Go To Bethlehem

 

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

                                                                                                                                    (Isaiah 7:14)

 

Go down to Bethlehem, and, in company with the wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, behold him who is born King of kings and Lord of lords, and joyfully remember our Savior’s birth. I hope that you can by faith claim an interest in him, and can sing, “Unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6)

 

Bethlehem’s Babe

Who is this babe of Bethlehem? Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our Brother and Friend, Let us adore him. His name is Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature. That one who was carried in Mary’s womb for nine months is Mary’s God. That one who came forth from Mary’s womb is Mary’s Creator. It is true that his human body was miraculously conceived in the womb of a virgin by the overshadowing power of God the Holy Spirit. As to his human nature, our Lord was born as the Seed of woman. — “Unto us a child is born.”

      But do not ever think that Mary is the mother of God. That notion of the papists is blasphemy. As to his divine nature, the prophet does not say that he was born, but rather, — “Unto us a Son is given”. The Lord Jesus Christ is himself God the eternal Son. In the incarnation God the Son took into union with himself our nature. He is as truly God as though he were not man, and as truly man as though he were not God. Our Redeemer is the God-man, the Man-God, Mediator, — Immanuel. The sweetest word in all the English language is that golden name, — Immanuel! God has come in human flesh to redeem fallen man!

 

His Mission

Why did the Lord Jesus Christ come to this earth? Upon what mission was he sent? Our Lord did not assume our nature to establish an earthly kingdom in which the Jewish nation might rule the world. We are expressly told that he came to save his people from their sins, according to the will of God. — “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). — “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). Immanuel is God come to save. The Son of God assumed our nature at Bethlehem for the express purpose of redeeming his people at Calvary, dying in our place under the wrath of God, as our Substitute.

 

Mission Accomplished

Has Immanuel done what he came here to do? Has he accomplished his mission? Indeed, he has! He has redeemed his people. As a real man the Son of God lived in this world for thirty-three years, perfectly fulfilling the righteous requirements of God’s holy law. He established a perfect righteousness as the Representative of his people, bringing in an everlasting righteousness for us, righteousness such as God is pleased to accept. Then, at the appointed time he laid down his life as our Substitute at Calvary, satisfying the wrath and justice of God against his people. By his righteous obedience to the law and his sin-atoning sacrifice, the God-man, Immanuel, has accomplished his Father’s will and redeemed unto himself a people.

 

King of Glory

Where is Immanuel today? That very Babe who was born at Bethlehem, lived in the regions of Judea for thirty-three years, and died at Calvary to redeem his people, is now seated upon the throne of universal dominion. He is the King of Glory! With sovereign, universal power, he is ruling this world to accomplish the salvation of those very people he has redeemed. God has “given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life unto as many as his Father has given him” (John 17:2). “O come, let us adore him!” Immanuel, the God-man, is our Savior and our King!

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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