Sunday, December 6, 2009

The Birth Announcement

There are many joys that occur in the life of a family, but the greatest is the birth of a child. When the announcement comes there is excitement, anticipation and of course all the plans. It is a very special time that unites families and the hope that blossoms for the next generation. We are the children of God and as with any parent the hopes and dreams never fade.

The first indication that God had planned a very special birth is found in Genesis 3.When the Lord God informed Adam and Eve of how their life had changed and what they could now expect, which resulted from their disobedience. The Lord God also informed Satan that this was not over. The Lord God said, “From now on you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head and you will strike his heal” (Genesis 3:15 NLT). Most believe that this is the first Messianic prophecy of the Bible.

Many centuries later, the Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah and gave him more in depth information of the coming savior. Can you imagine how Isaiah must have felt, when the Lord told him in such detail all the facts about the Messiah’s birth.He would be born of a virgin “Look a virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a child and she will call him Emmanuel-“God with Us” (Isaiah 7:14 NLT) and the Messiah would live in the region of Galilee (Isaiah 9:1).

More importantly, the Messiah would not be an ordinary person, for he told Isaiah, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NLT). He is not only, the Son of God, but also God in flesh. The Lord God Almighty does not share his awesome name with anybody.

Over 600 years later, this very prophecy came to pass when a virgin named Mary from a small town in Galilee was approached by the angel Gabriel and was told she was chosen and agreed to become the mother of the Messiah. The angel told her to name him Jesus or Jeshua in Aramaic, which means “Yahweh Saves”

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us not forget that God keeps his promises to us. He made a way to redeem us from the sin that separated us from his wonderful, marvelous, unimaginable love for us. He came in person to save us and to guarantee that all that he has promised will come to pass. Trust in his holy and awesome name “Yahweh Saves”


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2 comments:

Louis Edwards said...

A very thoughtful story. So true, the birth of a child, and even more so, the birth of our Saviour.

Anonymous said...

That was so beautifully written ! I will pass this on to all I know to share our love for our lord. in remembrance of him.
jennie