#GOFAMINTDailyDevotion Sun. 24/12/2017
Quarter’s Theme: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE CHURCH
UNIT 1 – Knowledge About Interpersonal Relationship (Lessons 1-4)
ENLARGEMENT MONTH
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 56, 75
Devotional Reading: ISAIAH 9:1-7
Topic For Adults
THE BEST RELATIONSHIP
Topic For Youths
AN INESCAPABLE RELATIONSHIP
Topic For Intermediates
A NECESSARY RELATIONSHIP
Scripture Lesson
ISA. 7:10-14; MATT. 1:18-21; MATT. 1:22-25; MATT. 1:24-25; EPH. 2:14-18
24/12/2017 LESSON 4
THE ULTIMATE RELATIONSHIP
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 24/12/2017
Christ, All In All In A Supreme Relationship
Col. 1:9-14
Our church is known as “the church with the word for the world”. From our text this morning, the Colossian church had the saving knowledge of the word (Col. 1:4-7). The writer of this passage wanted them to know how to apply the knowledge. There are two things that are associated with this. Accumulation of knowledge begins with teachability, then, move to understanding (verse 9). The result is if you apply what you are taught then you are teachable. Paul the apostle was a strong teacher of the word but he always declared his submission to Jesus – the Supreme leader who is “all in all”. In the Bible, Jesus declared His supremacy over all things. He rescued us from the captivity of Satan and transformed us from the power of darkness. Christ takes pre-eminence over all created beings as the “firstborn from the dead”. Everybody on Earth is lost to Satan and bound for hell. We were lost and entangled in sin but God in His mercy sent the Lord Jesus Christ to make us alive to God by receiving forgiveness for all our sins. It pleases God to have His fullness in Christ Jesus and bring everything back to Himself through Christ Jesus. (Verses 19-20). Without mincing words, Jesus Christ is all in all who made the supreme relationship between God and man possible through His life.
Point of Emphasis: There is no substitute for the supreme relationship between God and man. Christ is “all in all”.
Prayer Point: Lord, help me by Your grace not to miss out of Your supreme relationship.
BACKGROUND
The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world is the Good News of salvation to mankind. It brought spiritual life to the spiritually dead and hope for the hopeless. It was a divine event which was deliberately planned by God. It reactivated and restored the ultimate relationship between God and man which had earlier been marred by and tainted with sin. This week’s lesson centres on the marvelous plan of God in making Jesus – His only begotten Son to come into the world to reconcile men to God at the cost of His own life.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
PART 1: THE IDEAL RELATION-SHIP (ISA. 7:10-14; MATT. 1:18-21)
Prophet Isaiah’s prediction has to do with the Old Testament covenant fulfilment and forerunners of the new covenant. Although the people in the world failed to heed to God’s covenant vows, God never stopped to speak through His servants. Prophet Isaiah spoke God’s word about the messianic prophecy to the obstinate people of his days though he knew it would be rejected and unheeded until the new order emerged. He was sure also that God would fulfil the Abrahamic covenant and promises. The fundamental and the ultimate goal of the covenant was that the LORD’S promise was to bring ‘salvation’ to the whole world – Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4) and He also promised to be God unto Abraham and his seed (Gen. 17:7).
When prophet Isaiah gave Ahaz the prophecy, he rejected the counsel of the prophet but trusted his own limited understanding. He sought the help of Assyria (2 Kgs. 16:5-18). The immediate application of verse 14 was to a new bride who would be a virgin until the time of her marriage. The ultimate fulfilment was realised in virgin Mary’s conception of Jesus Christ through the miracle of the Holy Spirit and not through the act of men.
There are three notable facts from the Angel’s message in Matt. 1:21. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth was not complex. Simply put, the conception of virgin Mary is through the Holy Spirit. Indeed, Jesus birth is miraculous. The Angel’s message reveals that the child will be a son; his name will be Jesus which signifies His mission – He will bring salvation to mankind. All of this is to attain God’s great provision for man to enjoy His ideal relationship.
PART 2: THE UNRIVALLED RELATIONSHIP (MATT. 1:22-25)
Matthew’s gospel reveals that God worked in a wonderful way to bring to pass the fulfilment of what the Old prophets predicted about the messianic birth. The original message of prophet Isaiah about the Saviour came into reality through the birth of Jesus.
God had been so concerned about for the loss of mankind and His design for his salvation. Matthew seems to have quoted the prediction of Isaiah 7:14, though it was not stated like that. Making deduction from the two writers reveals that there is no contradiction between them. Both of them highlight the essential facts about Jesus Christ. He is surely God in the flesh, the Saviour of all who believe and obey Him.
The importance of Jesus being born of virgin Mary cannot be over-emphasised in order to ascertain that Jesus fulfils all what it takes to be our Saviour.
- He is fully human, sinless and fully divine (a) The only way Jesus could be born a human being was to be born of a woman (b) the only way to be sinless was to be conceived of the Holy Spirit (c) The only way to be fully divine was to have God as His Father.
In view of these facts, His conception was not natural but supernatural. Luke 1:35 says “that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God”. It is therefore reasonable to say that Jesus is revealed as one divine person with two natures – divine and sinless human being. He is sympathizing with our weakness (Heb. 4:15-16) as the divine son of God. He helps our infirmities and has the power to deliver us from the bondage of sin. There is a progressive trend for anyone who accepts Jesus as his or her personal Saviour. After accepting Jesus as the Messiah – Son of God, personal Lord and Saviour, we are baptised into Him and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is evidence that God is with us and that we are having and enjoying unrivalled relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PART 3: THE SUPREME RELATIO-NSHIP (MATT. 1:24-25; EPH. 2:14-18)
Joseph, the husband should be commended for heeding what the Angel told him. Having been convinced that the child ‘Jesus’ would escape the shame of being called ‘illegitimate; and avoid reproach from all accusers, he took Mary to be his wife. Both Joseph and Mary acceded to the will of God.
Matthew used the word ‘till’ in verse 25 to draw attention to the fact that after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary entered into the full physical union as husband and wife. We are told that Jesus had brothers and sisters (Matt. 12:46-47; Mk. 3:31-32; 6:3; Lk. 8:19-20). It could therefore be said that Joseph and Mary had a normal relationship. Matthew concluded verse 25 by laying a final emphasis upon the specified name ‘Jesus’ to re-echo that the child is designed to bring salvation of God to mankind. Fully aware of the significance of the name, both Joseph and Mary complied in giving the child the name Jesus.
There is no clear evidence as to when Jesus was born but December 25 was chosen all over the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is not the day or what we eat on the day that matters. What is important is to be sure that our attitude and action reflect the spirit of Christ.
Jesus is our peace. He broke the wall of hostility that kept us apart bringing us back to God in one body. He gives us access to the father through the Holy Spirit. We have the right to approach our heavenly father and subscribe to the supreme relationship which Jesus made possible for us (Eph. 2:14-18).
CONCLUSION
We must identify with Christ in this life. Salvation has never been attained by human device, trusting in rituals or by following the prescription based on human ordinances. It is given on God’s terms. Jesus is the Way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by Him (Jn. 14:6). We should approach and bring people to Christ with reverence and gratitude. A close walk with Jesus is the greatest and ultimate relationship that one can have in life.
QUESTIONS
- Why is the coming of Jesus into this world Good News to all?
- How will you describe the prediction of prophet Isaiah about the Messianic birth?
- Why is Matthew’s message in Matthew 1:21 not complex?
- Why was Jesus being born by a virgin important?
- What does the word ‘till’ used by Matthew in Matt. 1:25 connote?
- What is the most important thing about Christmas?
