Supernatural Christianity needs to Celebrate Christmas Truth Everyday for the sake of worship

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Quick Review
Why must the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ be celebrated everyday by Christians? We have so far explored how practical Christianity feeds from Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ in 1 Timothy 3:14-16. Also too we have noted that when viewing Christianity in terms of its doctrines, the need to celebrate Christimas truth everyday is also necessary.  Biblical Christianity rests upon three legs: the practical, the doctrinal and the supernatural.  When we state "Practical Christianity" or "Biblical Christianity", we're simply referring to the essential ways in which we can view our daily Christian life.  It is as much practical as it is doctrinal and supernatural. 

How our worship expresses the supernatural character of Biblical Christianity
Being that 1 Timothy 3:16 is an ancient Christian Hymn, it is only fitting that we make the third reason for daily celebrating Jesus Christ, the truth of Christmas, to be for the sake of supernatural Christianity.  All of the supernatural aspects of the Christian faith flow from Jesus Christ.  Worship is how we best see the supernatural essence of our Christian faith.  Ephesians 2:18 clarifies this point:  "for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father."  Jesus Christ's incarnation and virgin birth stand as landmark supernatural events that shape the very essence of the Christian faith.  To focus on the Christmas Truth of Jesus Christ in His first coming reinforces us to be a people who worship and love the Lord. 

The Glory of Jesus Christ and supernatural Christian worship
If you notice the first and last lines of this passage, they both deal with the glory of Jesus Christ.  Quite literally we are enjoying Christ from glory to glory in this passage.  The glory of His incarnation and the glory of His ascension.  We look forward to the day when He returns in the glory of His Father.  God's glory in Jesus Christ is the beginning, middle and end of Christian worship.  Some passages below will serve to reinforce the priority of Christ's glory in supernatural Christianity:

1. The Glory of God the Son was sung about at His birth. 
Luke 2:14 states:  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

2. The Glory of God the Son was stated at the beginning of His public Ministry
Matthew 3:17 "and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

3. The Glory of God the Son was stated when He was on the Mount of Transfiguration mid-way through His public ministry
Matthew 17:5 "While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

4. The Glory of God the Son is prayed for by Him in His Upper Room Prayer
John 17:5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

5. His glory demonstrated in His resurrection is the basis for the Christian's New Birth and faith-walk with the Lord
1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"

It was this glory of Jesus Christ that was spoken of at the beginning of His birth, and the same glory which He showed, beginning witjh His resurrection and going all the way into His Ascension.  When you see 1 Timothy 3:16, it begins and ends with His glory.  Worship as the chief expression of the supernatural nature of Christianity must begin and end with the glory of Jesus Christ.  The truth of Christmas centers on this fact about our Lord.  He being God in human flesh never ceased being glorious. 

Doctrinal Christianity needs to Celebrate Christmas Truth Everyday

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

In thinking on this idea of Jesus Christ as the truth of Christmas, I asked this question in yesterday's blog: Why must the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ be celebrated everyday by Christians? We explored how practical Christianity feeds from Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ in 1 Timothy 3:14-16a.  If you will recall, we noted that Practical Christianity entails how one treats others (conduct) as well their own personal relationship with the Lord (godliness).  We also noticed too that Biblical Christianity rests upon three legs: the practical, the doctrinal and the supernatural.  Then finally, due to the fact that Paul specifically mentioned Jesus Christ as God manifested in the flesh demonstrates the Christmas truth to which He wrote about  namely Jesus Christ Himself. 

With that review in mind, we turn our attention to the second reason as to why we need to celebrate Christmas truth everyday: Precious Doctrine is Framed by Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ.   We will be looking at the 18 words that Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:16b to discover how much the doctrines associated with Christ's first coming are to drive our everyday Christianity.

A rich and profound statement about Jesus Christ being the heart of Christianity
1 Timothy 3:16 is an example of one of the first Christian hymns ever written.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul takes up this hymn and utilizes it to exhort his young protege Timothy to remain faithful to his calling.  Doctrine that changes lives is equally elegant and exact.  In 18 words in the original text Paul lays down some of the most incredible truths about Jesus Christ.  Note how the structure of these six statements begin and end with similar themes, focusing the reader's attention on the middle two lines of the text: 

1. Wonderful Christ coming from Glory. "God was manifest in the flesh."  As "God" (KJV, NKJV) or "He who" (other English Translations) being revealed in human flesh, Jesus Christ made the journey from Heavenly glory to earthly humiliation. (Philippians 2:5-11) 

     2. Work of the Spirit in the Virgin Birth.  "justified in the Spirit"
     The word translated "justified" in the KJV speaks of the Holy Spirit
     deeming the humanity of Jesus Christ, conceived by Him in the
     virgin's womb, to be without sin.  As God He could not sin and
     as a sinless human being he would not sin. Because of Jesus'
     virgin birth conception, He did not inherit the sin nature that is
     passed down  from a male bloodline. (Matthew 1:20,23; Luke
     1:35; 1 Peter 1:17-18, 2:21-22) 
     
            3. Witness of Angels. "seen of angels"
              We know that in the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke,
             angels were present to proclaim that in the City of David 
             had been born a Savior.  What makes this statement of
             Him being "seen by angels" is the fact that the Old
             Testament portrays the angels veiling their eyes with their
              wings, never having looked directly upon the Deity of God.
             (Isaiah 6).  Their song in Luke 2:14 is their proclamation of
             the Deity of the Son who now lay in the manger: "Glory to
             God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
             men."

             4. Witness of Men. "preached unto the Gentiles"
             By the time Paul wrote these words in 1 Timothy, the early
             church's mission had spread from Jerusalem to Judea and
             Samaria to the Uttermost parts of the earth. (Acts 1:8)  The
             "preaching" or "proclamation" of the Gospel took place after
             Jesus had ascended.  What is interesting about the last
             three lines of this text is that we will go backward to the point
             where He had ascended into Heaven after giving His
             disciples the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20 and
             Acts 1:8-11. 

