Kingdom Pregnancy part one

KINDOM PREGNANCY

 HOW CHRIST WAS BIRTHED INTO THE WORLD

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When you think of Christ, what comes to your mind? When we think of Jesus, we must realize that we are dealing with a Man. The Person who came from heaven was also fully human ( John 1:1-2 )

     We visualize humankind as sinful and recall history that has swept or brought about sin into our individual and societal experience. At times, we are even ashamed of humanity. How far this attitude is from the Scripture!

     At Creation, God made two affirmations;

 _"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth" - Gen 1:26_

     This tells us that our identity is not rooted in this world but in eternity.* We bear the likeness of God as a true Person. Even David, the Psalmist expressed this wonder and caught a glimpse of it in Psalms 8:3-6.

  

     God created human beings for dominion ( Heb 2: 8-9 ) In Jesus, we see our destiny realized. He fulfilled the destiny of humanity by becoming King and in doing so was bringing many sons to glory. Jesus is the King of kings and we are kings over whom and with whom, He reigns. 

     Messiah means " anointed one ". Two genealogical elements are critical to demonstrate Jesus' right to reign. The first was a relationship with Abraham ( Mat 1:1) God gave Abraham special and great promises ( Gen 12, 15 and 17). The second genealogical element is the relationship to David. God promised David that the Messiah would come through his family line. The ultimate King would be born from the family of David. The promised Messiah of the Jews was to be God and man. He is called in Jer 23:6, "The Lord Our Righteousness" in this context.

      No sooner, Jesus was introduced!* After so many prophecies concerning His birth in the Old Testament, the son of Abraham, the son of David, Israel's destined King was introduced (Mat 2:1) No two men could ever stand in starker contrast.

     Herod was proclaimed king of Judea by Rome. He was a brutal and decisive king, punishing and executing his enemies, rewarding his friends. It was when he was stricken with an incurable disease he heard of the new born King to be worshipped by the wise men. The dying man still struggled to grasp the power that had brought him and his family only suspicion, hatred and death. God warned the wise men and Joseph wasn't excluded. Herod's dream of power and glory turned into a nightmare.

 

     _As Herod was living in his last days in the splendour of marble, Christ was born in a stable. Such a great humility!_

     Jesus entered our world. The Child grew up in a small town far from the seat of power. The Young Man stood on a riverbank recognized by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, destined to take away the sin of the world. He walked on the roads of Palestine, teaching and healing. He raised no army. He seeked no earthly glory. He ultimately humbled Himself and accepted death at the hands of selfish men who saw Him as a threat to their place and their power.

     _And yet, through it all, He is forever a King!_ 

     A King in whom you and I find, not only our redemption but a pathway to the unique dominion over ourselves and our circumstances to which God has destined humankind.

     _Jesus remains King and dominion is ours - if we choose it in Him._ 

     Shake the Herod's dream off and see in Jesus humility the key to greatness and great glory.

     

     In Him, we grasp our title deed to rule!

 Written by Gbemisola Daisi 

Team Editor