Reggie Weems’ Blog

Text:  Isaiah 42:1-10
Name for Christ:  Covenant  (v 6)

No greater complement could be received from a thrice holy God than, “my soul delights in you” (v 1) and this is exactly what the Father says concerning the Son.  This, from the God Who “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) or change His mind (Numbers 23:19).  What kind of Person must Jesus Christ be to delight God’s soul? 

In that He is God, and God complements Him, both He in character and God in complement, cannot change.  What Jesus was and is, He will always be.  What the Father said in the past, is now and will always be.  Christ will never change.  The Father will never change His mind about Christ.  So, Christ Himself can be the covenant the Father makes with humanity.  That’s really important.  God’s “new” covenant with humanity was not written on breakable stone tablets.  It was not made with a people who are as stable as water.  It was made in an immutable Person and with an unchangeable Person.  Hence, an eternal covenant.     

Old Testament covenants depended on both parties honoring the treaty.  As such, no covenant was ever upheld by both sides.  No covenant was ever continually maintained.  This is the reason for a “new” covenant.  Even though Israel broke God’s covenant, God’s relentless love sought to establish another one; an unbreakable one.  How?  What if both people who made the covenant were immutable?  In that case, a covenant once made would be eternal and could be eternally trusted.  Hence, our salvation is eternally secure, not in our performance but in the Person of Jesus Christ, Who never changes and in Whom the Father is forever delighted.  We are saved and safe in Christ. 

Imagine Christ as the Covenant.  He is never lost.  He never wears out.  Ink won’t fade like memories do.  Wherever you are, whatever you do, He is there (Emmanuel) to remind you of God’s faithfulness to His “Covenant,” His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  So we can think of baby in the manger (as in this evening’s Christmas cantata) as a love letter, God’s contract, the Certainty of His commitment to Himself as a God Who, after thousands of years, has kept His Word and provided the yearned for Messiah.  Christ is that living Covenant! 

Text:  Isaiah 11:1-10
Title for Christ:  The Branch from Jesse’s Root

Jesse lived at least eight generations after Judah during the days of the prophet Samuel. He and his family had lived in the town of Bethlehem in the territory of Judah for several generations—at least since the time of Boaz (Ruth 2:4). Matthew 1 and Luke 3 both mention Jesse in their genealogies.

Isaiah, that great forthtelling prophet speaks of the baby Jesus as a branch from his father Jesse’s root.  Isn’t that interesting since Jesus was before Jesse?  It would seem that Jesse is a branch from Jesus’ root.  Yet the Lord humbled Himself (Phil 2:5-8) and was born a baby in the line of David and Jesse.  He indeed, “made himself of no reputation” not simply by his birth in Bethlehem and His almost anonymous life in Nazareth but first and foremost in His willingness to be born among humans.  There is really no way to illustrate the great chasm that God spanned in the incarnation; it is simply so vast that it cannot be defined.

The Branch from Jesse’s root speaks of Jesus’ humility in His humanity.  Indeed, Christians descend into greatness just as Christ descended in His incarnation/humiliation to David’s eternal throne.  Yet exactly because of His willingness to be humbled, God has “highly exalted Him.”  How did God exalt Jesus as a reward for His humility?

In Romans 15:12, Paul connects Jesus lineage from Jesse to the hope of the Gentiles: “And again, Isaiah [11:10] says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.’  Jesus Christ was born so “that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Romans 15:9), a mercy which the Gentiles would never have enjoyed without the incarnation.  Even in his lineage, God’s mercy is seen by the inclusion of three Gentile women [Tamar (Genesis 38), Rahab (Joshua 2; Matthew 1:5), and Ruth (Ruth 4:13-22)]—who, by their first birth, did not deserve to be included in the Messiah’s family tree.  Yet the ’offshoot’ of that branch from Jesse’s root multiplies to an innumerable host of Gentiles who stand before God’s throne in worship of that ‘Branch.”     

Tell the children that God resists the proud (1 Peter 5:5) but gives His grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).  It is difficult to be more Christ-like than when a person humbles themselves before God and other people.  He humbled Himself even unto death and God greatly rewarded Him with a Gentile bride made beautiful by His blood.  How can we refuse to humble ourselves?  And what might God do with that humility?

