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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Why the Beloved Son was born

Genesis 37:18 When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.

Matthew 26:4 they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

Why did Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, enter into time through a virgin's womb, develop his humanity for 9 months and begin his human life in a manger on that first Christmas night?  As we look at the accounts of Joseph and Jesus, the plots for both required that someone plot their death. 

A deadly plot against a beloved son
Joseph, the son who had been born to take away reproach, would be sent by his father to be rejected by his brothers.  He was now being plotted to die.  The brothers had enough.  They had went 20 miles North of where their father thought they were.  In Genesis 37:18 the beloved Son, sent by his father Israel, is sent on a mission to find the lost brothers.  Once he approached them, and once they saw him, they plotted against him to put him to death. 

The deadly plot against the beloved son - some remarkable parallels
As we saw in the opening verses of today's blog, Jesus Christ was also plotted to die.  In the plot of both sons, the name of the betrayer is identical.  In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament in Genesis 37:26, we read that it was Judah, one of the twelve brothers, who would suggest selling Joseph for silver. 

In Matthew 26:14, the Greek of the New Testament identifies a man by that same name, Judas.  Like Old Testament Judah, Judas was one of a group of twelve men.  Like Old Testament Judah, Judas Iscariot was looking for a good opportunity to betray the Beloved Son.  In both cases the timing was right.  In the case of Joseph, he was plotted to die and ended up living.  In the case of Jesus, he was plotted to die, was crucified, and then lived again.

Why the plot to die is essential to the meaning of Christmas
Like Joseph, Jesus was sold for a slaves price, weighed out in silver.  On and on the parallels go.  Are these accidents of history?  Hardly.  Rather these are marks of the mind of God behind both incidents.  Both incidents required a Sovereign God orchestrating event to where the beloved son would be plotted to die.  That plot is essential if Christmas is going to have any meaning and purpose.  A beloved Son, born to be rejected, would be plotted to die for the sins of the people.