Who is Jesus? Chapter 6

Who is Jesus?  Chapter 6

 

In our previous chapters, we have taken into account where Jesus was in the beginning:  He was in Spirit form with his Father God as they created the heavens and the earth with sound.  (The spoken word.)

We also have viewed the examples given to the Children of Israel who ate manna the bread from heaven and that Jesus said He is the bread from Heaven.  God also gave the children of Israel water from a rock, and Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation, from which we drink the Living Water bringing us eternal life. 

We viewed the Blood Sacrifice that was necessary to take away sin.  The Pass Over Celebration was also brought to our attention as many lambs were slain prior to the Death Angel coming to take the first born of man and beast.  The children of Israel were protected from the Angel of death, as they followed the detailed instructions to sprinkle the blood of the Lamb over their door and on the two side posts.  It is the Blood of Jesus that protects us from the darkness and brings us light. 

We shall now momentarily leave the Old Testament and reflect on the time in history when Jesus came to earth in human form.  Every so often, we may insert Old Testament prophesies regarding Jesus. 

Because of the sin of Adam, all humans inherited the sin factor in their blood.  In God's plan for a "Once in for all Blood sacrifice," it was necessary for the sacrifice NOT to have the blood of Adam.  In order to accomplish this, since the babies blood comes from it's father, God planned for a Virgin birth, conceived as the Holy Spirit breathed life into the womb of Mary the chosen young woman.  This child would have a human mother, but the child's father was God. 

When Joseph the man whom Mary was engaged to, discovered that Mary was with child, he being a righteous man, decided to "put her away privately," but an angel appeared to Joseph telling him this was of God and to protect her.  Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, and the Prophets had predicted that the Savior was to be born in Bethlehem.   

In those days Caesar Augustus called for the world to be taxed and every person was to do this in their home town.  This meant that Joseph and the now very pregnant Mary needed to travel to Bethlehem to pay their taxes.   

You can imagine how crowded the city was and the hotels and Inns were full.  A kind Inn keeper told Joseph, there is a place in the stable that is clean and you can use the hay to make yourselves a bed - - and so it was.   

On that night angels appeared in the heavens to some shepherds who were tending their flocks.  The angels sang Glory to God in the Highest and Peace on Earth to men, for a savior is born this night.  Yes, that night Mary gave birth to Jesus and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger for his bed. 

 

A Star led the shepherds to the stable where they found Mary, Joseph and the baby.  They bowed to worship the new born son.  

 

Wise men in the East had been studying the Scriptures and also were star gazers.  They were impressed to follow a new bright star to find the promised Messiah.  As they traveled to Jerusalem, they inquired of the King where they might find the new born King of the Jews.  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

(Matthew 2) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.  

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.  When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw 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 exceeding great joy.

The King covered his jealousy by saying, "When you find the child come back and tell me so I also can worship him."  The King had murder on his mind not worship.   

The Wise men found Jesus and gave to him precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  As they prepared to leave, an angel warned them to not return to Jerusalem, but to travel by another way to their own country. 

As time passed, and the Wise men did not return, the King was very angry and made a declaration that all the male babies, two years and younger were to be killed.

Joseph was warned by an angel to take Mary and the young child and flee to Egypt staying there until it was safe to return to Israel.

When the wicked king died, Joseph was again told by an angel that they could depart from Egypt and return home and raise the young child in the city of Nazareth.

 

The Bible tells us nothing about the early childhood of Jesus, but we shall look on him at age 12 in the next chapter.