THE STAR (Matthew 2:1-11) The Christmas is here again and the old story is being told. But I want us to consider the star that the wise men saw in the East. There were many stars in the sky that night but The Star was peculiar (1Pet.2:9, 2Corint5:17,6:14-7:1)You as Christians must be peculiar where ever you are in the world. 

-It was different from others. As Christians you must refuse to be like others. Even if it means standing alone, yes you must stand for Christ. 

-Seen by the wise men to be different. You may not be noticed by anyone but be sure that someone who is ‘wise’ in the heart will see you someday

 -The Star led the wise men from the East all the way to Bethlehem where the new born King laid. As Christians we are to lead souls to Christ our King and disciple them. 

-Though the journey took about two years, yet The Star was patiently unrelenting in leading the wise men, uncompromising in its shinning and unconquerable in the battle against the forces of darkness and clouds. 

-The Star was patient with the wise men(even when they ignored its leading and deviated to seek counsel from the enemy -Herod) The Star patiently waited for them to come back to it from their consultation with Herod at Jerusalem. Everyone who must win souls for the Lord must be patient with the converts.

 -When the wise men returned, the Star was not angry with them for deviating to consult with Herod. Rather it gladly received them back and began to lead them again to the perfect Light 

-The Star was not controlled or influenced by men:what men did or did not do, what they said or did not say. It was absolutely under Divine obligation (1Corint.9:16)-The Star led the wise men to the perfect Light. We’re to lead men to the Saviour and not to ourselves. 

-The Star rejoiced in leading the wise men to the perfect Light. It was not boasting of its achievements. It never sought the  praise of men or to share the glory with the perfect Light 

-The Star withdrew having led the wise men to the perfect Light. No show off. No self praise. No reward. No prize. No recognition. It laid down all the trophy at the Master’s feet

-The Star was only concerned with its Divine mandate. There was no room for competition with others. Though its members were few, it remained focused on leading them to the perfect Light.

 -The Star was not entangled with the affairs of life, it was unmovable, always abounding in God’s work (1Corint.15:58)

-The star did not only led the wise men to the perfect Light, it also made it to the perfect Light. When the wise men saw that the star made it they rejoiced. Lord please help me to make it to heaven at last not just to lead people there. Lord please let me not be a sign post in Jesus name.

Prayer: Lord please make The Star that will lead the    wise men of this age to You :the Perfect Light

“Ye are the salt of the earth, if the loses its savior it is thence good for nothing salt has no need to look like other ingredients, sends out no aroma like other seasonings, but without it the soup is tasteless.
Men of true impact don’t fight for position, visibility or appearance.
Their results speak for them not their propaganda.
You don’t need to shout to be heard, people keep quiet to listen to intelligent people
A salt maintains its integrity amidst pollution.
Have you seen where a salt buyer demands to taste it before buying? because salt has proved its integrity over the ages.
If you will need to swear before people believe you, you lack integrity.
Is your life a salt to the earth or an insult?
The easiest and only way the salt can lose its taste is when mixed up.
Watch your association, you are too needed to be wasted..
Be a salt not an insult.

 There are two major Holy Scriptures in the world:  The Holy bible and the holy Koran, and these two succinctly testify to the virgin, holy birth of Jesus through virgin Mary. Both also testify that Jesus is “The Messiah” i.e “The Christ”.

              The holy Koran has 114 chapters and 6,666 verses and in these Prophet Mohammed’s name appeared in 4 places while the name of Jesus appeared in 25 places; thus, giving more preference to Jesus.

              To buttress the fact of the virgin birth, Koran mentioned no other woman’s name except Mariam (Mary) the mother of Jesus.

              Infact, the title of chapter 3 of Koran is “family of Mariam”. In verse 34 of the chapter the Holy Koran says that “Mary was born without any original sin and that she never committed any sin in her entire life; she was ever a virgin”.

              The title of chapter 19 of the holy Koran is “Mariam” and chapter 50 verse 23 says she went to heaven with her physical body.

              The Holy bible in Isaiah 7:14 says “therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL”.

              The Hebrew, almah, translated virgin means. The only one that ever was or ever will be a mother in this way. Unlike Hebrew Almah meaning a lass; maid; damsel; virgin; chaste etc. this means a pure unmarried young woman (Gen. 24:43). It denotes an unmarried girl of marriageable age and therefore a true virgin.