      5. Work of the Spirit in the New Birth of believers. "believed
      on in the world"
      Just as we saw the work of the Spirit in Christ's Virgin birth in the
      second line of this text, we see His work in convicting sinner's
      unto salvation in thise second from the last line of the text.  As
      the Gospel about God who came in human flesh to die on the
      cross and be raised from the dead was preached, people
      believed!  Focusing on Jesus Christ, the truth of Christmas,
      should stir Christians to share the Goodnews with their unsaved
      loved ones and friends.

6. Wonderful Christ taken up into Glory. "received up into glory"
With this last line of the passage we see a parallel with the first, namely that the Christ who came as God in human flesh from glory is being received as the resurrected Lord into glory.  Jesus had prayed in John 17:1-4 that He would once again get to share in the Glory He had with the Father from all eternity.  In Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:8-11 we see our Lord ascending into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. 

The first three lines detail the reality of Christmas truth from the standpoint of God's activity in the Heavenly realm, whereas the last three lines deal with His same activity in the earthly realm.  Truly in Jesus Christ we see the Eternity of Heaven and history meet in One person.  Would we be a people who celebrates Christmas truth everyday.  Would we be a people who in noting the rich doctrines of the Bible, as they pertain to the Lord Jesus Christ, be so moved to love Him more and tell others about Him. 

Practical Christianity needs to Celebrate Christmas Truth Everyday

1 Timothy 3:14-16 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

What to do after the presents are unwrapped
In a few short days we will be celebrating Christmas with our family.  As many of you who are reading this blog probably will be experiencing, the anticipation leading up to Christmas and the quickness of its passing leaves one with a sense of "now what?"  When we celebrate holidays like Christmas, it is very easy to focus on the significance of Jesus' incarnation and virgin birth only once a year.  What about the remaining eleven or so months?  Should the truth of Christ's virgin birth and entry from eternity into time be restricted to once a year?  Today's blog aims to give the Christian reader a direction to go in the wake of unwrapped presents and what will be the drawing to a close of another Christmas season. 

The passage that urges us to celebrate Christmas truth everyday
1 Timothy 3:14-16 stands as one of the most incredible texts in the New Testament.  What draws me to this text is the fact that it includes a profound statement about the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Not only is the passage rich in doctrine, but also the passage is unique in that it represents one of the first early Christian hymns.  Those details alone made me start thinking about Jesus Christ as the Central truth of Christmas.  As Paul was closing out this positive set of instructions to Timothy his young protege and pastor of the Ephesian church,  he urges him and us reading this letter to truly celebrate Christmas truth everyday.

In thinking on this idea of Jesus Christ as the truth of Christmas, I ask this question: Why must the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ be celebrated everyday by Christians? In considering 1 Timothy 3:14-16, let me offer three answers to that question:

1. Practical Christianity Feeds from Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ.  1 Timothy 3:14-16a

2. Precious Doctrine is Framed by Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ.  1 Timothy 3:16b

3. Powerful Worship Flows from Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ.  1 Timothy 3:16b

So why celebrate Christmas truth everyday?  Notice first of all that...

Practical Christianity Feeds from Him who is the truth of Christmas, Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 3:14-16a

Practical Christianity expressed towards others = Conduct
Practical Christianity is one of Paul's main concerns here in these set of verses.  Note what he says about our practical everyday Christian life.  In 1 Timothy 3:15 we read: "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."   The idea of behavior is also translated by the NASB as "conduct".  Conducting oneself in the Biblical sense means being careful about how you respond and carry yourself as a Christian. 
Christian conduct is spoken of elsewhere in the New Testament:

1. Philippians 1:27 reminds us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel

2. In Acts 4:32, all the early Christians had a conduct that united them together in one heart and mind

3. Paul urges the Corinthian church in 1 Coritnhains 1:10 to watch their conduct with one another so that there may be no divisions

Other passages could be cited, but the point is well taken, conduct or how we excercise caution in our dealings with one another is a mark of a healthy, practical Christianity. 

Practical Christian expressed in my own life = godliness
Paul then says these words in 1 Timothy 3:16a - "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness...."  What is godliness? Proverbs 13:6 in the NLT reads - "Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin."  Perhaps one of the clearest descriptions of the term "godliness' anywhere in the Bible is 1 Timothy 4:8 "for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."  To be Godly means that I aim to do good and be good for the sake of God's pleasure. 

What drives practical conduct and Godliness? Christmas truth
As Paul has wrote instructions in 1 Timothy 1-3 on how his readers are to "conduct themselves" and "be godly", the question is: what engine will drive Christian conduct and Godliness?  Only one person can do that: Jesus Christ.  Christmas truth is Jesus, and daily focus upon Himself will ensure effective conduct and godliness.  The fact that Paul hitches 1 Timothy 3:15-16 to the rich statement concerning the arrival of Jesus Christ into this world, tells us that daily Christian living feeds upon the life and power of Jesus Christ. 

More tomorrow...........

Six Links between Christmas & the Cross

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

My aim today is to draw as many parallels as possible between the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke to the crucifixion account of the Lord Jesus Christ.  John 18, 19 and 20 will be our main text for the crucifixion account, with connecting points being drawn from Matthew and Luke.  Below I will list some main headings and associated verses to aid you, the reader, in connecting the Christmas event of the cradle at Bethlehem to the Mission of the Savior at the cross. 

1. The Shepherds told about the Savior born, who would die for the people
Luke 2:11 "for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

John 18:14 "Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 



2. He was Born and Died "The King of the Jews." 
Matthew 2:2 “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.”

John 19:19 "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus our True King.

3. The Roman Empire was included in His birth and death.
Luke 2:1 "Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth."

