The Holy Spirit Is God

Yesterday we learned the Holy Spirit is a person. Today we’ll see that Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is also God, the third member of the Trinity, equal to God the Father and God the Son.

In Scripture we see the Holy Spirit referred to as God.

He’s mentioned alongside the Father and Son in Matthew 28:19 “Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Again in Isaiah 48:16 when Christ is speaking, “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me.”

And again in 2 Cor 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

These verses show the Holy Spirit is God, yet separate from the Father and Son.

He is called God in Acts 5:3-4 when Peter says to Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? You have not lied to men but to God.”

And again in Heb 3:7-8, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness.” This is a quote of Psalm 95 where God is clearly the speaker. But the writer of Hebrews attributes this quote to the Holy Spirit thus claiming the Holy Spirit is God.

In Scripture we see the Holy Spirit displaying the attributes of God.

He is omniscience, or all-knowing in Isaiah 40:13, “Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD or as His counselor has taught Him?” And again in 1 Cor 2:10, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

He is omnipresent, or in all-places in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”

And He is omnipotent, or all-powerful in Luke 1:35 where an angel is speaking to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.”

Omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence are attributes of God alone.

In Scripture we see the Holy Spirit performing the actions of God.

He is the Creator of the world in Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

He resurrected Christ and will resurrect us in Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

He is the one who applies salvation in Titus 3:5, “According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

He is the seal and guarantee of our salvation in Ephesians 1:13-14,”In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Creating, resurrecting, applying and sealing salvation are actions of God alone.

And so we see that the Holy Spirit is a person and is God. You’ll notice that our case doesn’t rest on one verse but instead is the result of comparing Scripture with Scripture. Our interpretation is based on the whole of Scripture and not just an isolated verse.

Now that we’ve laid this foundation we’ll build on it next episode when we take a closer look at what the Holy Spirit does. We’ll compare how He operated in the Old and New Testaments and we’ll look at how He works in our lives today.

Tomorrow: What Does The Holy Spirit Do?

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The Holy Spirit Is A Person

Think about the last time you went to a sporting event. After the game did you say, “Wow, the lighting in the arena was really great!” Of course not. The light was there in the background allowing you to clearly see the players. In the same way the Holy Spirit acts as a light that allows us to see Christ clearly.

The Holy Spirit points us towards Christ by testifying of Him in John 15:26 and convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment” in John 16:8.

Because His role is to point us towards Christ instead of Himself many people misunderstand who the Holy Spirit is. Cults for example present Him as merely a force or power and as a result deny the Trinity.

It’s critical that Christians understand who the Holy Spirit is and are able to see from Scripture why we believe what we do about Him. So we’re going to take some time and, from the Bible, establish two points:

1) The Holy Spirit Is A Person and tomorrow…
2) The Holy Spirit Is God

While this won’t be an exhaustive list of proof texts it’ll be enough to give you a flavor of what the Bible teaches.

1) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON

By “Person” I mean the Holy Spirit is not an inanimate force, like many cults teach, but a being with intelligence, emotion and will. The Holy Spirit is not an “it” but a “he”.

In Scripture we see the Holy Spirit exhibiting attributes of a person.

For example He displays His will in 1 Cor 12:11 distributing gifts to “each one individually as He wills.” And in Acts 13:2, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” And again in Acts 16:6 where Paul and Timothy, “were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.”

He teaches in 1 Cor 2:13, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.”

And He shows emotion in Eph 4:30, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Will, intelligence and emotion are all attributes of a person.

In Scripture we see the Holy Spirit performing the actions of a person.

He convicts the world in John 16:8, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” He performs miracles in Acts 8:39, “Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.”

He helps us by interceding on our behalf in Rom 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

And He guides us into truth in John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.”

Convicting, interceding and teaching are all actions of a person.

In Scripture we see the Holy Spirit treated as a person.

He is obeyed in Acts 10:19-21, While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men”

He is lied to in Acts 5:3, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit.” He is resisted in Acts 7:51, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit.”

And He is blasphemed in Matthew 12:31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.”

Obeying, lying to, and blaspheming are things we do to a person.

So now that we’ve established that the Holy Spirit is a person tomorrow will be more specific.

