Dearly Beloved
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In Christ
Dearly beloved of God, we must be vigilant concerning what we hold to be true without first checking those things against what God’s Word reveals on the subject.
The Word of God interprets itself in the verse, in the context, and where the subject has been spoken of previously. The Word of God is God speaking, and we must take His Word as our basis for truth.
In Acts 11:11-26, we learn that Barnabas and Paul spent a whole year with the church in Antioch, and they taught many people. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. This is the first record in the Scriptures that identifies those that confessed Jesus as Lord, and believed that God raised him from the dead, as Christians.
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Are You Occupied with Yourself or with Christ?
Dearly beloved of God, God sent His Son to accomplish what we could never accomplish ourselves. He alone is the Savior. We should be thinking about what he did, and who God says we are in him, not ourselves.
God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace are you saved;) and He raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus. See Ephesians 2.
For by grace are you saved through believing (See Romans 10:9-17), and that salvation is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. He provided the Lamb of God who was given for our salvation, and He received the sacrifice on our behalf. Our salvation is not of our works so that no one should boast.
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Grounded in Reality
Dearly beloved of God, it appears that many in our society today are not grounded in reality. They cannot tell what is true and what is not. However, we can be grounded in the reality of our salvation.
Romans 10:9-13
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This is our reality. We are to do two things; confess Jesus as Lord, and believe that God raised him from the dead. Why do we confess him as Lord? Acts 2:36 reveals that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
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The Church, which is the Body of Christ
Dearly beloved of God, there is only one body, and that is the Church, which is the body of Christ. Jesus Christ paid the price of membership for each and every member of this body. As members of his body, we enjoy the privileges of membership.
The body of Christ has nothing to do with earthy groups that men form; it was formed by God when He put all things under Christ’s feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church.
Every member of the body of Christ is saved, and have the hope of salvation. Each member was redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. God freely justified each member by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Every member has redemption, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which He has abounded toward us.
Every member of this body is born again of the spirit from God. God is now God our Father, and we are the children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.
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Current Realities and Future Realities
Dearly beloved of God, Jesus’ birth was the beginning of much more to come. His birth set the stage for God’s Will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
During his yearlong ministry he accomplished the will of God concerning our redemption and salvation. He gave his life so that we might live. He suffered and died so that we might be saved and redeemed, but there is much more to come.
We are saved the moment we confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. Jesus Christ paid the price for our victory over sin and death. He made the current reality possible, and he made the future reality possible, also.
After his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven, on the Feast of Pentecost the Lord Jesus Christ sent the promise of the Father, the gift of holy spirit, and now the saved ones are born again of the spirit from God, and we are children of God. He gave us spirit life today.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
This would be a great time to read, "Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed;" by Dr. Wierwille. Everything I have shared about Jesus Christ's birth is in that book.
Knowing the truth of God's Word stands in stark contrast with religion and the traditions of men. The truth makes us free, and brings glory to God and His wonderful Son. Rejoice!
Regardless of the time Jesus was born, he WAS born, and the Savior came into the world. Anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord, and believes that God raised him from the dead shall be saved. Rejoice!
"He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it." Read Romans 14:1-15:7 and Colossians 2:6-17.
Jesus Christ said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Rejoice, and live with the love of God in your life!
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The Witness of the Stars
Dearly beloved of God, not only did the shepherds witness the swaddling ceremony of God’s only begotten Son, the King of the Judeans, but God marked his birth by the witness of the stars.
Revelation 12:1-5
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
God revealed this information to John in a vision, which concerns both past and future events regarding the spiritual warfare between the One True God and the devil.
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God's Amazing Grace
Dearly beloved of God, our Father sent His Son to accomplish the purpose of the ages, and he did. What was this purpose?
I Thessalonians 2:12
That you would walk worthy of God, Who called you unto His kingdom and glory.
God called us unto His kingdom and glory. We entered the Kingdom of God the moment we were born again, and we will physically enter it when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to gather us together to meet him in the air. What else did the Father purpose?
Romans 8:17 and 18
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
God purposed that we would be His children, His heirs, and heirs together with Christ; we will be glorified together with him, and the glory will be beyond compare.
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What Day was Jesus Born?
Dearly beloved of God, Jesus was born in 3 B.C., Tishri 1, on the Hebrew calendar. Tishri 1 is Rosh Hashanah, which is New Year’s Day in modern Judaism.
