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WHAT IS CHRISTMAS ABOUT?

By Jay Pearson

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)

Jesus Christ is who Christmas is about. His Father had this to say about him.

Hebrews 1:8-9:
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

An angel speaking to the shepherds in the same country where the new birth took place had this to say.

Luke 2:10-11:
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Why did Jesus come? Here is part of the reason.

Isaiah 61:1:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Jesus came to save man and make him whole.

John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 Peter 2:24:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

No one can talk us out of our salvation, of knowing that we are saved and forgiven of our sins. No one should be able to talk us out of our healing in Christ either. It is just as certain.

We have discerned the Lord’s blood, knowing that we have been saved and have forgiveness of our sins, but we need to discern the Lord’s body also.

Ephesians 1:7:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

1 Corinthians 11:29-30:
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

We need to discern the Lord’s blood and his body. As surely as we are thankful for the forgiveness of our sins, we should be thankful for the healing of our bodies. By his blood we are cleansed, and by his stripes we were healed. Praise God what a Christmas gift! It is easier to be thankful when we have our heads and hearts in his Word and not in our imperfection.

Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to make us whole. There is not much doubt in Christianity that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, and that when we confess and believe Romans 10:9 and 10, we are saved. No one can talk us out of that. It just as true that by his stripes we were healed. Just as certain as we are saved spiritually by his perfect blood and cleansed of all unrighteousness, we are saved by his striped body and healed of sickness and disease.

After we are saved, do we sin? Yes. Do we get sick? Yes. Is it God’s will for us to sin? No. Is it God’s will for us to be sick? No. Will we sin in heaven? No. Will we be sick in heaven? No. It is God’s will for us to live here on earth as we will live with Him in heaven: whole, sin free, and sickness free. God made all this available in Christ Jesus our Lord, our perfect substitute and savior.

The very first thing to do when you have any need is to go to the Father through Jesus Christ. God also gave us the Body, our brothers and sisters in Christ, to minister to our need. God’s children are everywhere. They are doctors, nurses, and next door neighbors. First go to God and trust in him. God wants you healed and he has provided the answer to sickness and sin, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus Christ gave instruction to the seventy.

Luke 10:8-9:
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

God doesn’t want us to suffer sickness or sinfulness.

Psalm 107:20:
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Thank God for his wonderful Christmas present, the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Have a healthy Christmas. Let’s remind ourselves and others who Christmas is about.

 

 


From the December 2003 issue of The Vine & Branches