John 19:23 "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Ultimate Ruler. 

4. The Prediction of Mary's agony at His death spoken after his birth
Luke 2:35 "and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

John 19:26-27 "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Obedient Son.

5. The presence of Myrrh in the accounts of His birth and death
Luke 2:11 "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."

John 19:39 "And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight."

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Satisfaction of wrath.

6. Angels were present at His birth and resurrection
Luke 2:13-14 "And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

John 20:12-14 "and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13And 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.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. "

What links these two passages together is the fact we see Jesus the Victorious Savior. 

Christmas in the Epistles - Hebrews

Hebrews 2:14 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,

What is fascinating about our New Testaments is in how they are arranged.  When we consider the Gospels for example, they present God in human flesh - Jesus Christ.  Yesterday we made some remarks about the first coming of Jesus from 1 Timothy and today we continue by noting some observations in the Epistle to the Hebrews. 

The Old Testament Foundation and Anticipation of Christ's first coming
In the original Hebrew Old Testament, the Bible books were divided into three main divisions: The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. (Luke 24:44) According to Deuteronomy 19:15 and Matthew 18:16, the truth of any given matter is established by two or three witnesses. We can note how the writer quotes purposefully from the three-fold division of the Old Testament to drive home the point of his exhortation here in Hebrews 2:

1. In Hebrews 2:1-4 the writer alludes to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19-20, hence utilizing the "Law" or "Pentateuch" of the first five books of the Old Testament.

2. In Hebrews 2:5-8 He quotes from Psalm 8, utilizing the section called "The Writings"

3. Then in Hebrews 2:9-13 we see another quotation in 2:12 from Psalm 22:22 and a quotations from Isaiah 8:17-18, thus utilizing the "Prophetic" portion of the Old Testament.

With this foundation laid, the writer proves that the entire Old Testament "paid heed" to the coming Messiah who would be born to die for sinners and to destroy the works of the Devil.

How the entire Trinity was involved in bringing about the Christmas
We learn from this chapter of Hebrews that all three Persons of the Trinity were involved in the bringing about of Christmas. First, Hebrews 2:14 attributes the incarnation to Christ Himself: "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".1 

Next we understand that the Holy Spirit, sharing in the same Divine nature as the Son, directly intervened in forming a human nature and uniting it to the Person of the Son. Hebrews 2:17a bears this out: "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God."2 

Thirdly, we see Hebrews 10:5 ascribing the work of the incarnation to God the Father: "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me." (KJV) To Whom is Jesus addressing? Hebrews 10:7 makes it quite clear that He is speaking to God the Father, since it His Will which He came to perform. (compare John 17:1-4) 3

The main point of Hebrews 2 and its relationship to Christmas
As you begin to analyze Hebrews 2, the central verses of the chapter lie in Hebrews 2:1, 9 and 14 - pointing our attention to three main points.  The writer (perhaps Paul) is explaining  first off what every Christian must pay heed to in 2:1 "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it." 

Secondly, in Hebrews 2:9 we read - "But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone."  So then we are to payheed to not drifting away from the Gospel that we've heard, as well as the fact that Jesus Christ came to die for sinners. 

Then notice thirdly Hebrews 2:14 -  "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".  So in addition to not drifting and noting that Jesus came to die for sinners, we can note a third point: namely Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil.  Christmas then is about the Savior who came to die for sinners and destroy the works of the Devil - the Gospel from which every Christan must ever strive to not drift away. 

May you and I today pay the more earnest heed to this Jesus of Whom we aim to focus not only this Christmas season but in the upcoming New Year.

End Notes________________
1. From another text, Hebrews 10:7 we read Jesus saying: "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." (KJV) The joining of humanity to the Person of the Son was a consentual agreement made between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Eternity. (Psalm 110; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 10:4-7). 

2. The underlined verb is in the passive, meaning that Christ was the recipient of the action of His person being united to full humanity. Other passages such as Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:35 specifically ascribe the miracle of the virgin birth conception to the Holy Spirit - Who is the Direct Agent involved in the incarnation. The Son agreed to have humanity joined to Himself, with the Holy Spirit uniting such a perfect human nature to Christ in the virgin birth conception.

3. Furthermore Jesus is quoting Psalm 40 wherein David, the original speaker in the Psalm, is addressing God. Unless otherwise indicated, the name "God" by itself normally refers to God the Father. God the Father is moreso indirectly involved, since He Providentially prepared the bloodline of Mary to be the bloodline through which the humanity of Jesus Christ would be incarnated and made a reality. 

Christmas in the Epistles - 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 3:14-16 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

How the New Testament communicates Jesus Christ
Throughout the New Testament letters we find portions of scripture that refer back to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To familiarize the reader with how the New Testament communicates Jesus Christ, it is instructive to consider it as four major divisions:

1. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) = Present Jesus Christ
2. Book of Acts = Preaches about Jesus Christ
3. The Epistles or Letters (21 in all) = Explain Jesus Christ
4. Book of Revelation = Prioritizes the Glory of Jesus Christ

Christmas truth ought to be celebrated every day by Christians
From the brief discussion above we can zero in on one of those passages in the New Testament letters that "explains" to us the significance of Jesus Christ's incarnation: 1 Timothy 3:14-16.  This passage, though only three verses in length, gives us incredible reasons as to why we should make the truth of Jesus Christ's first coming a major part of everyday Christian living.  Note what Paul has to say about the significance of God the Son's incarnation and its practical significance in the lives of God's people:

1. Confidence of Christian living is associated with Christ's first coming 1 Timothy 3:15
2. Christ's supernatural power is available because of His first coming 1 Timothy 3:16a
3. Christian mind is fed by the doctrines of His first coming 1 Timothy 3:16b

Practical, Supernatural and Doctrinal Christianity: The fruit, root and trunk of Christianity
The heart of this blogsite is centered around the premise that the Christian life operates upon three legs: practical living, supernatural living and doctrinal living.  Think of Christian practice as the "fruit" of the Christian life, the supernatural power of Jesus Christ through His word as the "root", and the doctrine of scripture as the "trunk".  Jesus for example tells us that you will know the true believer by the "fruit" or attitudes and actions that flow from their heart. (Matthew 7:21-23)  When Paul writes these three verses, he is concerned with how his readers will "conduct themselves" as the household of faith.  Most of what the Old Testament anticipated looked forward to His first coming.  Likewise New Testament faith draws its life from the accomplishments of Jesus Christ in His first coming.  The fruit of the faith-life is tied into the root of the supernatural truth: Christ's first coming.

