Who Has Believed?

"Silent Night" plays in the background on this Christmas Eve as I write.  I've been reading Isaiah 53 this week.  It wasn't a random choice but where I "happen" to be as I read the book of Isaiah.  But it's such a wonderful choice for this season.  For it is important for us as Christians to remember why Jesus came.  He came to die, to take on the sin of the world and pay the price required by a Holy God.

Isaiah gives a brief picture of man: sinner, sheep astray, turned our own way, transgressors, wicked.  Isaiah also gives a brief but amazing picture of Christ: tender shoot, silent to His accusers, Righteous One, Justifier, Intercessor, not violent, not deceitful.  I would say the contrast here is monumental!
And then the bulk of this chapter paints a picture of what coming into the world of man meant for Jesus.

He had no beauty in appearance or form, no majesty, a root out of parched ground, despised, forsaken, sorrowful, grief, no esteem given, smitten of God, afflicted, pierced, crushed, chastened, scourged, oppressed, slaughtered, judged, cut off from life, guilt offering, anguished soul, iniquities shouldered, poured out to death, numbered with transgressors.  "King of Kings"?  God with us?  "This, this is Christ the Lord"?  Where was His "peace on earth"?  I would say it was in His "good will toward man on whom His favor rests."  Peace for Him was the accomplishment of His purpose!

What this "coming" means for us is what should be the center of our celebrations!  Jesus bore our grief, carried our sorrow, healed us, paid the price for us, justified us, took away our sin, intercedes for us--all this for our well-being.  He IS the Prince of Peace as the beautiful "Messiah" sings in the background now.  For when we believe and bow down to Jesus, we are the recipients of all these wonderful gifts He has provided for us.

Isaiah 53 begins with "Who has believed our message?"  We must live out this message in thought, words and deeds not just at this time of year but every moment until Christ takes us home.  "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!" (Acts 16:31)   Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."  (John 10:10)   Life, peace, happiness, fulfillment!  That's what we all want.  That's what we all seek.  That's what we all try to accomplish at this time of year we call Christmas.  But just like every other day of the year, these gifts are only had through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Peace for us is the accomplishment of His purpose!!  Who has "heard" our message?  Isaiah proclaimed the message!  Let us do likewise!  "JOY! to the world, the LORD has come!"

King of Kings

A “king” is a hard concept for an American to grasp.  We are awed by the presence of some, for instance, the president or film & music personalities, but a king…it’s just not programmed for us.  As a Christian in America, I must dig deep to imagine the regal presence of a king.

This requires “double” meditation on my part to consider God the King.  The Creator of all in charge of all and ruling it all.  Creator, with no beginning, Who put it all in motion, everything working precisely, completely in charge, no mistakes, no wringing of His hands and not one thing escapes His understanding or control.  God, the King!!   “God is the King of all the earth.” 

Now, let’s consider another aspect of this thought.  Jesus, Creator with God from the beginning, came to this earth of which He ruled.  Christmas, supposedly, is the time we celebrate this coming, His first Advent.  He was born of flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit for what?   Pilate, who was knowledgeable about kings, asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews.  Jesus did not answer the question immediately but then Pilate asked again, “So You are a king”?  Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 

Here we are at Christmas: lights, cameras, action, food, friends, family, and gifts.  What about worship?  As Christians, do we do any better than the world?  Jesus, God the King, said He is born and come to tell us the truth.  Do we hear His voice?  Are we listening?  Are we preparing Him room daily?  Does He awe us as much as the glitz of Hollywood, New York, Washington D.C. or the decorations on our houses?   Are we awed  by the truth that He desired relationship restored so passionately that He became flesh?

Right after He told Pilate this profound information, Pilate sarcastically asked Jesus the question many are still asking:  “What is truth?”  Then he proceeded to have Jesus flogged, a punishment that revealed just how fleshy Jesus had become.  Pilate then presented the pitiful figure to the people, “Behold, the Man!”   Not long after that, Pilate then said, “Behold, your King!”

Behold, the Man!  Behold, your King!  Behold, your God!  “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the Incarnate Deity!  Pleased as Man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emamanuel.”  Man-King-God!  Emmanuel, God with us!  “Shout for joy, O heavens!  And rejoice, O earth!  Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!  For the LORD has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.”  We are all afflicted with sin!  And Jesus, the God-Man, the King, came to be the Solution to this affliction.  This is why we Christians can sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.  Let earth receive her King!”  And this is why the Christian has hope in this ever-changing life:  Jesus will come again, His second Advent.  Rejoice, be prepared, proclaim the “Truth.”  “For “this” I have been born, for “this” I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”

George Frideric Handel, upon reading God’s Word was so overcome by its power, that he began to write “Messiah”.  At one point in the weeks that followed, a servant testified that Handel burst out of his study with tears in his eyes, script in his hand and said, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with his Company of Angels.”

“For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, Hallelujah.  The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.  King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

“O, come let us adore Him!  O COME, let us ADORE HIM!  O COME, LET US ADORE HIM!  Christ, the LORD!”   Bow down and adore the King of all the earth.  “Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down.”   “Let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!” 

Scripture References:  Psalm 47:7; John 18:33-37; Isaiah 49:13;  Isaiah 49:7; Psalm 95:6

Raining Righteousness

God’s sovereignty is an attribute understood in two ways.  For the unbeliever, it is a stumbling block.  It makes them angry.  If God is in control, then “why does He not do things the way I think He should?  If that is His way, then no God for me!”  But for the believer, it is an attribute that blesses him with security.  The more it is understood by him (and that is a growing knowledge), the more secure and solid his foundation becomes. 

