Luke chapter 2 : (1) And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (2) (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) (3) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. (4) And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) (5) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (6) And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. (7) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (8) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (9) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. (10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke chapter 23: (33) And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. (34) Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

 Today we see the 2 events that were prophesied in Isaiah that we looked at in our last study. We are making the transition from the Old Testament (covenant) to the New testament (covenant). The context we are discussing is about salvation, but more so the key to salvation is having a relationship God our creator. The Old Testament required animal sacrifice to atone for or cover our sin. Except for the few prophets God spoke through, not everyone had the relationship with God that was intended from the beginning but ruined because of sin. We have studied that because of sin, there has to be a blood sacrifice, but not just any the sacrifice had to be perfect and without blemish. This is where Jesus comes into the picture born of a virgin woman, God’s offspring not man’s.

Luke 1:  (30) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. (31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (32) 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: (33) and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (34) Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

 God is sending His own Son now to be the final sacrifice that will be needed to cover our sins and once again be able to bring us into a one on one personal relationship with Him. 

John 3: (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

  Here is how I look at this. God desperately wants us to have a relationship with Him. God wants us to spend time and fellowship with Him. But we cannot do that unless we have atonement for our sins. God’s desire for us to fellowship with Him brings Him to sacrifice His own Son for our cause. Jesus, following God’s will absolutely accepts what God is wanting to re-establish that relationship. We really need to let that sink in a moment. In Genesis 22 the one story that comes to mind is when God told Abraham to Sacrifice his own son. Abraham did not think twice. Did as the Lord told him to do. And because of Abraham’s faithfulness to carry out what God asked, God did provide a substitute. If you are not familiar with that story, please go read it. Truly amazing! 

  I know the scriptures we are looking at usually do not get discussed much until "Easter” and "Christmas”, but shame on us for only limiting those scriptures to those times. But for those who truly want to establish our relationship with God, must maintain the significance of those scriptures constantly. They are the key foundation of our salvation and relationship with God. Without those, we cannot be in position to even try to pursue God. Next week we are going to discuss, what does this all mean for me now? How do we move forward?

  Please note, I am breaking this study into certain sections through my thought process and not wanting to rush or over run anything. This subject must be pursued in a way to help us understand what salvation and having a relationship with God truly is and not just "How do I get to Heaven”?