Calvin Synod Herald, 2013 (114. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2013-11-01 / 11-12. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 2 Christmas 2013 “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1:11-14 Sisters and Brothers in Christ, The miracle of Christmas is that God came from heaven to the earth. He put human flesh upon Himself in Jesus, who was bom according to the prophesies: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el. (Isaiah 7:14) He was born of Mary, God ’s chosen servant. “But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law “ (Gal. 4:4) “And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have foundfavor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end. "And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband? " And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. ” (Luke 1:30-35) He came among His own people but they did not recognize Him. (John 1:11-14) There were some people who were privileged to see Jesus as a baby, God’s Messiah sent to the earth. Mary and Joseph, first, and then the shepherds, who were watching their flocks in the fields. "And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 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 among men with whom he is pleased!" When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:8- 15) The shepherds believed and went to Bethlehem. Later, the three kings or wise men from the Orient came to honor Him and presented their gifts. (Matthew 2:1-2;10-12) Simeon, an old faithful servant, also recognized Jesus as the Savior sent by Boldog Karácsonyi Ünnepeket Kívánunk! ^Wishing yon a 1Merry Christmas WILLIAM PENN ASSOCIATION Fraternal Life Insurance and Annuities Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Toll-free: 1-800-848-7366 www.williampennassociation.org The Only Hungarian Fraternal Benefit Society in the U.S.A. God. Anna, a widow serving in the temple, also praised God for sending the Messiah to the earth. (Luke 2:22-38) King Herod heard about Jesus and he promised to pay homage to Him, however instead in his jealousy he sent soldiers to eliminate the long awaited Messiah, but he did not succeed. Cradled by Mary and Joseph, he became a refugee in Egypt for a period of time. (Matthew 2:1-23) Only those can recognize the Savior in Jesus Christ to whom God reveals this and who experience a spiritual new birth and a new life through Christ. In the Gospel of John we read: “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12,13) We all receive grace through Him. “And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. (John 1:16-18) Christmas is approaching, Christ’s birth is proclaimed all around the world as the fulfillment of God’s promises and salvation to the earth. May God give us grace to recognize and welcome our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! A Blessed Christmas to all! Bishop Poznan