The root of Christian faith is the supernatural God-man: Jesus Christ.  Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:16a: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness....".  A mystery in the New Testament is something previously hidden that requires God's supernatural revelation.  The event of God coming in human flesh via the virgin birth constitutes one of the four central miracles entailing the Person of Jesus Christ.  The other three supernatural events involving Jesus, which make up the foundation of biblical Christianity, are His crucifixion, His resurrection and His ascension.  This supernatural root connects to the fruit of our practical everyday lives by way of a "trunk", namely the doctrine of the Christian faith. 

The doctrine described here by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:16b summarizes in "bullet-point" format the major events of Jesus' Christ's journey from his incarnation as God in human flesh, through His earthly life to his ascension.  Without the trunk of doctrine, the link between the supernatural power of Jesus Christ and the practical living of the Christian faith would not be possible. 
Note the Key Doctrines mentioned by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:16b:

1. The Incarnation = "God was manifest in the flesh"
2. The Virgin Birth = "justified in the Spirit"
3. Deity of Jesus Christ = "seen of angels"
4. Preaching and Missions = "preached unto the Gentiles"
5. Salvation by grace through faith = "believed on in the world"
6. His ascension =  "received up into glory."

Conclusion
All of this stems from what was in Paul's heart as the Holy Spirit guided his pen, namely the significance of Christ's first coming.  We know too that what Paul wrote was most likely an ancient Christian hymn sung by those first generation Christians - which means that the heart of Christmas - the Incarnation, shaped their everyday lives.  Paul wrote what he wrote to urge his readers to focus everyday on what Christ accomplished in His first coming. You and I too need to keep these things in mind.  Everyday needs to be Christmas - the excitement, the wonder and thrill of loving God in human flesh practically, supernaturally and doctrinally. 

Christmas in the Epistles - Galatians

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:1-6 represents one of the richest set of verses on Christmas you will find anywhere in the New Testament Epistles.  As you explore the New Testament, you discover its design to be intentional:

1. The  Gospels Present Christ
2. Acts Preaches about Christ
3. The Epistles Explain Christ
4. Revelation Portrays the Exalted Christ

With the Epistles as the main focus of this short blog series, we zero in today on Paul's letter to the Galatians to discover the true meaning of Christmas.

How the Bible centers upon the Person of Jesus Christ
More than any other New Testament Letter, the section here in Galatians makes the first coming of Jesus Christ as matter of timing.  What is remarkable about Galatians 4:1-6 is how it is a mini-Bible in its own right:

1. The Old Testament Age: Genesis to Malachi - Galatians 4:1-3
Throughout the Old Testament the usage of pictures, patterns and people were used by God to point to the coming Person of the Son.  The Old Testament in the New would be unfolded, since the New Testament in the Old was infolded.

2. The Gospels - Galatians 4:4
The fulness of time had arrived.  Between Malachi and Matthew existed a span of 400 years.  Timing was indeed everything.  Politically the world saw the rise and fall of four major world empires: Babylon, Persia, The Greco/Macedonian Empire and the Empire of Rome, which was in power by the birth of Jesus.  From the days of Alexander the Great in 333 b.c, the arising of the Greek Language as the primary trade language of the day would pave the way for the writing of the New Testament.  With the rise of Rome to power and its program of "Pax Romana", the Roman Road system would come to snake its way throughout the Mediterranean world, making it possible for future missionary endeavors by the Apostles.  All of these developments are just samples of how the "fulness of time" signalled the perfect timing of God the Son's coming to this world in human flesh.

3. Book of Acts and the remainder of the New Testament: Galatians 4:5-6
Galatians 4:5-6 reads - "so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God."

Though Galatians was Paul's first letter written, it signalled what would be one of the central themes of New Testament Christianity - namely how people are to be born again by faith and made to live as adopted sons of God.  The arrival of the Holy Spirit in Acts pointed to the birth of the Church.  In the nearly 20 sermons recorded in Acts, 10 of them center upon the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Overwhelmingly the Resurrection was the central doctrine of the early church.

However were it not for two other key doctrines: namely Christ's substituionary death on the cross and His incarnation, we would not have any Gospel message at all.  By His incarnation as God in human flesh, the Gospel message is unreservedly exclusive in its claims of Jesus Christ being the only way to Heaven.  If God's true nature is revealed exclusively through Jesus Christ, then no other religion can claim the revelatory character of Biblical Christianity.  Furthermore, by His death on the cross, we see that apart from the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.  It was the mission of the cross that would define the chief reason as to why He was virgin born. (Matthew 1:21,23)

Christmas in the Epistles - 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

As we continue on in our study of Christmas in the Epistles, we discover ever more the glorious ways in which the Epistles explain the significance of Christmas truth.  Yesterday in Romans we saw how Jesus Christ came as the seed and offspring of David.  Romans reveals Christ as fully God who came to take unto Himself a fully human nature.  In today's blog we will look at 1 Corinthians to discover another vital truth of Christ's incarnation: how He came to be the "New Adam"

The First Adam and The Second Adam
The Greek of the above verse really aims to precisely explain to us the comparison between the first man (Adam) and the second man (Jesus Christ).  Quite literally the first man came "out from within" the earth.  According to Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:7, God fashioned the first man from the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils and he became a living soul.  The second Adam, Jesus Christ, is the man who came "out from within Heaven" - meaning that He as God came from heaven, entered into Mary's womb, and had his humanity formed miraculously by the Holy Spirit who conceived it inside her virgin womb. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35)  All over the New Testament we find Jesus Christ and Adam compared and contrasted. (Romans 5:11-21 and here in 1 Corinthians 15:47-49)  History is determined by two men: Adam and Christ.

