Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
The people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.”
The second Person of the Triune Godhead incarnated as a human being and spent 33 years on Earth, teaching and ministering, finally to be falsely accused, grievously tortured, and nailed to a cross to die. All in order to make right the terrible betrayal by humanity’s first parents, Adam and Eve, who, in their grandiose narcissism, thought they could be “like God” and so determine for themselves what is right and wrong, good and evil.
The birth of Jesus Christ our Lord had been long prophesied by Hebrew prophets. See “The Old Testament foretold the Coming of Christ”.
But His human incarnation also means the passing of God’s covenant from Jews to all peoples. (See “Salvation is from and also for the Jews”)
Isaiah 40:1-3
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end….
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Acts 10:34-35
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.“
Luke 22:19-20
Then He took a loaf of bread,
and when He had given thanks,
He broke it and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
And He did the same with the cup after supper saying,
“This cup that is poured out for you
is the new covenant in my Blood,
which will be shed for you.”
Hebrews 8:13
In speaking of a new covenant,
He makes the first one obsolete.
And what is becoming obsolete and growing old
is ready to vanish away.
Henceforth, anyone can be one of God’s people (which is why I don’t understand why some Christians, e.g., WND, seem obsessed with observing Sabbath on Saturday, as in the Old Testament.)
But He never promised doing so would be a rose garden.
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves
and take up their cross
and follow me.”
Always remember that the Greatest Commandment of all is to love God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and with all your strength.
May the peace and joy and love of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you!
~Eowyn
