P1 God's Perfect Gift - Reflections on Jesus' Presentation at The Temple in Luke 2:21-40

Luke 2:21-22 "And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord."

Introduction:
Recently I just completed shopping for some items for my wife. Searching for the "right" gift takes forethought, knowledge of that person and the determination to search wherever possible to find that particular item (or set of items). Many people reading this post today are in the process of trying to find the "right" gift or gifts. We all know what it is like when we have achieved our goal and that person is delighted by what we bought. When it comes though to a "perfect" gift, there is only "One, Ultimate, Perfect Gift". James 1:17 reminds us with respect to God: "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." 

In today's post we want to consider the One Perfect Gift the Father gave. Interestingly enough, the Perfect Gift given by God the Father was a gift no one was looking to obtain nor had the interest in receiving apart from His grace. Nonetheless, the perfection of the Gift lies not within the recipients, but in the Gift and the Giver of the Gift. This Perfect Gift of which I speak is none-other than the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Understanding the scene of Jesus' presentation at the temple
In the account of Luke 2:21-40 we find the episode of Mary and Joseph presenting the infant Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. John MacArthur comments on what Mary and Joseph are doing with the infant Christ:

"Performing everything according to the law of the Lord refers back to verse 22. After a Jewish woman gave birth to a male child, she was to go forty days later to the temple to make purification sacrifice.  And that's exactly what they did as verse 22 indicates when the days, the forty days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought the baby up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.  They went up, they made the appropriate sacrifice. They did what they were to do. Setting apart the male child, verse 23, indicates as the Old Testament instruction had been given in Exodus and in Numbers.  And then verse 24, to offer the sacrifice, in their case a pair of turtledoves, two young pigeons because they were too poor to afford a lamb.  So they did that. They made the sacrifice.  They presented the male child to the Lord. They uniquely presented this child, this virgin-conceived child to God."

What makes God's Perfect Gift so grand? This gift is the Gospel's Savior
So as we consider this Perfect gift, the Lord Jesus Christ, we find that everything occurring in this text: the setting, the ceremony of bring the infant child to the temple, the words that would be spoken by Simeon, and then Anna, was supremely orchestrated and set by God to convey the significance of this gift. If we take that word "g.i.f.t", we can note four significant features of God's perfect gift, the Lord Jesus Christ, as found here in Luke 2:21-40...

1. Gospel's Savior. Luke 2:21
Luke 2:21 reads - "And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb." This bit of information is parenthetical and takes us back to when Jesus had been named. Matthew 1:21-23 gives the clearest explanation of the meaning of Jesus' name: "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “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.” The infant in Mary's arms was and remained God in the flesh. True humanity were united to the Person of the Son who had eternal been God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Son came in the virginal conception, was born and would now be presented (see Hebrews 10:1-10). He came to experience human life, beginning the days following His birth as a helpless baby in the arms of his parents. 

Though frail and infantile in his humanity in this scene of Luke 2:21-40, the Son ever remained omnipotent, all-knowing, ever-where present with respect to His Deity. In this course of events, we find the Son voluntarily laying aside the benefits that come with being God whilst not ceasing to be truly and eternal Divine.  

As the Gospel's Savior, this Jesus could shed blood as the sinner's substitute. As the Gospel's Savior, this Jesus ever-remained truly Lord and God, which carries with it the unique capacity to provide salvation ("salvation is of the Lord" Jonah 2:9). 

As the Gospel's Savior, the very law He had revealed as God along with the Father and Holy Spirit He obligated Himself to complete as perfect man. A sinful man, Adam, had broken the original covenant God had made (see Genesis 3:1-14). Divine justice demanded that a man repair what had been broken. None but a sinless human being could remedy the situation (see Romans 5:12-20; 1 Corinthians 15:44-49). 

The Gospel's Savior was presented that day at the temple. Just as the Father had given this perfect gift for a humanity He wanted to redeem, this perfect Gift would be historically presented and testified of for all to read about, hear and see. Thus we find God's Perfect Gift being the perfect gift due to the fact that He is the Gospel's Savior.

