In Matthew 1: 21, we read:
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name YAHUSHUA for he shall save his people from their sins”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
The angel spoke these words of assurance to Joseph, who was engaged to be married to the virgin Mary, when he found out she was with child. For a young woman to be with child when engaged, or before being engaged, was a disgraceful thing in Israel and was punishable by death. Thus when Joseph found out that the young woman to whom he was engaged was pregnant, it was a very serious matter. Mary’s pregnancy, however, was not because of promiscuity or unfaithfulness. It was a divine act!!
In a dream the angel spoke to Joseph, whom Elohim had ordained to be the earthly guardian and custodian of the Holy Child, and told him that the Ruach Ha Kodesh had implanted the Holy Seed in the womb of the virgin Mary. The angel also told Joseph the Name by which the Holy Child was to be called and the reason for the Name. He told him:
“thou shalt call his name YAHUSHUA: for he shall save his people from their sins”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
Yahushua, or YAHWEH SHUA, came to this world for a specific purpose, to “save His people from their sins”. The Child that Mary was carrying in her womb was to be no ordinary child. He was to be the Saviour of the world and to “save His people from their sins”. This Holy Child in the womb of the virgin Mary was not conceived because of any human action. He was conceived by the Ruach Ha Kodesh, the Third Member of the Godhead, Elohim Himself!!
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she had found favour with Elohim and would conceive and bear a Son, whom she should call YAHUSHUA, she was shocked because she was still a virgin (Unknown to her, she had been specifically chosen by Elohim to bear the Holy Child, the Saviour of the world). She enquired of the angel, how it could be since she was still unmarried. The answer the angel gave to her was:
“The Holy Ghost, the Ruach Ha Kodesh, shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of Yahweh”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
The Ruach Ha Kodesh implanted the Holy Seed in Mary’s womb. But why did the Ruach Ha Kodesh have to play that special role? And why was the “holy thing” to be called the “Son of Yahweh”? This was because Yahweh, the Second Person of the Godhead, the King of Glory and Creator, had chosen to give up His throne in Heaven and come to this world of sin and shame in order to redeem and rescue mankind from the curse of sin and death. Most importantly, He did so to redeem the spirit (spirit and soul, the true person which never dies) of the human race from hell when they die (Luke 16: 19-31) and from eternal punishment in the lake of fire and Brimstone, along with Satan and his hosts, in the final Judgment ahead of this world (Revelation 20: 7-15).
Yahweh Shua, Yahushua, Elohim Himself, HAD to come to this world in human form to be our Saviour. No created being could have done that work, not even an archangel. It had to be done by the Creator Himself, Yahweh, the Second Person in the Godhead, because He had to engage in battle with an evil fallen angel, Satan, who had been in Heaven and had caused rebellion and war there. Satan’s name was Lucifer before he was cast out of Heaven. So powerful and influential was Lucifer, that he won a third of the angelic host. It was a very a vicious war because Lucifer was determined to win the war and take over as the Ruler of Heaven. Concerning this battle we read in Revelation 12: 7-9:
“7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”.
Satan lost the war and was cast out of Heaven. When he was cast out, there was rejoicing in Heaven, as we read in Revelation 12: 10-12:
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our Elohim, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our Elohim day and night. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
That, however, was not the end of the story because the lament also went up in Heaven on behalf of the inhabitants of Planet Earth. Concerning this we read in Revelation 12:
“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time”.
Once Satan came to this world, along with his demons who had been cast out of Heaven with him, he began his onslaught on the human race. The first thing he did was to deceive Eve who succumbed to his deception and sinned by eating the for bidden fruits which Elohim had told them not to touch nor eat. Adam, her husband, also succumbed to the same sin, though he was not deceived. His sin was a deliberate act!! Their sin gave Satan the opportunity he needed to usurp this world and take control away from Adam and Eve. He had not won the war in Heaven but through deception, he took this world easily.
The sin of Adam and Eve sinned automatically brought permanent separation between themselves and their Elohim Who is pure and holy. Their sin also incurred the penalty of DEATH. Sadly, because of their sin, the curse of sin and death and all the woes of this world passed on to the entire human race. Thus all have sinned and come short of Yahweh's glory (Romans 3: 23).
Satan made himself the god of this world, with the human race under his control. They needed a Redeemer!! The ONLY Person who could take on such an assignment, was the Creator Himself, Yahweh, the Second Person in the Godhead. No created being could take on the evil, hateful, wicked and vicious Satan, who was not afraid to make war in Heaven and whose influence had won him a Third of the angelic host.
The task to deliver the human race and the price which had to be paid to do so was very great. Yahushua, the Creator, decided to take up that unenviable role before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1: 20; Revelation 13:8). Thus when Adam and Eve sinned, the plan was already in place to rescue the human race from Satan, the Adversary. From that time until Yahushua came to this world four thousand years later, there were many prophecies about Him and His work of redemption. Among those prophecies were:
- Genesis 3: 15:
“…and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”.
