Our Certainty in a Time of Uncertainty
‘For unto us a child is born’: this is a fundamental truth in relation to the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that He was born of a virgin, so He was not tainted by sin. Mary was a chosen vessel, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 7 verse 14: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His Name Immanuel’. The angel told Mary of the miraculous conception: ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God’ Luke 1 verse 35. Man had no part in it although ‘man’ was the reason for it. A sinless man came into the world making the invisible things visible, bringing the atmosphere of heaven. Every word that He spoke, and every footstep was ordered by God. We are reminded of His holy humanity as He ‘walked’ (John 1 verse 36); was ‘wearied’ (John 4 verse 6); ‘wrote’ with His finger (John 8 verse 6); ‘wept’ (John 11 verse 35); ‘washed’ the disciples’ feet (John 13 verse 5).
‘unto us a son is given’: this tells us of His Deity. The angel said to Mary ‘He….shall be called the Son of the Highest’, in Luke 1 verse 32. When the Lord Jesus referred to God as His Father, the Jews knew that this indicated equality with God: ‘No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him’ (John 1 verse 18). He is the ‘image of the invisible God’ (Colossians 1 verse 15), and ‘in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily’ (Colossians 2 verse 9). The totality of all God’s power and glories reside in Him. He is the ‘most High’ of Psalm 91 verse 1; the ‘Son of the Highest’ in Luke 1 verse 32. He controls, orders and governs the universe, ’For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth’ (Colossians 1 verse 16). If He sees fit, He changes things. For example, In Joshua 10 verse 13 the sun stood still, and in 2 Kings 20 verse 11, the sun dial went back ten degrees as a sign to Hezekiah that his prayers were answered.
‘and the government shall be upon his shoulder’: what strength there is in the Lord Jesus. These words remind us not only that He will one day reign upon the earth, but they take us beyond that to the eternal state. The angel said to Mary ‘The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of His father David and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom shall there be no end’ (Luke 1 verses 32 – 33). 1 Corinthians 15 verse 25 reminds us that ‘He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet’. Isaiah 11 verses 4 – 5 speak of the qualities of His reign: verse 5 says. ‘righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins’. David’s last words are not of himself when he says, ‘He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds: even as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain’.
Beloved, what a wonderful Saviour we have, what a wonderful Hope and prospect we enjoy.
To be continued