Your time is NOW!
December 8, 2010
And when they opened their treasures they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense and myrrh (Mt 2:11)
Dear Friend,
The 1st Christmas was an on-time event, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). Everything that was supposed to happen before Jesus came had already happened.
“The days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn Son.” (Luke 2:6-7)
Friend, do you see the importance of timing?
Jesus could have been born one hundred years earlier, but then the Pharisees would have just been a small movement. Now they were a dominant religious force, the ultimate champions of merit-based religion. Timing is crucial! Because Jesus came, once and for all, to demonstrate that the only access to God is by grace. Phariseeism (self-effort) has never worked… Jesus is the Answer.
THE TIME HAD COME…
…TO SHOW THE WORLD WHO GOD REALLY IS. The view of God was smeared, covered with layers of tradition. Even the best prophets had only seen a glimpse of who God really is. Jesus came to show us that God is a Father, a friend of sinners, full of love, light and life. (John 1:18)
…BECAUSE ALL EFFORTS HAD FAILED. The Law of Moses, the prophetic warnings and even captivity had failed to make anyone righteous. Now the people would be ready for the real solution - Jesus Christ!
…TO PUT AWAY SIN BY ONE SACRIFICE. Thousands of sacrifices in the temple had all pointed to Christ’s perfect, once and for all, sacrifice.
…TO BRING IN A NEW COVENANT. Jeremiah wrote that God would make a new covenant, “and their sin He will remember no more”.
…TO FULFILL THE LAW, THE PSALMS AND THE PROPHETS. No one had fulfilled the requirements of the Law, not even Moses. The prophets foretold the birth in Bethlehem and the coming Messiah. Every ceremony, ritual, festival and offering had pointed to Jesus. Now the fulfillment had finally come.
…FOR GOD TO LIVE IN US. The people only knew God as someone outside ourselves, someone to call upon in time of need. Jesus would be Christ in us, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)
The Christmas story is full of beautiful illustrations:
• Mary surrendered to the purpose of God.
• Joseph believed.
• The shepherds rejoiced.
• Simeon saw the salvation of God that he had longed for.
• Anna gave thanks.
• While Herod saw Jesus as a threat and Rome ignored the Savior, wise men worshipped Him.
Please pray with me for Grace TV.
The next three weeks are crucial. The wise men gave something precious for the Savior. Will you help Grace TV to give the message of the Savior to the whole world? Your help could not come at a more important time.
The precious “gold, frankincense and myrrh” given by the wise men, show us who Jesus is:
• Gold speaks of royalty; He is the King of Kings.
• Frankincense was used by the priest during prayer. Jesus is our High Priest forever praying for us.
• Myrrh beautifully depicts Jesus as our Savior, Redeemer and Healer. The word means “bitter”. It is derived from the intentional wounding of a bush, reminding us that Jesus was wounded for our transgression; by His stripes we are healed.
There is always an enemy to God’s purposes. That’s true for all of us. Herod wanted to destroy the newborn Savior.
Grace TV also has an enemy, who wants to stop this gospel voice to the world. That’s not anything new. There were those who wanted to silence Jesus and the apostles, but there were others, who stood shoulder to shoulder for the proclamation of the Gospel. That is why I am deeply grateful for those who will respond with a gift for souls today.
The wise men brought the most precious gift they could afford to Jesus. Please click here to respond, and ask for your copy of my New Year’s Eve message, “Prophetic Direction – 2011”.
Thank you for giving Jesus to the world!
Merry Christmas and Blessings in Christ,
Peter Youngren