More tomorrow....

The "Lost and Found" Chapter in the Bible

Luke 15:1-5 "Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing."

Introduction:
In every church there is what is called a "lost and found" room. This designated room, shelf or place in an office is where one can find lost Bibles, hats, shirts or toys. Amazingly, as a pastor, I have never once had a lost phone put in a lost and found area (people keep track of their phones, I suppose). When a given item is found by its owner or the one looking for it, there is an expression of relief; in other cases, joy or jubilation. I myself had recently lost a set of important keys. I searched and searched for two days. When the keys were found, I told two other people (it was a cause for celebration)! Lost and found rooms or finding valuable items that we thought would never be retrieved entail life's little victories. 

There is one sort of seeking and retrieval that can never compare: namely, when God convinces a sinner to forsake their dependence on themselves and their sins and to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Luke 15 represents what one could call the "Lost and Found" chapter in the Bible. When we say "Lost and Found" we are referring to how this theme threads its way through three parables told by Jesus concerning:

a).  the finding of a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) 

b). a lost coin (Luke 15:8-10) 

c).  a lost son (Luke 15:11-32). 

We want to consider the broad details of Luke 15 to grasp this theme of "lost and found".

1. What is lost and found is very valuable 

Jesus begins with a sheep. A valuable animal for sure. However, in the second parable, we find the losing of a coin which represents a larger proportion of the woman's wealth in the parable. The third parable presents the most valuable thing that, when lost, and then found, cannot be compared in terms of value: namely a human soul. Jesus purposefully strings three parables together like a string of pearls to drive home the point of the value of the lost item or person to the one desiring to be reconnected to it. So, we find then that the value of a lost soul being reconciled to God is extremely valuable. Now notice the second trait...

2. Whatever is lost and found was desperately lost

Once again, we find Jesus presenting this theme of "what was lost is now found". We saw the emphasis of value, now we consider a second trait of the lost items or people in these parables: namely their desperation. As Jesus shared these parables, everyone would had identified with them. Who hasn't lost an animal (or in their case, a sheep). Who hasn't lost money? Who hasn't had a wayward child? Each situation presents an increasing level of desperation, a decreasing likelihood of the object being reconciled to the person and a greater amount of effort expended to find it. Finding a lost sheep requires the shepherd leaving the 99 to search hills and valleys for that one lost sheep. The parable of the lost coin entails a woman searching in the cracks of her stone floor. The cracks are thin and the house would be dimly lit. To be able to find such a coin in such conditions would, amazingly, be even harder. What about a lost son coming back to his father. The situation is so desperate, the assumption is that the runaway son is dead. 

The level of desperation for a lost soul is more profound than anyone can imagine. The decreasing proportion of the lost item to the overall remaining items or people (one sheep in one hundred, one coin in ten and one of two sons, or we could even say, both sons) only highlights this second point of the value of the lost item. Only God can save lost souls. 

3. What is lost and found is cause for joy when found 

So far, we have seen Jesus teach about the value of the lost and the desperate situation of the lost. Jesus then, in all three parables, gets to the point when their is joy over finding the lost item or person. Virtually the same phrase is said once the item is returned or found. The shepherd says when finding the lost sheep in Luke 15:6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ The woman exclaims after finding her lost coin in Luke 15:9 "When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!" Then of course, the greatest exclamation of joy of finding what was formerly lost is the Father's words concerning his formerly wayward son in Luke 15:24 "for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate." As a matter of fact, the joy of the Father is so emphasized that we find him proclaiming his joy once more at the close of the third parable in Luke 15:32 "But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

4. The Father rejoices when what was lost is found

So we have seen how much the lost are valued, in a desperate condition and the joy experienced when the lost are reconciled or found. We find the Father (God the Father) to be present in incognito throughout these parables and increasingly identified in all three. He is likened to a shepherd in the first parable and alluded to as the source of rejoicing in Heaven whenever one lost sinner is found. In the second parable, we find Him likened to the owner of a house and then (indirectly) alluded to as rejoicing in the presence of His angels (see Luke 15:10). The third parable features a father figure showing lavish grace. We expect by the nature of the progression to have the heavenly Father directly identified. 