Tomorrow: The Holy Spirit Is God

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Tips For Studying Your Bible

1. Begin with prayer
1 Corinthians 2:9-14; John 16:12-15; John 14:26

2. Read the Bible
Nehemiah 8:1-3

3. Study the Bible
Nehemiah 8:8

4. Meditate upon the Bible
Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 1

5. Pass the Bible on to others
Hebrews 5:12; Romans 12:7

Locate:

1. The theme
2. The most important verse
3. The most prominent word
4. The teaching about Christ
5. The command to obey
6. The promise to claim
7. The new truth learned
Psalm 119:18

- J Vernon McGee

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Jesus, From Genesis to Revelation

The Bible, from cover to cover, addresses the question, “Who is this Jesus?” Consider the themes of the sixty-six books:

In the Old Testament . . .

* In Genesis, He is the Creator God
* In Exodus, He is the Redeemer
* In Leviticus, He is your sanctification
* In Numbers, He is your guide
* In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher
* In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror
* In Judges, He gives victory over enemies
* In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer
* In I Samuel, he is the root of Jesse
* In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David
* In 1 Kings and 2 Kings, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
* In 1st and 2nd Chronicles, He is your intercessor and High Priest
* In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship
* In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies
* In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies
* In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles, but has the power to do something about them
* In Psalms, He is your song–and your reason to sing
* In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully
* In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.
* In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.
* In Isaiah, He is the mighty counselor, the prince of peace, the everlasting father, and more. He’s everything you need
* In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sin-sick soul
* In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one upon whom you can depend
* In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel–the one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again
* In Daniel, He is the ancient of days, the ever- lasting God who never runs out of time
* In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come back–even when you have abandoned Him
* In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble
* In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your side
* In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom
* In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back within His will
* In Micah, He is judge of the nation
* In Nahum, He is the jealous God.
* In Habakkuk, He is the Holy One
* In Zephaniah, He is the witness
* In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies
* In Zechariah, He is Lord of Hosts

Moving to the New Testament . . .

* In Matthew, He is king of the Jews
* In Mark, He is the servant
* In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel
* In John, He is the Son of God
* In Acts, He is Savior of the world
* In Romans, He is the righteousness of God
* In I Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel
* In II Corinthians, He the triumphant one, giving victory
* In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free
* In Ephesians, He is head of the Church
* In Philippians, He is your joy
* In Colossians, He is your completeness
* In I Thessalonians, He is your hope
* In II Thessalonians, He is your glory
* In I Timothy, He is your faith
* In II Timothy, He is your stability
* In Philemon, He is your benefactor
* In Hebrews, He is your perfection
* In James, He is the power behind your faith
* In I Peter, He is your example
* In II Peter, He is your purity
* In I John, He is your life
* In II John, He is your pattern
* In III John, He is your motivation
* In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith
* In the Revelation, He is your coming King

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100 Things You Need To Know About Jesus

1) Jesus claimed to be God - John 8:24; 8:56-59 (see Exodus 3:14); John 10:30-33
2) Jesus created all things - John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17
3) Jesus is before all things - Col. 1:17
4) Jesus is eternal - John 1:1,14 ; 8:58
5) Jesus is honored the same as the Father - John 5:23
6) Jesus is prayed to - Acts 7:55-60
7) Jesus is worshipped - Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; John 9:35-38; Heb. 1:6
8 ) Jesus is called God - John 1:1,14; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13
9) Jesus is omnipresent - Matt. 28:20
10 Jesus is with us always - Matt. 28:20

11) Jesus is our only mediator between God and ourselves - 1 Tim. 2:5
12) Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant - Heb. 7:22; 8:6
13) Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life” - John 6:35,41,48,51
14) Jesus said, “I AM the Door” - John 10:7,9
15) Jesus said, “I AM the Good Shepherd” - John 10:11,14
16) Jesus said, “I AM the Way the Truth and The Life” - John 14:6
17) Jesus said, “I AM the Light of the world” - John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46; Luke 2:32
18) Jesus said, “I AM the True Vine” - John 15:1,5
19) Jesus said, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” - John 11:25
20) Jesus said, “I AM the First and the Last” - Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13

