Many have an opinion of who Christ is, but unless…
Many have an opinion of who Christ is, but unless these opinions agree with what Jesus said about Himself, those opinions are useless! Jesus is our only hope. The Father reveals Jesus to those to whom He has chosen. We have nothing in which to boast, save Jesus Christ. We ought to exalt Jesus and not anything we do.
Christmas has devolved into everything but a celebration of the coming of Christ. We wake with excitement on Christmas morning, but what are we excited about? Is it time with family, giving and receiving presents, eating, partying, or anything else instead of thanksgiving for the Saviour come in the form of a lowly infant?
The saints of old loathe the manna from heaven provided for their sustenance in the wilderness. That manna was a type of the Saviour; and Jesus clarifies this in the passage. The rejection was a rejection not of the bread, but the Giver of the bread. Jesus is the Bread of life. Is He enough, or do we need more ("What sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe You?...vs.30a). Jesus recogizes those who seek Him and distinguishes them from those who seek His benefits apart from submission to His commands and prohibitions. To believe in Jesus means not only to merely ascent to the existence of a historical figure, rather it is to believe that He was Who He said he was - the promised Saviour of the world.
Jesus said that all who were given Him of the Father would come to Him. If one does not come, that one has not been given. It is an arranged marriage - between Jesus and His bride. The Father gives the bride (the Church) to the Son. The Holy Spirit draws them that are to come to Christ, else they would not come (John 6:44).
A wife is to submit to her husband...why? Because marriage is a type and shadow of the relationship between Christ and His Church. The Church should submit to her LORD. Likewise, the husband is to give his life for his bride...why? Because this is the pattern set by the Redeemer when he laid down His life for His bride (John 10:11-18 - emphasis on vs 18).
The covenant of GOD was expressed, in the Old Testamet, as blessings and cursings. Blessings to those who obeyed, cursings to those who did not. We receive the blessings of GOD on account of Christ's obedience in our stead. We are spared from GOD's wrath on account of Christ's sufferings in our stead. This is the hope and the joy of Christmas Day, for it is a time for us to recall the grand blessing of the coming of GOD in the flesh to save sinners. There is salvation in no other than the Lamb of GOD - Jesus of Nazareth...hallelujah...Amen!
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