Interestingly Jesus concludes the parable with the tenderness of the father figure toward his son and his conversation with his older one pointing the way to the heart of the Heavenly Father. The actions and words of the father-figure so capture the character of the Heavenly Father (which no man has seen, nor can see), that Jesus' parables together capture the efforts of the Father in seeking the lost. 

Closing thoughts
Today we have explored Luke 15 by considering the theme of "lost and found". We noted how Jesus ultimately points to how God the Father is seeking after the lost. We noted the following four observations that tie together the three parables found in Luke 15...

1. What is lost and found is very valuable

2. Whatever is lost and found was desperately lost

3. What is lost and found is cause for joy when found

4. The Father rejoices when what was lost is found

The Centrality of the Lamb of God at Christmas

Numbers 28:4 ‘You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight"

Introduction:
Today I want to talk about the centrality of the Lamb of God to Christmas.  Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God no less than 25 times in the New Testament.  In today's post we will deal with the centrality of the Lamb of God as He pertained to the timing of Christmas. 

The centrality of the lamb in communicating the timing of the sacrificial system
In Numbers 28 we see a summary list of all the major sacrifices and festivals that were to be celebrated by the Jewish people.  Lambs figured quite prominently into God's provision of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament.  For example, with regards to the timing of the sacrifices, Moses writes in Numbers 28:2 - “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time".  That phrase "appointed time", as well as the word "festival", communicate the combined idea in the Hebrew a dress rehearsal.  The sacrifices and feasts of Israel were like dress rehearsals, with Jesus Christ being the final and only performance of salvation.  As you go down through the remainder of Numbers 28, we see how lambs were significant in the daily, weekly, monthly and the annual Passover celebration:

-Daily there were to be two lambs offered, one in the morning, and one in the evening. (Numbers 28:1-8)

-Weekly, or every Sabbath, two male lambs were to be sacrificed. (Numbers 28:9-10)

-Monthly, at the beginning of each month, the people were to sacrifice seven male lambs without defect, along with other types of animals.  (Numbers 28:11-15)

-Annually, once a year, at the Passover celebration, commemorating the Jews Exodus from Egypt, the Bible speaks of the people roasting a lamb for the Passover meal and spreading its blood over the door posts of their homes. (Numbers 28:16; Exodus 12:1-13)

We could go further into the chapter, but the point is made: lambs were central to the cycles of time in the Old Testament sacrificial system (mentioned some 30 times or so in Numbers 28-29 alone). 

The Lamb of God - central to God's timing in accomplishing salvation
Truly the Old Testament is used to prepare for Christ's first coming in the New Testament, with His title "The Lamb of God" being no exception.  In the New Testament, the Bible is very clear about Jesus, the Lamb of God, coming at the right time.  We know that from eternity Jesus was regarded as the Lamb of God.  Consider for example Revelation 13:8 "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (KJV)  Being regarded as the Lamb of God in eternity, He came to become the Lamb of God in time.  Galatians 4:4-5 tells us: "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,  made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

The timing of Jesus' coming into the world was perfect timing. In Luke 2:1-7, we see several indications of the timing of Christmas being centered around the Lamb of God - Jesus Christ:

1. The timing was right historically  - Luke 2:1-3 tells us of a census taken in the Roman world which prompted Joseph and Mary to go up to Bethlehem, some 90 miles from Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary resided.  

2. The timing was right for His birth -Luke 2:5-7 tells us that Mary had reached full term with the God/man in her womb, revealing that the timing of His birth was right.

3. The timing of heaven and earth was right - Luke 2:8-20 that shepherds were in their fields, watching their flocks of sheep (lambs!), and suddenly the hosts of heaven made the announcement of Christ's birth. 

