"For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'" [Matt. 3:3]: We often take notice of the prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament! Here is one that adds a twist. People, even in our day, are always looking for a sign that Christ is about to return. Isaiah offered a true one regarding Christ’s first coming. That sign was John the Baptizer. He had a miraculous birth and was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb.
Under inspiration, Matthew traces the genealogy of Jesus right back to Abraham through King David insists that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary and not by Joseph. Jesus’ human ancestry was exactly what God had said The Messiah's would be. Chapter two records 4 prophetic fulfillments surrounding the birth of Christ Jesus. Born in Bethlehem! An Escape into Egypt! The slaughter of children in Ramah and Christ’s ultimate return to Nazareth rather than Bethlehem as one might expect. In His quest to prove that Jesus is Messiah, Matthew is off to an amazing start!
God made Christ a fully human, yet sinless man by stepping around Adam’s dead, fallen nature. God conceived Christ in Mary with no human father. Sin entered the world through Adam and it passed to all other humans through their fathers. All men have human fathers and are therefore sinners. Jesus did not have a human father and was therefore sinless. Not only was this a notable miracle, but it was an absolute necessity for Salvation. Adam was without sin when he was created, but then chose to sin. Jesus, being The Eternal Son, never sinned. Jesus reversed what Adam did. God would become one of His own creatures. He would be a man without sin and because He was also God the Eternal Son He would not sin. He will never sin!
After months or even years of training there comes a time when the training ends and the doing begins. The runner finally takes his place on the track for the race. A good coach has taught him how to run but he knows that he cannot run the race for him. Nevertheless his purpose is not over. On the day of the competition the coach does not go on vacation. He does not stay home and cut the lawn. He goes over to that stadium and he gets as close to his athlete as the rules allow. He rises early to meet his runner, hopefully to pray with him and for him, as I have often seen done. He goes over the training once again and expresses his confidence that he will finish well in the race. God's Word likens this life to that race. He compares the coach to God and His Word of instructions and the others cheering us on are the weak, broken sinners that have already successfully made it to the finish line. They are not stronger than us. They are like us. God helps the weak. We ALL Need Help to Run!
Because the death of Christ is God’s only solution for the sin, God warns us that if we reject Christ there is no other place to go. God is making one offer only. If you believe in God then you should be able to see the logic here. Man was lost and spiritually dead because of sin. God in kindness sent His Only Son to take your punishment for sin. That is the only provision He made for your sin. It is totally sufficient. It shows His love for you. He has made it known to all men through the Bible and the preaching of the Gospel. There is a Hell and it should be avoided at all costs.
Can you imagine what the world would be like without alienation? We would actually trust one another again. We would not suspect the motives of family, friends and neighbors. We would desire only the best for one another and would never think of doing or saying anything that might alienate people from one another. In short. there would be a blessed unity and peace among men. The opposite of alienation and the antidote for it is "reconciliation." Because of the Cross of Jesus, you can be first reconciled to God and then by necessity to one another. While Satan seeks to vandalize the image of God in man, Christ restores it by washing us and sanctifying us for God’s presence. Once reconciled to God the marvelous transformation of our lives begins.