              Psalm 68:25-26 spoke about virgin mother of the messiah who was to be born in Israel, of one who, as later confirmed, knew no man until after He (Jesus) was born (Isa. 7:14, Mt. 1:18-25, Lk. 8:19). Mary was a pure virgin who had never known a man who conceived by the Holy Spirit (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Mt.1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38; Jh. 1:1-14; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4; 1Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:5-7; 2:6-18). The prophecy was made about 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

              He was born at a time when a tyrant (Herod the great) was appointed King over the region of Judea by the Roman Senate. He was born when the Israelites were groaning under the burden of Roman empire (the fourth non-destructive beast of Daniel’s vision – Dan. 7:8) with a non-Jewish wicked surrogate who took delight in shedding blood (including his own wife and three sons) was king over their region; Thus, the Jews were highly expectant of the messiah to come and rescue them.

              In the garden of Eden after the fall of man, God promised redemption for man through “the seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15): “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heal”.

              Satan, having heard this infallible promise of Gopd, sent his angels (those angel that fell with him) to marry with women on the earth so as to populate the earthwith polluted seed of the woman. “And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them”.

              “That the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair; and they took them wifes of all which they chose…. ” “There were giants in the earth in those days. And also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown” (Gen. 6:1-4;1Peter 3:19; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6-7).

              Thus, God wiped off that generation through the flood singling out the unpolluted family of Noah to preserve the earth. And after the flood, God chose a man called Abraham by whom “the seed of the woman” that would bruise Satan’s head would be brought forth, to populate the land of Canaan.

              God who never change His purpose decided to fulfill this eternal promised Redeemer without man’s involvement, thus, He choose to accomplish it through a virgin. At the fullness of time He sent Angel Gabriel to the virgin (i.e according to botth the Hebrew used in Isaiah 7:14 – Almal and the Greek word used in Mathew 1:23 –Pathenos meaning a young woman that is old enough to be married but has not yet had any sexual relationship with any man).

              The importance of the virgin birth cannot be over emphasized. In order for Jesus to qualify as the only one who could pay the price for our redemption from sin with its wages, and also restore us back to the relationship with God, He must be fully human – totally sinless and yet fully God (Hebrew 7:25-26).

              In order for Christ’s sacrifice to be able to cover sin once and for all, His life had to be perfect – i.e blameless, spotless, sinless, and undeserving death. And only God Himself could provide such a perfect sacrifice.

Jesus’ virgin birth satisfies three requirements viz:-

1. The only way Jesus could truly become a human being in every sense was to be born of a woman.
2. The only way He could be totally sinless – not only throughout life but much more so from birth (Psalm 51:5), was to be conceived by the Holy spirit (Luke 1:35).
3. The only way Jesus could be divine (i.e fully God) was to have God as His father. Jesus was conceived not by natural but supernatural means (Luke 1:35). As a result Jesus is revealed as one person of dual nature –divine God and sinless man.

Koran 3:45-55 called Jesus three distinct names which are very significant and corroborated what the Holy bible calls Him.

              The first is “Kallimatulli” (arabic) which means “The Word of God” (in another place the Koran says God created the Universe through the Word – His word). John 1:1-14 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made”. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not……..” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth”. JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD (KALLIMATULLI).

              The second name Koran 3:45-55 called Jesus is “Ahimokulli” (arabic) meaning “the Spirit of God” Luke 1:30-38 says “And the angel (Gabriel sent from God Vs. 26 – 27) said unto her, fear not Mary; for thou has found favour with God.

              “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call His name JESUS…….. He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David”:

“And He shall reign over the House of Jacob forever: and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. ‘then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God……”.

Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they come together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost”.

Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost – the Spirit of God. Not by human fertilization but rather by the breathe of God into Mary. He did not partake of the blood of man polluted with sin for He was not conceived in sin and was not born in iniquity.

Koran said Mariam (Mary) conceived by the breathe (Spirit) of God, that was according to Koran, Jesus when He was like 2 days old began to speak and that when He was about 6 years old, He took some mud and formed a bird from it, after which He breathe into it and it became a live bird. This is because JESUS IS THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

The third name Koran 3:45 – 55 called Jesus is “Isamasi” (Arabic) which means “Jesus is Christ”Jesus did not just pick up this title “Messiah” or Christ, but according to the holyKoran, Jesus is the AL MASIHU as pronounced by God and by His works. While on earth He did work that no man or any other prophets before and after Him ever did.

Koran says that Jesus gave life to dead people, cured a man born blind, cured a man with leprosy and several other miracles He did while on earth, Jesus went to heaven, He is still alive and He will come again.

SON-SHIP WITH CHRIST

              The son-ship with Christ always refers to humanity, not to deity. Being God, Jesus had no beginning (John1:1-2). He was not begotten or He would have had a beginning as God, but as man, He had a beginning, was begotten and He was God’s Son (Ps. 2:7,12; Mt. 1:18-25, Lk 1:35; Hebrew 1:5-6).

