More than 1900 years ago there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life.
This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively.
Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived and that was during His exile in childhood.
He possessed neither name, wealth, nor influence.
His relatives were inconspicuous, uninfluential.
They had neither training nor education. In infancy He startled a king.
In childhood He puzzled the doctors.
In manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon billows as if pavements and hushed the sea to sleep.
He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.
He never wrote a book, and yet, all the libraries of the country could not hold the books that have been written about Him.
He never wrote a song, and yet, He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined.
He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students.
He never practiced medicine, and yet, He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near.
He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun, and yet, no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot being fired.
He is the Star of astronomy
The Rock of geology
The Lion and the Lamb of the zoological kingdom.
He is the Revealer of the snares that lurk in the darkness.
The Rebuker of every evil thing that prowls by night
The Quickener of all that is wholesome.
The Adorner of all that is beautiful
The Reconciler of all that is contradictory
The Harmonizer of all discords
The Healer of all diseases
The Savior of all mankind.
He fills the pages of theology and hymnology.
Every prayer that goes up to God goes up in His name and is asked to be granted for His sake.
Every seventh day the wheels of commerce cease their turning and multitudes wend their way to worshiping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him. (AT LEAST they USED to!)
The names of the past proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone.
The names of the past scientists, philosophers and theologians have come and gone;
but The Name of this Man abounds more and more.
Through time has spread 1900 years between the people of this generation and the scene of His crucifixion, yet He still lives.
Herod could not kill Him.
Satan could not seduce Him.
Death could not hold Him.
He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the living, personal Christ.
This Man, as you know, is Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior.
A study of the Bible reveals Christ as its central subject and great theme.
What the hub is to the wheel, Christ is to the Bible.
It revolves around Him.
All its types point to Him.
All its truths converge in Him.
All its glories reflect Him
All its promises radiate from Him
All its beauties are embodied by Him
All its demands are exemplified by Him.
All its predictions are accepted by Him.
Abel’s lamb was a type of Christ.
Abraham offering Isaac on Mount Moriah was "a type" of God giving Christ, His only Son on Mount Calvary.
The Passover lamb in Egypt was a type of Christ.
The brazen serpent in the wilderness was a type of Christ-He told Nicodemus so Himself.
The scapegoat typified Him bearing our sins.
The scarlet thread that the harlot Rahab hung in the window of her home in Jericho typified Him.
Joseph, pictured to us by the Bible without a flaw, was a type of Christ. “Who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
In the Old Testament He is spoken of as “the angel of the LORD,” and, as such, He appeared unto men…
He was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
He was with Abel in his death.
He walked with Enoch.
He rode with Noah in the Ark.
He ate with Abraham in his desert tent.
He pled with Lot to leave wicked Sodom.
He watched Isaac reopen the wells that his father Abraham had dug.
He wrestled with Jacob at Peniel.
He strengthened Joseph in his time of temptation, protected him in prison and exalted him to first place in the kingdom.
He watched over Moses in the ark of bulrushes, talked to him from the burning bush, went down into Egypt with him, opened the Red Sea for him, fed him on bread from heaven, protected him with a pillar of fire by night and after 120 years of such blessed companionship that left no marks of passing time upon Moses, led him up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, let him take one long, loving look at the Promised Land and then kissed him to sleep, folded Moses’ hands over his breast, and buried his body in an unmarked grave, to sleep in Jesus till the morning of the great resurrection day.
He was the Captain of the LORD’s host to Joshua, led him over the swollen stream of Jordan in flood tide, around Jericho, in conquest of Ai, helped him conquer Canaan, divide the land, and say good-bye to the children of Israel.
He was with Gideon and his famous 300.
He was with Samuel when he rebuked Saul.
He was with David when he wrote the twenty-third Psalm.
He was with Solomon when he built the first temple.
He was with good king Hezekiah when Sennacherib invaded the land.
He was with Josiah in his great reformation that brought the people back to the law.
He was with Ezekiel and Daniel in Babylon.
He was with Jeremiah in Egypt.
