Sunday, December 16, 2018

Christmas


The Hebrew Scriptures written by recognized Hebrew Prophets promising a Messiah were well known. Jews believed these scriptures were inspired by God and they stated that the Messiah would be descended from King David and would be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. Christmas memorializes the birth of the Messiah.

Jeremiah 23:5 - "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.

Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Micah 5:2 - "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

Jeremiah 31:31-34 - "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 


The Prophet Amos (791-740 BC) identifies the Messiah’s role in saving the Jews. https://hallel.info/amos-messiah-restore-lost-tribes/. Amos also declares God’s promise to restore Israel as a nation.

The scriptures in the New Testament chronicle the life of Jesus in detail. When Jesus began his ministry at age 30, thousands of Jews witnesses his miracles and heard His words. Thousands believed Jesus was a Prophet and many believed He was the Messiah.

The first Christians were the Jews. They were Apostles and Disciples. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Apostles continued to perform miracles and more Jews were converted to Christianity. They knew the scriptures, saw the miracles and were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah.

Christianity and Judaism offer an inseparable continuum of God’s promises. The Christian Bible contains both the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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