              In these passages of the Holy bible it is crystal clear that there was a certain day when God was to have a son and the son have a Father. It has to be in the future from the time the prophets spoke. If son-shiprefers to deity, then this deity had a beginning on a certain day and He was not eternal. But if it refers to humanity, then all scriptures (including the Koran) are very clear and we no man made mystery of the so – called eternal son-ship of Jesus Christ. If it refers to both deity and humanity, then when did He become God, when was He begotten, how could He have been eternal? If He had a beginning and was begotten then, He was not, nor is He an eternal God. If He is a son of God by creation, then He is no greater than angels and other beings who had beginnings.

              Since all scriptures are very clear that Jesus is the word of God, and the Word is eternal just as God, then Jesus is the eternal son of God.

              Moreso, all scriptures are very clear that Jesus Christ is the Spirit of God and as the Spirit of God is eternal, so Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.And since the Word of God and the Spirit of God cannot by any means be separated form God that is the Word of God is God, Himself and the Spirit of God is God Himself. Then Jesus Christ according to the Holy scriptures as both the word of God and Spirit of God is God.

WAS JESUS, THE SON OF MARY, THE CHRIST?

Having proved from all scriptures that Jesus was born of Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit and that He is the word and Spirit of God. There is need to look into the messianic and see whether Jesus, the son of Mary, was the messiah – the Al-mulsiu – the Christ.

              Looking back to history, there were three decrees for the restoration of Jerusalem. In 2Chronicle 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-11, the first decree was made by Cyrus in the first year of His reign over Persia as prophesied by Isaiah some 450 years before he was born (Isa. 45:1-5,13;44:28;46:11). Cyrus reigned 9 years; then Cambyses II his son, reigned 7 yearsduring which period the work on the temple ceased (Ezra 4:1-24).

              The second decree was made by Darius 1 of the profane history in the second year of his 35years of reign, he confirmed the decree made by Cyrus 18yrs before (Hag. 1-2;Zech. 1;1-2;end). The temple was finished in the 6^th year of his reign, but the city was not restored. Xerxes reigned 21years during which time the city was not yet completed (Ezra 5;1-6;18;Dan. 11:1-3).

              The third decree to “restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince” wasgiven to Nehemiah by Artaxerxes who reigned 41years. He gave the decree in the 20^th year of his reign (452 BC) over Persia (Neh. 2:1-6:19).

              Artaxerxes ascended the throne in 465BC; so he gave this 3^rd decree in 445BC in the month Nisan (the same as Abib – 1^st month of Jewish calendar). According to the Jewish system writing when a month is given with no specific date it is generally accepted as the first day of the month. Converting this to our Julian calendar, 14^th March, 445BC, from this point according to Daniel’s vision of 70 years or 490 years are counted. At this point the first division of the 490years (the 7 years or 49 years for the restoration of Jerusalem with streets and the wall) began (Dan. 9:25).

              Nehemiah restored the walls in 52days after he reached Jerusalem, but this was by no means the full restoration. That took place during the next 49years. Thus, the 3^rd decree to restore Jerusalem was 94 years after the first one by Cyrus.

              Hence, anyone that would claim to be the Messiah must emerge and be cut off by 483^rd year from 14^th march, 445BC.The Hebrew word for Paham meaning a stroke. This does not mean a set period of time. But the word translated time in Daniel 2:25; 4:16;23,25;7:25;12:7 means a period of 360days which denote a year instead of 365days in our Julian calendar. Thus, 360days of 69weeks or 483years (in which messiah is cut off) is a period of 360 days X 483years = 173880days. Hence, anyone that claims to be the Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel must emerge on the 173,880^th day from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem on 14^th March, 445BC. To fake the Messiah, such a person must programmed his birth to fall within the period that would enable him introduce himself to the Jewish people on the 173,880^th day commencing from 14^th march, 445BC. He also must programmed his death to occur few days after his introduction as the Messiah.

              However, if anyone will fake the messiah based on this prophecy is practically impossible because no one can influence his birth and death. The emergence and “cutting off”of the Messiah are beyond human manipulations.

              But to the glory of God this prophecy was fulfilled in our Lord Jesus According to Luke 3:1,23; Jesus began his earthly ministry publicly after His baptism in water at the river Jordan by John the Baptist. This happened to be the fifteenth year of the reign of Caeser Tiberius (Luke 3:1).

History revealed to us that Tiberius Caeser reigned from 14AD to 37AD, so his fifteenth year as the Roman Emperor would be 29AD.

