MESSAGE

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:9

Dearly beloved in Christ, 

                                     I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The very name Christmas induces joy and exhilaration in our hearts. We begin to prepare with tasty sweets and new dresses. Everywhere you would hear songs that thrill our hearts. Gifts and greetings are exchanged. In those who live for heavenly blessings, the Lord God revealed His love through the birth of His Son. Dear Brother / Sister, you may be living with tears. You were wonderfully created in the womb by the loving God to live a life, not with tears and trembling but with peace and joy. The Son of God, Jesus Christ came to restore that peace and joy.

WHY JESUS CHRIST MANIFESTED HIMSELF?

1. To Be the Propitiation for Our Sins

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

Jesus Christ came to this world to save us from sins. We call it salvation. We must first know what sin is. Disobedience to the word of God is sin. We know that the original man ignored the word of God and ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, which was forbidden. This resulted in his losing his relationship with the Lord God and the presence of the Lord. He came under curse, suffering and death. In our lives also we do so many things disobeying the word of the Lord and hurt Him. By obedience we overcome sin. When we become worthy of the love of Jesus Christ, and love Him, we inherit the nature of obedience. By the loving presence and grace of the Lord, we stop sinning. Disobeying the statutes of the Lord God is sin. The Bible says, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). To live pleasing Christ, we must live according to His commandments. Even though it is said that we do not automatically become righteous by statutes, His commandments help us to live in the Lord and they lead to Him. Because we disobey the word of God, we lose all the blessings of the Lord and also the relationship with Him. We fret and foam. Dear children of God, we should obey to stand against the temptations of sins. We should commit ourselves to live pleasing Him and do according to His statutes. Secondly, any unrighteousness is sin. “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:17). In some families the parents prove themselves unrighteous by showing love and favour to some of the children by giving something to them and denying those things to others. But the Bible teaches that we should do only what is right. Our heart should always be willing to do the right thing. To do what is righteous in the sight of God we should become righteous. When we are so changed, we keep ourselves away from sin by the power of God. Further, sin is the result of lust, lust of the flesh and of the eyes. “For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16). Lust causes quarrels and fights. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? (James 4:1). Lust works against our souls. We are moved to do wicked things boldly. We read about King David in the Bible. It is said that he was a man after God’s own heart. But he committed sin as a result of lust. In II Samuel 11:1-3, it is said that he did not go to the war front at the time of war but remained at home and walked on the roof of the house. He saw a woman bathing and “the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Now he was emboldened to murder her husband. Then he took her as his wife. What is the consequence of that sin? Curse. The child born out of that relationship died. “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:15). In his life, lust led to sin. One of the Ten Commandments says: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). Jesus Christ came and offered Himself as the propitiation for our sins on the cross. Dear Brother / Sister, we were dead in sins. He came to give us a new life of fullness. He is faithful to do so in you as well. Let us commit ourselves to live a sinless life in Him and praise and thank Him for enabling us so.

2. To Destroy the Work of the Devil

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 

Satan works against us from the beginning. He causes some damages to us through his acts. Jesus Christ came to destroy his works and to deliver us from his evil power so as to enable us to live happily with health and success. Because the Lord God loved us, He sent Jesus Christ to destroy the works of the god of this age. You might know about the works of the devil. His aim is to drive a wedge between us and God. He wants to break the relationship between man and God. So he lies and tempts us to sin. He tries to trap us. But Jesus Christ delivers us from His wicked acts. One reason for His coming is that we should not be cheated by his deceit, but to have a wholesome life by the power of God. Secondly, we read about a woman bent up for 18 years. She was bound by a spirit of infirmity. So she could not straighten herself. She suffered for long. She was found in the synagogue. Jesus Christ saw her, called her and laid His hands on her. She was delivered from that weakness and became straight. She praised God. Today also we find so many people affected in the spinal cord. Even children of God have this weakness. But Jesus Christ knows the reason. If it is the work of the devil, He blesses by delivering and healing fully. It is also the work of the devil to blind us spiritually. The Bible says, “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Cor.  4:4). So it is the work of the devil to blind our eyes of wisdom. If you are not able to understand or meditate upon the Biblical passages, it is his work. He works by scattering our thoughts. You should take a decision to read the Bible with desire to know what the Bible teaches and guides. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the works of the devil and help you to have victory over him and to grow happily in Him. You should also know that the devil comes into a man’s life through sin and thereby takes hold of him. Then he destroys him fully. John 10:10 tells us: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” It is his intention to destroy us fully. In Luke 22:3, it is said that the devil entered Judas Iscariot. He was a disciple of Jesus Christ and should have been one of the apostles. He had the money purse and worked deceitfully. So Jesus Christ told about him that he was a thief. Because of the sin in him, Satan entered him. Dearly beloved in Christ, it is easy for Satan to enter a person when there is sin in him. Because of Satan he betrayed Jesus Christ and committed suicide. His end was pitiable. The Lord God wanted to destroy the work of the devil and to heal us to be blessed by sending Jesus Christ. All because of His love for us! Today you can find people delivered from the clutches of the devil and they gain sense after they are delivered by the loving act of God. The man who was possessed by the legion was without dress living in the midst of tombs. He came to Jesus Christ and was delivered by Him. As the evil spirits left him, he regained his senses (Luke 8:27). He was seated at the feet of Jesus and listened to his words. Jesus Christ came to this earth to destroy the works of the devil and to give us a healthy and joyous life. Through this act, the love of God manifested. 