Originally, Tishri was the first month, but God told Moses at the time of the first Passover that Nisan “shall be unto you the beginning of months.” With this renumbering of the months, Tishri became the seventh month.
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were both celebrated in the first month of Nisan. The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated seven months later at the time of the final harvests.
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God Will Make a Way
Dearly beloved of God, God will make a way for you where there seems to be no way. God’s people have faced overwhelming situations throughout history, but the LORD God was with them to deliver them.
In Judges 6, we read of a time when Israel had done evil in the sight of the LORD and they went into captivity. The Midianites, which were as grasshoppers for multitude, destroyed their crops, and left them with no sustenance, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
God sent them a prophet to remind them Who He was; He was the LORD their God that delivered them from their captivity in Egypt.
There seemed to be no way for them to be delivered from Egypt, but God made a way for them where there was no way. They should have continued to obey Him, but they didn’t.
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Truth or Tradition
Dearly beloved of God, the birth of Jesus the Christ miraculously fulfilled prophecies given by God over four thousand years concerning the promised seed of the woman, the Coming One, Jesus Christ our Savior.
God precisely documented the birth of His only begotten Son in His Word, and by the movement of the heavens, also. He further provided us with historical documentation of events surrounding His Son’s birth. These elements came together in one extraordinary moment of history.
In spite of everything God did to authenticate the birth of His Son, corruptions of the truth of God’s Word leave us with a holiday that does not remotely resemble the reality of what occurred.
In the place of truth we are left with traditions.
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That Your Joy May Be Full
Dearly beloved of God, this is the Christmas season, but it has little to do with the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. For some of God’s children this may be a difficult season.
During the holiday season some children of God may be dealing with sickness, and some of our beloved brothers and sisters have fallen asleep. Others are struggling with loneliness and the loss of a family member, or dear friend. Some are dealing with the hurt of estranged family members due to divorce. Some are dealing with financial difficulties, or other troubles.
The holidays may not be so jolly for everyone. Be especially good to the household of God. Comfort one another by showing your kindness and tender love to your beloved brothers and sisters, especially to those in need.
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Keep Your Eyes on Him
Dearly beloved of God, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have life everlasting.
God was the Prime Mover. He blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.
Everything Christ accomplished concerning us was God's idea. It was according to the good pleasure of His Will. He called us to His kingdom and glory in Christ Jesus.
Jesus Christ accomplished everything required for our redemption and salvation, our justification, our sonship, and the Father freely gives us all things with His Son. In Christ we are fellowcitizens with the saints, and we are of the household of God.
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From John’s Conception to the Birth of Jesus the Christ
Dearly beloved of God, let’s briefly review the order of events concerning John's conception to the birth of Jesus, the Christ, God’s only begotten Son. They are documented in Luke 1, Matthew 1, and Luke 2. The Scriptures build up to give us a complete record of these events.
In May of 4 B.C. Zacharias, of the course of Abia, served in the Temple, and the angel Gabriel appeared to him, and told him that Elizabeth would have a son.
Zacharias finished his course of service in the Temple the end of May, and he returned to his home in Judea.
In early June after he returned home, barren Elizabeth conceived in her old age.
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The Birth of Jesus the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God
Dearly beloved of God, when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem to be enrolled in the Roman Empire wide registration decreed by Caesar Augustus, Mary went into labor, and gave birth to her firstborn son, Jesus.
Luke 2:7
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
The inn or lodging house was full when Mary and Joseph arrived. These inns were typically four sided surrounding an inner courtyard.
The animals were stabled in the rear, in stalls connected to the back wall. Each stall was equipped with a manger or feeding trough containing straw for the animals.
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An Empire Wide Registration
Dearly beloved of God, the gospel of Luke provides historical documentation concerning the timing of Jesus’ birth, the only begotten Son of God.
Luke 2:1-3 King James Version
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
The King James Version uses the word “taxed” in verses one and three, and “taxing” in verse two. The Greek word “taxed” means “to enroll , to register,” and “taxing” means “enrolment.”
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Their Wedding Night
Dearly beloved of God, the narrative concerning the birth of Jesus Christ continues in Matthew 1:18-25. The Scriptures build-up to inform us of what occurred following Mary’s three month stay with Zacharias and Elizabeth after she returned home.
Mary was three months pregnant with Jesus by the time she returned home from the information Luke 1 reveals. The time of Mary’s and Joseph’s wedding ceremony was approaching.