The connection made between Christ's miraculous birth and the Christian's new birth
Christ's virgin birth was one of the fundamental miracles that would come to define biblical faith.  Without it, prophecies such as Isaiah 7:14 would had been proven false and the doctrines of Christ's sinlessness and fitness to be the sinner's substitute would had been nullified.  

The Christian's entry into salvation is defined as being "born-again" or the "New birth" (John 3:3; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)  The salvation of sinners is a miracle that supplies Grace to the sinner who believes to be saved.  Both the new birth and the faith and repentance of human beings are logically connected but in reality simultaneous.  It is this Divine work of the New Birth that functions as the beginning point of salvation, includes faith and repentance and results in the salvation of the soul.  

Paul seems to connect both here in 1 Corinthians 15:48-49 "As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly." 

Though the virgin birth of Jesus in his humanity is a different miracle than the New Birth unto salvation, there are some striking parallels. 

1. Both are wrought by the Holy Spirit of God. (Matthew 1:20 and 1 Peter 1:23)

2. Both are miraculous and bring about new life.

3. The Virgin birth enabled the Person of God the Son to partake of humanity and have something in common with those He came to redeem. (Hebrews 2:14ff)  Conversely,  The New Birth brings sinful human beings who believe into having something in common with Christ's humanity. (Romans 6:4-11)

How the Christmas truth of Christ's first coming connects you to other truths pertinent to your Christian identity in Jesus Christ
Quite literally, as a Christian, I can say that I had a miraculous birth just as my Savior, touching His humanity, experienced The Miraculous birth.  Truly the Holy Spirit was the chief agent of the virgin birth, uniting fully humanity to the person of God the Son. (Matthew 1:20, 23, Luke 1:35) Likewise the Holy Spirit unites all whom he convicts and who believe on Jesus into the living experience and Person of Jesus Himself. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Consider briefly how we are united to Jesus Christ:

1. He had a miraculous birth, as a Christian, I too have a miraculous birth  (1 Corinthians 15:47-49)

2. He lived a life of overcoming temptation.  The Holy Spirit credits me with His life, and I too have a power base from which to conquer sin in my life. (Romans 6:4-11; 8:1-14)

3. He was crucified.  I am to reckon myself daily dead to the power of sin in my life, to the world's influence tugging on my soul and the temptations of the evil one, for I too have been crucified with Jesus. (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4-5, 12; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  I must remind myself by scripture who I am and Whose I am in Jesus.

4. He was buried.  So was I.  My former life is no more.  I testified of this fact by following through in obedience by believer's baptism, which pictures me having buried my former identity in a watery grave and being raised to walk forth in newness of life. (Romans 6:4-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:11-12)

5. He was raised from the dead.  As Christian, I too can claim a resurrection in my spirit that occured at the moment of saving faith.  I am a new creation in Jesus Christ, having been quickened by the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. I look forwar dto the day when my physical body will be transformed into a glorified resurrection body like His (Romans 6:4-11; 1 Peter 1:3, 23; 1 John 3:1-3)

6. He ascended and is seated at the right hand of God the Father.  As a Christian, I too was positionally seated with Him in the heavenly realms by grace through faith. (Ephsians 2:6-10)

As we close out today's blog, I'm reminded of the lyircs of a more recent Christian song: "He came from Heaven to earth, to show the way.  From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay.  From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord I lift your name on high." 

 

Christmas in the Epistles - Romans

Romans 1:1-3 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh

Today begins a short new blog series that I hope will prove to be of interest to you the reader.  When we think of the truth of Christmas, we often turn to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke - and by all rights that is where we should begin.  In the Matthew and Luke birth narratives of Jesus' birth, explanation as to to the significance of the incarnation of Jesus Christ derive from the Old Testament prophecies about His first coming.  For example the virgin birth spoken of in Matthew 1:23 was to be a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7. 

With that said, I would like to take the reader through the section of the New Testament that explains the life and person of the Lord Jesus Christ - the New Testament letters or "Epistles".  Whenever one turns to the New Testament, we discover that the Gospels present the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, we see in the Book of Acts the Apostles and early church preaching about Jesus Christ.  It is in the 21 New Testament letters that we find His life and ministry explained. 

With that said, lets begin by looking at what is perhaps the greatest of all the New Testament letters: The Book of Romans.  What does the Book of Romans have to present to us regarding the truth of Christmas?

1. The Gospel message must include the truth of Christ's birth
In Romans 1:1-3 we see a basic outline of the Old and New Testaments centered around the truth of the Gospel:

a. Romans 1:1-2 The Gospel had its beginnings in the Old Testament via the writings of the Prophets and continued on in the writings of the Apostles, like Paul

b. Romans 1:3 Jesus Christ's birth is mentioned as major point of the Gospel

Romans of course is all about presenting to us the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16-17).  Though its teaching of the Gospel centers primarily around Christ's death and resurrection, His incarnation is given enough treatment in Romans to warrant our study.

How Paul presents Christmas truth in Romans
Notice what Paul does in this opening of Romans concerning Christmas truth.  He notes first that Jesus Christ is born.  That takes us back to those birth narratives in Matthew and Luke. 