- Isaiah 7: 14:
“Therefore Adonai himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
- Isaiah 9: 6:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
The place where Yahushua was to be born was also prophesied:
Micah 5: 2:
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”.
Four thousand years after the curse of sin came into this world, the time came for Yahushua, the promised Saviour, to come to this world and rescue mankind. Concerning this we read in Galatians 4:4:
“. . . but when the fulness of the time was come, Yahweh sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
And John 3: 16,17:
“For Yahweh so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For Yahweh sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
Just over two thousand years ago Yahushua, our Creator, Saviour and King, came to this world as a humbly and innocent Babe. He could have come in His splendour and awesome Majesty and have the world fall down before Him but He chose not to do so. Instead, He came as a helpless Baby, into the family of a poor Jewish couple. He could have chosen to be born in a king’s palace but He chose a lowly stable, which He shared with the animals.
For the first thirty years of His life Yahushua lived a quiet and humble life until the He began His earthly ministry, in preparation for the great sacrifice He would make on behalf of the human race. That sacrifice was to shed His blood and die for the entire human race; and that was the main purpose why He came to this world. He laboured and blessed this world through the works He did, including His teachings, mighty miracles and love for the human race. Finally, He suffered as no other person had ever suffered, and willingly died the most shameful of deaths upon the torture stake - the cross. By His suffering and death He won the war against Satan and sealed the redemption of mankind.
The cruel death of Yahushua upon that cross at Calvary almost two thousand years ago, fulfilled the angel’s prophecy to Joseph in Matthew 1:21:
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name YAHUSHUA for he shall save his people from their sins”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
Thank our loving Saviour, Yahushua, that He was not afraid to come to this world and with His own blood paid the awful price for our redemption. We are thankful that His death was not the end of Him!! Three days later He, our victorious Saviour and King, arose from the grave and gained the victory over death and the grave!! Forty days later after His resurrection, He returned to Heaven to intercede before Yahweh, the Father, on behalf of the human race and to prepare a place for those who down through the ages and up to the time of His return, would accept His love and sacrifice for them and make Him their Adon and Saviour (Hebrews 7:25; John 14: 1-3).
Soon our blessed Saviour, Yahushua, will return for His children in fulfilment of His promise in John 14: 1-3:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”.
(Apologies for changes to KJV.)
We thank our loving Elohim:
- Yahweh, our Father, for taking on the role of a Father and sending Yahushua into this world to suffer and die in our place.
- The Ruach Ha Kodesh, for His role in planting the Holy Seed into the womb of the virgin Mary, for watching over her and caring for her; for the safe delivery of the Baby Yahushua into this world and for being with Him throughout His life. Likewise we are thankful to Him for the mighty works He performed through Yahushua, who had laid aside His divinity and was fully human with human limitations (Luke 4: 14-18). (Apologies for changes to KJV)
- Yahushua Ha Mashiach, for His unselfish love and His suffering and death for us; whereby He redeemed us, the human race from the curse of sin and death and secured for us a place with Him in Heaven and a permanent home in the new earth; which He will create after this old, sinful and polluted world is cleansed by molten fire, following the final judgment. At that time King Yahushua will live and dwell with His redeemed children forever. When by His grace, He returns for ALL His children who made Him their Saviour and Adon, and take them to Glory with Him, then will come to pass the prophecy in Isaiah 53:11:
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied”
King Yahushua will indeed “be satisfied” when all His children are gathered home with Him in Heaven and in the new earth. Hence before the foundation of the world, He looked down the passage of time and beyond the ravages of sin to that time when they would be with Him forever. The “travail of His soul”- the pain of sin and His own suffering at the hand of Satan and his demons will be WORTH IT ALL!!
As we celebrate this wonderful time of year, the Birth of Yahushua, our loving Saviour, let us keep before us His imminent return to take His people from every kindred, nation tribe and tongue to be with Him. At that time there will be great rejoicing throughout Heaven which will continue in the new earth. How wonderful, THE REDEEMED OF EARTH will be the reason for that great rejoicing!! LET US BE READY AND WAITING for His coming and heed Yahushua’s admonition in Matthew 24:44:
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”.
YAHUSHUA HAS REDEEMED US. HE HAS SAVED HIS PEOPLE!! THAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS AND WHY TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO HE CAME FROM HEAVEN TO THIS WORLD RIDDLED WITH SIN AND SHAME!!
Have a wonderful time as you remember the Birth of our loving Saviour. Please be faithful and keep before you His soon return . IT COULD BE AT ANY TIME!!
NB: The Scriptures used in this Post are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