In their culture their wedding ceremony could have lasted ten days. The last day of the ceremony the officiating holy man would set the time for the couple to come together and consummate their marriage with sexual intercourse. This would take place within a few days of the ceremony. The time was set according to the bride’s fertile time of the month for conception. The couple would not be considered to be married until they came together having sexual intercourse.
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Luke Informs us of Timing
Dearly beloved of God, let’s consider the information that the Scriptures reveal concerning the timing of John’s, and Jesus’ births.
1. Zacharias was a priest who served in the course of Abia, which was the eighth course of service in the Temple. The courses of service were numbered from the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which was the month of Nisan. The eighth course served the last week of May. See Luke 1:5. I Chronicles 23:1-6; 24:1,5,10,19 for background about the priests courses of service.
2. “And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his [Zacharias] ministration [his course of service in the Temple] were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those day his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months….” Luke 1:23 and 24. Elizabeth conceived in early June.
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Humanly Impossible Does Not Mean Impossible for God
Dearly beloved of God, from the record in Luke 1 we know that God was instrumental in the birth of John the Baptist, and in the birth of Jesus, His only begotten Son.
Zachariah was an old man, and his wife Elizabeth was barren and was well stricken in years, but God heard their prayer, and He enabled her to bring forth a son, John.
Mary was a young virgin, a woman of marriageable age, and she conceived by divine conception.
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Wedding Customs in the Lands and Times of the Bible
Dearly beloved of God, one of the keys to understanding the Word of God is understanding the customs and expressions of the people that lived at that time. These customs, and their expressions are known as Orientalisms.
Since the Word of God was written in the lands and times of eastern people, we must understand their customs and expressions if we are to understand what is written.
This is essential in understanding the records about Jesus’ conception and birth. The customs in the lands and the times in which the Word of God was written are quite different from ours today in the western world.
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Zacharias, Elizabeth, and the Birth of John
Dearly beloved of God, the world seldom recognizes great moments when God moves. The birth of John the Baptist was one of those great moments.
John’s birth preceded Jesus Christ’s birth by six months. John was a relative of Jesus, a priest, and a prophet that spoke God’s Word in order to make ready a people prepared for Him.
There had not been a prophet in Israel since Malachi, some four hundred years earlier. Israel was engulfed in religious darkness and oppression. Only one thing could break through this darkness, and that is hearing God’s Word.
John’s father was Zacharias, and his mother was Elizabeth.
Zacharias lived in the days of Herod, the king of Judea. He was a priest of the course of Abia, which was the eighth course of service by the priests.
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A Message of Grace
Dearly beloved of God, God sent His angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee with a message for Mary. She was a virgin espoused to Joseph of the house of David. “Espoused” means betrothed. We would say engaged in our culture.
Luke 1:28-30
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the LORD is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary with a message. Gabriel began by saying, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the LORD is with thee.”
“Highly favoured” in verse 28 is the Greek word “charitoo,” which means to show grace, to highly favor. The word only appears here, and in Ephesians 1:6, where it is translated “accepted.” “Hail, thou art highly favored, the LORD is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” If the LORD God is with a person, they truly are highly favored.
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Behold God’s Timing
Dearly beloved of God, Luke informs us of the timing of two very important announcements.
Luke 1:26 and 27
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin who was espoused to Joseph of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist. This specifies the time that this occurred. When was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy?
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How Does God Work with People?
Dearly beloved of God, throughout the Word of God, God teaches us how He works with people. As we read His Word we see this truth repeated in record after record. How does God work with people?
God is the Prime Mover; He gives His Word. People hear His Word, and they decide to carry out His instructions, or not to obey them. If they do listen to Him and believe what He says, then He performs His Word and provides the deliverance He said He would provide. He is God. We are human beings.
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What Does God Reveal about Jesus Christ?
Dearly beloved of God, what does God reveal to us about Jesus Christ? Let’s consider some of what He reveals about him.
Jesus was the promised seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15)
Made of a woman (Galatians 4:4)
The seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16,19)
Conceived by Divine conception (Luke 1:27-38)
Jesus was the Son of God (Luke 1:35; Matthew 4:3, 4:6, 8:29, etc.; The Word of God refers to him as the Son of God 50 times.)
The Only Begotten Son (John 1:18)
Only Begotten of the Father (John 1:14)
Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32)
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