We can secondly note that Jesus Christ was born of a particular bloodline - the seed of David.  2 Samuel 7:13-16 was God's promise to David that from his bloodline would come forth an Ultimate Descendant to sit on His throne.  The idea of "the seed" was also spoken to Abraham in Genesis 12:7 and Eve back in Genesis 3:15. 

Thirdly, these statements are made of Christ "according to the flesh".  We can consider Jesus Christ in one of two ways: "according to the flesh" as seen here in Romans 1, and "according to His Divine nature" as spoken of later in Romans 9:5 which reads - "whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen."  The cornerstone truth of Jesus Christ being God in human flesh is spoken of in other messages such as Matthew 1:23 and 1 Timothy 3:16. 

As you can see, Christmas truths such as the incarnation of God the Son in human flesh and His virgin birth are fundamental to what makes the Gospel Good news.  Romans shows us that God reached down through the sending of Jesus Christ in human flesh to bring the gift of Grace and the Gospel to a people who only deserved Justice.  Praise be to God for His Good News and the favor He chose to bestow through the sending of His Son. 

Christmas Introduced the Divine Refuge

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

Yesterday we talked about the cities of refuge in Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 19 and Joshua 20.  We noted how these cities function to picture Jesus Christ, the Saving Refuge for the sinner and the abiding refuge for the saint.  Six cities had been designated by God, three on each side of the Jordon River, easily accessible to anyone who had unintentionally killed somebody.  The Law of Retribution, existing from the days following the flood, gave allowance for relatives (termed avengers) of accidentally killed victims to pursue and excecute the manslayer (who had committed involuntary manslaughter).   We noted parallels in that Christ is the Ultimate Refuge sent by God for us to flee to from the justice of His Law. (Romans 8:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Hebrews 6:18) 

In light of yesterday's post, I felt it fitting to connect the Christmas season to this theme of Jesus Christ the Divine Refuge.  Today I want us to consider briefly five episodes in the Christmas narratives that highlight how various people responded in their introduction to the Divine Refuge, Jesus Christ.

1. Mary and Joseph. Matthew 1:21-23 Jesus is the Saving Refuge
Why was Jesus named "Jesus"? The scripture tells us that He was named "Jesus", since the name signifies His mission: to save His people from their sins.  Mary and Joseph were made aware of the significance of the child conceived in her virgin womb.  The other name "Immanuel" reveals the fact that this Saving refuge was to be the Divine Saving Refuge in human flesh - i.e "God with us".

2. The Shepherds. Luke 2:8-20. Jesus was to be the joyful Refuge
The Shepherds were considered the lowest rung on the Jewish social ladder. Despite the fact that not even their word was accepted as testimony in a court of law, they still had the responsibility of raising the sheep used in the annual Jewish sacrifices.  It was in their bleak existence that they received word of the Savior's arrival.  The darkness of night was sliced open by floods of angelic light.  The Shpeherds were told the most joyful news: The Savior, the Divine Refuge, had been born.  To these Shepherds, in running to see the One born as God in human flesh, Jesus was instantly their Joyful Refuge.

3. Simeon. Luke 2:21-25. Jesus was to be The Comforting Refuge.
An aged man, looking for the consolation of Israel, found what he was looking for.  Though he walked among the temple grounds, the grandeur of the temple was not his comfort.  Though He saw the flowing robes of priests, yet their religion could not satisfy his soul.  His eyes were growing dim, his steps were growing slow.  A young couple came into his view, holding an infant boy, just eight days old.  Simeon, whose name in the Hebrew means "he heard", knew that His faith was being made sight.  There was Jesus, His comforting refuge.  Now the old man could go and rest in peace, having the vision of God incarnate ever burned onto his memory.

4. Anna. Luke 2:36-38. Jesus was to be the Fulfilling Refuge
Anna's husband had died.  She was a widow of many years.  She was a woman who found her fulfillment in serving the Lord in the temple.  Yet when she layed eyes upon the little child in Mary and Joseph's care, her fulfillment in service was eclipsed by the fulfillment of beholding her Master.  Jesus was her fulfilling refuge.

5. The Wisemen. Matthew 2:1-2. Jesus was to be their Royal Refuge
It took them two years to reach Jesus, but finally they arrived in Bethlehem.  By this point Jesus was a toddler, living in a home in Bethlehem with his parents, Mary and Joseph.  When these kings saw the one whose star they had been following, no other king compared to this small boy.  Heaven's true king was in their midst.  They bowed to the ground, knowing that the one before them was the Royal Refuge of salvation.

My prayer today dear friend would be that Jesus Christ is your Saving, Joyful, Comforting, Fulfilling and Royal Refuge. 

Ten comparisons between Matthew and Luke's Geneaologies

Matthew 1:1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham

Luke 3:23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli

As we look at the records of Jesus' birth, one will immediately notice a difference in the geneaologies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke.  Why is this important?  2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that every Word of scripture, having been God breathed, is profitable.  Furthermore, knowing the reasons for certain scriptures can yield richer understandings of Christ, His purposes and our identity in Him.  With that said, let me just list ten comparisons between these two genealogies.  May you find them interesting and edifying for your Christian walk today:

Matthew's Geneaology                                   Luke's Geneaology
1. Ascending Geneaology - from               1. Descending Geneaology
Abraham to Jesus                                      from Jesus back to Adam

2. Purpose: Legal, to show Jesus             2. Biological, to show
as rightful heir to David's throne               Jesus as a true human
                                                                  being like Adam was

3. Focus: names descended from            3. Focus: names connected
Joseph's side of the Geneaology             to Mary's side of 
                                                                  the Geneaology

4. First mentioned before Jesus'              4. Mentioned after Jesus
public ministry                                          public ministry in Luke

5. 52 names, divided into 3 sets of 14     5. Over 70 names,
                                                                 sequential in order

6. David and Abraham are main names  6. Adam and Christ are
to show Jesus as fulfillment of both         main names to show Jesus
their covenants                                        as the New Adam