Text:  Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7
Title for Christ:  Immanuel

At our Christmas Eve service I will draw attention to the differences between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ.  One very important difference is that Santa shows up only once a year for a very short period of time whereas Jesus is our ever-present God.  This is the great advantage that the writer of Hebrews emphasizes to his readers in the first three chapters of that epistle of encouragement.  The Lord Jesus is superior to Israel’s high priests who, as human beings, eventually died.  He is superior to Moses who sinned and was replaced with Joshua.  He is superior to angels who are created, finite beings.  He is superior to the Sabbath, an inanimate and insufficient symbol of the the Lord of the Sabbath.  He is superior to the Temple; it was destroyed never to be rebuilt; He was destroyed only to rise again in a glorified body (prophesied in Psalm 16:8-11).

The title of Christ as Immanuel is both a wonderful and challenging.  We can encourage our children to remember that Christ will be with them as they begin school, on field trips, as they graduate, when they go off to college, in marriage, etc.  At the same time, our children need to understand that Christ is ever present with them so “be careful little eyes…little hands…little feet…”.  God knows and the fact that God knows is both wonderful and fearful.

Christ is an ever-present Savior and ever-present Judge.  This is comforting to His people.  For this reason, we can live righteously, commit our lives to Him and know that He will righteously judge all wrong in a manner that renders any judgement we might render as wholly insufficient.  Let us trust Him and commit judgement to the God Who sees all, Who knows all, Who is ever-present to save and judge.  Indeed, in part because of His personal acquaintance with humanity through the incarnation, the Father has committed all judgement to Him (John 5:22).  No wonder vengeance is His (Deut 32:35; Romans 12:19).

What a wonderful thought.  We can live in total trust toward a God Who is ever-present.  We are free to forgive.  We are free to give mercy.  We are free to live coram deo without focusing time, attention or energy toward those who would harm us.  He will save.  He will judge.  He is Immanuel; God with us!!!

Text: Psalm 110
Title for Christ:  Priest at God’s Right Hand

Ask the children:  If you wanted to meet a famous person, would it help you to meet that famous person if one of your friends knew the famous person?

Psalm 110 is quoted by New Testament writers more than any other Old Testament passage; not more than any other Psalm but more than any other Old Testament passage.  It is a royal Psalm, perhaps written for David’s coronation.

Equally as important is that only two verses of Psalm 110 are quoted in the New Testament.  These must be very important verses.  When verse one is referenced it highlights Christ’s exalted position at God’s right hand.  When verse 4 is quoted, it presents Christ as an eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek.  As such, Psalm 110 presents Christ as our priest and King, something absolutely forbidden in the Old Testament.  (Remember, king Saul lost his throne because he offered sacrifice to God).  In the Old Testament, a king could serve as a prophet but a king could never serve as a priest.  Yet Jesus is both to and for us.  He represents us before God the Father, and as God, represents us before Himself.  Imagine if your defense attorney was also the judge.  That’s the situation with Christ!  The baby is our advocate and our judge, our priest and our King!

What more could God do for us than has already been done?  Even still, there are daily mercies that God unveils to us, continually amazing us at His overly abundant grace.  One of those great benefits is that Christ, our High Priest and Elder Brother sits at God’s right hand interceding for us (Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25).  He is there to introduce us to the Father in salvation, to intercede for our sanctification and to precede us in glorification (Hebrews 2:10-12).

The baby born in Bethlehem was both the Lamb of God, God’s sacrifice (John 1:29) and the High Priest of God (Psalm 110:4).  He was both offered and the Offerer (Acts 2:23).  A prophet represents God to people.  A priest represents people to God.  As our High Priest, the Lord Jesus represents us before God (I John 2:1).  Our life is secured as long as Jesus lives and He lives forever at the Father’s right hand.

Christ is seated in that place of honor until the Father fully honors His work at Calvary by saving and judging (vs 1-3).  The Father will accomplish this as Christ intercedes for His people’s safety from God’s wrath (v 4).   At the same time, that same saving Christ will also judge those who fail to trust in Him (vs 5-7).

The baby born in Bethlehem really is the way (John 14:6) to God.  He goes before us and introduces us to our God, our Father (John 20:17).  In Christ we see and and know God (John 1:14) because Christ is our king on the throne and our High Priest at God’s right hand.

