The Birth of New
The shepherd wiped away the bead of sweat that trickled across his forehead. Although the evening air was cool, he had run several miles from where his sheep were grazing to behold this sight.
A newborn baby boy, with dark strands of hair peeking out of His swaddle, lay in a manger. He looked like any other baby, yet the shepherd knew in his spirit this little guy was different. After all, a sky full of angels had gloriously announced His birth.
As the shepherd looked at this babe, this anointed one who was to be the Savior of Israel, a scripture popped into his head:
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing…” (Isaiah 43:19).
During this Christmas season, we’ve looked at different aspects of the birth of Jesus. We’ve looked at how it was the birth of a savior and the birth of hope. And today in this final installment, we’ll look at how it was the birth of “new.”
God was indeed doing a new thing as Jesus entered the world some 2,000 years ago. It was the beginning of a new covenant with new commandments for new creations.
Mankind could never fulfill the law, never keep the old commandments to a “T” and become righteous. But thank God, Jesus came to fulfill the things of old and begin afresh.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… …For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:7-12)
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
Today, through this new covenant, we enjoy direct access to our Father who never leaves us and is always by our side. We can walk into God’s throne room any time, knowing that we’ve been made pure, holy, and righteous by the blood of Jesus. We can say “adios” to our old lives and live a new life full of grace, forgiveness, and blessings.
And while we get to live a new and better life here on Earth, it pales in comparison with what’s to come.
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:1-5)
If you didn’t happen to catch our previous two Christmas blogs, go back and give them a read here. Reflect on all the goodness that the birth of Jesus afforded us and have a very merry Christmas.