7. The geneaology is written for a           7. Written for a Gentile
Jewish audience                                     audience

8. The Holy Spirit is mentioned as          8. Holy Spirit mentioned as
the Agent of virgin birth conception        sign of His Messianic identity
fulfilling Messianic prophecy                   and Agent of virgin birth

9. He is God with us, who became man 9. He is fully man, who never
                                                                ceased being God

10. He is the True King who came to    10. He is the perfect man who
die for the sins of the people                 came to seek and save that
                                                               which was lost

Great Christmas Miracles P4: The Holy Spirit's Infinite Providence

Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 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

For the past several days we have been focusing on how the Holy Spirit worked the miracles necessary to make the arrival of God the Son into this world a reality.  We've noted four miracles:

1. Inspiration of the Scriptures
2. Incarnation
3. Virgin Birth
4. Hypostatic Union (uniting the Divine and human natures to and in the Person of God the Son)

In today's post we will look at how the Holy Spirit used His infinite Providence to orchestrate all of the events of Christmas. 

The Holy Spirit and Providence
God's Sovereignty is His right to Eternally reign, with Providence is the excercise of His Sovereignty or His Ruling reign.  Scripture speaks volumes of the Trinity's Providential control over the affairs of creation, governments and human hearts.  God the Father for instance planned all things, and thus is the Planner in Providence. (Psalm 90; Ecclesiastes 3:15; Romans 11:36)  God the Son is ascribed the same ability of excercising Providence, since He Powerfully executes the Father's plans.  It is through the Son that all things come and have their being. (Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:4-10) 

One chapter in the Bible will suffice to demonstrate how all three Persons of the Trinity have equally but distinctly designed salvation. God the Father planned it (Ephesians 1:1-6); God the Son Powerfully executed it (Ephesians 1:7-11) and God the Holy Spirit applies the affects to all who believe. (Ephesians 1:12-14).

Quick reminder on who the Holy Spirit is
When we speak of the Holy Spirit, since He shares in the same nature as the Father and the Son, it is He who produces the affects powerfully executed by the Son and planned by the Father. (Ephesians 1:12-14; Romans 8:26-28; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23) 
Let the reader be quickly reminded that the Holy Spirit is a person (John 14:17, 15:26-27, 16:7-8; Acts 5:3) who is God (Acts 5:4; 2 Corinthians 3:16-17) and who shares in the same undivided, unified nature with the Father and the Son. (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18) 

The Spirit's Providence in the first Christmas
The entire Trinity worked together as One God to make Christ's first advent a reality.  It was the Father who planned from all eternity to send the Son into the world and to become a human being through a particular bloodline which he orchestrated and arranged. (John 3:16; Galatians 4:4; Matthew 1:1-17)  God the Son is also credited with having a part in His own incarnation, mainly from the standpoint of willingly entering from Eternity into time and gladly taking on the nature of the very ones He came to redeem. (Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:14-15; Hebrews 10:4-9)  

God the Holy Spirit handled the miraculous side of things, which we just witnessed over these past several days.  It was he who inspired the scriptures and revealed the over 100 prophecies concerning the Lord's first coming. (1 Peter 1:10; 2 Peter 1:21)  In the geneaology of Luke 3, we find over 70 names stretching from Adam to Mary, indicating that not only the Father, but the Spirit Himself working in conjunction with the Father to guide history and lives to be a part of Christ's human ancestory. 

Clearly it was the Holy Spirit who brought together the human DNA of Mary to be brought in contact with the Person of the Son who already, from all eternity, shared the same nature with God the Father.  How it was done, no one can know.  The outcome yielded forth the God-man who, in His hypostatic union, would ever exist as fully God and fully man.  The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message states:  "Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary."  Thus in His Deity, Christ has God the Father as His Father Eternally, while as man Mary is His mother touching His humanity.  1 Timothy 3:16a in the NKJV describes this most clearly: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh....".

Conclusion
As we draw this particular study to as close, let me remind you of the Christmas miracles we have discovered as being connected to the Holy Spirit:

1. Inspiration of Scripture
2. Incarnation of Jesus Christ
3. Virgin Birth
4. Hypostatic Union
5. Infinite Providence

May you and I, through these studies, be caused to have a God-centered, Christ exalting focus this Christmas, which is the will of the Holy Spirit in every season of our life.

 

Great Christmas Miracles P3: The Hypostatic Union

Luke 1:35  34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The 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.

In yesterday's post we looked at the Holy Spirit's miracles of the incarnation and virgin (conception) birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Two days ago we considered the Spirit's Divine inspiration of the scriptures as the miracle needed to get ready for the first Christmas.  With these three miracles we turn our attention today to a fourth Christmas miracle: namely the hypostatic union. 

Hypostatic Union - What the Holy Spirit actually did in connecting and uniting a complete, sinless human nature to the One Person Jesus Christ who already had an eternal Divine nature

If the incarnation describes what the Spirit did in making it possible for Christ to come into this world, and the virgin birth describes the means by which He did the incarnation, then the hypostatic union tries to explain the details of what took place.  This rather strange sounding phrase "hypostatic union" can be broken down in the following way. First, "hypostatic" comes from a Greek word "hypostasis" meaning "substance, nature, expression of one's existence". The second term "union" refers to how the already pre-existing Divine nature and the newly conceived human nature would function "united" to the Person of God the Son. A brilliant conservative Christian Theologian, W.G.T Shedd, writes the clearest explanation I have found on this point: "A common illustration....is the union of the human soul and body in one person, and the union of heat and iron, neither of which loses its properties."1

God the Father planned and The Holy Spirit prepared the womb of Mary to receive the Divine nature of the Person of God the Son. (Hebrews 10:4-7) The Son in turn worked as well in the uniting of Himself to the Holy Spirit conceived humanity in Mary's womb. (Hebrews 2:14) Fully and completely, from beginning to end, the Holy Spirit is credited with the process of bring both human and Divine natures to function equally but distinctly in the One Person of the Son. Thus Christ has a human will and divine will, a human mind and Divine mind and human qualities like weakness and tiredness while retaining His Divine qualities of omnipotence and the like. The only thing being of course that while on earth, Christ chose mostly not to exercise many of His Divine attributes, but rather, by the Holy Spirit, chose to function primarily through his humanity.

