Tag Archives: Christmas

December 25, 2022 · 10:00

Came and Coming

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)

Today is the 1,686th Christmas since the holy day was first sanctioned in AD 336. Before then, the date of Jesus’ birth remained in question, but December 25 was not considered an option. “Around AD 200, Clement of Alexandria wrote: ‘There are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord’s birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of Augustus, and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon [May 20] … Further, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21].’”[1]

This year December 25th falls on Sunday and this will not recur again for another 11 years. What better day to celebrate the birth of our Lord than on “the Lord’s Day”! Of course, we gather and worship together every Sunday, the Lord’s Day, because it commemorates His resurrection from the dead. So, this Sunday, we remember both His entry into this world to die for our sins and His victory over death to provide eternal life for us.

He came once as foretold by the prophets. I have not counted them myself, but supposedly, there are over 300 prophecies foretelling Jesus’ first coming.[2] “Using the science of probability, we find that the chances of just forty-eight [48] of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person to be only one in ten157[1×10157].”[3] That is a mathematical impossibility! Even so, Jesus fulfilled every prophecy concerning His first coming.

The Old Testament also foretells of Jesus’ second coming. However, the OT prophets conflated both prophecies of His first and second coming. For them, the prophecies foretold the coming Messiah who would rule as king over all the world. In retrospect, we can read these prophecies and distinguish those that have been fulfilled by His first coming and those that are yet to be fulfilled.

Since Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of His first coming, we can conclude that He will fulfill all those concerning His second coming beginning with Jesus’ own promise of His return. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3, emphasis mine).

The most meaningful thing for me about this Christmas is knowing that just as Jesus came the first time, He is coming again. As we study the prophecies of Jesus’ second coming, we recognize the “signs of the times” that signal the soon return of Jesus. I look forward to what 2023 will bring. I hope to meet Him in the air.[4]

He came, and He is coming again. Are you prepared to meet Him? If not, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1] Christmas – Wikipedia

[2]  Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus at his First Coming – Jesus is God and Lord Ministries

[3]  Josh McDowell, More Than A Carpenter, (Tyndale House, Wheaton, Ill, 1977), p. 103.

[4] 1 Thessalonians 4:17

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December 18, 2022 · 10:00

Peace, Goodwill Toward Men

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14)

I grew up listening to the Christmas account in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2) in the language of the King James Version of the Holy Bible. Well, that is not entirely true. My first memories of the reading were from the Reina-Valera Spanish translation, but from the time I entered school in the first grade, it was the good old King James Bible. To this day, when I hear the reading from any other translation, it just does not sound the same. It loses something of the cadence and the poetic flow. I do not care; I just like the sound of the King James better.

 I always pay close attention when Scripture is read, and lately, the reading of Luke 2:14 has troubled me. Here are some examples from modern translations. I will emphasize the portion that bothers me.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (NIV)

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (NABRE)

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (NLT)

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (NRSVUE)

“Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.” (NCV)

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (ESV)

Above are just some of the more popular modern translations. I did not quote the New King James Version (NKJV) because it reads pretty much like the KJV on this verse. So, what is the problem? Notice the phrases I emphasized. All of these seem to offer peace only to those whom God has favored. Wait a minute! What about all the others that fall outside of those boundaries? Is God’s favor withheld from some and lavished only on a select few that for whatever reason known only to God meet certain criteria?

As quoted above, the KJV (and the NKJV) read, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” There are no exceptions. God’s peace and His goodwill are meant for all men, not just those who have found special favor with Him. All men!

Those who would defend the modern translations will say that those translations have been translated from “older and better (Greek) texts.” Most of us accept such statements as factual because they come from well-studied “scholars” – experts. We take it for granted that they are right. But, are they? The only way to know for certain is to look at the original language.

Here is Luke 2:14 in the original Greek: δοξα εν υψιστοις θεω και επι γης ειρηνη εν ανθρωποις ευδοκια. I know most of my readers do not read Greek, so I will translate.