4.The timing of creation was right - Then in Matthew 2:2 we see the magi coming to worship the now two year old Christ child upon seeing a star which appeared over the night skies of Persia in their land.  For two years they traveled to see this wonder of wonders - the Lamb of God. 

God brought all this together to reveal this truth of the lamb of God coming at the right time that first Christmas.   

Some Thoughts On The Third Sunday Of Advent

Luke 1:41-45 "When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy."

Introduction:
These last few weeks I have offered a couple of posts that reflect on this season of the year that Christians the world-over call "Advent". Five Sundays in all are dedicated to remembering and reflecting on the 1st coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the reader's review, the first two Sundays of Advent were reflected upon and can be found in the following two links:

1.http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2016/11/celebrating-first-sunday-of-advent-some.html

2. http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2016/12/some-thoughts-on-second-sunday-of-advent.html

Today is the third Sunday of Advent and has a special theme attached to it: the theme of "joy". Many churches today utilize what is called an "Advent Wreath", which consists of three purple candles, one pink candle and a center white candle called "The Christ candle". The candle for the third Sunday of Advent is pink in color and is deemed the "candle of joy". 

Joy is distinguished in the Advent season from the other candles due to the fact that in the midst of winter's long, growing shadows, the light of hope kindled by Christ's incarnation lights the way for the Christian. In the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke, we find wisemen celebrating, shepherds hastening back to tell everyone the joyous news of Messiah's arrival and major figures in the Advent accounts singing songs of praise. The long, dark shadows of oppression and despair had hung over Israel for centuries. The Jews longed for the coming of Messiah. History tells us that many pretenders came and went. To hear of cosmic signs such as a star appearing in the East, angels appearing and people mentioning the arrival of a King stirred the hearts of people in those days.

As time marches on for me in this 21st century world, I find the need for the joy of the Lord to be rekindled in my own heart. I find an oasis in Advent season. Such a season reminds me that all that matters in life is not defined merely by the possessions one has or hopes to have. I find at times my own soul grappling with shadows of sadness and the increasing groanings of this fallen world. Only in Christ do I find hope for this present life and the strength to hope for the world to come. Advent's joy is in Jesus. 

The lighting of that third candle today will send a message. The shadows of despair will be chased away. Christ's partaking in the plight of humanity gives those who respond in faith the opportunity to commune God in His deity. Endless joy is available. The bread of life, the water of eternal life, Jesus Christ, came in the flesh. He came to offer Himself in His humanity as an atonement for sin. His glorious resurrection was a resurrection of physical, glorified humanity. His ascension means I have a human representative praying for me and a mighty God Who gives strength. Such wondrous, joyous news is the possession of all who by grace through faith respond to Him. May we celebrate the joy of Jesus this Advent season as we commemorate today this Third Sunday of Advent. 

How You Can Know That The Incarnation of the Son of God Was a Historical Event

Hebrews 2:3-4 "how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."

Note to reader: A more thorough blog series on arguing for the miracle of the incarnation has gotten underway over at my other blogsite: www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com. Readers are invited to dig deeper as further posts will be forthcoming. To God be the glory!

Introduction:

As we begin today's post, we turn our attention to the focal point of this time of year: advent. Advent is a season on the Christian calendar that celebrates the historical event of Christ's incarnation or His act as God coming into this world to take unto His person true and genuine humanity. The event itself entailed two other important miracles: the virgin/birth conception, which explains how He came and the hypostatic union, or the joining unto His Person a truly human nature, and thus He in His Person being the union of true humanity and undiminished deity. Statements such as these reveal how much Christianity is predicated upon mighty miracles. Today's post will attempt to communicate how one might champion the incarnation and the miracle working of God in the course of this advent season. 

What is a miracle?

