this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
The Bible : Acts 1.11
The Son
Immanuel - God with us.
He must have been someone very special-Jesus Christ, I mean. A prominent man of his time said to Him," No man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with Him". Yes, He wrought miracles often. No less than four different writers,Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, witness to His feeding of five thousand with a meal that was meant for one -- and all were filled. (John 6 v9 ). Lazarus had been dead four days. His disciples rolled the stone from the grave and Jesus called him from the grave alive and able to enjoy a meal with Him shortly after ( John 11 v44) He was someone very special--but how come?
He was the eternal Son of the eternal God. Unlike us He had an existence prior to his birth. " 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 3v16 ) God, because of his love to guilty mankind, chose to give His Son in order that those who believe on Him should be saved from eternal ruin. But how did He, Who was spirit, become a man?
Well, a prophet of God called Isaiah had written seven hundred year before " a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel " (That word means God with us.) ( Isaiah 7 v 14) There came a time when Mary was told by the angel of the Lord that she was that virgin. She knew no man, yet she found herself with child--a child conceived of the Holy Spirit. ( Matthew 1 v 20 )
Bethlehem hillside - in the area where the
Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit,"Jesus Himself said (John 3 v 6 ). It meant that every child that had been born, inherited the sinful nature of Adam. That chain of guilt had never been broken. But JESUS was one who had been born, of the Spirit of God . Here then was a man who was not born of the flesh--He was not a sinner but a man 100% holy. He certainly was unique, someone very special!
Men were constituted sinners by Adam's sin. God did not make men sinners--Adam did! Please, be clear about that point. Read Genesis chapter three. God sent His son into the world to rectify what Adam had done as head of mankind. So, in JESUS, there was, at last a man-- for He was both man and God in one person--who was sinless. Since death came by sin, He was not subject to death. It was God's great purpose that JESUS should bear the death sentence of those who had sinned, so that those who trust Jesus Christ would have everlasting life. ( John 3 v36 )
JESUS offered Himself a sacrifice to God-- for God's justice demanded that the penalty for sin must be paid. He died that others, yes, others like you, might possess eternal life. I know - it's almost beyond belief-- but it's absolutely true and reliable. That is what the crucifixion of Christ is all about. " He bore our sins in His Own body on the tree". " Christ died for the ungodly ". When on the cross they taunted Him " Come down from the cross and we will believe you", He did not come down, but He did something far more remarkable. He died and He rose again from the dead the third day ( as He promised-Mark 8 v31) .
Trust Him personally and you will possess everlasting life. Yes, He is indeed someone very special
Raymond Stewart 2013