δοξα – Glory

εν υψιστοις – in highest

θεω – to God

και επι γης – and on earth

ειρηνη – peace

εν ανθρωποις – to men

ευδοκια – goodwill; kindly intent; benevolence; delight; pleasure; satisfaction

There you have it. The news, the peace, and the goodwill are not only for a select, favored few, but to all mankind. The KJV has it right, the other translations have added to Scripture, a practice that is strongly condemned in Scripture.

The good news of Christmas is for all mankind. Do you know the Peace of Christmas? If not, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

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December 11, 2022 · 10:00

The Fullness of Time

Adoration of the Child

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (Galatians 4:4-5)

It’s that time of year again; Christmas is in the air. Regardless of your perception of Christmas – it’s too commercial, it’s under attack, it’s just a pagan celebration dressed up in Christian garb, etc. – it is altogether appropriate that Christians set time aside to commemorate the first advent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

At this time we remember the miraculous conception and birth of God made man (John 1:14), but too often our focus shifts away from the significance of that event to the sappy sentimentality of the Nativity scene. As sweet as the image of a cuddly infant lying in a feeding trough adored by loving parents and worshipped by shepherds and wise men may be, the fact remains that this baby was God clothed in human flesh. The thought that the Creator condescended to take the form of His fallen creation (Philippians 2:7) to redeem as many as would receive Him (John 1:12), should leave us awestruck.

This was no afterthought on the part of God. In my article, “Why Satan?,” I address the issue of why God allowed sin in the first place, but along with the possibility of sin, God provided a way out (Hebrews 4:3; Revelation 13:8). From the very beginning there was the promise of a Savior (Genesis 3:15). Eve understood this promise, and at the birth of her first-born she rejoiced, “and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD” (Genesis 4:1). The literal translation of the Hebrew actually says “I have gotten a man Yahweh (the Lord).” She believed that she had given birth to the Savior according to the promise of God. But the time was not right. God wanted His creation, man in particular, to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28; 9:1). Abraham “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be” (Romans 4:18).  That promise was not only for Abraham, “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:24-25). For “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). So, when the time was right, God entered the world He created (John 1:3) as a helpless baby – fully God and fully man – to give up His life to buy back and restore His fallen creation. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Very soon, at the fullness of time, He will return for His own as He promised: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). So, regardless of your perspective on Christmas, as Christians it is a good time to remember that baby in the manger was God who came to die for us that we may live with Him, and soon we will be with Him.

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December 19, 2021 · 10:00

Baby God

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)

To begin, allow me to clear up any misconceptions that my title may evoke about God having a beginning. That would be heresy. Let me emphatically state that God is eternal, without beginning or ending.[1] “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen” (Psalm 41:13).

That said, at this time of year we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus – the Word made flesh come to “tabernacle” among us.[2] His birth was no more miraculous than the birth of any other baby. In many ways, His arrival took place in possibly the worst of circumstances – born in an animal shelter with a feeding trough as His first cradle. The Gospel writer, Luke, does not specify, but Mary probably had the assistance of midwives at the birth. An often-overlooked phrase in the account states that “while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered” (Luke 2:6, emphasis mine). Evidently, they were in Bethlehem at least a day or two before the birth. Bethlehem being a small town, the word of a newly arrived expectant mother would surely have come to the ears of competent midwives, and women being women, they would certainly have been willing to lend a hand.

So, the birth itself was nothing special. The conception that took place nine months earlier in Nazareth, that was the miracle![3] Now, here He was – Baby God! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3, emphasis mine). Yet, here He was – God in the form of a helpless baby that needed to be fed, needed to have His diapers changed, needed to be carried, and needed to be protected. Baby God!

How is that possible? How can God be a helpless baby and Almighty God at the same time? Theologians have debated this question for millennia. Some suggest that Jesus was unaware of His deity until the time of His baptism when God announced, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Some say that it was later in His ministry, perhaps at the time He knew His mission to go to the cross. Then there are the pseudo gospels that have the boy Jesus forming birds out of clay and making them come to life. We know nothing of Jesus’ childhood, but the Gospel writer, Luke, does record an account, perhaps at Jesus’ bar mitzva, when He baffled the religious teachers with His wisdom and knowledge.[4] When His earthly parents found Him in the Temple and chided Him for worrying them, He responded, “How is it that ye sought me? [did you not know] that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49, emphasis mine). It appears that Jesus knew His mission at least at the young age of twelve.

