Merry ChristmasMerry Christ MassWho Is This Christ In
Christmas?
Christmas 2016
He Is The Alpha and OmegaHis story begins in NAU John 1:1-2 In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was in the beginning with God.NAU Genesis 3:15 And I
will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed
and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise
him on the heel.And continues through NAU Revelation 22:20-21 He
who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.
Amen.
Let's read about Him in Isaiah 11
Isaiah 11:1, A Shoot Out Of JesseNAU Isaiah 11:1 Then a shoot
[rod] will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his
roots will bear fruit.A shoot, rod, or branch, (cutting) is how
olive trees are reproduced.NIV NIVO KJG KJV Branch NET a bud will
sprout from his roots.
Isaiah 11:1, Branch Of JesseNIV Isaiah 11:1 a Branch will bear
fruit.05342 netser {nay'-tser} Meaning: 1) sprout, shoot, branch
(always fig.)The name Nazareth comes from netser"NAU Matthew 2:23
and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill
what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a
Nazarene.Every time Nazarene or Nazareth are used its a reminder of
Isaiah 11:1 prophecy.
Isaiah 11:1, Branch Of JesseNAU Isaiah 4:2 In that day the
Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of
the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of
Israel. 3 It will come about that he who is left in Zion and
remains in Jerusalem will be called holy-- everyone who is recorded
for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of
the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from
her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5
then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and
over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness
of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a
canopy. 6 There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by
day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.
Isaiah 11:1, Branch Of JesseNAU Jeremiah 23:5 "Behold, the days
are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a
righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do
justice and righteousness in the land. 6 "In His days Judah will be
saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by
which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.' 7 "Therefore
behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when they will no
longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel
from the land of Egypt,' 8 but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up
and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the
north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.'
Then they will live on their own soil."
Isaiah 11:1, Branch Of JesseNAU Jeremiah 33:15 'In those days
and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring
forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.
16 'In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in
safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD
is our righteousness.' 17 "For thus says the LORD, 'David shall
never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18
and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer
burnt offerings [Ezekiel 43:18], to burn grain offerings and to
prepare sacrifices continually.'"
Isaiah 11:1, Branch Of JesseNAU Zechariah 3:8 behold, I am going
to bring in My servant the Branch. 9 I will remove the iniquity of
that land in one day. 10 'In that day,' declares the LORD of hosts,
'every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine
and under his fig tree."NAU Zechariah 6:12 "Then say to him, 'Thus
says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He
will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of
the LORD.
Isaiah 11:1, Branch Of JesseNAU Zechariah 6:12 He will branch
out from where He is [Ps 110:1, no 2nd nativity]; and He will build
the temple [future temple] of the LORD.NAU Hosea 5:15 I will go
away and return [1st. coming] to My place [heaven Ps. 110:1] Until
they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face [Matthew 23:39 until
you say]; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. [2nd.
coming]
OK, back to Isaiah 11 (1st. Coming)NAU Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of
the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by
what His ears hear;
Isaiah 11:4-5, 2nd. ComingNAU Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness
He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted
of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His
mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And
faithfulness the belt about His waist.
Isaiah 11:6, Millennial Kingdom NAU Isaiah 11:6 And the wolf
will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the
young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the
bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion
will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the
hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the
viper's den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy
mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:10, The Re-Gathering NAU Isaiah 11: 10 Then in that
day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as
a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.
11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover
the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will
remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the islands of the sea. 12 And He will lift up a standard
for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will
gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the
earth.
Isaiah 11, King of KingsThe Branch won't come as a baby next
timeNAU Psalm 2:8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as
Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your
possession. 9 'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall
shatter them like earthenware.'"NAU Revelation 2:27 AND HE SHALL
RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE
BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My
Father;
But let's go back to the prophecy her seedNAU Genesis 3:15 her
seedLXX has, BGT Genesis 3:15 [from sperma]The word seed used
genealogically always refers to the male contribution in the Bible.
Here it hints at the virgin birth.NAU Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the
Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin [almah] will be
with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14, her seedNAU Isaiah 7:14 a virgin [almah] will be
with child and bear a sonDon't let anyone confuse you about the
different Hebrew words for virgin, almah and betulah. 200 years
before the birth of Jesus the Hebrew translators of the LXX
used;BGT Isaiah 7:14 [parthenos, virgin]
Isaiah 7:14, her seedNAU Matthew 1:23 "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN
[parthenos, virgin] SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND
THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD
WITH US.NAU Matthew 1:25 but kept her a virgin [parthenos, virgin]
until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.Its
impossible to keep someone a young woman. until = a change Joseph
did
Isaiah 7:14. a signNAU Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself
will give you a sign [0226 oth]NAU Isaiah 7:11 "Ask a sign for
yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as
heaven.This is a merism, wikipedia defines a merism as; In rhetoric
a merism is the combination of two contrasting words, to refer to
an entirety.
www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/writing-merism.phphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MerismwikipediaIn
rhetoric a merism is the combination of two contrasting words, to
refer to an entirety.myenglishpages.com defines, Merism is a figure
of speech by which something is referred to by a conventional
phrase that enumerates several of its constituents or traits.
