(Our celebratory service this Shabbat was interrupted by a mob of unruly ultra-orthodox religious Jewish people.)
There was much messianic expectation around the time of Yeshua’s birth (Dan 9:24-26). Hanukka itself is a holiday commemorating a messianic hope which gives Israel and the Jewish people freedom from their enemies in order to worship YHVH God in an acceptable way in our own land. Simeon and Anna were waiting in hope for the Redeemer and Savior of the children of Israel and of Jerusalem, the City of the Great King. False Messiahs also arose about that time (Acts 5:35-39); today also there is Messianic expectation – Moshiach Now! – amongst many Jews and also Muslims and other religious and spiritist groups.
By the Word of God given to us in the Bible, and by the witness of the Holy Spirit given to us who believe what God says, we know that the only true Messiah is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born to the virgin Mary about 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, not so very far from us here in Beer Sheva. What a great thing for the Almighty God to demonstrate His humble nature by taking on the form of a man, and then humbling Himself by being a servant to men, and dying on the cross, bearing our sins so that we could receive the grace of life!
We do not believe in mythology or fables, but we have the testimony of real people in history who saw, who heard, who touched, who wrote; and more, we have the testimony of God Himself, who cannot lie, giving His record of His Son, Yeshua; and to seal this truth in those who do believe, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us so that we can know who and what and why we believe.
Let’s look at some of the reasons given as to why Jesus came in the flesh (1Jn 5:6; 4:2; Acts 1:11):
Hag 2:18-23; 1Cor 3:11; 2Tim 2:18-19 to lay the foundation of the Temple of YHVH, and to overthrow the kingdoms of this world
Mt 9:12-13; Acts 7:34 not to the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance and to deliver His people from bondage to sin
Lk 4:32-36; 1Jn 3:8 to destroy demonic power and the works of the devil, who is a deceiver, a liar, a murderer, a thief, a destroyer, and full of pride, which is the root of all evil
Jn 4:25; 15:15 to tell us all things which the Father has given Him to reveal for now
Jn 10:10 that His sheep may have life, and life more abundantly
Jn 15:22; 1:1-9 to expose sin; the Light has come into the darkness
1 Tim 1:15; Mt 1:21 to save sinners; His name is Yeshua, the Savior
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Jn 14:28 coming again to take us to Himself
Rev 22:12 coming quickly to judge every man according his works
