Unto us a Son
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them. And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying….” (Matt. 4:23-5:2).
Imagine the excitement. A rabbi like they had never heard before. One so simple, unobtrusive and unostentatious. One who taught by means of object lessons—things of nature and experiences in His life. He even taught truths through the actual experiences by the people, as He healed them of their maladies and drove the devil away from them.
Here was a teacher on the order of Solomon. It was written of him, “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.” (1Kings 4:29-34).
Here was One who was much greater than Solomon, of whom Solomon was only a type. “For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” (Jn. 3:34). “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:9).
“And He opened His mouth….” The Bible is so very wonderful in the way it zooms in as it paints its pictures. We can actually see Jesus—at least we can make out His mouth, His beautiful mouth. No tobacco stained those lips. No alcohol or other self-indulgence fouled that breath. No self-importance wiped away His smile’s up-turned corners. Bright, educated by His Father, intelligent, lively, serious and sometimes humorous was the communication that poured from His heart to the multitudes. He had inspired the words, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Prov. 11:30). Now, in every winning way He met the hearts and minds of the people.
His voice had a volume and tempo that made it easy for the most remote person in the crowds to hear Him. His voice was musical and easy to listen to. There was nothing harsh about His tone or delivery. He had not studied in the schools of the monotone and sanctimonious rabbis; He had been taught by God. Thus, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matt. 7:29). “And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” (Lk. 4:22).
Like it hadn’t been since those wonder-filled days of Solomon, it could be said again with Him out in nature’s hills and plains, “Happy are Thy men, happy are these Thy servants, which stand continually before Thee, and that hear Thy wisdom.” (1Kings 10:8).
Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled, “They joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:3-6).
“And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed…Blessed…Blessed….” No condemnation did the multitudes hear. Only hope and cheer and the beauty of holiness. They had been through the worst. The nation and the world at large had suffered under the wrath of God for the previous 500 years of continuously increasing oppression of sin by pagan empires because of a millennium of their fathers’ rebellion against the holy covenant. Now they were ready to receive the good word that God had wanted to give them all along, but which the nation hadn’t been able to accept with the whole heart.
“Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Is. 40:1,2). “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” (2Cor. 1:3).
“This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:33,34).
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God…. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” (Ez. 36:26-28, 31).
Certainly, the Son of God was dispensing rich blessings as He had wanted to give all along, and as He had promised that He would give.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe Him would not perish, but have life, everlasting life. Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.
Imagine the excitement. A rabbi like they had never heard before. One so simple, unobtrusive and unostentatious. One who taught by means of object lessons—things of nature and experiences in His life. He even taught truths through the actual experiences by the people, as He healed them of their maladies and drove the devil away from them.
Here was a teacher on the order of Solomon. It was written of him, “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.” (1Kings 4:29-34).
Here was One who was much greater than Solomon, of whom Solomon was only a type. “For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” (Jn. 3:34). “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:9).
“And He opened His mouth….” The Bible is so very wonderful in the way it zooms in as it paints its pictures. We can actually see Jesus—at least we can make out His mouth, His beautiful mouth. No tobacco stained those lips. No alcohol or other self-indulgence fouled that breath. No self-importance wiped away His smile’s up-turned corners. Bright, educated by His Father, intelligent, lively, serious and sometimes humorous was the communication that poured from His heart to the multitudes. He had inspired the words, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Prov. 11:30). Now, in every winning way He met the hearts and minds of the people.
His voice had a volume and tempo that made it easy for the most remote person in the crowds to hear Him. His voice was musical and easy to listen to. There was nothing harsh about His tone or delivery. He had not studied in the schools of the monotone and sanctimonious rabbis; He had been taught by God. Thus, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matt. 7:29). “And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” (Lk. 4:22).
Like it hadn’t been since those wonder-filled days of Solomon, it could be said again with Him out in nature’s hills and plains, “Happy are Thy men, happy are these Thy servants, which stand continually before Thee, and that hear Thy wisdom.” (1Kings 10:8).
Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled, “They joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:3-6).
“And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed…Blessed…Blessed….” No condemnation did the multitudes hear. Only hope and cheer and the beauty of holiness. They had been through the worst. The nation and the world at large had suffered under the wrath of God for the previous 500 years of continuously increasing oppression of sin by pagan empires because of a millennium of their fathers’ rebellion against the holy covenant. Now they were ready to receive the good word that God had wanted to give them all along, but which the nation hadn’t been able to accept with the whole heart.
“Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Is. 40:1,2). “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” (2Cor. 1:3).
“This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:33,34).
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God…. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” (Ez. 36:26-28, 31).
Certainly, the Son of God was dispensing rich blessings as He had wanted to give all along, and as He had promised that He would give.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe Him would not perish, but have life, everlasting life. Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.
posted by David | 2:10 AM
1 Comments:
Dear David,
This is your brother Daniel in Uganda. Your current blog is a heaven sent, I wish I had a way i can give it to thousands of people. I have like these words particulary:- "new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you.
Personally this helps me so much especially as at one moment I had gone astray from the path of life. All of who read this blog I know you appreciate reading and rereading this UNTO US A SON.
And surely For us a saviour is born. AMEN
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