Isaiah 7:14. a signNAU Isaiah 7:11 a sign deep as Sheol or high
as heaven.God gave Ahaz complete freedom to ask for any sign he
wanted, he declined.NAU Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself
will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with childA young
woman conceiving is not a sign. It's as natural as can be.A virgin
conceiving, that's a sign!
Where Was Jesus To Be Born?NAU Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was
born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from
the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is He who has been
born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have
come to worship Him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the
chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where
the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of
Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
What did the prophet write?NAU Micah 5:1 With a rod they will
smite the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2 "But as for you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings
forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." 3 Therefore He
will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne
a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons
of Israel. 4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the
strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His
God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To
the ends of the earth.
What did the prophet write?Micah 5:1 With a rod they will smite
the judge of Israel on the cheek [John 18:22 officers struck Jesus]
. 2 One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel [Mark 15:2 He is
the King of the Jews]. His goings forth are from long ago, From the
days of eternity [John 1:1-2]. 4 And He will arise and shepherd His
flock [John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd] He will be great [Luke
1:32 He will be great] To the ends of the earth. [Acts 13:47]
Where Was Jesus To Be Raised?NAU Matthew 2:23 and came and lived
in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene.NAU Matthew
2:15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to
fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT
OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."NAU Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a youth I
loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.
When Was Jesus Born?
Hope for TodayDavid Hocking, December 2016Don't squint! The
complete article follows after.
Hope for Today, David Hocking, December 2016
Hope for Today, David Hocking, December 2016
The Important FactsIn closing;The incarnation was prophesied in
ancient history way before Jesus birthIt was promised in Isaiah 9:6
a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us [a baby boy
born, but the eternal Son of God was given]The baby would be born
by a virginHe would be righteous, without sin; Jeremiah 23:5 a
righteous Branch, Luke 23:41 done nothing wrong
The Important FactsIn closing;Jesus came to pay the penalty for
sin and to to give His life as a ransom; Matthew 20:28, Mark
10:45Which purchased a pardon for us sinners; Romans 6:23 the free
gift of God is eternal life in Christ JesusHis bloody death paid
the penalty for sin; Hebrews 9:22, Acts 3:15 Eternal peace with God
is a gift; John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in
His name, [John 3:16, 5:24, 20:31]
The End
Merry Christmas
BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox
433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers
www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org
(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant
in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are
provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service,
to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To
help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the
head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and
there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and
modified free of charge. Matthew 10:8 Freely you received, freely
give.
http://www.amazon.com/Pastors-Manual-Doing-Church-Growth/dp/097170094X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-2&keywords=a+pastor%27s+manual+on+doing
What Do We Mean When We Use the Term, Virgin Conception?, J.
WallaceVirgin Coneption DefinitionWere approaching another
Christmas holiday; our annual opportunity to reflect on the birth
of the Savior and the gift of Salvation. The Christmas story is a
true story, as recorded in the birth narratives of the Gospels. As
a Christian, I accept the details offered by the Gospel authors,
including the fact that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while
remaining a virgin. Two Gospel writers (Matthew and Luke) make this
rather incredible claim as part of their description of the birth
and genealogy of Jesus:
Matthew 1:18-20Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came
together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And
Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to
disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had
considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the
Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:26-35Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and
the virgins name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her,
Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. But she was very
perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of
salutation this was. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary;
for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God
will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? The
angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that
reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
Both Matthew and Luke described the virgin conception of Jesus.
This term is often mistaken for other similar expressions that
actually represent different theological concepts, and not all of
these concepts are warranted by the Biblical text. The virgin
conception of Jesus is clearly described in the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke, but this term is not to be confused with two similar
terms commonly known as the virgin birth and the immaculate
conception:
The Virgin ConceptionMary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus;
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary (without an act of
sexual intercourse) in a miraculous event that required no natural
father and involved no male seed.
The Virgin BirthMary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus and
Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. Roman Catholics and
Eastern Orthodox believers hold to this belief in the Perpetual
Virginity of Mary.
