THE SON WAS GIVEN TO US TO GIVE US . Here are the two major occasions that Prophet Isaiah prophesied of the birth of Christ: • “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” [[Isaiah 7:14]] • “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” [[Isaiah 9:6]] . If you look at the two references above carefully, you will notice the use of the word, “GIVE” in both of them. • One say, the LORD shall give you ‘A sign” • The other say, to us “A Son” is given. . Both are gifts, but one was a sign, while the other was a Son. We want to know what God is giving or has given to us by sending His son to us. 1. When He gave us a sign according to Isaiah 7, He gave us “Immanuel” to show “God with us.” But, 2. When He gave us a Son according to Isaiah 9, He also gave us the government that was on His shoulder and that includes also giving us the name of that Son He has given to us. Thus, we received the government on the shoulder of the Son by receiving the Son given to us; and we also receive the name of the Son by receiving the Son given to us. This is simply how we received the Kingdom of God; by receiving the Son on whose shoulder sits the government and on whose inheritance sits the name of the LORD. . The true meaning of Christmas is not limited to the fact that a Child is born to us, nor to the fact that a Son is given to us; rather the meaning of Christmas lies in understanding what comes with or connects with this Son that is given to us. If it is only about a Child or Son that God has given to us that we are celebrating, I can tell you that God gives children to people every day and gives people male children or sons. What then is the difference between the child that God gives to families every time and this particular Son-Child that God has given to all men? . To answer this question is to understand the true reason for Christmas. Christmas is not just about celebrating God’s birthday. It is not just about the Son that is given to us, but about what that Son given to us shall give to us. . Let me come again in another angle: A Child was born. Why should I celebrate a Child born to another family elsewhere? I will celebrate because that Child was given, not just to Mary and Joseph but, to everyone in the world. Mary and Joseph were permitted to be custodians of that Child, but I could sue them if they molested or abused that Child; and the reason is because that child does not belong to them alone, but to me and to everyone on earth. This was how angels to the shepherds that night, “To you was born this day, a Saviour…” So the shepherds went to see their Child, not just Mary’s boy Child. The Owner of the Son would soon take His Son back. . Yes, God gave us His Son; but God has also taken back His Son. As it is written, “…the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” [[Job 1:21]] The Owner of the Son, who gave the Son to men, has also taken back His Son to Himself - Blessed be God. As it is written, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father” [[John 16:28]]. The gift has returned back to the One who gave Him. I remembered how I was busy enjoying myself as I played with a small boy; and I almost forgot that that child was not mine until the mother took the child away because she must leave by then. As she took her child, I felt something was taken from me; then I asked myself, what is even preventing me from having mine own child that will give me joy as I watch and play with it? I love children, especially the playful and joyful ones because I get so attracted to them with an attraction that knows no bound. However, a point always comes that the Owner or custodians take those children from me. . “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God” [[John 13:3]]. After the Father gave Him all things, He still returned back to the Father who gave Him all things – It was after Jesus said that all authority in Heaven and earth has been given to Him that Jesus ascended up to God (Matthew 28:18). Well if the Son was given to us, everything He has is also given to us. The disciples were sad when Jesus told them that He must go to the Father. They were so used to having Jesus that they did not imagine that this Gift of God shall return back to God. However, Jesus comforted them by assuring them that there was another Gift of God that He Jesus will send to them – That is the gift that will remain with them forever, and no fear that God will take that One from them again – That Gift to us, which would remain forever after Jesus was taken back from us, was the Comforter, Holy Spirit (John 16:5-16, “14:16). . Again, a child was born to us and a Son was given to us: But that was a means to an end and to other gifts. The Son that was given to us was meant to last for a while with us; but the gifts that come through that Son given to us were meant to last forever. Thus, beyond God gave us a child and a Son, what are the gifts to expect through God, which are also the true reasons for Christmas? Part of the meaning of God giving us a Son includes the Son dying for us. A son was not just given to us when the Son was born, but when the Son died for us. Let me paraphrase Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah 9:6 = “To us a child is born (speaking of His birth) and To us a Son is given (speaking of His death for us); and the government shall be upon His shoulder (speaking of His conquering dominion and kingdom for us, and He wielding the powers for us); and His name shall be called, “Wonderful (to us), Counsellor (to us), Mighty God (to us), Everlasting Father (to us), the Prince of Peace (to us). . These are the gifts of God through the Son He had given to us; and if you do not have these gifts, your celebration of Christmas is another display of vanities. The gifts of God through Christ Jesus = the Gifts of Christ • God gave us His Son so that He could give us Eternal Life through the Son. As it is written, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [[John 3:16]] • God gave us His Son so that He could give us all things through the Son. As it is written, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” [[Romans 8:32]] • God gave us His Son so that He could give us the bread that will endure to everlasting life. As it is written, “Labour not for the food which perishes, but for that food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him has God the Father sealed” [[John 6:27]] • God gave us His Son so that He could give us the true bread from heaven. As it is written, “Then Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, “Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” Then said they unto Him, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.” And Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” [[John 6:32-35]] • God gave us His Son so that He could give us grace and victory always through Him. As it is written, “But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” [[1 Corinthians 15:57]] • God gave us His Son so that He could give us Eternal life through Him and His name. As it is written, “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that does not have the Son of God has not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” [[1 John 5:11-13]] • And so on and so forth………… As it is written, “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.” [[Romans 11:36]]
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 22:55:09 +0000
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