For thousands of years, the promise remained that God would send a Redeemer and Savior. God promised that when He came, the Messiah would turn things around in this world.
Isaiah 61 gives several details about God’s Promise.
The Messiah would declare good news to the poor and comfort the brokenhearted. He would release captives and free prisoners of darkness. He would comfort all who mourn, give beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy and gladness instead of mourning. Those who receive Him would be given a garment of praise instead of a burdened and heavy spirit. Ruined cities and old ruins would be rebuilt. The desolations and barrenness of many generations would be repaired and replaced with joy and life. Instead of shame, believers would receive double honor and recompense. Instead of humiliation and reproach, they would shout for joy over their portion. They would receive a double portion for all of the losses in their land and everlasting joy would be theirs. The Messiah would faithfully compensate them for all of their harm and loss and establish God’s Kingdom and rule on the earth.
The Bible is filled with an array of prophecies that find fulfillment in the thirty-year life span of Jesus of Nazareth.
God described the Redeemer’s coming to the prophets in various ways and by many names. He would be Emmanuel, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. His life, work and word would be tied to His name, Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:7 NKJV Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
This word “zeal” demonstrates the persistent passion of God to accomplish His promise.
As a result of God’s passionate promise, the world began looking for the arrival of a King Who would solve their troubles and usher in peace. Deep within the human need is the hope and expectation that One would come to bring peace and safety. Although they were looking for Him, they were not prepared for His humble arrival. I have often been impressed with the words from Luke.
Luke 2:7 NKJV And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Look at those words, “THERE WAS NO ROOM.”
It is amazing that the promise of His coming had been clearly foretold and was a highly anticipated event, but there was no room. Neither hundreds nor thousands of people came to behold the child in the manger.
He was born in obscurity.
There was not a parade or high celebration of individuals to go by that lowly stable. Jesus the Christ was born in a manger because there was no room in the inn. Not only was there no room in the inn, the palaces of kings offered no place for His birth. In fact, when King Herod heard of his birth, he looked for opportunity to kill him. Although He was the Prince of Peace and King of glory, there was no room for Jesus. For ages, the Sanhedrin, scholars, prophets, and elders looked for the coming of the Messiah, yet there was no room for Heaven’s Representative in their chambers for His birth.
When the Scriptures say: “There was no room for them in the inn,” it means that there was no room for Christ.
There was no place for the Prince of peace. God promised when the fullness of time had come He would send His Son Who would be born of a woman to purchase freedom and atone for sin. It was the right time for His birth, yet the world was not ready to receive Him. Do you find it strange that the world is still trying to exclude Christ and His teaching from their lives?
He was born in humiliation.
Isaiah 53:2 AMP For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him
Isaiah 53:3 AMP He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.
Take a close look at the Man called Jesus.
He was God’s ordained representative, but He was rejected and despised. He came down to live on our level and to die in shame on a cross to redeem us from sin and death. Although He was born in obscurity, the prophets said He would change the world. His person, life and ministry offers the only hope for mankind. He is the Healer of broken hearts and He sets captives free. The promise said, He would rule on the throne of David eternally. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace.
He was born in a stable because there was no room for Him.
Not only was His beginning humble, His life and ministry was short-lived.
According to worldly standards, His life was not impressive. His public ministry began at the 27 A.D. Passover and ended during Passover of 30 A.D.. He never wrote a book or pinned a song. His wisdom and knowledge were unsurpassed, but He did not have a list of degrees. He was not wealthy and never owned a house or a pillow for His head. He had no money to pay taxes. He had to borrow a room to celebrate the Passover and a donkey for transportation. He walked the dusty roads of Judea and ministered to outcasts and sinners. His only banquet was in the house of a sinner. He preached on hillsides and taught on streets. The only time He had royal robes on His back was while they were mocking Him and scorning Him with a crown of thorns. He died on a cross and was buried in a borrowed tomb.
The Gospel shows the record of His life.
He taught 54 discourses. He gave 52 fragmentary sayings. He quoted 73 Old Testament Scriptures. He gave 34 parables. There are 34 recorded miracles that He performed, yet, the records indicate that He did so many miracles and healings that they could not be recorded.
Isaiah was given a miraculous sign of His coming.
Isaiah 7:14 NKJV Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
The Promised One was a miracle of conception and birth. The angel told Mary how it would happen.
Luke 1:35 NKJV The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Nothing like this had ever happened before and will never happen again. His conception and birth was a miracle of God. The Messiah, The Christ, was born of a virgin.
The announcement of His birth was glorious.
On the day of His birth, only a select few individuals caught a glimpse of His glory and majesty. Luke 2 tells us, while shepherds were watching their flocks at night they heard and saw a multitude of the heavenly host of angels who were praising God as they announced His arrival.
Luke 2:13-14 NKJV And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
God wanted the world to know that Jesus the Christ the promised Messiah had come.
When wise men saw His star, they came from the East to Jerusalem to worship Him.
Matthew 2:9-10 NKJV …The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
When they came into the house and saw the young Child and Mary His mother, they fell down and worshiped Him.
As a man, Jesus did things that no other man has done.
John 21:25 says: “There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
His miracles declare Him to be the Son of God.
In His first miracle He turned water into wine, and then He healed many blind, deaf, and lame people. He told fishermen to cast their nets and draw in a multitude of fish. He raised the dead, cured lepers, cleansed the defiled, and cast out demons. Two times He fed thousands of people with a few fish and loaves. He calmed a storm-driven sea by the word of His mouth and He walked on water. He cursed a fig tree by the road, and it immediately died and withered away, (Matthew 21:19). He restored a man’s ear that Peter had cut off. He did so many miracles that they could not be recorded. He forgave sins and refused to condemn the guilty.
Although He did so many wonderful things, He was hated, mocked, and scorned.
They tried to stone Him and throw Him out of town. They beat, slapped, and hit Him in the face. He was beaten with a lead-tipped whip. They lied about His actions and falsely accused Him. They repudiated His ministry, actions, and power and attributed His work to the power of Satan. They refused to believe that He was Who He said He was. They called Him the Prince of devils. They took Him out to the hill called Golgotha and crucified Him on a cross. He was buried in a borrowed tomb where He lay for three days. On the third day, God raised Him up from the dead.
Jesus the Christ is God’s Promised Redeemer.
Many people still have no room for Jesus Christ.
Have you prepared a place for Jesus in your life? He is not looking for a palace fine but a place in your heart and life.
Revelation 3:20 NKJV Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
If you will invite Him, He will come and dwell in your heart and life. He will not come in until you open the door and make room. When you do, He will fill the emptiness inside. He will give you beauty for ashes. He will replace your heavy, burdened and failing spirit with praise and gladness and give you peace. He will take your hurt and grief and give His healing and comfort. He will take away your sorrow and sighing and give you joy and gladness. He will overflow you with God’s love and give you a hope-filled future. He will spread His covering and shield over your life.