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From the beginning of the biblical narrative in Genesis, God planned the redemption of fallen mankind through a promised Savior (Genesis 3:15). For centuries, devout Jews searched the Old Testament prophecies in the hopes of understanding when and where this Savior, their Messiah, would appear.
One of Old Testament prophecies studied is found in the book of Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The basic theme of this book of prophecy is found in Isaiah’s name, which means “salvation is of the Lord.” The word “salvation” appears 26 times in Isaiah, but only 7 times in all the other prophets combined.
In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, man is pictured as being in great need of salvation—a salvation that is of God, not man. God is described as the supreme Ruler, the sovereign Lord of history, and man’s only Savior.
The last 27 chapters shift to portray God as being faithful to His covenant by preserving a godly remnant and providing salvation and deliverance through the coming Messiah. That the expected Messiah would be both a suffering servant and a sovereign Lord would not be understood until Jesus’ time on earth.
In the divine “fullness of time", a star appeared in the sky over Bethlehem, in Judea. Wise men from the East, in Persia, recognized this bright star as the fulfillment of another, earlier prophecy: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).
These wise men began the long journey to find this King whose arrival had been predicted long ago, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The appearance of this star and the birth of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, were the culmination of thousands of years of anticipation. Jesus’ coming to earth as the Savior was the fulfillment of the covenant promises that were made to Israel, which gave structure to the Old Testament. From this point onward, the rest of history would revolve around the brief years that Jesus Christ lived among us.
We are still in need a Savior, 2000 years after the Messiah's coming.
We cannot save ourselves. Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins is also foretold in Isaiah. Just as Isaiah prophesied, Christ came in the flesh and paid the price for sin in His death. With His resurrection, He is now willing to save all those who turn from their sin and come to Him. Have you committed yourself to Him? If you have experienced His salvation, continue to be faithful and live in anticipation of His return.
It is impossible to treat Jesus as merely another man! He is the Promised One who, through His birth, death, and resurrection, brings us into a relationship with God when we believe in Him. This, my friend, is the true meaning of Christmas!
Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your Promised One for our salvation. Thank You for the gift of a relationship with You. Amen.
Through the Bible One Rhyme at a Time by Jim and Elizabeth George—It's never too early to teach your children God's Word!
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Praising God When Life is Hard
One-Word Themes for All the Books of the Bible printable
Take time to memorize Isaiah 9:6 over this month: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Jesus is the Promised One who, through His birth, death, and resurrection, brings us into a relationship with God when we believe in Him.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
How did men and women in the Bible accomplish great things for God? There wasn’t any secret formula or bestselling book on success for them. In fact, they were ordinary people like you and me. What made them effective was their willingness to obey God—one decision at a time.
Godwin Jireh
September 19, 2023
Thank you so much for this post. Truly, you did a great summary of the main message of the Bible and I have acknowledged it in my answer to “What is the main message of the Bible?”
See:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-main-message-of-the-Bible/answer/Godwin-Goziem-Jireh?ch=15&oid=1477743672697312&share=5650d7f6&srid=u218y&target_type=answer