Christmas article by Pastor Ron
Christmas before Bethlehem
A Christmas Thought
by Pastor Ron
The title of this article may be a little surprising. How could there be Christmas before Bethlehem?
Well, technically there couldn’t because Christmas is God the Father sending His Son into the world through the womb of Mary into Bethlehem’s manger (Galatians 4:4-5), but that process or plan started long before it actually happened in time. The writer of Hebrews, through the guiding of the Holy Spirit, looked back long before Bethlehem and recorded a conversation that God the Father and God the Son had about what we now call Christmas. Let’s listen in on the conversation: “. . . when He (Christ) comes into the world, He (Christ) say, ‘Sacrifice and offering Thou (Father) hast not desired, but a body Thou (Father) has prepared for Me (Christ). In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou (Father) hast taken no pleasure’; then I (Christ) said, ‘Behold I (Christ) have come (in the roll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy (Father) will, O God.’”(Hebrews 10:5-7). We have no idea how far back in eternity past this conversation took place, but it happened!
The plan for the “sending of the Son (Christ) into the world” was set and it would be executed at exactly the right moment in time. This is what the apostle Paul referred to when he penned, “. . . when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might
receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Beloved, this is a profound truth! Please, ponder it with me for a moment through three thoughts: 1.Bethlehem was not the beginning of Christ (i.e., the Son) it was a change of address! Before Bethlehem the Son resided in heaven with the Father, after Bethlehem He resided in a human body prepared by the Father through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:20) in the womb of Mary! Think of it, the eternal second Person of the Godhead, i.e., the Son, left heaven and was clothed with human flesh (Philippians 2:6-9) so He could “do the will of the Father”! (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus, when He walked this earth was not a mere man, He was the eternal Sonof God clothed in human flesh! The “Word became flesh and dwelt among men!” (John 1:14)
2.The Son came to do the will of the Father! (Hebrews 10:7) What was the “will of the Father” you ask? Jesus made the will of the Father clear when Hesaid, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will ofHim who sent Me, and this is the will of Him who sent Me, That of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day, and this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him upon the last day” (John 6:37-40). According to Jesus the “will of the Father” was to have a perfect sacrifice that would provide eternal life to those He gave to the Son and would be with Him eternally! If we go back to the context leading up to the conversation between the Father and the Son was that there was no sacrifice that could “take away sin” (Hebrews 10:1-4). As wonderful as the Old Testament sacrificial system was, it was lacking! Those sacrifices could never make “perfect” those who drew near, i.e., cleans completely from sin! (Hebrews 10:1-4). All it could do was remind the worshipers that they were sinners, year-after-year (10:3)! Thus, what the Old Testament sacrifices could not do, God did in the sending of His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin ...” (Romans 8:3). Please notice that Jesus’ flesh was not sinful; it was in the “likeness” of sinful flesh, meaning that He had a human body but no sin! Jesus came to be that perfect sacrifice (i.e., Lamb) Who could “take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). The writer of Hebrews makes this abundantly clear later in chapter 10. He wrote, “By this will (i.e., the Father’s) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ... He (Christ) having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right had of God ... for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified!” (Hebrews 10:10-12, 14). Remember, the Old Testament sacrifices could never perfect those who drew near (Hebrews 10:1), but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross DOES! The Father desired a sacrifice that could do far more than the Old Testament sacrifices so He sent forth
His precious Son to be the perfect sacrifice! But, there is one more truth!
3. The Son went back home! (Hebrews 10:12) After the eternal Son of God fulfilled His mission to do the “will of the Father” upon the cross, He resurrected and went home! Read again, Hebrews 10:12, “ ... He (Jesus) having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD ...!. He returned HOME! This truth was on the mind of the writer of Hebrews because in chapter one he wrote, “When He (Jesus) had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ...” (1:3). So, there you have it, beloved — Christmas before Bethlehem! Christmas did not begin at the conception of the body of Jesus in Mary’s womb or in Bethlehem’s manger, it began in the throne room of God the Father and the Son sometime in eternity PAST! But, I’m so grateful that it was not just a conversation, but it became a reality! As a result we enjoy the benefits of so GREAT A SALVATION and can REJOICE and say with the heavenly multitude in Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest ...”! (Luke 2:14) As you celebrate Christmas this year take a moment to PONDER these wonderful truths!
For the Love of God’s People, Ron & Gwen Finch
Have a Wonderful CHRIST-FILLED Christmas!
