Boldness

/in /by