The Christian Under Human Government (11) - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

The Christian Under Human Government (11)
After they had celebrated the Passover, Israel left Egypt under Moses' leadership. He led them through the Red Sea, under God's glory cloud, as they were baptized to Moses . Similarly, through baptism, believers publicly identified with the despised Jesus of Nazareth to follow Him (1 Pet. 3:15-18). We follow Him as well, even though we may have to live under an ungodly government, in the same world that rejected Him.

When "the fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4) had come, after 4000 years of human history, God sent His Son into this world. He entered it through His mother Mary's virgin womb, in which He had been conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mt. 1:18-25). When Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son, He was a Babe, just like all others, yet how different (Lk. 1-2)! He knew no sin and in Him was no sin, in contrast to all of Adam's other descendants, who have a sin nature. Jesus never committed any sin; He was apart from sin, even though surrounded by sin and sinners.

He was a King at the very moment He was born (Mt. 2:2). Yet His parents had to flee the jealous Herod the Great. When a baby boy is born into a royal family, he is a prince and later becomes king. The Lord Jesus came as King, yet He was laid in a manger (Lk. 2:7)! He humbled Himself, taking the form of a Bondman, obedient unto the death of the cross (Phil. 2:5-8). He will keep this form, without losing anything of His divinity.

The shepherds heard that this Babe was "Christ the Lord" and "Savior" (Lk. 2:11). Born in the City of David as a direct descendant of King David (Mt. 1:6); He was also "of Adam" and "of God" (Lk. 3:38; Mic. 5:2); "God over all, blessed forever" (Rom. 9:5); "Immanuel God with us" (Mt. 1:23). We represent Him!

Alfred E. Bouter