The Christmas Message...at Caesarea - Enjoying the Journey
“God with us” is not just a Christmas message; it is the heart of God and the golden thread woven throughout all of Scripture. However, the emphasis at this time of year brings us face to face with the miracle of mercy: God desires to be with man.
The high, holy God of eternity wants sin’s separation to be removed. Nothing between. His love longs for fellowship with Adam’s race, the prize of His creation. What a Savior!
In our current Enjoying the Journey podcast series we are studying the places throughout God’s Word where it is said that the Lord was with specific people. This study has been a reminder to me that our God is both personal and present. The Lord is with us.
Recently, as we walked in the footsteps of Jesus in the Holy Land, I was captured again by the truth that God became a man without ever ceasing to be God. The beautiful humanity and perfect humility of Jesus Christ was for one purpose – to reveal God to man. He came to us in order to bring us to Him.
The first stop on our tour of the Bible lands was in Caesarea by the Sea. It was here that Paul was held for two years, preaching the gospel to his captors (Acts 23-25). It was in this beautiful seaside city that Philip the evangelist and his family made their home (Acts 8:40, 21:8-9). And, it was there, where Peter first preached Christ to Cornelius and the gospel door opened wide to all Gentiles (Acts 10:1-48).
In Peter’s message to Cornelius and his family there is an amazing expression concerning the incarnation of Christ. Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
Every word and every work testified that this was not just a man. Not just another Rabbi. Not just another leader. God was with Him.
And through the Lord Jesus Christ we can now confidently say that God is with us! This is the real story of the incarnation and the glory of the gospel (Colossians 1:27). We have examined the Old Testament Scriptures in recent days. Now, as we approach Christmas, we turn our attention to the New Testament, and specifically to the passages related to the coming of Christ. Take the time to listen to the next few ETJ episodes with your family and then discuss the simple and powerful truth of “God with us” together with those you love. Praise the Lord – God is with us!
(Hear Enjoying the Journey each day on your favorite podcast player or at enjoyingthejourney.org.)