21) Jesus always lives to make intercession for us - Heb. 7:25
22) Jesus cleanses from sin - 1 John 1:9
23) Jesus discloses Himself to us - John 14:21
24) Jesus draws all men to Himself - John 12:32
25) Jesus forgives sins - Matt. 9:1-7; Luke 5:20; 7:48
26) Jesus gives eternal life - John 10:28; 5:40
27) Jesus gives joy - John 15:11
28) Jesus gives peace - John 14:27
29) Jesus has authority - Matt. 28:18; John 5:26-27; 17:2; 3:35
30) Jesus judges - John 5:22,27

31) Jesus knows all men - John 16:30
32) Jesus opens the mind to understand scripture - Luke 24:45
33) Jesus received honor and glory from the Father - 1 Pet. 1:17
34) Jesus resurrects - John 5:39; 6:40,44,54; 11:25-26
35) Jesus reveals grace and truth - John 1:17 see John 6:45
36) Jesus reveals the Father - Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22
37) Jesus saves forever - Matt. 18:11; John 10:28; Heb. 7:25
38) Jesus bears witness of Himself - John 8:18; 14:6
39) Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself - John 5:36; 10:25
40) The Father bears witness of Jesus - John 5:37; 8:18; 1 John 5:9

41) The Holy Spirit bears witness of Jesus - John 15:26
42) The multitudes bear witness of Jesus - John 12:17
43) The Prophets bear witness of Jesus - Acts 10:43
44) The Scriptures bear witness of Jesus - John 5:39
45) The Father will honor us if we serve Jesus - John 12:26 see Col. 3:24
46) The Father wants us to fellowship with Jesus - 1 Cor. 1:9
47) The Father tells us to listen to Jesus - Luke 9:35; Matt. 17:5
48) The Father tells us to come to Jesus - John 6:45
49) The Father draws us to Jesus - John 6:44
50) Everyone who’s heard & learned from the Father comes to Jesus - John 6:45

51) The Law leads us to Christ - Gal. 3:24
52) Jesus is the Rock - 1 Cor. 10:4
53) Jesus is the Savior - John 4:42; 1 John 4:14
54) Jesus is King - Matt. 2:1-6; Luke 23:3
55) In Jesus are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge - Col. 2:2-3
56) In Jesus we have been made complete Col. 2:10
57) Jesus indwells us - Col. 1:27
58) Jesus sanctifies - Heb. 2:11
59) Jesus loves - Eph. 5:25
60) We come to Jesus - John 5:50; 6:35,37,45,65; 7:37;

61) We sin against Jesus - 1 Cor. 8:12
62) We receive Jesus - John 1:12; Col. 2:6
63) Jesus makes many righteous - Rom. 5:19
64) Jesus is the image of the invisible God - Heb. 1:3
65) Jesus sends the Holy Spirit - John 15:26
66) Jesus abides forever - Heb. 7:24
67) Jesus offered up Himself - Heb. 7:27; 9:14
68) Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins for all time - Heb. 10:12
69) The Son of God has given us understanding - 1 John 5:20
70) Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith - Heb. 12:2

71) Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession - Heb. 1:3
72) Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven - John 14:1-4
73) Jesus cleanses us from our sins by His blood - Rev. 1:5; Rom. 5:9
74) Jesus is the Light of the world - Rom. 9:5
75) Jesus has explained the Father - John 1:18
76) Jesus was crucified because of weakness - 2 Cor. 13:4
77) Jesus has overcome the world - John 16:33
78) Truth is in Jesus - Eph. 4:21
79) The fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus Christ - Phil. 1:11
80) Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come - 1 Thess. 1:10

81) Disciples bear witness of Jesus Christ - John 15:27
82) Jesus died and rose again - 1 Thess. 4:14
83) The Christian dead have fallen asleep in Jesus - 1 Thess. 4:15
84) Jesus died for us - 1 Thess. 5:10
85) Jesus tasted death for everyone - Heb. 2:9
86) Jesus rendered the devil powerless - Heb. 2:14
87) Jesus is able to save completely - Heb. 7:25
88) Jesus was a ransom for many and to serve - Matt. 20:28
89) Jesus came to be a high priest - Heb. 2:17
90) Jesus came to save - John 3:17; Luke 19:10