He was with Ezra when he returned from Babylon and with Nehemiah when he rebuilt the wall.
In fact, He was with all those “who though faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were mad strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
Abraham saw His day and rejoiced.
Jacob called Him the “Lawgiver of Judah.”
Moses called Him the “Prophet that was to come.”
Job called Him “My Living Redeemer.”
Daniel called Him the “Ancient of Days.”
Jeremiah called Him “the LORD our Righteousness.”
Isaiah called Him “Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
All of this in the Old Testament? Yes, and much more besides. “To Him give all the prophets witness.”
Micah tells of the place of His birth.
Jonah tells of His death, burial and resurrection.
Amos tells of His second coming to build again the tabernacles of David.
Joel describes the day of His wrath.
Zechariah tells of His coming reign as KING over all the earth.
Ezekiel gives us a picture of His millennial temple.
In fact, my friends, it matters little where we wander down the aisles, avenues, byways or highways of the Old Testament.
Jesus walks beside us as He walked beside the two disciples on that dusty road to Emmaus on that glorious resurrection day long, long ago.
Its types tell of Him.
Its sacrifices show Him.
Its symbols signify Him.
Its histories are His-stories.
Its songs are His sentiments.
Its prophecies are His pictures
Its promises are His pledges.
And our hearts burn within us as we walk beside Him across its living pages!
When we open the New Testament, the Word which was in the beginning with God becomes flesh and dwells among us and we behold His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
There are four personal histories of His earthly life written in the New Testament.
One is by Matthew, the redeemed publican, and signifies His lineage.
One is by Mark, the unknown servant, which magnifies His service.
One is by Luke, “the beloved physician,” and tells of His humanity.
One is by John, “whom Jesus loved,” and it tells of His deity.
He is Christ The King in Matthew
The Servant in Mark
The Man in Luke
The Incarnate Word in John.
Concerning His royal lineage we learn that He was born in Bethlehem, the Seed of Abraham, the Son of David, the Son of Mary, the Son of God; and was acknowledged as “King of the Jews,” “Christ the LORD,” “God’s Son,” The Savior of Men,” by angels, demons, shepherds and Wise Men; and that He received tribute of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Concerning His service we learn that He labored as a carpenter, opened eyes of the blind, unstopped deaf ears, loosed mute tongues, cleansed lepers, healed the sick, restored withered hands, fed the hungry, sympathized with the sad, washed the disciples’ feet, wept with Mary and Martha, preached the Gospel to the poor, went about doing good and gave His life as a ransom for many.
Concerning His humanity we learn that He was born of a woman, as a little babe was wrapped in swaddling clothes, grew up and developed as a child in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men. He worked with His hands, grew weary, He Hungered, He thirsted, He slept, He felt the surge of anger; knew what it was to be sad, shed tears, sweat drops of blood; was betrayed, went through the mockery of a criminal trial, was scourged, had His hands and feet pierced; wore a crown of thorns, was spit upon, was crucified, was wrapped in a winding sheet and was buried in a borrowed tomb behind a sealed stone, and was guarded by Roman soldiers in His death.
Concerning His deity we read that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, spoke matchless words, stilled storms, calmed waves, rebuked winds, multiplied loaves, turned water to wine, raised the dead, foretold the future, gave hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind speech to the dumb, cast out demons, healed diseases, forgave sins, claimed equality with God, arose from the dead, possessed all authority both in heaven and on earth.
He was both God and Man; two individuals united in one personality. As man, He thirsted;
as God, He gave living water. As man, He went to a wedding; as God, He turned water to wine. As man, He slept in a boat; as God, He stilled the storm. As man, He was tempted; as God,
He sinned not. As man, He wept; as God, He raised Lazarus from the dead. As man, He prayed; as God, He makes intercession for all men.
This is what Paul means when he writes, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” He was made unto wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
He is The Light of this world
He is The Bread of Life
He is The True Vine
He is The Good Shepherd
He is The Way
He is The Life
He is The Door to Heaven
He is The Faithful Witness
The First Begotten of the dead
The Prince of the kings of the earth
The KING of Kings and The LORD of lords
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending
The LORD who is, who was and who is to come,
The Almighty.