Application
The point of this discussion was to show the great lengths that God the Holy Spirit went to in order to bring God the Son into this world. Christ's hypostatic union was crucial, since He could now experience what it was like to be fully human and to empathize with us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15) The Virgin conception meant that He could be fully human without sin, qualifying Him to be our Savior and to intercede for every Christian before the throne of God. (Hebrews 7:24-25) Finally, without the incarnation - salvation, the fabric of sacred scripture, Christ's death, resurrection and Second coming would all be jeopardized. Let us praise God for the Holy Spirit's work in the Scriptures, incarnation, virgin birth and hypostatic union - since He points us to Jesus.

Endnotes;
1. W.G.T Shedd. Systematic Theology Volume 2. Pages 327-328

Great Christmas Miracles P2: The Incarnation & Virgin Birth

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday we considered at length the first great miracle that led up to Christmas: The Spirit's work of Divine inspiration of the scriptures.  We considered the meaning of inspiration, as well as its attendant doctrines of inerrancy, infallibility, clarity, sufficiency and Unity.  We concluded that without a Bible like this, the Holy Spirit could not had prepared for nor explained the otherwise inaccessible truth of the Divine identity of the baby in the manger.  Today we turn our attention to two more Christmas miracles wrought by the Holy Spirit: namely the incarnation and virgin birth.

The significance of the Incarnation to Christianity and salvation
When we speak of the term "incarnation", we are referring to the event in which the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, came and assumed in the virgin Mary's womb a fully human nature.  Incarnate literally means "in the flesh" (Latin "en" (in) and "carne" (the flesh).  The incarnation, the event of God in human flesh, has along with it two other miracles: the virgin birth and the hypostatic union.  Though we are treating these other two as miracles unto themselves, they all fit under the main event of the incarnation.  As Bible believing Christians, we can certainly explained what happened: the incarnation.  We can also describe what God used to bring it about: the virgin birth.  We can even explain the outcome: the union of Divine and human natures in One Person (hypostatic union).  However no man can explain how the Holy Spirit did what He did.  The "how" part is enveloped in mystery, however this does not take away the fact that the miracle did take place and that we can communicate its details and outcomes to other people.  (1 Timothy 3:16)

Great Christian minds weigh in on the incarnation
Dr. B.B Warfield, a Bible believing, Conservative Theologian of the late nineteenth century had this to say about the foundations of Biblical Christianity and the incarnation: "Were I asked to name the three pillars on which the structure of Christianity, as taught in the New Testament in its entirety, especially rests, I do not know that I could do better than point to these three things: the supernatural, the incarnation and redemption."1 Warfield later concludes in page 165 of the same book: "The incarnation appears in (the New Testament), not for its own sake, but as a means of a further end - redemption."

In terms of explaining comprehensively what took place in this miracle, no man can say.  However what we can say is clear enough to show that the event of the incarnation was a real event, in time.  Another wonderful theological mind, the late Dr. John Walvoord in his book "The Holy Spirit", has this to say about the incarnation: "The inscrutable mystery can be stated then, that Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit; the life which was joined to humanity was that of the Second Person, and the First Person became the Father of the humanity of Christ."2

The Virgin (conception) birth - The significant means used by the Holy Spirit to bring Christ into this world
So we have already seen the miracle of the incarnation. The next miracle, a miracle which explains the way in which the Holy Spirit brought about the incarnation of God the Son into His humanity is the miracle of the virgin birth. Think of the Incarnation as the total event of Christ's arrival into this world, with the virgin birth describing more specifically the way He arrived. 

Mary was predicted by scripture to be the vessel used by God to bring into this world the Messiah - Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:35)  The virgin conception preserved the humanity of Jesus from being corrupted by the inherited sin nature of Adam, something of which is passed down the human father's side. (1 Peter 1:17-18)  The Southern Baptist Faith and Message 2000 makes the virgin birth of first priority in its article on Jesus Christ: "Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary."3 

Practical significance of the incarnation and virgin birth (conception)
To see the practical and theological significance of the Christian Faith, one only has to turn back the pages of history to the early twentieth century.  A century ago the Bible believing church affirmed the Virgin birth of Jesus as one of five fundamentals of biblical Christianity, meaning that if one were to be considered a true Christian, they had to affirm the Virgin birth.  Without the virgin birth, the other four fundamentals (biblical inerrancy, Christ's substitutionary death, Christ's resurrection and Christ's literal bodily return) would not had been possible.  No virgin birth would mean the Bible was in error when it predicted such an event.  That in turn would mean Christ would had been disqualified to be the Savior, thus leading to no forgiveness of sins to all who believe.  Furthermore, this would had led to no resurrection, of which Paul asserts would leave us as a Christian people most miserable and without hope, still lost in our sins. (1 Corinthians 15:19).  With all those doctrines, there would then be no hope in Christ's Visible bodily return, which functions to cleanse the Christian now and give hope for the age to come. (1 John 3:1-3)  The reality of these other doctrines demonstrate the reality of the virgin birth, without which we would have nothing upon which to base the Christian faith. 

More tomorrow.....


Endnotes;
1. B.B. Warfield. Biblical and Theological Studies. Page 160 
2. John Walvoord. The Holy Spirit. Page 84. 
3. Baptist Faith & Message 2000. Article 2 "God", Part B: "God The Son"