Friday, December 25, 2015

The Christmas Story, Part 3

The Christmas Story
Part 3



Yesserday I enjoyed readin bouts the birth of Jesus wif you. It weres such a holy night when ours Lord came to earth and it mades me happy to know Him weres loved and adored on that night, for Him endured such awful things later on. Today Mary and Joseph take Him to the temple accordin to the law and we see two more people declare Jesus to be the Messiah.

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived." (Luke 2:21 ) This weres accordin to the law as it says in Leviticus 12:3, "On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised." This is another example that Mary and Joseph did theirs best to live accordin to all the Lords commands.

"When the time came for the purification rites required by the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law 'Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord'), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the law of the Lord: 'a pair of doves or two young pigeons'." (Luke 2:22-24) Accordin to the law, 40 days of purification followed the birth of a child, at which time the mother hads to present a sacrifice. The preferred sacrifice weres a year-old lamb for the burnt offerin and a young pigeon or dove for the sin offerin. But the law allowed for the fact of poverty and saids if the mother couldnts afford a lamb her coulds bring two doves or two pigeons instead. (Leviticus 12:6-8) Because Joseph and Mary coulds only bring two birds we knows they weres too poor to afford a lamb.

Oh, but why bring a lamb when the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world weres here? Gods holy and spotless Lamb hads come to earth to save the poor and the rich alike, to save the reverent and the wicked alike, to make children of God from all who woulds accept Him. Accordin to ours studies, Jesus Himself never mades any kind of sacrifice. Theres no record of it in the Scriptures. Tho sacrifices weres required by the law, they weres made to atone for sin, and Jesus hads no sin. In this area the law woulds not apply to Him for Him weres sinless.

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what the custom of the law required, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: 'Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.' The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about Him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'" (Luke 2:25-25)

This man Simeon hads been promised by God that him woulds live to see the Messiah. The Holy Spirit instructed him that the Savior weres in the temple so him went over to see Jesus in person. Now Simeon coulds depart this life in peace knowin Gods promise hads come true. The preachin of the Lord Jesus weres going to reveal to people what weres truly in theirs hearts. Those who eagerly heard Him weres convicted by the Holy Spirit of theirs sinful state and they found in Him a Savior. Jesus woulds lift up those who hads turned to Him from wicked lives. But many woulds also fall: those who thought they weres righteous yet weres evil in theirs hearts but refused to believe it.

Simeon prophetically tells Mary, "And a sword will pierce your own soul too." I think this prophecy is twofold like most of the prophecies in the Bible. Just as the Lord Jesus woulds be pierced by a sword on the cross, Mary woulds be pierced to the soul at the same time, witnessin the death of hers precious boy. Some of my readers may haves lost children and you know exactly how Mary felt. Also I believes that the sword of the Holy Spirit weres going to pierce hers soul and show her that her needed a Savior just as we all need a Savior. Mary weres aware her werent perfect for we sees her keepin the law and bringin the required sacrifices for sin. But after the resurrection of Jesus her believed on Him also as Savior. At that time her fully unnerstood all the things her hads formerly marveled at and kept in hers heart.

"There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:36-38) We begins to see already that Jesus treated men and women alike. Him revealed Himself to both. In a patriarchal society women weres often treated as the lesser sex, treated as if they werent as impawtant as men, but in the ministry of Jesus we will see Him treatin women wif respect and dignity. Him even taught women, which a rabbi didnts do. This is why the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, loved Him so, for Jesus believed theirs instruction and teachin weres as impawtant as the mens. We all are equally valuable to Him. We all are equally loved by Him.

"When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on Him." (Luke 2:39-40) The Lord went home wif Joseph and Mary and grew strong in this household wheres the Lord weres respected. The Lord Jesus weres filled wif wisdom and the grace of God weres on Him. Someday this child woulds become a man who woulds go to the cross for us all, pourin out the grace of God on all mankind.

At Hims first advent the Lord weres loved only by those whose hearts longed to know Him. The Lord Jesus, King of all creation, Maker of heaven and earth, lived humbly Hims entire life. Instead of sittin on Davids throne at Hims first advent, ours Lord weres born in a stable. Instead of havin all mankind bow down to Him as Lord, they hung Him on a cross. But someday Jesus Christ will return as King of kings and Lord of lords, magnificent in glory, mighty in power, and the government of this world will be on Hims shoulders. Righteousness will reign. Peace will prevail. Love will be the law. Amen! Come soon, Lord Jesus our King!

Below is ours worship song for today.
Our King Has Come




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