Christmas
We get to this time of year way too quickly these days, but please let us look at what is really behind this “silly season.” Christmas comes from an ancient term of Christ Mass, or the mass that is connected to the time of the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This event was the long awaited promised Messiah that the ancients and prophets looked forwards to from as far back as Adam and Eve, for when Eve held up her first born son, and she declared that she now held in her hands the Messiah; but he just ended out to be the first murderer, so that was a crushing blow to them. It took another 4000 years before Mary could hold the bundle of joy, the Angels sang, the Wise Men visited, well you know the rest of the story.
In the Old Testament we have Messiah depicted in two major different roles, hence two different titles to differentiate which is which. We have “Messiah ben Joseph,” and “Messiah ben David.” The ben bit means “son of,” so we have the Messiah who is connected with, or to like Joseph and the Messiah role connected to be more like King David. The suffering humble and non-retaliating Messiah (Isaiah 53), and the King David ruler, which Revelation often depicts him as the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
Well the David connection is well depicted in Matt 1:1; and all through scripture, and it was the role that the Jews in Jesus’ time wanted so badly, just for their armies to be always victorious and for them to sit in top places of dominance over the surrounding nations. They had no interest in the Joseph role as depicted in Isaiah 53, which was perfectly carried out in the life, ministry and death of Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” This critical role needed to come first to prepare the way for the second and kingly role.
We are very familiar with the Joseph role, so let us explore the David role as that is the role that is ahead of us, and soon to be fulfilled. Matt 16:27, Matt 24:31, Matt 25:31, Mark 8:38, Matt 24:30-31, Mark 13:23-27, Matt 25:31-32 to quote a few in the New Testament. Again, Jesus advised those condemning him at his trial that they would someday be arraigned at his feet to answer for their deeds, Pilot’s wife even warned her husband to tread very carefully, have nothing to do with this Just Man, as she was warned in a dream about who Jesus really was.
Jesus promised in John 14:1-3 that Jesus was leaving us, he was going back home to “Father,” Building a marriage home (New Jerusalem) and then he was coming back to take his Bride (anyone who accepts him as Saviour and Redeemer) back to heaven and to their new home. There to celebrate the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb,” (Rev 19:9).
The “Second Coming” as it is often referred to, or the coming back of Jesus once more to shut down this world, and to take his faithful followers home, is not often spoken about, we often talk about the past, his life on earth and his sacrifice at Calvary, and that is critical to our salvation, but we have the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids and we find that in their story half of them did not go into the kingdom.
What a waste of time and effort, to spend all that time in “The Church,” and then to make no preparation, and thus to come up short and fail to make the cut for the Kingdom. God has provided Grace in an exuberant abundance. Forgiveness freely for anything and yet everything, and yet how often you and I hang onto our sins and failings like it is some precious rare treasure, and yet it is a death sentence, in reality, to hang onto it, that’s silly. We need to confess, forsake and to dump sin immediately.
Maybe we need to hear John the Baptist cry out, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Paul in Romans give us this admonition in Rom 13:11 “And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Sin and suffering has plagued this world for nigh on 6000 Years, and scripture and Prophecy clearly warns us all that time has just about run out, and the statement, “and time shall be no more” (Rev 10:6) is very soon to be announced from Heaven.
Elijah and Mt Carmel is still valid today, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” {1 Kings 18:21.} Jesus many Parables clearly delineated between only two options, that of; Sheep-Goats, Wheat-Tares, Wise-Foolish Bridesmaids, Saved-Lost, Our God’s- Not Our God’s, and so the list goes on, Joshua still cries out “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” {Joshua 24:15.}
How is your life, how is my life, with “The Lord?” Have you and I repented and forsaken our old life, our old ways, and our old leader, Satan the Lying and Deceiving Devil? Have we cast off those things that so easily beset us and run with patience the race that is set before us? Actually, which world do we actually live in, this world or God’s world (by Faith)? Have we made our home and treasure here or is it in Heaven, over there?
Jesus has paid the price for our individual debts, and for the worlds debts, John 3:16 tells us that we all can have salvation, all we need to do is to accept and to submit to the fantastic “Makeover” Jesus wants to do for us, so we just need to accept, be grateful, and live like Christians cropping heavy crops of the “Fruit of the Spirit,” and to be prepared and to live like miniature Jesus’ as we call ourselves Christians, so why so often we sort of look like our enemy Satan, and behave more like sinners than saints?
Dear Reader, please let each of us re-dedicate ourselves right now, to our Master, Jesus, and to do it daily, and make a New Year’s Resolution of no more sin and Satan, just Jesus and real life.
