The Identity of Bethlehem's Babe

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 KJV).

Perhaps no other story in the Bible speaks with such clarity about the power and purpose of God as the Christmas story. The fact that God stepped out of eternity into time is mind boggling. That the Creator laid aside His deity to become a man to die for sinners is equally amazing. It is more than the mind can grasp. As such, we want to take a look at the three-fold identity of Bethlehem’s Babe – Savior, Christ, Lord.

Savior – The title of acceptance. This child’s mission was not to save the wealthy, or the righteous. He came to set the sinner free (Luke 19:10), and He came for those no one else wanted (Mark 2:17). Thank God, He came not as Judge, but as Savior (John 3:17).

Christ – The title of access. This child came to do more than just provide salvation. He came to allow us access into the very presence of Almighty God. Through Jesus, we can: approach the Father (Heb. 4:16), as well as appeal to the Father (John 16:23. The Name “Christ” refers to Jesus as the “Anointed High Priest.” In this ministry, He addresses the Father on our behalf. He does this in two ways: He talks to the Father on our behalf (Heb. 7:25); and He pleads our case before the throne of God (1 John 2:1)

Lord – The title of authority. When the angel called Jesus “Lord,” He was referring to One who was to be in absolute control. This title of “Lord” is a reminder to every Christian that Jesus Christ is to be the absolute authority in every area of our lives. God’s demand for total obedience is not too much to ask. True love for God is always shown by obedience to Him. Thus, as Savior, He is worthy of our worship. As Christ, He is worthy of our dependence. As Lord, He is worthy of our obedience. As Jesus, He is worthy of all we can give to Him. Have you given Jesus your all this Christmas?

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man - His unspeakable gift of His Son; and the gift of man to God - when we present our bodies a living sacrifice!”

Vance Havner (1901 - 1986)

Author and Theologian

Word Study

Fullness

In Galatians 4:4 we read, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (NASB).

Fullness is the Greek word pleroma (πληρωμα). It means fullness, full measure, abundance, completion or what fills. Pleroma describes a full measure or abundance with emphasis upon completeness. The word describes what is fulfilled or is completed without any gap, i.e. the sum total or totality.

Pleroma was a recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes. Literally, the word means to fill something up. In classical Greek pleroma described a cargo ship that was filled with grain. It also described a ship that was filled with sailors, rowers, and soldiers. Figuratively, the word means fullness, a total quantity, with emphasis upon completeness.

In our verse, pleroma refers to the fulfillment of time - the totality of a period of time, a period of time when all intended within it has been accomplished. It means the full realization in time of God’s predestined plans revealed in the Scripture. It refers to the time agreed and fixed upon between God and his Son from all eternity. This means that the time of Jesus’ birth was no coincidence. It was all part of a carefully, fully developed plan of God.

Bible Facts

Herod’s order of the slaughter of all male infants two years and under “in Bethlehem and all its vicinity” (Matt. 2:16), fulfills a prophecy uttered by Jeremiah (31:15).

Bible Trivia

Who gave thanks to the Lord when they saw the baby Jesus?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph? An innkeeper is never mentioned in the Scriptures (Luke 2:7)

That’s in the Bible

“Man of the world”

“From men which are Thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes” (Psalm 17:14 KJV).

Though used to describe cultured, sophisticated men, “men of the world” are the ones David asked God to deliver him from. A Christian should never consider it a compliment to be called a ‘man of the world.’ How we feel about worldly people, possessions, and events is a surefire test of how we feel about God. Scripture reminds us that “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15 KJV).

Did You Know – Christian History

Though the exact location of Jesus’ birth is unknown, Christians believe that Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger (feeding trough). In those days, stables were made of stones or situated in a cave. Around A.D. 326-330, Empress Helena, wife of Constantine, built a church over the cave thought to be Jesus’ birthplace. The church was rebuilt in the 6th Century, and pieces of the original building still remain. It is said to be the oldest Christian church in existence and one of the most genuinely holy sites in the Holy Land. The altar inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is believed to mark the exact place of Jesus’ birth.

Stories of Favorite Christmas Carols

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

During his lifetime, Charles Wesley wrote over 600 songs. One of his most famous lyrics is Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, which many theologians say is the entire Gospel of Christ in one song. The melody for this familiar carol was composed by the famous Felix Mendelssohn almost a hundred years after Wesley wrote the text. The little known fact is that neither Charles Wesley nor Felix Mendelssohn would have wanted this music to be joined with these words. Felix Mendelssohn, a Jew, had made it very clear that he wanted his music only to be used for secular purposes. Charles Wesley, on the other hand, had requested that only slow and solemn religious music be coupled with his words. However, in the mid 19th Century, long after both Mendelssohn and Wesley were dead, an organist named Dr. William Cummings, joined the joyous Mendelssohn music with Wesley’s profound words to create the carol we know and love today!

A Little Humor

The Christmas church services were proceeding very successfully when a woman in the gallery got so interested that she leaned out too far and fell over the railing. Her dress caught in a chandelier, and she was suspended in mid-air. The minister noticed her undignified position and thundered at the congregation – “Any person in this congregation who turns around will be struck stone-blind.” A man, whose curiosity was getting the better of him, but who dreaded the clergyman’s warning, finally turned to his companion and said, “I’m going to risk one eye.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Christ was born here below that we might be born from above!”