The Night Of The Firstborn

“Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:9-11

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1:15

          The night Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, the Jews’ long awaited Messiah had arrived. They were looking for and longing for a king, a mighty warrior, one who would deliver them from the crushing power of Rome. In their unbelieving minds, they imagined that God would send another David their way, who would bring them back to become the strongest nation on earth.

In their proud wickedness, they assumed that God would present His Messiah to them. But God wasn’t about to present His Son to the unbelieving, hypocritical leaders of Israel, at least not at birth; 30 years later, John the Baptist would do that. Instead, at His birth, God chose for His Son to be born in a lowly manger, announcing His birth only to some shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. Who was, and who is that child born in a Bethlehem stable 2000 years ago?

The first word the angel used about Jesus was “Savior”; for indeed, Jesus came into the world to save the world from their sins. He came as the spotless, sinless, Lamb of God; to present Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sinners. Before the world was created, God determined that He, the Word of God, the second person of the triune Godhead, would be born of a virgin and shed His own blood to pay for the sin of the world.

The second word the angel used was “Christ”—the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah”, which means, “The Anointed One”. Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, the meaning was clear to the Jews: that God was going to bring forth a mighty deliverer for the nation of Israel. He would be anointed and presented to Israel just like King David was by Samuel. Jesus has been anointed by His Father and the day is coming when He will come forth to save and deliver Israel as a nation.

The third word concerning Jesus was “Lord”. Jesus defines for us what the word Lord means. “All authority has been given to me, both in heaven and on earth”. Matthew 28:18 the Holy Spirit expands on that through Paul: “[God] raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:20-23

The fourth word is “Firstborn”. Adam was the first man of the human race; he was made from the dust of the earth; every person born, to this very day, is his child and is made of corruptible dust. Jesus is the first man to be born of the Spirit. Just as Adam was the beginning of the human race, so Jesus is the Firstborn and Beginning of a chosen, blood-washed, Spirit-born divine race. You must belong to this race to live with the Father and the Son forever; you must be born again!

That holy night so long ago witnessed the birth of man’s only Savior, Israel’s Messiah King, the Lord of all, and our Firstborn brother. Have you been born again?

~By Brother Bill