Christmas: The Child of Promise

The child of promise,

was born in the most humble beginnings,

to parents who I am sure felt unworthy

and unequipped to to raise such a child.

As we read today,

the child of promise came by supernatural means,

as he was born of the virgin Mary.

A fulfillment of what the Prophet Isaiah spoke,

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

The child of promise was born in the city of David, Bethlehem.

Which was yet another fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by the Prophet Micah,

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (Micah 5:2)

Born of a virgin,

in the city of Bethlehem,

the Messiah,

the prince of peace,

the son of God,

who came as the fulfillment of all that was promised long ago.

Mary, the mother wrapped this baby in strips of cloth,

and laid him in a manger,

Looking at this baby,

Mary and Joseph looked at the one who offer salvation to the world.

In the manger filled with hay,

The Son of God rested.

This child of promise,

was sent to earth from His Father.

Not a plan that was spontaneous,

nor a plan that was thought up in a moment,

but rather,

a plan that in God’s sovereignty,

had set in motion in the beginning.

When the enemy came to temp Adam and Eve,

they yielded to that temptation

and sin enter into mankind that separated man from God.

The advisory, who is the great enemy of God,

knew that God loved the one’s he created in his image,

thus, attempt to destroy the fellowship God intended with his special creation.

And though God’s advisory thought he had won,

God was still on the throne and had a plan.

In Genesis God said through the seed of Eve,

there will come one who will crush the head of the serpent.

Through this plan,

God would send this child of promise,

who would bring forth the victory of God.

But for this plan to be achieved,

it would take someone who was not corrupted with sin.

Thus, the Father looked at His one and only Son,

and sent him to restore that which sin separated.

The Son would come to be the bridge for man to have eternal fellowship with the Father.

Therefore, the Son,

laid aside his kingly garments,

for strips of cloth to be laid in a manger to begin this great mission that his Father had sent him on.

The child of promise came to live intentionally and purposely out His Father’s mission.

When the child of promise came...

He grew into a man who lived the greatest example of what living in light of the Kingdom of God means.

He brought healing to those who were sick.

Gave sight to those who were blind.

Gave strength to those who were crippled.

Those forbidden to touch because of disease,

he embraced,

and with one touch brought healing to that which was deemed incurable.

The signs that followed this child of promise were so numerous,

That one of his close friends said that “If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25)

This child of promise fulfilled what the Prophet Isaiah had spoken of what would happen when God came to walk on earth...

Isaiah 35:5–6 ESV

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

The signs and miracles proved that this child of promise was in fact the messiah.

When this child of promise came,

he brought freedom to those who were held captive.

Gave hope to those who were hopeless.

Brought dignity back to those who were seen as useless to the world.

He restored people who seemed beyond the point of restoration….

What was amazing about this child of promise,

was that he did not sped all his energy trying to convince those who thought they were righteous that he was the messiah.

Rather he chose to break bread with those the world despised.

If was tax collectors, prostitutes, and or others that were seen with no value,

the child of promise came to fellowship with these outcast to show them a better way because he was the way.

This child of promise preached a way that was not understood before,

as he taught about the Kingdom of God.

This Kingdom that he proclaimed,

the last will be first and the first will be last.

He taught to love those who are your enemies and to bless those who persecute you.

His message could be summed up though when he said,

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,

and love your your neighbor as yourself.

This child of promise knew that if you did this,

you would be living out the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

When this child of promise spoke,

the people were amazed,

because he spoke with power and authority. (something they had not heard or seen in their lifetime)

Yes, there were people who taught and had knowledge of the Holy Scripture,

but though they had knowledge of sacred text,

they did not know the author of the Word.

Because they did not know the Word,

when the Word took on flesh and walked among these teachers they did not know Him.

So when God in the flesh offered forgiveness of sins these teacher saw it as blasphemy,

and devised a plan to kill the child of promise.

These religious leaders set up a mission of their own,

though they did not know that they were fulfilling the greater mission that was already set in motion.

The mission that was established by the Father was for the Son to go to the cross.

Isaiah spoke about this…

Isaiah 53:3–6 ESV

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The mission of the Father… (John 3:16) “it is finished”

Baby I think...

the life he lived...

the price he paid...

the resurrection..

The return...

Revelation 22:20b (ESV) “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!