The Story of Jesus

[Christsfreeservant]

Video Talk

Who is Jesus? What were his beginnings? Why did he come to earth?

John 1:1-4,10-14 ESV

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” ​

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“He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”​

Philippians 2:5-11 ESV

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”​

If you read in John 1:29-36 you realize that “the Word” that John was speaking of here is Jesus Christ. So, Jesus Christ is the Word of God because he is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was with God in the beginning and he is our creator God. And Jesus, although he was God, left his throne in heaven, and came to earth, was born as a baby to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit. So while he lived on the earth he was both God and man.

Now Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the promised Messiah who was to come, and his purpose in coming was to save mankind from their sins so that they could become children of God. But we don’t become children of God of our own flesh. So we can’t just claim that we believe in Jesus and now all our sins are forgiven and now heaven is our eternal destiny regardless of how we live on the earth. We need to be born of the will of God, and it is God’s will that we die with Christ to sin and that we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him (Rom 6:1-23).

What gifts does Jesus want from us in celebration of him?

Luke 9:23-24 ESV

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it’.”​

Romans 12:1-2 ESV

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”​

My birthday is this month and I am going to be 73 years old, Lord willing. Now, when I have a birthday we do not pull out all my old baby pictures so people can ooh and aah over them while they give each other gifts. So, if we are truly celebrating the birth of Christ, should we not celebrate who he is now? Yes, that can include remembrances of his birth and life and death on a cross and resurrection and who he is now in heaven with God the Father and how he sent his Spirit to indwell his followers – Christ living in us.

But we should celebrate everything about him. And in celebration of him and his birth and life and death and resurrection we should give him gifts. And what are the gifts he wants for his birthday? He wants our lives on the altar surrendered to him, forsaking our lives of living for self and in sin, and us walking in obedience to his commands (New Covenant) because we love him. So if you want to celebrate Jesus in a way that he desires and that is honoring to him, then surrender your all to him, leave your lives of sin behind you, and follow him in obedience to his ways from now to eternity.

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Mary, Did You Know?

Songwriters: Greene Lee Rufus / Lowry Mark Alan

Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy
Has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy
Is heaven's perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you're
Holding is the great, I Am

Mary, did you know?

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