First, a miracle is a highly irregular event in terms of its frequency and features compared to what we would term regularly occurring events. Secondly, based upon Dr. William Lane Craig's definition, a miracle is a naturally impossible event - meaning that given naturalistic explanations, events such as Christ's incarnation and resurrection could not happen by natural causes. Of all the sorts of explanations that could be offered, the best explanation for these events would be shown to be a supernatural one.  

Therefore, since non-natural events, as well as natural events do occur in our world, and being that non-natural events (such as Jesus resurrection) has been shown to occur, then it only stands to reason that the God of the Bible exists. 

Some further thoughts on "irregular events" and why miracles can be legitimately considered as part of our world

This point about irregularity is important because so many skeptics will say that miracles are impossible, being that in the normal course of human experience, no such event can happen? However, if there are irregular events that can occur in history, which may not be experienced regularly by human beings, then does that rule out the miraculous? 

For instance, when I lived in central Florida, there was one year where the storm paths of three hurricanes in once season criss-crossed over the very neighborhood where we lived. For even one hurricane to make it that far inland into central Florida had not occurred in 40 years. Imagine the less likelihood of three hurricanes and their storm paths all intermingling with one another in one season? 

An argument for the validity of miracles in our world

Are we saying that this highly irregular pattern of hurricanes constitutes a definite miracle. Hardly. There are obviously other traits that need to be considered before saying something is a definite miracle. Consider the following logical statement:

#1 We see the possibility of irregular events occurring in the world; 

#2 and miracles are by definition irregular events 

Therefore it can be rightly concluded that miracles can occur in this world. 

What bearing the possibility of miracles has on the incarnation and virgin birth of the Son of God

In establishing the possibility of miracles in our world, we can then begin to make a case for the most important miracle upon which we celebrate Christmas - namely Christ's incarnation through the virgin birth conception. The rest of this post represents more of a sketch, rather than fully completed argument for the historical reality of the virgin birth. Notice the following argument:

#1 Miracles are non-natural events that are naturally impossible events. Only natural events that are naturally possible can occur if in fact the God of the Bible does not exist

#2 History's task is to recount all events that occur, including naturally possible & naturally impossible events

#3 The Gospel records document Jesus' incarnation and virgin birth/conception and have been shown under close scrutiny to be reliable documents

#4 Jesus' incarnation/virgin birth was a miraculous event that could be classified as occurring as a result of non-natural causes

#5 Jesus' incarnation/virgin birth from the dead is a miracle that did occur in history

How methods of history can show the validity of treating Christ's incarnation as a historical event

Now this argument can be shown sound through means of criteria used in validating the historicity of certain events in ancient literature. I will briefly list a couple of those criteria as applied to the Christmas story:

1. Multiple attestation or support from multiple sources (hence Matthew and Luke's Gospel with regards to the genealogies and the 1st century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, in his "Antiquities of the Jews")

2. The criteria of embarrassment (Joseph contemplated divorcing Mary upon hearing her pregnancy would had been an embarrassing detail but which is a sign of being genuine fact)

3. Palestinian or 1st century Jewish setting. Matthew and Luke's use of genealogies; the possible reference of Mary and Joseph finding "no room in the inn" as a technical term pointing to the interior room of a home in and around Judea (i.e Bethlehem). 

Closing thoughts for now

We have shown through our brief study of miracles thus far that miracles are possible in this world. We have also given an example of a brief outline of how one might argue for the historicity and thus plausibility of the Christmas story as it pertains to the miracles of the virgin birth and Christ's incarnation. Hence, the virgin birth/incarnation can be considered as a fact of history.

How Jesus' birth connects to His crucifixion and resurrection

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

Introduction:
My aim today is to draw as many parallels as possible between the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke to the crucifixion and resurrection accounts of the Lord Jesus Christ as found in John's Gospel. The crucifixion and resurrection narratives are found in all four Gospels, and so further parallels could just as easily be discovered. Nevertheless, for brevity's sake we will focus on what the Apostle John, writing under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has to record regarding the details of Christ's death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. John 18, 19 and 20 will be our main text for the crucifixion and resurrection accounts, with connecting points being drawn from the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke.   

