Isaiah 7:14 KJV
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
If the usual and the normal always happen, it may not catch my attention. God is the amazing God of miracles, signs and wonders and He is in the business of doing that which man calls impossible. The story of this season of Christmas is one of such mighty and amazing things. The old covenant had its demamds: men could only receive a cover from the consequences of their sin through the shedding of the blood of bulls and goats. It was not a perfect solution, but it was accepted by God until the manifestation of the perfect sacrifice from sin. Of course, if the perfect sacrifice came the same way other men like Him had come, how would he be different from other men? This is why the birth of the Saviour of the world had to happen from a different perspective. The old trend could not support what God wanted to do under the new covenant, so he brought forth His son without the help and limitations of human conception. It is this new path that has now led to new life for all of us. It is this new covenant or way of doing things that has sealed redemption from sin and eternal life with God for us.
The old covenant was limited in that it could not really offer total forgiveness from sin. The sacrifices had to be made frequently, and blood had to be shed copiously and often, but under the new covenant, blood has been shed just once, and it is good for all time. I do not have to look for a medium or middleman to help me with access to the Father; I can go in myself and lay claim to all the benefits and blessings that His death and life have secured for me. Under the old covenant, God did not seem near. It must have been a frightening experience to see the high priest going into the Holy of Holies with a chain around his waist, and he would have to be pulled out if he died in there, as no one else could go in. Now, I have direct access to the throne of grace, and the name of the One I have been asked to come to is 'Immanuel', which means 'God with us'. He is with us. He wants to live in and lead us to heaven with Him. His life is for all of us. Would you take advantage of this free gift? God's time of favour is here..
No comments:
Post a Comment