Theologians can debate all they want, but it seems clear to me from Scripture that this baby was God in the flesh. How was that possible? The answer is the same answer that the Angel Gabriel gave to Mary. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). In our feeble minds, we want to know all the details of how God does what He does. Our finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite knowledge, wisdom, and power of Almighty God! Indeed, the Bible teaches that “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). The “secret thing” is how God accomplished such an awesome feat. The God of heaven, the Creator of all that exists, took on human flesh in the form of a helpless baby without giving up any of His “Godship.” We can never fully grasp that. However, the “things which are revealed” show us that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “… Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8). He came as a baby – Baby God.

Notes:

[1]  “The Eternality of God” – https://erniecarrasco.com/2017/06/04/the-eternality-of-god/

[2]  John 1:14

[3]  “Miracle of the Incarnation” – https://erniecarrasco.com/2012/12/24/miracle-of-the-incarnation/

[4]  Luke 2:43-49

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December 12, 2021 · 10:00

Just As Predicted

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Many people regard the Bible as any other book of mythology. They cannot accept that it is a true for a host of reasons. Some question its veracity because it was written by men, and we all know men are flawed and always embellish the truth in order to make their god or hero appear better than reality. Some suggest that through the many centuries of transmission, errors have crept into the text so that it cannot be trusted. Even now, they say, we have so many translations, and they all differ one from another.

It is true that the Bible had many human authors. Many of these men lived centuries apart and lived in different regions. They all wrote independently of one another, yet the Bible maintains a flow and consistency that defies human ingenuity. The only reasonable explanation for such cohesion and consistency is supernatural guidance. The Apostle Paul tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Apostle Peter explains, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21, emphasis mine).

As for errors in transcription and transmission, over 5000 manuscripts of the New Testament Scriptures exist today and they all agree, and the few errors that exists are mostly minor spelling errors that are readily identifiable when compared to other copies. As for the Old Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls validate that what we have in our modern Bibles is accurate. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

The skeptic may concede the accuracy in transmission, but may still doubt the veracity of the text. The best way to respond is to show where the predictions made in the Bible have come to pass. The birth of Jesus offers many examples.

The first book of the Bible declares Jesus’ linage from the tribe of Judah.[1] The pagan prophet Balaam predicted that a star would announce His birth.[2] Several passages predict that Jesus would come from the line of King David.[3] Our beginning verses predicts that Jesus would come as a child.[4] He would be born of a virgin.[5] His birthplace would be Bethlehem.[6] Shepherds and wisemen would worship Him.[7] Baby boys in Bethlehem would be slaughtered in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus.[8] His earthly parents would escape to Egypt and return after Herod the Great died.[9]

All of these predictions came true and these only surrounded His birth. All those concerning His earthly ministry, His death, burial and resurrection came true exactly as predicted. The odds of just those listed concerning His birth coming true are astronomical. Yet Jesus fulfilled every one of those things which were prophesied about His first coming. If that cannot convince the skeptics that the Bible is true, then they just do not want to believe.

More prophesies exist about His second coming than exist about His first coming. If the prophecies of His first advent were fulfilled with 100% accuracy, we can be certain that the prophecies concerning His second advent will be come to pass just as predicted. In fact, we see many of those taking place before our eyes.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time had access to all the prophecies concerning Jesus’ first coming, and they completely missed Him. He is coming again. How many today are so busy doing “religious” things that they will miss His second coming? Are you ready? If not, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1] Genesis 49:10

[2]  Numbers 24:17

[3]  Isaiah 11:1 (Jesse was David’s father); 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Jeremiah 23:5-6;

[4]  Isaiah 9:6

[5]  Isaiah 7:14

[6]  Micah 5:2

[7]  Psalm 72:9-10

[8]  Jeremiah 31:15

[9]  Hosea 11:1

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