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 as the propitiation or satisfaction of the Father's wrath against sin.

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.

Closing thoughts
Today we briefly considered the links found between the birth accounts of Jesus humanity in Matthew and Luke to the crucifixion and resurrection accounts found in John's Gospel. The six links discovered today highlighted the following truths about Jesus Christ:

1. He is our Good Shepherd
2. He is our True King
3. He is our Ultimate Ruler
4. He is the Obedient Son
5. He satisfies the Father's wrath
6. He is the victorious Savior

God's Heavenly Bread of Life

Exodus 16:1 "Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt."

Introduction:

Today's post will focus upon the heavenly bread God sent the Israelites in their journeys with Moses through the wilderness. Such a study is pertinent to followers of Christ today, since Jesus identifies Himself as the Bread of life in John 6. Manna is so named because of the Israelite's inability to know what to call it (it means "what is this" in the Hebrew language). Many references in the Old Testament can be found about manna. However, for the sake of brevity, we will restrict our study to Exodus 16. Exodus 16 represents the first mention of Manna in the Bible. It has been often recognized that in the first mention of anything in scripture, the seeds of various themes can be found. As a final note, upon seeing the significance of God's manna in the wilderness, we should be able to see the ways it points to Jesus - God's heavenly bread of life. 

1. God's heavenly bread is food for the soul meeting with God

In Exodus 16:1, we find the people of God and Moses nearing their trek to Mount Sinai. God had redeemed the people out of Egypt to lead them to Sinai to meet with Him. The heavenly manna was given at the onset of this journey. The soul that ever hopes to enjoy communion with God cannot feed on the "food of this world". God's bread from heaven would be the diet of His people in their preparations and communions with Him. Whenever we turn to John 6, Jesus uses the Old Testament manna to bring out this truth about Him being bread for the soul. In John 6:26-27 we read - "Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

2. God's heavenly bread is sweet to the soul that loves God. 

In Exodus 16:33 we read - "The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey." The main description we do get of manna is in its taste and appearance. The taste and appearance was both sweet to the palate and pleasing to the eye. The whiteness of the heavenly bread spoke of its purity and the sweetness of honey communicated its desirability. Jesus makes this point about comparing the manna to Himself in John 6:32-33 "Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” In the course of Jesus' teaching on Himself being the bread of life, the crowds ended up rejecting His sweetness and purity. Yet, Peter at the end of John 6:68-69 "Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 

So God's heavenly bread of life, whether in the Old Testament type we find in manna or in the fulfillment of it in Jesus feeds the soul being met by God and is sweet to the soul that loves God. One more truth can be noted today as we think on God's heavenly bread of life found in Exodus 16 and John 6...

3. God's heavenly bread preserves the soul on the journey of faith with God. 

Two places in Exodus 16 describe how manna would be used by God to remind the people how He preserves them. In Exodus 16:33 "Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.” Then again in Exodus 16:35 "The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan." Anyone who has read the accounts of the Israelites recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy knows that they were not always faithful. At one point, the people doubted God so much that a whole generation was prohibited from entering into the land. Despite the people's unfaithfulness, God never varied in His provision of manna. 

Jesus spoke of how He would be the ultimate food for the believer in their journey of faith with God. In John 6:55-58 "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

Closing thoughts:

Today's post focused upon how God provided heavenly bread for His people in Exodus 16. We noted how the manna pictures for us the ultimate heaven bread: the Lord Jesus Christ. We observed how Jesus tied the giving of manna to Himself as the Bread of life. In all we noted the following three truths concerning God's heavenly bread of life:

1. God's heavenly bread is food for the soul meeting with God (Exodus 16:1; John 6:26-27)

2. God's heavenly bread is sweet to the soul that loves God. (Exodus 16:31; John 6:68-69)

3. God's heavenly bread preserves the soul on the journey of faith with God. (Exodus 16:33,35; John 6:55-58)