3. To Wipe Away Tears 

“He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 25:8 

We see many people living in tears. They experience a lot of suffering. Hannah was in tears as she had no children. People shed tears because of lack of health, wealth or something. But Jesus Christ came to wipe away our tears by His wonderful act. He will meet every one of our needs through His wonderful acts. When you give room for seeking Christ, He will give a blessed life. “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34:10). He will wipe your tears away and give joy and peace by dealing with what you lack. Dear Brother / Sister, are you in tears? Are you in suffering? The Lord who sees your tears will wipe it away. He is faithful to do so. You may find no one to help you or wipe your tears. But Jesus Christ came to this earth to help you. When we suffer because of disease and in deathbed, we shed tears. In Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah was suffering from a disease that would cause death. He was told to set right his house before his death through Prophet Isaiah. On hearing that, he wept bitterly. He was griped with grief. He thought how he lived faithfully to the Lord. He prayed to the Lord to think of how he conducted himself before the Lord. Then the word came from the Lord: “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.” The same Lord lives and does miracles. He blesses us with good health. He is a loving God. You may be shedding tears because of the death of someone near to you. The Lord Jesus Christ will comfort you. He will change everything, wipe away your tears, set right the broken heart and bless you. Therefore, let us celebrate this Christmas with joy. 

4. To Bring Peace on Mankind

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 

Another important factor in man’s life is peace. Jesus Christ really gives this peace. This peace is also full. Because of it, we can live at all times joyously. Dear child of God, He said, “I leave my peace with you.” He is in our midst. He does not change. He is full of glory, risen from death. Through His peace, we would have joy in our boundary. In so many families, there is no peace because of children. But Isaiah 54:13 says, “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” The Lord who blesses our children with peace is alive even today. The purpose of His sending His Son is to restore the lost peace. He is the Prince of Peace. He will do away with all suffering and restore peace in life. There came to Him a woman who suffered for twelve years with issue of blood. She came to Jesus Christ and touched His garments with faith. She was immediately healed. She felt it in her body. Then Jesus enquired who touched His garments. She trembled and came and fell at His feet. “And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34). He restores peace by doing away with all our illness. Thus He will bless and restore peace in you.

5. To Send Fire on Earth

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Luke 12:49 

Today you need the kindling of fire in you. What is this fire? It denotes the power of God. This fire is from heaven. This is said in Ezekiel 28:17. The Lord was angry with Lucifer and to destroy all his evil doings this fire was created in heaven. This fire was sent to this earth through the Son of God Jesus Christ to destroy the works of the devil on earth. This anointing of fire destroys all the works of the devil that are done against us. Out of jealousy, evil spirits are sent to do evil through sorcery. The effects of such acts are annihilated by this fire and we are restored a healthy life. Jesus said, “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist said: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. In Zechariah 2:5, we read: “For I,’ says the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” Let us have this protection of fire and to be filled with the power of fire to destroy the works of the devil. He will make us a useful vessel in His hands. Let us praise the Lord Jesus Christ as this season of Christmas is a special blessed one for us.

                               May the Lord bless us! 

                         In the service of Christ Jesus, 

                               Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.