Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. New International Version (NIV)
As we go to church to worship this weekend we will most likely be singing Christmas songs and hymns celebrating the birth of our Savior. We will be singing words like "come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King." We will hear messages from any number of passages from the Bible, both Old and New Testaments such as Isaiah 9 where we read:
Isaiah 9:6English Standard Version (ESV) For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Reading today's verse from Hebrews 9 made me think of the passage from Isaiah 9 which speaks of Christ as the Everlasting Father. It is not speaking of Jesus as God the Father, but rather to His eternal headship and Lordship. We can relate to it when we refer to George Washington as being the "father of our country', he was the first in a new government. His term ended as all presidents terms do. Jesus' Lordship will continue forever, it is everlasting.
John Calvin wrote, "The true looking of faith, I say, is placing Christ before one's eyes and beholding in Him the heart of God poured out in love. Our firm and substantial support is to rest on the death of Christ as its only pledge."
This season we are celebrating Jesus birth, but He came to live and to "die as a ransom", and to rise again victorious which we celebrate at Easter. As we see the birth of Christ before our eyes this morning in faith, may we rest in the love of God poured out for us, may we also look to His death and resurrection in faith that has freed us from our sins under this new covenant.
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth.
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.
Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you; break your chains.
Refrain
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
In Christ,
Mike
Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Hebrews 9:14-16Amplified Bible (AMP)
14 How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God?
15 [Christ, the Messiah] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant), so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance—since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the [old] first agreement.
16 For where there is a [last] will and testament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established,
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