Ps 145:1-13  David’s praise.
I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless your name forever and ever.  
Every day will I bless you; and I will praise your name for ever and ever.  
Great is YHVH, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.  
One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.  
I will speak of the glorious honor of your majesty, and of your wondrous works. 
And they shall speak of the might of your terrible acts: and I will declare your greatness. 
They shall abundantly utter the memory of your great goodness, and shall sing of your righteousness.  
YHVH is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness.  
YHVH is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all his works.  
All your works shall praise You, O YHVH; and your saints shall bless You. 
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk of your power; 
To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion throughout all generations. 

We are beginning the Winter season this week. Both Hanukkah and Christmas are early wintertime holidays.  (https://streamsinthenegev.com/school-of-fish/conception-and-birth-of-john-the-baptiser-and-jesus-the-messiah/ )

Although we bless our God every day all through the year, at this particular time there is a special celebration dedicated to one of His mightiest acts: Messiah the Lord was born to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem in Judah! The birth itself was a normal and natural birth by the mother. It was the conception that was miraculous: the Holy Spirit and the power of the Highest came upon this young Jewish woman in such a way that she became pregnant with the child who would be called the Son of the Highest, and He would be the King Messiah who would sit on David’s throne and reign over the House of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom will never end. (Lk 1:29-33; Is 9:6-7)

If the expected Messiah had come down from Heaven as an angel, the Jewish people might have been more receptive. They were used to having the Angel of YHVH appear to some of their people at different times in their history. The Greeks (Gentiles) might also have been more receptive if He had come in that manner: in their paganism the gods showed up (somehow); they even thought that the Apostle Paul and Barnabas were gods. (Acts 14:8-18) Angels, and gods of fables, are supernatural, but neither can redeem and save anyone from the righteous judgment of YHVH God.

But, no! The invisible God, the Creator of the heavens and the Earth, and the seas, and all things in them, took on flesh and blood as a human being born of a woman, having become an embryo and fetus in the mother’s womb, just like the rest of us are born! Is this not a mighty act of our God?! Worthy to be praised?! Such greatness is surely unsearchable, as David writes in his praise of YHVH, his God and King. And He has become our Father God and King if we know who Yeshua/Jesus is and believe in His Name for salvation. (Jn 1:10-14) 

When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary and to Joseph about God’s purpose for her and the Son, he told them that they would “call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins”. (The name Yeshua signifies that Jesus in Himself is the Savior.) (Mt 1:18-23; Lk 1:30-33) 

This is the gospel message: Jesus saves! From what? Our sins. Why does that matter? We will die forever separated from Life if we die in our sins. (Rom 5:6-21) What is the chief sin? Not believing in the one true living God, and in His Son, Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah. (Jn 16:5-11; 17:1-5) What is sin? Sin is lawlessness, which causes us to disobey and to transgress the Law which comes from the God who created all things, and who alone forgives sin. (Gen 3:11; Ps 130)

Yeshua was born according to the promises of YHVH God throughout human history from the beginning, even in the Garden of Eden. (Gen 3:15) Evolution offers no hope for sinners, and it rejects the truth of the one true God, the One who has told us what He did, when He did it, and what His holy and righteous plan of love is to save sinners from the consequences of sin, which is everlasting separation from the God of Life. Yeshua came into the world that He made in order to die in our place on the cross, so that all who repent and believe the gospel can receive and know that their sins are forgiven, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the free gift of everlasting life with the Lord!

Is this not a mighty and wondrous act of God?! The amazing YHVH, God of Israel, not only created all that is, but humbled Himself to come the first time miraculously born of a virgin young woman, suffered and died a horrible crucifixion, was buried, and rose from the grave on the third day, all according to the Scriptures. (1Cor 15:1-8) This same Yeshua/Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of the Father on the Throne in Heaven, and will come again to save His people who love Him from those who hate both Him and those who have put their hope and trust in Him. Our living hope in the redemption of our body – of being resurrected with a new and perfect body – is joined together with the return of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 

Humanity was created in the image of God (Gen 1:24-31), but we are separated from Him due to our fallen nature (Rom 3:23). This we have inherited from Adam, and our own personal sin further condemns us (Rom 5:12; 1Jn 1:8-10). This is bad news: each of us is totally helpless because we cannot make up for our sin towards God (Rom 6:23; Heb 9:27) But God, being gracious, sent His son Jesus to live a perfect life, to shed his blood on the cross in payment for sin, and that all those who repent and believe on Him can be saved: This is good news to all people! Amen! 

For all this, let us be as David and praise our great God and Savior forever and ever, and bless His holy Name each and every day, speaking to our children and to all peoples of His greatness, His goodness, His righteousness. He is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in lovingkindness. His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom that will never end. Yeshua was born as the Messiah and Lord at His birth. Today is the day of salvation, and the acceptable year of YHVH. (Is 61:1-2a; 2Cor 6:1-2) Let us proclaim the gospel and celebrate the awesome God that has become our God, and who calls us His sons and daughters! Hallelu-Yah!