Bonnie Alba
Our future arrived - - 2000 years ago
By Bonnie Alba
Expressions of excitement, wonderment and joy may be seen on children's faces as we move through the Christmas traditions of this season. Tantalizing aromas fill homes, Christmas trees decorated and all aglow. It's a time of family gatherings, friends, fun, joy and rejoicing — and of course, gift giving. And it is a time when Jesus may get lost in the shuffle and bustle of it all.
Some are adverse to celebrating Jesus Christ's birth. Others see it as a reminder of who we are and how we should be year round, not just at Christmas.
Not much has changed with God's people. The last Old Testament book is Malachi. He is the bridge to the New Testament. Malachi berated God's people for they had grown cold towards God, lacking reverence and honor for Him.
Malachi's message is as pertinent for 21st century Christians as it was then for the Jews. How many Christians dust their Bibles off each Sunday for church and then return them to the same shelves to await the next Sunday? Unread.
Between Malachi and the New Testament, God is Silent — 400 years. God spoke through his chosen prophets, then silence from heaven. After 400 years of silence — God spoke again, this time through the birth of his son. Ordinary people were about to experience God's plan — a series of events that would reverberate over 20 centuries, continuing to this day.
Old Testament prophet Micah foretold, "But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (from days of eternity)."
As it was written in the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke, a baby was born in Bethlehem to two ordinary people, Mary and Joseph. Matthew describes Jesus as the King of the Jews; Luke as Savior; John as God in the flesh, the Logos; and Mark as Servant. All these representations are true of the Son of Man-Son of God.
That evening was just like any other evening. But the extraordinary was about to happen to ordinary men, shepherds tending their flocks on a hillside outside Bethlehem. Used to living beneath the stars, they most likely took the unchanging appearance of the nightly sky for granted.
Suddenly the veil between earth and heaven parted. An Angel of the Lord appeared, "...and the Glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." Would any of us not be 'terrified'? They may have hidden their faces from this fearful sight, possibly hugging the ground, their minds unable to grasp what was happening.
Reassured by the Angel, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
The Angel gave instructions on how to find this baby, possibly one of many born in Bethlehem that day: "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
While the Angel was speaking, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" It was as if the Heavenly Host could not wait to let the whole world know of this Good News. I imagine the shepherds never looked at the starry heavens in the same way again.
The historical account of Jesus' birth is taken for granted by many Christians today. The churches retell it in a matter-of-fact way. We have forgotten and forsaken the awe, the wonderment, how it all happened to ordinary people in a supernatural and extraordinary way, how Jesus' birth changed the course of mankind's history.
Jesus Christ now sits at the Right Hand of God on Heaven's Throne. The Cross and the Resurrection were not the end. We reside between the last letter, Jude, and the ending prophetic book, Revelation. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is our future. He is the Alpha and the Omega, present from the beginning, in the middle, and will be there at the end. He will return as King and Judge.
We have only to look at children's faces to see what we are missing, reverence and joy for the King, an expectation of what He will do in the future, and the honor due God for his precious gift, His Son, the Savior to mankind. Our future!
Merry Christmas!
© Bonnie Alba
Expressions of excitement, wonderment and joy may be seen on children's faces as we move through the Christmas traditions of this season. Tantalizing aromas fill homes, Christmas trees decorated and all aglow. It's a time of family gatherings, friends, fun, joy and rejoicing — and of course, gift giving. And it is a time when Jesus may get lost in the shuffle and bustle of it all.
Some are adverse to celebrating Jesus Christ's birth. Others see it as a reminder of who we are and how we should be year round, not just at Christmas.
Not much has changed with God's people. The last Old Testament book is Malachi. He is the bridge to the New Testament. Malachi berated God's people for they had grown cold towards God, lacking reverence and honor for Him.
Malachi's message is as pertinent for 21st century Christians as it was then for the Jews. How many Christians dust their Bibles off each Sunday for church and then return them to the same shelves to await the next Sunday? Unread.
Between Malachi and the New Testament, God is Silent — 400 years. God spoke through his chosen prophets, then silence from heaven. After 400 years of silence — God spoke again, this time through the birth of his son. Ordinary people were about to experience God's plan — a series of events that would reverberate over 20 centuries, continuing to this day.
Old Testament prophet Micah foretold, "But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (from days of eternity)."
As it was written in the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke, a baby was born in Bethlehem to two ordinary people, Mary and Joseph. Matthew describes Jesus as the King of the Jews; Luke as Savior; John as God in the flesh, the Logos; and Mark as Servant. All these representations are true of the Son of Man-Son of God.
That evening was just like any other evening. But the extraordinary was about to happen to ordinary men, shepherds tending their flocks on a hillside outside Bethlehem. Used to living beneath the stars, they most likely took the unchanging appearance of the nightly sky for granted.
Suddenly the veil between earth and heaven parted. An Angel of the Lord appeared, "...and the Glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." Would any of us not be 'terrified'? They may have hidden their faces from this fearful sight, possibly hugging the ground, their minds unable to grasp what was happening.
Reassured by the Angel, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
The Angel gave instructions on how to find this baby, possibly one of many born in Bethlehem that day: "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
While the Angel was speaking, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" It was as if the Heavenly Host could not wait to let the whole world know of this Good News. I imagine the shepherds never looked at the starry heavens in the same way again.
The historical account of Jesus' birth is taken for granted by many Christians today. The churches retell it in a matter-of-fact way. We have forgotten and forsaken the awe, the wonderment, how it all happened to ordinary people in a supernatural and extraordinary way, how Jesus' birth changed the course of mankind's history.
Jesus Christ now sits at the Right Hand of God on Heaven's Throne. The Cross and the Resurrection were not the end. We reside between the last letter, Jude, and the ending prophetic book, Revelation. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is our future. He is the Alpha and the Omega, present from the beginning, in the middle, and will be there at the end. He will return as King and Judge.
We have only to look at children's faces to see what we are missing, reverence and joy for the King, an expectation of what He will do in the future, and the honor due God for his precious gift, His Son, the Savior to mankind. Our future!
Merry Christmas!
© Bonnie Alba
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