Have you ever wished to discover a message written long ago and placed in a bottle on the ocean? Or would you like to have been the boys who while throwing rocks into the cave-dotted hills of Judea discovered ancient clay pots containing aged parchments with the words of Isaiah, called the Dead Sea scrolls?
Like discovering buried or lost treasure, finding messages from God Himself is more valuable than a chest of gold coins. When the words on the long lost ancient scrolls were studied, one of the portions said this:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me
to proclaim
good news to the poor.” (Isaiah 61:1)
These words contained descriptions of both the Messenger and the message. Both are treasures. Both bring hope.
In this weary, war-torn world, good news is always welcome. This best news was to be delivered by God’s very own Messenger, His Son Jesus. Malachi, author of the last book in the Old Testament, announced Jesus as the Messenger of God’s covenant promise.
This Messenger was sent to us from God for whom “it is impossible to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). Jesus came as the full and final revelation of God to this world. He is the answer to all our questions, the solution to all our problems, the fulfillment of all our needs.
As God’s perfect Messenger, Jesus reveals God to humanity. In Jesus, “all the fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
Over and over Jesus told His followers that He was not here on earth for His own agenda. His sole purpose was to do God’s will. His earthly mission was to convey the message that came from God, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).
During His 33 years on earth, people from every race and culture marveled at His humility, His purity, His wisdom. No one they’d ever known was anything like this messenger who wasn’t in the game for Himself, but solely fixed on the purpose of His Father.
This Christmas may you receive Jesus’ message of good news for yourself. Then, may you cheerfully and eagerly share that message with many, for we are now His messengers, His ambassadors to a broken world Our world needs the good news today more than ever.
I just so love the way the message of Jesus is woven throughout Scripture! What a blessing for us!