MEDITATIONS ON THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
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OUTLINE
1. NAMES OF CHRIST
2. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
3. SPIRITUAL STATURE OF MARY
4. DELIVERANCE FROM OUR ENEMIES
5. THE FAVOUR OF GOD
6. FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE ON EARTH
7. LIVING LIKE CHRIST
THE MESSAGE
MEDITATIONS ON THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
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1. NAMES OF CHRIST
The birth of the Lord Jesus was to restore the authority that was lost through the fall of man. God had created man to have dominion over the earth . But man lost that authority through his disobedience . But Christ came to restore that . The prophet declared that the Government would be on His shoulders and He would reign with peace and justice on the throne of David. We must submit to the dominion of God in our lives and live under His authority. Christ was named Wonderful and therefore we can expect Him to perform wonders in our life. He was named Counsellor and we can receive His counsel and direction in our lives. He was named the Mighty God and therefore He is not a mere human being but an embodiment of God himself and we can expect Him to reveal Himself as a mighty God in our lives. He is the everlasting Father and therefore we can expect to receive His fatherly love and care all the days of our life. He is the Prince of peace and therefore we can expect Him to fill our hearts with His divine peace.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ISAIAH 9:6-7
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
GENESIS 1:26-28
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
JOHN 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
2. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
The birth of Christ was a demonstration of the power of God to perform the impossible . Mary was a virgin who wondered how she could give birth to a child without a man . But the angel of the Lord told it would happen by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even Elisabeth her relative was able to have a child in her old age , thus proving that nothing is impossible with God. Therefore the birth of Christ inspires our faith to beleive God for the impossible.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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LUKE 1: 26-37
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God."
3. SPIRITUAL STATURE OF MARY
The birth of Christ revealed the spiritual qualities of Mary . She was a woman who glorified and worshipped God . Her spirit rejoiced in God . She was not murmuring and complaining and living with a sad and negative attitude . She rejoiced in the Lord. She walked in humility and recognised her humble state and gave God all the credit for elevating her in life. She realised the greatness and power of God . She knew that God is holy and she has to live in holiness to please Him. She understood that when we walk in the fear of God , the Lord would show His mercy on us from generation to generation. She recognised that God would show His power by scattering the proud in their imaginations . He would bring down the rulers from their thrones. But the Lord would lift up those who are humble . He would fill those who are hungry for Him with good things .But those who are self sufficient would return empty. Mary was a person who lived with such a revelation of God and received abundant favour in her life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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LUKE 1: 46-55
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
4. DELIVERANCE FROM OUR ENEMIES
The birth of Christ brought a revelation of the Holy Spirit through Zechariah . He prophesied that the birth of Christ was a fulfillment of the promise of God to His people which He had made through His prophets .It was a fulfillment of the covenant that God made with Abraham . The promise of God was that he would deliver them from their enemies so that they could serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. Therefore we can beleive God to deliver us from our enemies and enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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LUKE 1:67-75
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
5. THE FAVOUR OF GOD
The birth of Christ brought good news of great joy for all people. It brought glory to God and peace to the men on the earth on whom the favour of God rests. It proved that God loved man and wanted him to experience the peace of God . The birth of christ was evidence that man had found favour with God. Therefore we can approach God with confidence and receive the favour that He has shown to us through the birth of Christ.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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LUKE 2:10-14
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
6. FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE ON EARTH
The birth of Christ was foretold to Simeon who was a righteous and devout man and who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was told that he would not die till he saw the Christ and therefore he was faithfully waiting to see the fulfillment of this promise. Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to come into the temple courts just when the parents of Jesus brought him into the temple. Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God for fulfilling His promise and predicted the future that God had for this child. He also told the Lord that he was now ready to come to his eternal home. Simeon waited patiently till the purpose of God for his life on earth was fulfilled before he asked God to take him home.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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LUKE 2:25-35
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 upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
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 now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to 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."
7. LIVING LIKE CHRIST
The birth of Christ was to fulfill the purpose of God . Christ was not born to live an aimless life living to please himself. He came to seek and save the lost. He came to give abundant life to mankind. He came to serve and not to be served and to give His life as a ransom for many. He came to fulfill of God and to finish His work . He came not to please Himself but to please the One who sent Him. He came to destroy the works of the devil. He came as a light to this world to lead the people living in darkness to the light of God. The Lord wants us to live in this world with the same purpose with which Christ came to this world. We should not live aimless and selfish lives but live like Christ in this world.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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LUKE 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
JOHN 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
MATTHEW 20:25-28
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
JOHN 4:34
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
JOHN 5:30
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
1 JOHN 3:8
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
JOHN 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
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