BELOVED HESED
BELOVED HESED
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY
Hundreds of millions celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. The whole world should do so.
His was and is the greatest life ever lived.
Even in worldly terms, the mortal life of Jesus of Nazareth has had a greater impact on this world and its
history than any life ever lived.
THE VERY HUMBLE
The first announcement was to the shepherds in the hills by Bethlehem. An angel and a heavenly choir proclaimed “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people...
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”.
The shepherds were probably chosen to receive these good tidings because they were meek and humble. Thus, they were uniquely receptive to the message of heaven, which they verified by visiting the newborn. Then, the scripture reports, they “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child”.
Their work as shepherds and the lambs they tended both anticipated examples the Savior represented in His teaching.
THE VERY HOLY
The second announcement of the birth of the Messiah was in the temple in Jerusalem to two holy workers whose godly lives
qualified them to receive the witness of
the Holy Ghost.
When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple for the sacrifice prescribed for the firstborn, Simeon and Anna both witnessed that He was the Messiah. The scripture records that Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God for allowing him to see “thy salvation,” a “light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” And “Anna, a prophetess… coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem”.
THE VERY WISE
A third group learned of this remarkable birth.
“There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
“Saying,Where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews?
For we have seen His star in the east,
and have come to worship Him”.
From their stated inquiry, we cannot doubt that they were led by the Lord for His sacred purposes. These Wise Men were of another land and culture, so a witness to them was a reminder that
the Messiah was born for all people.
In addition, there may have been another purpose. The value of the gold and other gifts the Wise Men presented may have helped Mary and Joseph to make their hasty journey to Egypt and to remain there to save the Christ child when His life was threatened by the wicked order of King Herod.
THE VERY HUMBLE.
THE VERY HOLY.
THE VERY WISE.
Isn’t it interesting that the miraculous event of the birth of Christ and something of the significance of that event was made known only to the very humble, the very holy, and the very wise?
“Indeed God raised up witnesses for Himself to meet all classes and conditions of men—the testimony of angels for the poor and the lowly; the testimony of wise men for the haughty king and
proud priests of Judea.”
“The shepherds of old sought Jesus the child.
But we seek Jesus the Christ, our Older Brother, our Mediator
with the Father, our Redeemer, the Author of our salvation;
he who was in the beginning with the Father; he who took upon himself the sins of the world and so willingly died that
we might forever live."
This is the Jesus whom we seek.
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
GLAD TIDINGS OF
GREAT JOY
Hundreds of millions celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. The whole world should do so. His was and is the greatest life ever lived.
Even in worldly terms, the mortal life of Jesus of Nazareth has had a greater impact on this world and its history than any life ever lived.
THE VERY HUMBLE
The first announcement was to the shepherds in the hills by Bethlehem. An angel and a heavenly choir proclaimed “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people...
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”.
The shepherds were probably chosen to receive these good tidings because they were meek and humble. Thus, they were uniquely receptive to the message of heaven, which they verified by visiting the newborn. Then, the scripture reports, they “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child”.
Their work as shepherds and the lambs they tended both anticipated examples the Savior represented in His teaching.
THE VERY HOLY
The second announcement of the birth of the Messiah was in the temple in Jerusalem to two holy workers whose godly lives qualified them to receive the witness of the Holy Ghost.
When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple for the sacrifice prescribed for the firstborn, Simeon and Anna both witnessed that He was the Messiah. The scripture records that Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God for allowing him to see “thy salvation,” a “light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” And “Anna, a prophetess… coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem”.
THE VERY WISE
A third group learned of this remarkable birth.
“There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, “Saying,
Where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews?
For we have seen His star in the east, and have come to worship Him”.
From their stated inquiry, we cannot doubt that they were led by the Lord for His sacred purposes. These Wise Men were of another land and culture, so a witness to them was a reminder that the Messiah was born for all people.
In addition, there may have been another purpose. The value of the gold and other gifts the Wise Men presented may have helped Mary and Joseph to make their hasty journey to Egypt and to remain there to save the Christ child when His life was threatened by the wicked order of King Herod.