“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).
From the dust he breathed life into, he came forth. The night Christ inhaled his first breath, the heavens exhaled in a triumphant declaration: “The Redeemer of Man is born!” The wonder and complexity of the great I AM was here, veiled in fragile flesh. At Getting to Know Your Bible (GTKYB), we would like to share the story of this precious gift with you!
Who is Jesus Christ and why is he our way to our salvation?
To understand who Jesus is, you must read what was prophesied about him. You do not have to read too far through the first book of the Bible (Genesis) to do this. You can find the first prophecy of Jesus in the verse below:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15).
When mankind gave in to the desire for sin—its own way over God’s way—death was introduced to us. Humans were designed to live forever, but we are doomed to eternal separation from God by the introduction of this sin and death. But who is strong enough to crush the head of death? Who could rescue mankind from it? Only God himself.
Understanding the love of the Lord and why he would rescue a creation that rejected him can keep any theologian wondering. Before Eve ever tasted the forbidden fruit, and before God even made the human race, the divine plan of redeeming mankind was put into motion. It is part of the wonderful mystery of God; who can fathom?
Listen to the Word of God
If you read the Old Testament, you will find hints and clues of a coming savior we now know as Christ. However, you must understand that the prophets of old only knew that a redeemer was coming—they did not know exactly who he was or how he would come. Isaiah writes of Christ,
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4-5);
“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11).
When the prophets of the Old Testament started to point toward the one who would pay for mankind’s iniquities, they were pointing toward a perfect sacrifice. Yet, you also see that the coming redeemer would not just redeem man, but do much more. The book of Daniel says this about Christ:
“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).
The Redeemer would restore creation and establish a new kingdom. He was not only coming to save mankind from its depravity, but he was coming to establish his rule over the earth.
From the moment humans rebelled in the Garden of Eden, the world became full of darkness. Men became full of hatred and evil, wars broke out, and mankind fought one another and shed blood over disputes. It even came to the point where God was grieved that he had created mankind, as you read in the story of Noah. With all this chaos in the world, what was the world’s greatest need?
It was not a perfect set of rules that everyone would abide by, as those would just be broken. It was not a great king that could rule with an iron fist, for kings pass. It was clear that the world needed something eternal, something permanent—a payment.
What would be so precious to pay for the sins of the world?
The blood of Christ is God veiled in flesh. What a testament to the love of God and the value of human life! Christ is the everlasting payment, the author of our salvation, and the King of Kings. What separates the faith of Christians from other religions is at its core - an innocent king who lays down his life for his people. This belief might test your understanding of God.
Christ was not about being first, but last. He was not about being a master, but a servant. He was not proud, but humble. He had the only right in the world to be all of those things, but he did not consider himself equal with God. Instead, he took the form of a servant.
Test your understanding of God
You can understand more of who Christ is by listening to the Word of God. In a world full of darkness, we are like pilgrims among sirens. Yet, don’t lose hope. A savior was born to us who can keep the sirens at bay and calm the raging seas. To further your education of the word of Christ online check out our free bible courses! The purpose of the courses offered on GTKYB is to help you get to know God and understand the Bible. The Bible should inspire and educate you. It should not be boring or a burden. God’s word teaches us about the plan He has for our lives, let God shine his light on you in this new year. Visit our site and sign up today.
May God bless you and keep you!
Billy
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