The Immaculate ConceptionMary herself was conceived in a
naturalistic way by her parents, but came into existence without
being stained with original sin. Roman Catholics believe that Mary
was, as a result, sinless and gave birth to the sinless Son of
God.
While the notion of the virgin conception of Jesus has been
challenged in a variety of ways in recent years, most Americans
still believe the doctrine to be true, even though many of them are
not Christians! In a recent Barna Poll, 75% of American adults said
that they believed that Jesus was born to a virgin as described in
the Bible. A Pew Research Poll showed a similar level of belief,
revealing 73% of Americans still believed this to be true. America
appears to be far more accepting of the idea than other places in
the world, however. A recent ComRes Poll conducted in Britain
revealed that only 34% of Britons believed that the virgin birth is
historically accurate. Of course, widespread acceptance or denial
of a claim does not determine whether or not the claim is actually
true. A number of objections have been leveled at the concept
recently, and it is important for those of us who claim to be Jesus
Followers to consider the objections seriously. Thats why weve
taken the time here to write about whether or not the virgin
conception is reasonable, was borrowed from prior mythologies, or
was unknown to New Testament authors like Paul. Each year, as we
approach the Christmas holiday season, we ought to become familiar
with the correct terms used to describe the conception of Jesus and
prepare ourselves to respond to those who have doubts and
questions. I hope this series of articles has helped you in that
mission.
J. Warner Wallace is a Cold-Case Detective, a Christian Case
Maker, and the author of Cold-Case Christianity, Cold-Case
Christianity for Kids, and Gods Crime Scene.
jwallace 2 days agoJesus, Writings 4,474
Viewshttp://coldcasechristianity.com/2016/what-do-we-mean-when-we-use-the-term-virgin-conception/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ColdCaseChristianity+%28Cold+Case+Christianity%29Virgin
Coneption DefinitionWere approaching another Christmas holiday; our
annual opportunity to reflect on the birth of the Savior and the
gift of Salvation. The Christmas story is a true story, as recorded
in the birth narratives of the Gospels. As a Christian, I accept
the details offered by the Gospel authors, including the fact that
Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while remaining a virgin. Two
Gospel writers (Matthew and Luke) make this rather incredible claim
as part of their description of the birth and genealogy of
Jesus:
Matthew 1:18-20Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came
together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And
Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to
disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had
considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the
Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:26-35Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and
the virgins name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her,
Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. But she was very
perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of
salutation this was. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary;
for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God
will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? The
angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that
reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
Both Matthew and Luke described the virgin conception of Jesus.
This term is often mistaken for other similar expressions that
actually represent different theological concepts, and not all of
these concepts are warranted by the Biblical text. The virgin
conception of Jesus is clearly described in the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke, but this term is not to be confused with two similar
terms commonly known as the virgin birth and the immaculate
conception:
The Virgin ConceptionMary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus;
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary (without an act of
sexual intercourse) in a miraculous event that required no natural
father and involved no male seed.
The Virgin BirthMary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus and
Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. Roman Catholics and
Eastern Orthodox believers hold to this belief in the Perpetual
Virginity of Mary.
The Immaculate ConceptionMary herself was conceived in a
naturalistic way by her parents, but came into existence without
being stained with original sin. Roman Catholics believe that Mary
was, as a result, sinless and gave birth to the sinless Son of
God.
While the notion of the virgin conception of Jesus has been
challenged in a variety of ways in recent years, most Americans
still believe the doctrine to be true, even though many of them are
not Christians! In a recent Barna Poll, 75% of American adults said
that they believed that Jesus was born to a virgin as described in
the Bible. A Pew Research Poll showed a similar level of belief,
revealing 73% of Americans still believed this to be true. America
appears to be far more accepting of the idea than other places in
the world, however. A recent ComRes Poll conducted in Britain
revealed that only 34% of Britons believed that the virgin birth is
historically accurate. Of course, widespread acceptance or denial
of a claim does not determine whether or not the claim is actually
true. A number of objections have been leveled at the concept
recently, and it is important for those of us who claim to be Jesus
Followers to consider the objections seriously. Thats why weve
taken the time here to write about whether or not the virgin
conception is reasonable, was borrowed from prior mythologies, or
was unknown to New Testament authors like Paul. Each year, as we
approach the Christmas holiday season, we ought to become familiar
with the correct terms used to describe the conception of Jesus and
prepare ourselves to respond to those who have doubts and
questions. I hope this series of articles has helped you in that
mission.
J. Warner Wallace is a Cold-Case Detective, a Christian Case
Maker, and the author of Cold-Case Christianity, Cold-Case
Christianity for Kids, and Gods Crime Scene.