91) Jesus came to preach the kingdom of God - Luke 4:43
92) Jesus came to bring division - Luke 12:51
93) Jesus came to do the will of the Father - John 6:38
94) Jesus came to give the Father’s words - John 17:8
95) Jesus came to testify to the truth - John 18:37
96) Jesus came to die and destroy Satan’s power - Heb. 2:14
97) Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets - Matt. 5:17
98) Jesus came to give life - John 10:10,28
99) Jesus came to taste death for everyone - Heb. 2:9
100) Jesus came to proclaim freedom for believers - Luke 4:18

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Journey of the Magi

“A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The was deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.”
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires gong out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty, and charging high prices.:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we lead all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
- T. S. Eliot

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The God Who Loves You

May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God” - 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Many people believe that God is distant and uninterested in us. But we’ll discover in this study that simply isn’t true. Will find that God loves us deeply and has gone through great lengths to have a lasting, personal relationship with us.

WHY GOD CREATED YOU

A few years ago my wife and I decided to start a family. We wanted to have children so we could love them and they could love us. In the same way God, our heavenly father (Matthew 6:26), created us so He could love us and we could love Him.

But how do we know God loves us? We know He loves us by His Word’s (He tells us He loves us) and by His Actions (His actions prove His Words are true).

WONDERFULLY MADE (His Words)

As we read the Bible we discover that not only does God love us, He has taken a special interest in our lives, knows us intimately, and desires a personal relationship with us.

Revelation 3:20, for example, tells us that Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks, waiting for us to invite Him in. Imagine the great God of the universe humbly seeking our company — what a marvelous thought!

Then there’s Psalm 139. Verses 13 & 14 tell us that we are wonderfully made, knit together by His hands. And back in verses 1-5 we read these beautiful words:

“You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in — behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.”

As we continue our journey through the scriptures we find many more verses like the ones above. Jeremiah 31:3 says that God loves us with an “everlasting love”, Matthew 10:30 tells us that He knows us so well that He has the hairs on our head numbered. How often has God thought of you? You couldn’t count! It’s “more in number than the sand” according to Psalm 139:17-18.

When we laugh He laughs with us, and when we cry He holds us tight and comforts us because, “the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.” Psalm 34:17-18.

When Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9 He told us to refer to God as “Our Father” And later on He tells us that we must become “as little children” (Matthew 18:3). So our relationship is that of a (heavenly) Father and a child.

“How great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God.” (1 John 3:1)

NO GREATER LOVE (Actions which prove His Words)

God is sinless (perfect). We are sinful (imperfect). Our sin separates us from God and the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). To bridge the gap between Creation and Creator God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ — the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) — to pay the penalty of sin by dying on the cross. “Greater love,” Jesus tells us, “has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

How precious we must be to God that He would go through such great lengths to have a relationship with us!

My two sons and I share a special relationship. People always ask why they’re so attached to me. The reason is because I first offered them my love (by both my words and actions) and they responded.

In the same way, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:18). Or again in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you”

God first offers His love to us and we respond to it.

And, oh, what a great love it is! Nothing can separate us from it. “Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

God Bless,
Paul

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The First Christmas

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

Then 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 bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, and 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 that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying: “Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which is translated, God with us.”

Then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And called His name, Jesus.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirnius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up out of Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea on the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who had been born the King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So the said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the Prophet: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found him, bring back word to me, the I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the manger, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, the presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, the departed for the own country another way.

Now there were in the country, shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring great tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. Now when they had seen Him, the made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning the Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,
And the government shall be upon His shoulders.
And His name will be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
to order it and establish it with judgment and justice,
from that time forward, even forever.”

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God With Us

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” - Isaiah 7:14

Let us today go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see Him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in Him, and can sing, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first glance His miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son.

The first promise ran thus, “The seed of the woman,” not the offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, although truly man, was as to His human nature the Holy One of God.

Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and let us pray that He may be formed in us, the hope of glory. Fail not to note His humble parentage. His mother has been described simply as “a virgin,” not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large estate.

True the blood of kings ran in her veins; nor was her mind a weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation afforded to the new-born King!

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.

- Charles Spurgeon

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The Man And The Birds

The man to whom I’m going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

“I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he’d feel like a hypocrite. That he’d much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound…Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud…At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window.

But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in.

So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them…He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms…Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me…That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

“If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm…to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.”

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

- Paul Harvey

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