Text: Psalm 72
Title for Christ:  the King

Lead on, O King eternal,
the day of march has come;
henceforth in fields of conquest
thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
thy grace has made us strong;
and now, O King eternal,
we lift our battle song.

In Psalm 72, David prayed for himself as Israel’s (God’s) king.  There’s certainly nothing wrong with praying for yourself. After finishing her evening prayers, one child jumped out of bed, back onto her knees and prayed, “P.S.  Dear Jesus, take care of yourself because if anything happens to you, we’re all sunk.” 

I’m fairly sure David did not know that he was praying for the Lord Jesus, God’s ultimate King, (Read Matthew and Luke’s geneaology) but everything in Psalm 72 points directly to Him.  All that David prayed for His greater Son was certainly fulfilled by God in the Person of Jesus Christ.  In that, Psalm 72 is a wonderful Psalm to read as we contemplate the birth of Christ this Advent season.

For that reason, the very best thing you might do in connection with the deovtion today is to take the time to read Psalm 72.  Really.  You will be amazed at God’s goodness to His Son.  You will be amazed at the goodness of God’s Son. It will remind you that God has determined to center everything, time, creation, eternity, on Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16).

Lead on, O King eternal,
till sin’s fierce war shall cease,
and holiness shall whisper
the sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords loud clashing,
nor roll of stirring drums;
with deeds of love and mercy
the heavenly kingdom comes.

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 Moses prescribed guidelines for Israel’s king in the Promised Land.  No king lived up to his standards; even the best of Israel’s and Judah’s kings fell short.  Their humanity always trumped their position.  Whether he/she be a king, president, prime minister, premier; the people who rule over us are us and “none of us is righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10) for “we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard” (Romans 3:23).  Anyone who places their hopes in any ruler other than Jesus Christ will always be disappointed.  Eventually, Israel finally entered the Promised Land and demanded a king.  In response, the prophet Samuel tried to warn them about the waywardness of human kings in 1 Samuel 8:10;18.  He ended his warning with the stern words, “And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”  Sadly, he was right about the best of Israel’s and Judah’s kings.   

But not the King of Psalm 72.  All that David prayed he himself would be, Jesus was.  After all, He is the King of kings!  This is indeed a wonderful Psalm about a glorious King.

Now really, I could write more on this but no one could say it better than God’s inspired Word itself.  As you read Psalm 72, you will be enthralled about this Person Whom God has chosen to reign for eternity.  You will be glad that Jesus is your King and that you are a citizen of His kingdom.  Oh by the way, as do most of God’s prophecies concerning the reign of Jesus Christ, this one has a missional aspect/prayer.  (Remember what I said Sunday?  Those who don’t believe God’s Word are speechless but those who do, can’t stop talking about Him)  In the end of God’s timetable, Jesus rules not only over the church but over everything.

Here is how the Psalm ends.  “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! 20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended” (vs 18-20).

May this be our prayer as well.  Tell the children, “Human rulers will always disappoint us.  But we are so glad that Jesus is our King.  He is perfect.  His ways are perfect.  His words are perfect.  And one day, the whole world will see Him like we see Him.”

Lead on, O King eternal,
we follow, not with fears,
for gladness breaks like morning
where’er thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted o’er us,
we journey in its light;
the crown awaits the conquest;
lead on, O God of might.  

Text:  Psalm 22
Title of Christ:  One Forsaken By God

There are many prophecies concerning Christ in the Old Testament.  Psalm 22 begins with the very words Christ uttered on the cross - “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” (v 1).  Even though He knew the answer from before the world’s foundation (Ephesians 1:4), Christ’s humanity still cried out in anguish in the moment of His suffering.  It wasn’t as though Christ went to the cross unknowingly or unwillingly.

On Sunday one of our members asked me why Jesus had to be God and man in order to die for our sins.  The reason is that many men might be willing to die for someone but equally (actually, moreso) unable.  In fact, Paul wrote, “perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die” (Romans 5:7).  But God demanded perfection and since no man is perfect, even a willing person would not be able to satisfy God’s righteous demands of perfection.

