"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea....And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people....And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There will be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He Who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'" (Revelation 21)
The Baby in Bethlehem's stable was One Who brings forth, "new." There is the New Birth, the, "new creation." It is as the NIV Bible declares, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" The Living Triune God is the God of, "new."
There is a very real sense in which the appearance of, "Immanuel, God with us," as a baby in a stable was very, "new," to philosophers and theologians. God becoming a baby did not compute with their reasoning. Theirs was human reasoning, very limited. When Nebuchadnezzar dreamed and was perplexed as to its meaning, he demanded that the theologians interpret it. They responded, "No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans." This is religious theology of all religions, including Islam. Jesus was telling John, however, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men...." What the shepherds and the kings visited was indeed, "a new thing."
But the Blessed Trinity is not through with, "new," yet. We read that some day there will be, "a new heaven and a new earth." I simply have very little idea what that may mean. Maybe it is a little of what my Grandpa Barnette saw in his last moments before he left this life. Whatever he saw, I saw in his face, "Behold, I make all things new." Death is not so much about the "old" passing. It is rather, "Behold, I make all things new."
If you are saddened this Christmas Season because of those whom you knew and are no longer here, as the song says, "over joys departed, tell it to Jesus." Encounter Jesus in our text, for our text is Jesus' Words. There can be no greater joy to a human being than receiving the, "God-Breathed," Words, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." There is a "now-ness" in our text, but there is also the yet-to-come. What we can live in now is what the Bible tells us, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." At the Cross, in His Blood, His Death and Resurrection, Jesus did just that. And how about this for a Christmas present? "There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.., no more pain."
Father, in Jesus' Name, no greater gift than Yourself in Jesus and the immutable, "things to come." Amen.
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Read what the German is doing this Christmas Season: jhs58.blogspot.com
The Baby in Bethlehem's stable was One Who brings forth, "new." There is the New Birth, the, "new creation." It is as the NIV Bible declares, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" The Living Triune God is the God of, "new."
There is a very real sense in which the appearance of, "Immanuel, God with us," as a baby in a stable was very, "new," to philosophers and theologians. God becoming a baby did not compute with their reasoning. Theirs was human reasoning, very limited. When Nebuchadnezzar dreamed and was perplexed as to its meaning, he demanded that the theologians interpret it. They responded, "No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans." This is religious theology of all religions, including Islam. Jesus was telling John, however, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men...." What the shepherds and the kings visited was indeed, "a new thing."
But the Blessed Trinity is not through with, "new," yet. We read that some day there will be, "a new heaven and a new earth." I simply have very little idea what that may mean. Maybe it is a little of what my Grandpa Barnette saw in his last moments before he left this life. Whatever he saw, I saw in his face, "Behold, I make all things new." Death is not so much about the "old" passing. It is rather, "Behold, I make all things new."
If you are saddened this Christmas Season because of those whom you knew and are no longer here, as the song says, "over joys departed, tell it to Jesus." Encounter Jesus in our text, for our text is Jesus' Words. There can be no greater joy to a human being than receiving the, "God-Breathed," Words, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." There is a "now-ness" in our text, but there is also the yet-to-come. What we can live in now is what the Bible tells us, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." At the Cross, in His Blood, His Death and Resurrection, Jesus did just that. And how about this for a Christmas present? "There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.., no more pain."
Father, in Jesus' Name, no greater gift than Yourself in Jesus and the immutable, "things to come." Amen.
*****************
Read what the German is doing this Christmas Season: jhs58.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
