Grace For The Journey

  Merry Christmas!  Today, on this day that we celebrate as Christ’s birth, I want to share with you a great truth about Christmas that shows us how faithful and trustworthy God is.  This truth is rooted in Isaiah 9:6…

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

Some have claimed this verse represents what is called a “tautology,” which means using needless repetition to repeat the same idea.  But as we will clearly see, this word from God is not mere repetition, but rather the emphatic truth of The HOW of Christmas.

In the birth of Christ, we see the glorious fulfillment of divine promise.

First Truth – “Unto us a child is born . . .”

As a child in His human nature, Jesus was truly born, just like any other person who has ever lived.  To be sure, He was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, but in His humanity Jesus is a child born unto us, a fact which is fully established.

Prophecy – Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.”

Fulfillment – Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law.”

Second Truth – “Unto us a son is given…”

As Jesus Christ is God’s Son, He is not only begotten, but also given to us.  Jesus is begotten of His Father from before all creation – the word “begotten,” it means “not made, or created, but being of the same substance with the Father.”

Charles Spurgeon wrote: “The doctrine of the eternal affiliation of Christ is to be received as an undoubted truth of our holy religion.  But as to any explanation of it, no man should venture thereon, for it remaineth among the deep things of God—one of those solemn mysteries indeed, into which the angels dare not look, nor do they desire to pry into it—a mystery which we must not attempt to fathom, for it is utterly beyond the grasp of any finite being.  As well might a gnat seek to drink in the ocean, as a finite creature to comprehend the Eternal God.  A God whom we could understand would be no God.  If we could grasp him he could not be infinite, if we could understand him, then were he not divine.”

Jesus was not born into this world as God’s Son, but as God, He gave Himself freely as the One who would save His people from their sins.  This distinction clearly sets forth a difference containing within it a great truth.

Prophecy – Psalm 2:7, “’I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten you.’”

Fulfillment – Matthew 3:17, “And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

That great prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon made it clear that we cannot plumb the depths of this great mysterious truth of The HOW of Advent.  The wisest thing we can do is embrace the truth of Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever.”

We join with the Scriptures in saying “thank God for His indescribable gift!”  2 Corinthians 9:15.  Thank God that He is faithful and trustworthy to His promise – “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”  Have you received this truth as your only hope of salvation and eternal life?

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”