Monday, October 25, 2010

"Just As A Reminder..."

This is not for controversy. I know when one starts with that statement, eyebrows raise because something is coming. We need spiritual thinking and maturity. We are coming upon a time when the religious world will be calling attention to the birth of Jesus. His birth will be in song, in visible ornaments, in pageants and plays, dramatized and worshiped. Many sincere religious people will focus on the birth of Jesus.
The birth of Jesus is not what Jesus asked His followers to remember about His life. In teaching His own apostles, He said to remember His death (Luke 22:17-20). The most important fact of His life is His death, burial and resurrection.
God planned the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus from the beginning of time! It was not an accident. God also planned the arrival birth of Jesus too! However, His birth was not God's focus nor the focus of the gospel which saves mankind. "At the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. 5:6) "This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Eph. 3:11) From the beginning of this world and all creation, God spoke to the devil that, "He shall crush you on your head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel." (Gen. 3:15) Peter taught the Jews that Jesus, "delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." (Acts 2:23) All creation was being directed to this one event as the eternal destiny of man depended on it.
The apostles were sent into all the world with "good news" of the fact that Jesus had died, was buried and arose on the third day. Not one word of His birth. God expected people, if they were to be saved, to heed the teaching of this gospel of they would be condemned (Mark 16:15-16).
The Corinthian church was brought back to the very foundation of their salvation was completely dependant on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15:1-4). Paul reminded the Roman brethren that He died for the transgressions of man and was raised for our justification (Rom. 4:25). Paul's life was centered on the resurrected Christ (Gal. 2:20).
The churches of Galatia were being led into following the Jewish customs and feasts and season. Paul had to inform them that in Christ, those things were weak and worthless that will enslave them (Gal. 4:9-11).
God never intended our lives to be broken down into seasons! Our worship and adoration of our Lord is not seasonal. Jesus left us a life-giving proclamation to unite His people every first day of the week to remember the body and covenant of Christ (I Cor. 11:24-25). His death, burial and resurrection are the motivation to come together as the church to honor and glorify His work on our behalf.
Matthew and Luke record the birth of Jesus in order to show the fulfillment of the prophets. Few verses are spent on the birth of Jesus while Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give chapters describing His death, burial and resurrection.
To use seasons to enjoy family and friends, that is a freedom we have in Christ Jesus (Rom. 14). Our worship and adoration of our Lord is not seasonal or broken into seasons but daily because of the resurrected Christ. The danger is too many are being led into captivity by something the world calls attention to while our heavenly Father never promoted or proclaimed in the truth of the teachings. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Col. 2:8)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

AMEN