For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Reflection
Isaiah prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ 700 years before it happened. Isn’t this mind-bogging? Who can make a prophesy 700 years before it happen and fulfill it 700 years later? The statistical chance of this occurring is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. Suppose you put 10 to the power of 17 pieces of paper into a huge container and mark out one as special. If you pick out one piece of paper at random, the chance of getting that specially marked-out paper is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. This is statistically impossible but with God all things are possible!
A child is born to us
2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day for us.
A son is given to us
2000 years ago, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ to us on Christmas day, to save us from sin and death, John 3:16. God, the Father, and Jesus Christ are the first and second persons of the Trinity respectively.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16
And the government will be on his shoulder
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords who carries the whole world upon His shoulders.
His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace.
These are four messianic titles of Jesus Christ that are self-explanatory, Counselor, God Almighty, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace
APPLICATION:
Jesus Christ is God’s perfect Christmas gift to humanity. This is a free gift, given by grace, by faith, and by Christ alone. A gift is only a gift until you receive it. You receive this gift by faith and by believing in Christ. Have you received God’s perfect Christmas gift for you? You can receive it right now, where ever you are. In a simple but sincere prayer, tell God that you are a sinner and that you believe that Jesus died for you on the cross to pay the punishment of your sins for you. By faith, surrender your life to Him. This is the first step to salvation, but it is the most important one. If you said this prayer, find a local bible believing church, and tell the pastor about your decision. Worship, serve, and grow your faith in the local church.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Son as the perfect Christmas gift to us 2000 years ago. Thank You for salvation, justification, sanctification, and eternal life. Thank You that human beings will live forever more because of Christmas day, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your divine appointment with us. Thank You for meeting us through the pages of scripture. Speak to us through the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have you lost anything? It is very frustrating to have lost something. You will turn the whole house upside down until you find it.
Luke 15 is a chapter concerning the lost and the found. Here is a triplet of three parables, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear Him teach. The Pharisees and scribes were incensed because Jesus was so friendly with the social outcasts whom they considered to be sinners. Jesus responded to this attack by telling these three parables.
Luke 15:11-24
11 He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet.23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate ( read the rest of Luke 15 on your own)
Luke 15:11-24
Reflection
Here is the famous parable of the lost or prodigal son. A man had two sons. The younger son demanded his share of his father’s estate when his father was still alive! In Jewish custom, the elder son will get 2/3 and the younger son gets 1/3 of the estate but only when the father dies. After cashing out the money, the younger son ran away to a Gentile country and wasted everything on irresponsible living. Very soon, he was bankrupt and destitute. To make matters worse, a severe recession hit the land. The only job he could get was to look after the pigs for a Gentile businessman. Here is the shocking part. He had to feed the pig! For a Jew to feed the pigs was terribly insulting as pigs are unclean animals. He was so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pig’s food!
When the prodigal son hits rock bottom, he came back to his senses. He was dying of hunger. He decided to return to his father or he will be dead. He acknowledged that he had made a terrible mistake. He was willing to apologize to his father and become his servant. He made a 180 degrees U-turn to go home, rehearsing his repentance speech along the way.
When he was still a long way off, his father spotted him from a distance. The father felt sorry for the son. He had been looking out for him ever since he left. He ran and kissed the son’s neck even though he was dirty and smelly all over. In those days, for a rich man to run was considered very shameful. Before the son could even complete his repentance speech, the father interrupted him.
The father covered the son with the best robe, put a signet ring on his hand, shoes on his feet, slaughtered the fattened calf, and hosted a feast to celebrate the return of his lost son.
Interpretation
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. In a parable, every character represents something. The father represents God. The prodigal son represents the tax collectors and sinners. The best robe represents Christ’s robe of righteousness. The signet ring and shoes represent restoration to sonship. The signet ring is a stamp for authorizing family transactions. In those days, servants went around barefooted but sons wear shoes.
The prodigal son also represents people. People have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. People are like lost sheep who have turned to their own way. God waits patiently for people to repent and comes back to HIm. He will forgive people who come to him in repentance. He will cover them with Christ’s robe of righteousness and restore them to sonship.
The prodigal son also represents Christians who have back-slided in the faith. God is waiting for them to repent and turn back to him. To repent is to make a 180 degrees U-turn and return to God in repentance. God waits patiently for back-slided Christians to return to Him.
The father had to celebrate because his son was lost and found. He was given up for dead but came home alive. The elder brother in the parable represents the self-righteous, judgmental, and hypocritical Pharisees and scribes, who scoffed at the tax collectors and sinners. They too needed to repent and come back to God but they would not.
Application
People are like lost sheep who had gone astray. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for them on the cross to pay the penalty of their sins for them. There will be great joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turn back to God.
The prodigal son came back to his senses, returned home, confessed his sin, and repented. The four steps to salvation are acknowledgment of sin, return to God, confession, and repentance. God is waiting for sinners to return to Him.
Have you walked away from God? You can return to him right now, right where you are. In a simple prayer, confess your sin, and surrender your life to God. He is waiting for you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful and memorable parable of the prodigal son. Thank You for looking for us to bring us home to You through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Thank you for the wonderful gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. If we have walked away from You, help us to return back to You. Help us to recommit our lives to You to serve You in the kingdom of God, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Reflection
John 3:16 is undoubtedly the most famous and most widely quoted verse of the entire Bible. This verse encapsulates the Gospel in one single verse. God loved the world so much that He sacrificed His One and Only Son on the cross to save the world from sin. In the Greek language there are four words for love. Eros is romantic love between a husband and wife. Phileo is friendship love between friends. Storge is love between family members and close relatives. Agape is God’s divine unconditional love for people. Agape is the highest form of love that expects nothing in return. The Greek word used for love in this passage is agape. Here are the 5 components of this verse:
First: God is the originator of God’s love. God is the One who initiates His divine love for us. We love because he first loved us, first John 4:19.
Second: The world is the destination of God’s love. God’s divine love is universal and for everyone irrespective of race, culture, social class, financial status, sexual orientation, and so on. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, Galatians 3:28.
Third: Giving is the demonstration of God’s love. God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to pay the penalty of sin by His death on the cross. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8.
Fourth: Christians are the recipients of God’s love. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son, John 3:18.
Fifth: Eternal life is the result of God’s love. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life, John 5:24.
Application
Jesus loved you so much that He died for you even when you did not know Him and were in enmity with Him. He died so that you can have eternal life.
Do you believe in Jesus?
Have you confessed your sin and surrendered your life to Him?
Have you made Him the center of your life?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins for us. Thank You for Your amazing love, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
