Understanding Jesus Christ – part one.

11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  ​​ ​​​​ Luke 2

We find the birth of Jesus recorded in The Gospel of Matthew where we read:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just​​ man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered​​ this, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying,
​​ ‘’Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’’​​   Matthew​​ 1:18-21 RSV
This birth was uniquely different because never before had a young woman who had not known a man conceived a child. Yet, for those who knew their Scriptures, this was not an unexpected occurrence for some 800 years before the prophet Isaiah had, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, prophesied that this was exactly what should happen.​​
‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’​​  Isaiah 7:14 ​​
Not only would this birth be factual, but he stated, as we can see, that the child would be a son whose character and attributes would exactly mirror those of his Heavenly Father so that, in that sense alone, he could be termed ‘Immanuel’, that is, ‘God with us’. So the actuality of this extraordinary event was known – they just did not know when, and to whom it should happen.​​ ‘A virgin shall conceive and bear a son’;​​ that is all that was known of the young​​ woman.

But when the time for this miraculous birth arrived, Mary knew because as we have read, an angelic messenger from God told her; and further, Joseph was told not to be at all concerned about taking ​​ her as his wife, for she had done no wrong; her condition had come about by the action of God’s Spirit power. The corresponding record of his birth is to be found in Luke 1:26-35.

To the natural mind this birth was extraordinary; but this was of God and​​ ‘with God all things are possible …’​​ ​​ (Matthew 19:26)​​ ​​ This is a fundamental principle we have to accept; God’s power is immense and by it He can achieve whatever He wishes.

So, the egg in Mary, fertilized by God’s power, developed and in due time Jesus was born into the world – a male child of flesh and​​ blood through his mother’s nature and therefore subject to death – like you and I – possessing through that nature the same desires and tendency to disobey we all have, being​​ ‘… made of a woman, made under the Law’. (Galatians 4:4).​​ ​​ The Apostle Paul is here making reference to the Law of sin and death introduced by God as the result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:17-19).

It should be noted that the descriptions of Christ’s birth we have referred to, precludes the possibility of Christ having a prior existence; the words used, conceive, birth, made of a woman, are all descriptive of the beginning of a life.

At this point it is pertinent to ask, ‘Why was he born and what is it that makes him so important to mankind?’ ​​ Paul, writing to the​​ Galatians tells us:
‘God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law,​​ to redeem them​​ that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons’.​​  Galatian 4:4-5. ​​
That is to say that by adoption, all men and women might have the​​ opportunity to escape death and become related to God eternally, as sons and daughters. ​​ It is this intention that was in the mind of God from the very beginning; a fact confirmed in​​ John 1:1 &14​​ where we read ‘​​ In the beginning was the Word (Gk. Logos meaning ‘purpose or intent’) ……’ and the Word (Logos) became flesh and dwelt among us’. ​​​​ Christ’s saving role is also indicated in other titles used of him e.g. ‘Christ the Redeemer’, and ‘Christ the Saviour’.

From his birth onwards we know little of his childhood, save what is written in Luke’s Gospel where we read​​ … …
‘And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him’.​​   Luke 3:39 
It is clear his wisdom came from the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures, and no doubt from the guidance he received from his God-fearing parents. ​​ His knowledge of those scriptures was soon to astound his hearers. When he was 12 years old, his parents went to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, and Jesus, having gone missing, was eventually found in the Temple among the Doctors of the Law, hearing them and asking them questions, and they were astonished at his understanding, as the scriptures tell us.​​
‘And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers’ ​​ Luke 12:46
. ​​​​ Clearly he had immersed himself in the wisdom of God as revealed in the Scriptures, and when rebuked by his mother for leaving them he said,​​
‘How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business?​​  Luke 2:49
This answer indicates his awareness of the role God intended for him; his obedience to his earthly parents and obvious love of God and obedience to His commandments became a fitting preparation for the rest of his short life.

His work really began when he​​ was baptized by John and God’s Spirit power was conferred upon him.
‘And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him; and there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’.​​   Mark 1:10-11
Not only was his status as the Son of God confirmed at this time, but the power that was now his, was​​ to enable him to perform the most amazing miracles, even to raising the dead, as proof that he spoke and acted with Divine authority. In everything he did he gave the glory to God as he later said:​​
‘… as my Father hath taught me , I speak these things’.​​ John 8:28​​ ;

​​ and ‘the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me’.​​ John 6:36
He recognized that without God’s help and guidance he was powerless.

His primary role was to preach the Gospel, aided by men chosen by him to carry on this preaching effort after his death. To this end he appointed twelve disciples – men from a variety of​​ occupations, who, through close contact with him and his words were to believe in him, as the one sent by God to preach salvation to mankind. ​​ John recognized this when he declared:
‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God’.​​   ​​ John 6:68-9
It is this that makes his role in life so important for us for as Matthew states,
‘He shall save his people from their sins’. Matthew 1:21. ​​
Sin, which is disobedience to God, brought death; Christ was to make salvation possible by doing what the first Adam failed to do – by perfectly obeying his Father’s will, no matter the personal cost. God Willing, our next article will describe how well he succeeded in fulfilling​​ the role for which he was destined.​​ 

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