Luke 3:23 “And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years (30years) of age, being (as was supposed)…….”From this information from Dr. Luke we knew that Jesus had nearly completed His thirtieth (30^th) year, (this is the age at which priests under the law; who were typical of Christ, entered their priestly work – Numbers 4:23, 1 Chronicles 23:3).

Archaeological findings show that the Gospel of St Luke is authentic; thus, we can easily conclude that Jesus was born around 1BC.

Though there is no verse of the Bible that tells us clearly the number of years that Jesus spent in His earthly ministry, but from the number of the Passover feast celebrations he attended as recorded in the Gospels we can easily complete it.

The Passover is a yearly feast celebrated by the Israelites on the 14^th day of the first month (Nissan)to mark their exodus from under the bondage in the land of Egypt in which God destroyed all the first born of men and beasts, which paved the way for their urgent exitby the Egyptians from their land.

              The gospel according to St. John records that Jesus attended four (4) Passover feasts during His earthly ministry.

              The first was in John 2:13-25 when He carried out the first purification of the temple. The second was in John 5:1, the Third was in John 6:4 and the fourth and the last was in John 13:1 which He celebrated with His disciples at the upper room and established what we now call the Lord’s Supper or “Holy communion” and also culminated in His death on the cross at Calvary.

              It is pertinent we note that what started out to be “The Lord’s Passover” at the beginning (Ex.12:11,27, Lev. 23:5;Num. 28:16), degenerated to “The Jewish Passover” (John 2:13;6:4;11:55).

              “The feasts of the Lord” in Lev. 23:2, degenerated to be “The feasts of the Jews”(John 5:1;6:4;7:2;11:56,19:42). Church leaders need to take this seriously. Many of the programmes being organized in our churches today are they “of the Lord” or of our church” or “of our Pastors and Bishops”?.

              So, Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead (John 12:1).

              14^th of Nissan 32AD. Was a Thursday, then six days before 14^th of Nissan 32AD. Jesus stayed in Bethany on Friday 8^th Nissan and the Saturday 9^th Nissan, 32AD. And then, on Sunday 10^thNissan32AD, He rode into Bethlehem on ass to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, Thy King cometh unto thee; He is Just, and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a calf the foal of an ass” (Matthew 21:9, John 12:13-16).

              Before now, Jesus had not reveal His identity as the Messiah, but on this day as He rode on the ass to Jerusalem, He made Himself known as the Messiah to the people. That was the first palm Sunday in the history of the world (that was on 10^th Nissan, 32AD). This date is very important to the Jews and every good student of prophecy.

              The 10^th of Nissan, 32AD is 6^th April, 32AD in our Julian calendar, is the actual date Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would show Himself to His people can be proclaimed as King (Daniel 9:24-26).

              To verify this we will try to compute the date from Daniel’s prophesy in chapter 9:24 – 26 “know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times”.“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself;…….”

              As earlier established that the commandment to restore andto build Jerusalem was given on 14^th day of March, 445BC.

Hence 445BC to 32AD is 476 years (BC 1 to AD 1 is one year) is 173,740days. Considering the leap years between 445BC and 32AD (i.e subtract three days in each four years) is 116days. March 14^th 32AD to April 6^th 32AD is 24days.

              By simple arithmetic sum up the days will give us 173,880days (i.e 173,740 + 116 + 24 = 173,880days). From the above computation, it is clear that the 6^th of April 32A.D. which was the day Jesus rode triumphantly to Jerusalem, coincided with 173,880 days after the decree was promulgated for the reconstruction of Jerusalem. That is 173,880 days after 1^st day of Nissan, 445B.C. This is a clear confirmation that Jesus, the son of Virgin Mary was the Messiah – the Christ, the King of the Jews in particular and the whole worldin general.

              The term “shall Messiah be cut off” in Daniel 9:26 means shall have nothing. As far as the Jewish people were concerned they rejected their Messiah, they cut Him off, and He was nothing.

              The Jewish rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah because the Messiah they expected was one who would help them destroy their enemies and establish righteousness on earth. They expected in the flesh, a sort of God-man and not a weakling (Isa. 7:14,9:6-7;Jer. 23:5-6,15; 53:6).

              Jesus Christ was the only person that fulfilled these qualifications (John 1:1-14). Jesus Christ, the son of virgin Mary is the Messiah, the savior of the whole world. Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of God (as was prophesied by the prophets of old). There still remain a week of the 70 weeks to be fulfilled, when He will come back as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is coming as the King of kings, and Lord of Lords.

HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR HIS COMING?