Jesus Came, God With Us

It has been shown already that historically, Jesus did indeed exist; hence, He had to have been born. We know that He existed. Simple historical fact.

However, the coming of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, was not just an historical event to look back on. There was a reason for His coming! There is meaning to that great event.

Jesus came to this earth to die for sinners, to save His people from their sins! So, without any embellishments, here are some passages that tell us the reason for Christ’s coming!

Mary “will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Mt 1:21)

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45)

“For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (Jn 18:37)

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn 4:10)

“Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph 5:2 ESV)

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16 HCSB)

“for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:28)

“(5)  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,  (7)  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  (8)  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Php 2:5-8)

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:21)

Christ “gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal 1:4)

“Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit.” (1 Pet 3:18 NET)

“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” (Heb 13:12)

“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet 2:24)

“(14)  Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,  (15)  and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Heb 2:14-15)

“The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 Jn 3:8)

“(14)  For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh,  (15)  He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.  (16)  He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.” (Eph 2:14-16 HCSB)

“(51)  Now [Caiaphas] did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,  (52)  and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” (Jn 11:51-52)

“(27)  ‘For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,  (28)  to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.’” (Ac 4:27-28)

The preeminence of Christ

“(3) We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, (4) since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; (5) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel (6) which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; (7) just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, (8) and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. (9) For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (10) so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (11) strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. (13) For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16) For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. (17) He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (18) He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. (19) For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, (20) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. (21) And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, (22) yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- (23) if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” (Col 1:3-23 NASB)

[VIDEO] Why I love Jesus but reject Islam

Apologist James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries and Christian rapper Ivey Conerly collaborated to make available the following video on Youtube. It is definitely worth watching and listening!

The Forgotten Resurrection

“(13)  The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  (14)  And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.  (15)  And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;  (16)  and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."  (17)  His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."  (18)  The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"  (19)  Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  (20)  The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  (21)  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  (22)  So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.” (John 2:13-22 NASB)

When Jesus walked this earth as the perfect God-man, fully God and fully man, His purpose was to die for the sins of His people. Yet, that was not all He came to do. First, when the Jews heard Jesus saying that He would “destroy this temple, and in three days” raise it up, they completely misunderstood what He was talking about. He was not talking about Herod’s temple at all—that destruction came in A.D. 70—but was speaking of His own body. He made it clear that He would die and in three days rise from the dead.

We are indeed faced with an empty tomb! This is great news! However, evangelicals have put a lot of emphasis on the penal substitutionary sacrifice that Christ made on behalf of sinners to such an extent, that I sometimes think they have forgotten about the resurrection. Then, once a year at Easter, they are reminded of the resurrection and then all over the world, pastors preach on the resurrection. A week later they are back to normal, with the normal scheduled communion Sundays when they once again commemorate the death of Christ in the Lord’s supper. Once again, the resurrection becomes like a faraway family member that we visit once a year.

What is Christmas all about?

Image Courtesy of The Christmas Station Europe

When asking people what Christmas is all about, you can be sure that there would be a variety of answers. Some would say that it is about family and healing broken relationships, and that can be seen in many Christmas movies. Others would say that it is the season for giving. Of course, both answers are only partially right. These types of answers lack the most important element of Christmas, though. An essential element without which Christmas would have no meaning, in fact, wouldn’t even exist!

You see, Christmas is not essentially about doing nice things and saying nice things per se. Christmas is about Jesus Christ. Without the incarnation of Christ, Him coming in the flesh of a human being, Christmas would be meaningless.

In fact, Christmas is not only about the birth of Christ either. It is way bigger than just the appearance of God on earth. The first Christmas had a purpose in mind. A purpose decreed in eternity past.

“(18)  knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,  (19)  but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.  (20)  For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)

Christmas: It is more than just the birth of a baby

Image courtesy Aussome 7

hen asked what came to mind when they think of Christmas, most non-Christians would probably bring up the whole Santa thing, with sleigh bells, eggnog, “White Christmas” and “Ho, ho, ho!” Most Christians, on the other hand, would probably think of Jesus in the manger, and Christmas songs such as “Away in a manger” and “Silent Night.” Some people even have a concept of the combination of the two.

The fact is, Christmas, and especially the nativity of Christ, is much more than just the birth of a baby boy. It is all about Immanuel, God with us!
Let’s have a quick look at Jesus Christ, and who He is.

1. Humanity of Christ

The fact that Jesus was human while on earth can easily be attested to by Holy Scripture.

(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. (19) And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (20) But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21) She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (22) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: (23) "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). (24) When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, (25) but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Mt 1:18-25)