This is the most beautiful season of this
year when people are busy doing many things for their family members and
shopping endlessly. It is so nice to see the fresh falling snow and the landscape
and the mountain peaks are covered with snow and people try to light up fire
around to keep themselves warm. Talk about the time and effort we all take
decorating our houses and the trees! Not to forget the good food we can all try
with friends and the family members and it is indeed a beautiful season every
one is waiting for.
In this beautiful hustle and bustle, very
often we tend to forget what the real reason is for this season and what is the
main thing? 14 Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
[a] Isaiah 7:14; (NKJV)
Isaiah
chapter 7 is talking about the perilous times of the nation of Judah Syria
and Ephraim tried their pressure on Judah
to form an alliance against Assyria but, the
King of Judah, Ahaz refused to join them. We just wonder what the reason was
for the king of Judah Assyria (2 King 16: 5-9).
It is very clear that the King of Judah did not trust God and his promises, because if it was so, he could have easily broken that treaty and called the nation to prayer and praise. Prophet Isaiah was prophesying during that period and he gave a sign for the nation as well as for the “whole house of David.” This prophecy was concerning “Immanuel.” Immanuel means God with us and the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy is in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The
virgin birth of Jesus Christ is the key doctrine for Christianity, God coming in
the sinless flesh, and but for this sure
sign, we have no Saviour! This is a huge reminder that God was with His
people and would care for them. What a great beautiful promise fulfilled “sure sign”?
The virgin birth of Jesus is the belief that Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother Mary by the Holy Spirit and born while Mary was yet a virgin.[1] The New Testament references are Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. The virgin birth is not mentioned in the Pauline epistles, nor is it mentioned in the Gospels of Mark or John.
The virgin birth was universally accepted in the Christian church by the 2nd century, was enshrined in the Apostles’ Creed, and, except for several minor sects, was not seriously challenged until the 18th century, and remains a basic article of belief in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and most Protestant churches.
Jesus Christ willingly obeyed the will of the Father and chooses to be born of Virgin Mary in order to redeem each one of us and the humanity and buy us back from the law of sin and death. This is beyond our human reasoning and understanding and there is a definite percentage of mystery involved in it. If we extrapolate further, it is further humbling to note that though He was rich, for our sake He became poor, so that through His poverty we become rich; 2 Cori 8:9. When He was on the cross, He was despised and rejected by men, and the Word of God tells us that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; Isa 53:2-3.
God when He took humanity, he did not wait for us to recognize Him, esteem Him, and acknowledge Him for who He is. He is welcoming each one of us in to the family of God as adopted children; Gal 4:4-5. Through faith in Christ Jesus each one of us has the ability to become the child of God; Gal: 3:26.
God’s work through Christ Jesus opens the door to heaven for all believers.
Below are the Words of Te Deum. The Te Deum (also known as Ambrosian Hymn or A Song of the Church) is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered as "Thee, O God, we praise"3.
[We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud; the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy; Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty: of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge thee;
The Father: of an infinite Majesty; Thine honourable, true: and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter. Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: thou didst open the
Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come: to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants:
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints: in glory everlasting.
[added later, mainly from Psalm verses:]
O Lord, save thy people: and bless thine heritage.
Govern them: and lift them up for ever. Day by day: we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name : ever world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without sin.O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.]2
This article
is about the hymn. For the type of service, see Te Deum (religious service).
"Ambrosian
Hymn" redirects here. For hymns written by Ambrose, see Ambrosian
hymns.
Can we accept that this is a beautiful story which could be life changing?! So to all of us born of a woman there is hope and we can now approach the throne of grace knowing that He identifies exactly with our needs. When we face temptation, we know He will make Himself available to us, and His mercy and grace will be in abundant supply because He was tempted and tried in all points. Yet in all the temptations He was without sin; Heb: 4: 15-16. Especially when we encounter very stressful situations we know His grace will be sufficient for us; 2 Cori 12:8-9.
Man kind is totally depraved ever since the fall and God in His infinite mercy knows that we can never make it without Him. When we talk about total depravity we are talking about total degradation which affects all our mental, emotional, spiritual, faculties not with holding our perishing bodies. Now we have this great High Priest who was tempted and tried in all points like us, and interceding before God’s throne room for each one of us especially when we face rejection, hardships, extreme need and all other weaknesses.
Of course we never fully understand in our falleness, why God would choose to leave the comfort and security of heaven to come to earth. No one can fully fathom why God would leave His Divinity, and take the form of a bond servant, clothe in human flesh, and humble Himself to the point of death on the cross; Phil 2:6-8. Isn’t there any other way to redeem mankind?
It costs God His only Son’s life in order to understand each one of us, and make salvation available to us, and show the way to the Father. My biggest heart question is how many of us who call ourselves as Christians are eternally grateful for what God did though Jesus Christ His precious Son? For me, Virgin birth is indeed a sure sign for God in flesh and that humbles me to the point “my utmost for His Highest”.
Do we believe? What should be our response? What is the message to our hearts?
End Notes:
The virgin birth of Jesus is the belief
that Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother Mary by the Holy Spirit and
born while Mary was yet a virgin. The New ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Deum
The Te Deum (also known as Ambrosian Hymn
or A Song of the Church) is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is
taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum
...
Website
References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Deum
The Te Deum (also known as Ambrosian Hymn
or A Song of the Church) is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is
taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum
...
The Priests - Te Deum Lyrics.
Te te Deum laudamus* Te
te Dominum confitemur Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur veneratur Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra
veneratur ve
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Theology of Christian Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand Rapids
4. Louis Berkhof. Systematic
Theology. Grand Rapids
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Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey
and Review. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986, p.527-544.
6. Charles Ryrie.
Basic Theology. Chicago
7. A. H. Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey
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Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids
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Bible Doctrine. Amarillo: Westcliffe Press, 2007, p.188-191.
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Theology for Pastors, Teachers, and Laymen. St. Louis, Mo: Concordia
Publishing House, 1934, p.384-386.
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Prayers To Move Your Mountains. Nashville
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John White. Parables, the Greatest Stories ever Told. Illinois
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ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, Wheaton , Illinois
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The Matthew Henry Study Bible. King James Version. Iowa falls: World Bible
Publishers, Inc.1990.
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