“Think on These Things” is a column by pastor Ian Cotton of Creston’s Seventh-day Adventist Church
Christmas is coming and we should remember that not even COVID-19 took God by surprise.
Before Adam and Eve sinned, God had a plan for their redemption. God so loved that He gave His best, Jesus, the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” for our salvation.
God sees the end from the beginning. Some of the most amazing Bible prophecies are about Jesus; for example, Isaiah 53, which shows that Jesus is the Messiah.
Long before Jesus was born, the Jews realized that there were many prophecies in the scriptures about the Messiah. When Jesus arrived, He said to them, “You study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are they that testify about me.”
The Old Testament has prophecies about Jesus; the New Testament records how He came, lived, died and will return - the whole Bible is about Jesus. So read the Bible to know your creator and saviour, whom to know is life eternal.
He is the “beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.” He had no beginning and has no end. In Jesus is life original, underived, for He is “life.” He made everything that was made, so He cannot be a created being. He is the source of all creation and life.
In the Gospel of Matthew, you will find at least 21 references to fulfilled prophecies! The New Testament clearly shows that it was Jesus who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.
Some of the prophecies of the Messiah tell us that He would:
Be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
Be called the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, 7)
Be born in Bethlehem - He is the one who is from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)
Be preceded by a messenger (Malachi 3:1)
That’s just the beginning of His life! Could anyone man meet all those prophecies perfectly? The odds of anyone meeting these specifications are too great to be meaningful. But Jesus did.
He came on time, fulfilled all the prophecies and died a “perfect” death so that those who trust in Him as their Saviour and make Him Lord of their lives will be redeemed from this world of sin.
Some recognized Him when He came. The wise men who brought Him presents knew He was the Messiah; so did the shepherds who visited Him in the stable; Simeon and Anna in the temple knew.
God told us Jesus was coming because He had a plan to save man from his sins.
Why? Because He loves us. John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Belief, alone, is not sufficient for “even the demons believe.” We must learn to “trust and obey, for there is no other way.”
Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments.” God sent His Son, Jesus, for you, and me, as well as for all who ever lived.
Our eternal destiny is determined by our answer to the question, “What are we going to do with Jesus, the Christ?”