On the other hand, a perfect person might be unwilling to die for sins.  Why would he?  A perfect person would not have to die (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23) so why should he do so?  Unless He was God.  As God, Jesus was what the Old Testament called a “kinsman redeemer.” To redeem, a savior had to be related to those whom he was redeeming. (Consider Boaz and Ruth, King David’s great-grandparents) As God and man, Jesus was both willing and able to die for the sins of others.  In death He took our sins (Ephesians 1:7) and in His resurrection He proved Himself to be God (Romans 1:4).

As Psalm 22 predicts, Jesus was indeed forsaken but He was forsaken so that we might not be forsaken.  He died alone in order that we might live with Him forever.  God did not erase our sin debt as though He forgot it in as much as He forgave what He knew was true because Jesus died in our stead.  In this way, the triune God was both just - sin was paid for and could be forgiven - and the Justifier of anyone who would place their faith in Him.  Paul wrote in Romans 3:26 that the cross enabled God “to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

We do not have to hope that we will be forgiven as though we are concerned that God might change His mind or that our sins might reappear.  We can have every confidence that we are forgiven because Jesus died for our sins.  What God prophesied through David, He accomplished in Christ.  Hallelujah, praise the Lamb!

Text:  Job 19:23-37
Title of Christ:  Living Redeemer

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”

There is often no more heroic an endeavor than one in which the rescuer saves some perishing soul.  Kevin Costner recently played such a part in “The Guardian.”  As the movie opens, viewers hear Ashton Kutcher’s voice say, “There is a legend of a man who lives beneath the sea. He is a fisher of men, the last hope of all those who have been left behind. Many survivors claim to have felt his gripping hands beneath them; pushing them up to the surface; whispering strength until help could arrive. But this, of course, is only a legend.”  Indeed, legends of dying gods abound in religious literature.

Interestingly, an inscription in the Vatican reads, “He who will not eat of my body, nor drink of my blood, so that he may be one with me and I with him, shall not be saved.”  Surprisingly, the inscription is written on the temple remains over which the Vatican has been erected but the temple was originally dedicated to the pre-Christian pagan god Mithras, the solar diety whose normally Roman warrior followers referred to as redeemer.  Oh, Mithras was also born in a cave, with shepherds in attendance, on the twenty-fifth of December.  The Christian preacher John Chrysostom (347-407) claimed that December 25th was appropriated by Christians as the day of their Savior’s birth in order that they might freely celebrate their God’s birth on the same day on which pagans worshipped Mithras.  Chrysostom wrote, “On this day also the Birthday of Christ was lately fixed at Rome in order that while the heathen were busy with their profane ceremonies, the Christians might perform their sacred rites undisturbed. They call this the Birthday of the Invincible One; but who is so invincible as the Lord? They call it the Birthday of the Solar Disk, but Christ is the Sun of Righteousness.”   

There were of course, others in Roman, Greek and Babylonian religions.  Baal was worshipped as the annually dying and resurrected god of the harvest.  All that dying must have been so wearying that one year he simply didn’t get up.

All this to say that Christianity wasn’t the first to possess a dying god and resurrected redeemer.  But Christianity will be the last to do so.  Ours is the God and the Redeemer.  Job was convinced that he would see his Redeemer and not ”another” (v 27) on judgement day.  Concerning the myriad of first century myths about dying and resurrected gods, Peter encouraged his readers, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). Shortly after Christianity appeared on the Roman scene (okay, in the 4th century), the worship of Mithras ceased.  The Babyonian and Greek gods have also proven false.  Their absence speaks volumes to their lack of reality.  The writer of Hebrews tells us, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet” (Hebrews 10:12-13).

Interestingly, just as Israel waited on the Messiah, so now the Messiah waits.  Again, with the backdrop of more myths than a religious person could number, Peter foresaw the mockery Christians would endure.  He wrote that some would scoff.  “They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:4).  Peter responded, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (v 9).  Amazingly, even the Lord’s waiting is a patient mercy toward those who deny His existence.  But He did come and He will come.  Once as a babe, soon as a King.  Once as a sacrifice, soon as the Lord.  Once as a lamb, soon as a Lion. Let’s confess with Job that “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”  Tell the babies…many men have tried to be gods.  Only one God became a man.  Many kings require their subjects die for them.  Only one King died for His subjects.  But the baby born in Bethlehem and the man who died on the cross was always both God and man and because of that, He ever lives!