The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has
been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by
this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a
manger. ... When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each
other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about." ...After seeing Him, the shepherds told
everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this
child. ...The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Luke
2:11-12, 15, 17, 20
Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We
saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him." Matthew
2:2
And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that
read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John 19:19
What is the Cross without the Manger or the
Manger without the Cross? The Shepherds and the Wise Men went to worship the
new baby—the King of the Jews. Only the Wise Men addressed Jesus at His birth
as “King of the Jews” while to the shepherds Jesus was addressed as the Savior,
the Messiah, the Lord. The next time that Jesus is addressed as the King of the
Jews is during His hearing or trial before Pilate. Pilate must have been
convinced of Jesus status as King since he had a sign posted on Jesus crucifixion
cross declaring "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." What is
your verdict? Like the Wise Men, is Jesus the “King of the Jews?” If you are
not a Jew, does that make a difference to you?
Like the shepherds, is Jesus your Savior,
Messiah, and Lord? On this Christmas Eve—the
day we begin celebrating Jesus’ birth—how will you worship Him? For me, the
Candle Lighting Service at my church is the highlight of the season…actually
the highlight of the year. Jesus is the Light of the World and that Candle
Lighting brings the fact of Jesus as King, Savior, Lord, and Messiah to my mind
and heart in a deeply spiritual way.
Yesterday I watched the video “The Passion”
to remind me for what and for whom Jesus lived and died. The video depicted the gruesomeness of the trial, beatings and crucifixion. Jesus lived and died for me. For you. What is the Cross without the Manger or the Manger without the Cross?
Prayer
~ Lord Jesus, You are my Messiah, my Savior, my Lord and King of the Jews. You
are the Joyful Happy Place in my life—and like the angels who declared Your birth to
the shepherds—I am filled with great joy that You came for all the people. Not
just for the Jews, but You came for everyone. I praise God and give Him glory
for all that I’ve heard about You.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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