A Christmas Thought
by Pastor Ron
The title of this article may be a little surprising. How could there be Christmas before Bethlehem?
Well, technically there couldn’t because Christmas is God the Father sending His Son into the world through the womb of Mary into Bethlehem’s manger (Galatians 4:4-5), but that process or plan started long before it actually happened in time. The writer of Hebrews, through the guiding of the Holy Spirit, looked back long before Bethlehem and recorded a conversation that God the Father and God the Son had about what we now call Christmas. Let’s listen in on the conversation: “. . . when He (Christ) comes into the world, He (Christ) say, ‘Sacrifice and offering Thou (Father) hast not desired, but a body Thou (Father) has prepared for Me (Christ). In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou (Father) hast taken no pleasure’; then I (Christ) said, ‘Behold I (Christ) have come (in the roll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy (Father) will, O God.’”(Hebrews 10:5-7). We have no idea how far back in eternity past this conversation took place, but it happened!
The plan for the “sending of the Son (Christ) into the world” was set and it would be executed at exactly the right moment in time. This is what the apostle Paul referred to when he penned, “. . . when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might
receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
Beloved, this is a profound truth! Please, ponder it with me for a moment through three thoughts: 1.Bethlehem was not the beginning of Christ (i.e., the Son) it was a change of address! Before Bethlehem the Son resided in heaven with the Father, after Bethlehem He resided in a human body prepared by the Father through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:20) in the womb of Mary! Think of it, the eternal second Person of the Godhead, i.e., the Son, left heaven and was clothed with human flesh (Philippians 2:6-9) so He could “do the will of the Father”! (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus, when He walked this earth was not a mere man, He was the eternal Sonof God clothed in human flesh! The “Word became flesh and dwelt among men!” (John 1:14)
2.The Son came to do the will of the Father! (Hebrews 10:7) What was the “will of the Father” you ask? Jesus made the will of the Father clear when Hesaid, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will ofHim who sent Me, and this is the will of Him who sent Me, That of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day, and this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him upon the last day” (John 6:37-40). According to Jesus the “will of the Father” was to have a perfect sacrifice that would provide eternal life to those He gave to the Son and would be with Him eternally! If we go back to the context leading up to the conversation between the Father and the Son was that there was no sacrifice that could “take away sin” (Hebrews 10:1-4). As wonderful as the Old Testament sacrificial system was, it was lacking! Those sacrifices could never make “perfect” those who drew near, i.e., cleans completely from sin! (Hebrews 10:1-4). All it could do was remind the worshipers that they were sinners, year-after-year (10:3)! Thus, what the Old Testament sacrifices could not do, God did in the sending of His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin ...” (Romans 8:3). Please notice that Jesus’ flesh was not sinful; it was in the “likeness” of sinful flesh, meaning that He had a human body but no sin! Jesus came to be that perfect sacrifice (i.e., Lamb) Who could “take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). The writer of Hebrews makes this abundantly clear later in chapter 10. He wrote, “By this will (i.e., the Father’s) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ... He (Christ) having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right had of God ... for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified!” (Hebrews 10:10-12, 14). Remember, the Old Testament sacrifices could never perfect those who drew near (Hebrews 10:1), but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross DOES! The Father desired a sacrifice that could do far more than the Old Testament sacrifices so He sent forth
His precious Son to be the perfect sacrifice! But, there is one more truth!
3. The Son went back home! (Hebrews 10:12) After the eternal Son of God fulfilled His mission to do the “will of the Father” upon the cross, He resurrected and went home! Read again, Hebrews 10:12, “ ... He (Jesus) having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD ...!. He returned HOME! This truth was on the mind of the writer of Hebrews because in chapter one he wrote, “When He (Jesus) had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ...” (1:3). So, there you have it, beloved — Christmas before Bethlehem! Christmas did not begin at the conception of the body of Jesus in Mary’s womb or in Bethlehem’s manger, it began in the throne room of God the Father and the Son sometime in eternity PAST! But, I’m so grateful that it was not just a conversation, but it became a reality! As a result we enjoy the benefits of so GREAT A SALVATION and can REJOICE and say with the heavenly multitude in Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest ...”! (Luke 2:14) As you celebrate Christmas this year take a moment to PONDER these wonderful truths!
For the Love of God’s People, Ron & Gwen Finch
Have a Wonderful CHRIST-FILLED Christmas!
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