HARRY MARTINEZ: Unto you is born

Dec. 6—The Christmas season brings to the thinking of Christians the birth of the Savior. Though celebrated in many ways world over, the words spoken by the angels over two thousand years ago still herald the Truth ... "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11 NIV). With that announcement came the fulfillment of the promise given to Adam and Eve by the pre-incarnate Christ.

One would come through the seed of woman and crush the head of the serpent who, through his deception, had introduced sin into the world. How could the slaying of an animal and its skin made into clothing represent the execution of the curse placed on the serpent by the Christ?

It would demand a one-of-a-kind pregnancy and birth. No doubt Satan was baffled by such a pronouncement.

While Scripture does not reveal all that Adam and Eve were taught concerning God's redemptive plan of salvation, it is clear that they understood that the approach to God was through faith as represented by the sacrifice of an innocent animal for the guilt of man. Satan's reaction was to motivate the first murder and present a counterfeit approach to God, though contrary to Divine Truth.

Cain would bring the harvest of his work in total rejection of a blood sacrifice as required by God. His work, representing man's best efforts, fell short of the standard of perfection demanded by a Holy God. With that decision began the conflict in human history between man attempting to attain relationship with God by his own efforts, or receiving by faith God's grace gift of a Savior.

Paul, the Apostle, stated the two opposing thoughts ... "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9 NIV). This apostle, recipient of more Divine revelation than any other apostle and writer of thirteen books in the New Testament under the inspiration of God the Hoy Spirit, succinctly stated ... "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:4-5 NIV).

The appearing of the Savior would not be a casual event in history, but rather, the precise fulfillment of Divine revelation in every detail.

For example, a prophetic revelation concerning the Savior to be born into the world noted the specificity a particular ancestry. God said ... "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him" (Gen 18:18 NIV). To King David, God said ... "The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (Sam 7:13 NIV). This was Messianic Truth and it extended far beyond the immediate succession of Solomon to the throne. God's prophet, Isaiah, affirmed an everlasting throne ... "In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it — one from the house of David — one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness" Isa 16:5 NIV). The New Testament opens with a dogmatic statement from Matthew ... "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matt 1:1 NIV).

The span of revelation concerning the coming of the Savior sees its fulfillment in the prophecy of Micah ... "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Mic 5:2 NIV).

Harry Martinez, a resident of Albany, is a retired minister who served a nondenominational congregation in Florida. His weekly column appears in several South Georgia newspapers.