Isaiah 45 is just one chapter out of 1, 189 chapters of the Bible.  It is full of God’s sovereignty.  For me, a high maintenance child of God, this one chapter, read a couple of times daily over the past week, brings me to a right mindset: God IS in control.  I must trust Him.  Circumstances are His and I must respond rightly! 

Consider the following verses but first let me prelude by saying that chapter 45 was written about an unbelieving king before he was born and God’s planned use of him to bring the nation of Israel to Himself.  Though the chapter was written about God’s chosen, we grafted in Gentiles can learn about the personality of the great God in whom we have professed faith.  Verses 5-6 “I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God.  I am the LORD, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.”  Verse 8 – “Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, and righteousness spring up with it.  I, the LORD, have created it.” 

The chapter goes on for 17 more verses.  God warns those who are created vessels for quarreling with Him.  He reminds the hearer that He made the earth and created man; He stretched out the heavens and ordained the host (stars).  He declares things that are upright.  “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”  He goes on to say that “every knee will bow”.  “Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.”

As I sit here writing, the rain pounds on the roof.  I picture righteousness coming down instead of water.  I think about the passage and long for that time when all around us are “clouds pouring down righteousness…the earth opening up and salvation bearing fruit and righteousness springing up with it.”  What security of thought for the believer and the wonder of hope for the unbeliever.  Until then, my hope comes from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.  He IS sovereign and I take great comfort in the power of His sovereignty.

Aliens

In 1 Peter, the apostle wrote to Christians that had to flee for their lives.  He addressed them as aliens scattered and then again as aliens and strangers.  I’ve been in a study of 1 Peter recently and encouraged as to how it played out in my prayer time this morning.  God sometimes seems so far away or not there at all.  That’s very frustrating for any believer but we must remember we live by “faith” and our call is to “trust and obey”.  As I called out to Him this morning and began my “whining”, I told Him I feel so “alienated”.  Immediately, He brought to mind that that is what I am here on earth: an alien.  The reason we are not comfortable in our skin is because we are not home yet.  Simple yet complex but still a great reminder!

Robot Piano

Listening to music one day with a few others, one commented on the piece playing, “robot piano”.  I hadn’t noticed until the listener made the comment and then, I too, noticed the sound being projected.  The notes were played and I might add, played accurately.  Melody resulted, also accurately.  The music being played was recognized and enjoyed adequately.  But there was something lacking!  The night before, I had watched a documentary about a musician and his rise to popularity.  He did not go the route of most musicians; he actually defied that route.  He wrote and played from the heart and his music was embraced in a way that few musicians enjoy.   He embraced his music and played out the result.  He played from the heart and his listeners knew it.

That is the lacking element to “robot piano”: heart!  Christians must take note of this because we could very well fall into a similar trap: “robot Christianity”.  We may be living it out to the letter but forgetting the true message.  In fact, we could run ahead to the point of leaving Jesus in the shadows or forgetting Him entirely.  He is the Heart of Christianity.  On Him, we must meditate day and night: His purpose, His passion, His priorities & pursuits.  And of course, His own communication with the Father was mandatory.  Like the popular musician, we must embrace Christ from the heart and live out the result. We must pour our hearts out to the Father for guidance, protection, & continued growth.  Unbelievers will know the difference and there is “music” they need to hear!

Blood Pressure

Many people take medication to regulate their blood pressure.   It’s mandatory that they are faithful in taking the pills in order to live normal, healthy lives.  The Christian has to deal with a blood pressure of a different kind:  the Blood of Christ applied to his life and the pressure to live that life with a consistency that reflects the beauty of that Work.  For the Christian to live a normal, healthy life, he also must be faithful to do what’s needed to regulate this “Blood Pressure”.  This must be done through the reading of the Word, regularly!  The person on blood pressure medication must take his pills daily or it could mean severe health problems or even death.   The Christian must be just as vigilant.

Francis Schaeffer says in, He is There and He Is Not Silent, “We should read the Bible for various reasons.  It should be read for facts, and it should be read devotionally.  But reading the Bible every day of one’s life does something else—it gives one a different mentality.”  That’s what we have to have:  “a different mentality”.  We were bought with a price: the Precious Blood of Christ… the Blood of God!!  (1 Peter 1:19)  How much pressure does the Blood have on us?  How better to reflect that pressure than with a different mentality, a different reaction to life's pressures, different entertainment, different desires.  This is what we are to show a watching world.  Only then will we begin to see change brought about through our example, consistent example through a different mentality given us through a faithful study of the Word.

Baby's Pure Milk

Instinctively, a baby latches on to the breast of its mother.  The infant cannot even focus yet!  He cannot see the face of the mother nor her breast but he knows by design that what he longs for is found there.  If he longs for it and cannot find it, he lets everyone that can hear in on the dilemma.  The newborn baby longs for the milk.  Man, too, has a longing!  And as Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him.”  Like the newborn, we have a dilemma and we cry out in many ways.  As Christians, we should know where the milk is found yet many times we let circumstance or busyness hide the nourishment.  We must be vigilant because the Enemy of our souls would have us weak in order to hinder our bringing glory to God.  Once that baby tastes that milk for the first time, he has learned where to get it and how.  Have we “tasted the kindness of the Lord through salvation”?  “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”  1 Peter 2:1-3   God’s Word is invigorating!  Feed on it!  The more you taste, the more you want and the more you’ll grow.  As you grow, as Michael Card wrote, “I loose myself in finding Thee.  O LORD, You mean so much to me.”  Then we’ll be able to get to the business of Kingdom priorities.  There’s a world of unsaved people crying out in many ways because they have a dilemma.  They cannot find the milk.  They cannot see!  Let us be vigilant against the Enemy and fervent for Christ!