December
24, 2003
GOD
WITH US
"Behold,
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God
with us" (Matthew 1:23, NKJV).
"They
shall call His name Immanuel,... God with us." The light
of the knowledge of the glory of God is seen in the face of
Jesus. From the days of eternity, Jesus was one with the Father
(John 10:30). He is the "image of God (2 Corinthians
4:4). The disciples "beheld His glory" (John 1:14;
Matthew 17:1, 2). It was to manifest the glory of God that
Jesus came to our world. To this sin darkened earth He came
to reveal the light of God's love, and to be "God with
us."
By coming
to live with us, Jesus was to reveal God to His creation.
He is the Word of God (John 1:1). He was on earth God's thought
made audible, "The words that I
speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father
who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the
Father and the Father in Me" (John 14:10, 11).
"The
plan of redemption was not conceived in haste. It reveals
God's character that He gave His only Son to ransom us. God
is love, and His government rests upon that principle. The
great controversy is the selfish system of Satan and the selfless
system of God in collision. While Lucifer stated he would
'be like the Most High' (Isaiah 14:14), Christ is the Most
High. 'Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness
of men' (Philippians 2:6, 7)."--Jesus,
p7.
From
the days of eternity Jesus was one with the Father (John 1:1).
He is "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians
1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4). He is the image of the Father's
majesty and glory. Yet, Jesus took the nature of humanity
upon Himself and cloaked His divine nature. Had he come in
His divine glory and splendor, we would not have been able
to relate to him nor understand the depth of His character
of love. He took our nature upon Himself so that we might
receive His nature. Christ did not cease to be God when He
became a man. In Jesus, the two natures became inseparably
one, yet each remained distinct. Jesus, the Word (John 1:1,
14), was with God from eternity, yet He "chose"
to become flesh that He might ransom us from sin! Through
Jesus, we are linked with God, we are adopted into His family.
It is
our choice the nature we choose. Jesus gave up the courts
of heaven that we might have the choice to become the sons
and daughters of God.
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