“I am He that liveth, and was dead and behold,
I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of hell and of death.”
He is the theme of the Bible from beginning to end:
In Genesis He is the Seed of the Woman
In Exodus He is the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus He is our High Priest
In Numbers He is the Pillar of Cloud by day the Pillar of Fire by night
In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses
In Joshua He is the Captain of our Salvation
In Judges He is our Judge and Lawgiver
In Ruth He is our Kinsman Redeemer
In 1 and 2 Samuel His is our Trusted Prophet
In Kings and Chronicles He is our Reigning King
In Ezra He is the Rebuilder of the broken-down walls of human life
In Esther He is our Mordecai
And in Job He is our Ever-living Redeemer, “For I know my redeemer liveth.”
In Psalms He is our Shepherd
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes He is our Wisdom
In the Song of Solomon He is our Lover and Bridegroom
In Isaiah He is the Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah He is the Righteous Branch
In Lamentations He is our Weeping Prophet
In Ezekiel He is the wonderful Four-faced Man
And in Daniel the Fourth Man in “Life’s Fiery Furnaces.”
In Hosea He is the Faithful Husband, “Forever married to the backslider”
In Joel He is the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and with fire
In Amos He is our Burden-Bearer
In Obadiah He is the Mighty to Save
In Jonah He is our great foreign Missionary
In Micah He is the Messenger of Beautiful Feet
In Nahum He is the Avenger of God’s Elect
In Habakkuk He is God’s Evangelist, crying, “Revive thy work in the midst of the years.”
In Zephaniah He is our Savior
In Haggai He is the Restorer of God’s lost heritage
In Zechariah He is the Fountain opened to the house of David for sin and uncleanness
In Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings
In Matthew He is the Messiah
In Mark He is the Wonder-Worker
In Luke He is the Son of Man
In John He is the Son of God
In Acts He is the Holy Spirit
In Romans He is our Justifier
In 1 and 2 Corinthians He is our Sanctifier
In Galatians He is our Redeemer from the curse of the law
In Ephesians He is the Christ of unsearchable riches
In Philippians He is the God who supplies all our needs
In Colossians He is the fullness of the Godhead, bodily
In 1 and 2 Thessalonians He is our Soon-Coming King
In 1 and 2 Timothy He is our Mediator between God and man
In Titus He is our Faithful Pastor
In Philemon He is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother
In Hebrews He is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant
In James He is our Great Physician, for “The prayer of faith shall save the sick.”
In 1 and 2 Peter He is our Chief Shepherd, who soon shall appear with a crown of unfading glory
In 1st 2nd and 3rd John He is Love In Jude He is the LORD coming with ten thousands of His saints
And in Revelation He is The KING of kings and The LORD of Lords!
He is Abel’s Sacrifice
Noah’s Rainbow
Abraham’s Ram
Isaac’s Wells
Jacob’s ladder
Jacob’s Scepter
Balaam’s Shiloh
Moses’ Rod
Joshua’s Sun and Moon that stood still
Elijah’s Mantle
Elisha’s Staff
Gideon’s Fleece
Samuel’s Horn of Oil
David’s Slingshot
Isaiah’s Fig Poultice
Hezekiah’s Sundial
Daniel’s and Malachi’s Sun of Righteousness.
He is Peter’s Shadow
Stephen’s Signs and Wonders,
Paul’s Handkerchiefs and Aprons
He is John’s Pearly White City.
He is a Father to the Orphan and Husband to the Widow
To the traveler in the night He is the Bright and Morning Star
To those who walk in the Lonesome Valley...
He is the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon and the Honey in the Rock.
He is The Brightness of God’s Glory
The Express Image of His Person
The KING of glory
The Pearl of Great Price,
The Rock in a Weary Land
The Cup that runneth over
The Rod and Staff that Comforts and The Government of our life is upon His shoulders.
He is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Living God!
My Savior, my Companion and My LORD and KING!
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