Salvation

The Only Saviour of Sinners

The Only Saviour of Sinners

THE ONLY SAVIOUR OF SINNERS

 

When Christ was born, via a virgin birth

The skies were filled with angelic mirth

Who couldn’t give praise, or not be thrilled?

The ancient prophecies were now fulfilled

And central to redemption’s plan

The Son of God was born a man

He came from heaven, to earth to dwell

God with us – Emmanuel


Some shepherds came to see the sight

They paid their homage, that first Christmas night

And wise men too, travelled from afar

Gave gifts to the Christ – guided by His star


The Saviour was reared in a normal family

Living in Nazareth, near the Sea of Galilee

He laboured away in the carpentry trade

From stone and wood, various items He made

His divine identity was largely concealed

Until the time came, to be revealed

Then on one day, to John’s surprise

Jesus came to the Jordan, to be baptised

And the Spirit descended, like a dove

And God the Father, expressed His love

He was in the wilderness for forty days

But to Satan’s wiles, He never gave way

And then He began His public ministry

And with very many miracles, He proved His deity


He turned plain water into wine

He cast out demons – they entered the swine

With just two fish and five loaves of bread

Five thousand plus, were miraculously fed

Peter’s wife’s mother lay sick in bed

But one touch from the Saviour, and the fever fled

Lepers were cleansed, and the dead were raised

Lives were transformed, to the Saviour’s praise

With just a word, He calmed the sea

It all begged the question ‘Who could this be?’

At Caesarea Philippi, He asked this question

‘You’re the Christ of God’ was Peter’s confession

Then furthermore, on Hermon’s height

He was transfigured before them – turning dazzling white

And heaven again spoke, to the disciples’ fear

‘This is My Son – It is He you should hear’


Then some months later, the appointed time drew nigh

For the purpose of His coming – to suffer and to die

On trumped up charges, being unjustly tried

They nailed Him to a Cross: He was crucified

On Calvary’s tree, He shed His precious blood

To reconcile us sinners – to bring us back to God

He bore the sins of others, when He died on that tree

When we put our faith in Jesus, from God’s fearful wrath we’re free

At the moment when a sinner, is enabled to believe

A present, full salvation, is God’s promise to receive

For God’s own Son alone, can make us truly whole

And impart God’s salvation, to the needy, human soul


Christ died, and then His body, was laid in Joseph’s tomb

The disciples locked themselves away, in sorrow, and in gloom

Their hearts were very broken, yet, they were so very wrong

In thinking that their Greatest Friend, was now just dead and gone

For three days later, as He’d said, to them the Christ appeared!

Their sadness now was turned to joy, their souls were greatly cheered

He was alive, as prophesied – now risen from the dead

‘Come touch and handle Me, for real’ were the words to them He said


The Saviour conquered death and the grave

He arose victorious – He’s mighty to save

In Him there’s full salvation, for no money and no price

For all who realise their sin – and trust in Jesus Christ

He commissioned His disciples, He commanded proclamation

The message of salvation is for each and every nation

He ascended on a cloud to heaven – to the glory in the sky

And promised to return one day, in the future, by and by

Yes the sceptics always scoff, and the scornful have their say

But it can’t be refuted that Christ Jesus lives today

Seated there in the Glory now, enthroned at God’s right hand

He’s building up His Church on earth – the saved from every land

God’s purposes will triumph – not by force, and not by sword

But the preaching of the gospel – by the Spirit, through the Word

The church, it needs no gimmicks, it needs no special effects

Through simple gospel preaching, God will save His own elect


The Saviour’s final words to us were ‘I am coming soon’

Yes the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, to this fallen world of gloom

Our broken world needs fixing – Christ alone can make amends

And this will surely happen, when to earth He next descends

His people will dwell with Him, they’ll delight to see His face

And rehearse salvation’s story ‘I’m a sinner saved by grace’


So ensure you’re trusting Christ today, or you will be but lost

Believe in Jesus, while you may – He paid redemption’s cost

His invitation still avails – you still can hear Him say

That ‘Every one who comes to Me, I’ll never turn away.’


Timothy Cross

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Review

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Review

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Timothy Cross
DayOne Publications
206 pages; £5.00
ISBN:978-1-84625-680-6

This is an excellent book which does what it says: it encourages Christians for both Christmas and the New Year. There are 30 chapters, each four to five pages long: 15 on the theme of Christ’s birth and 15 for the New Year. It is a lovely blend of solid Bible doctrine and devotional application.

Each chapter ends with three points to reflect on, which remind the reader to pause and think again rather than rush on.

The Christmas chapters cover some familiar themes under catchy headings. They are always engaging and point to Christ and the great salvation truths. For instance, we learn how Jesus is the true ‘son of my sorrow’ (Genesis 35:18 – a reference to Rachel giving birth at Bethlehem), and how Bethlehem (‘house of bread’) and Ephrathah (‘fruitful’) point to the Lord’s Supper.

The New Year chapters include headings like, ‘The unknown year ahead’, ‘One day at a time’, and ‘Peace: the lasting legacy of Jesus’. Here, again, are many truths which point to the character of God, the sufficiency of Jesus, and the promised blessing and support which all believers can know as they go forward into the New Year. These chapters will be especially helpful to those with particular problems, worries, and trials, but they are also a reminder to every Christian that our times are in God’s hands and we must trust him for the future.

In our modern pressurised world, here is an ideal book for every Christian. Try reading a chapter a day from mid-December to mid-January.
Reviewed by Paul Relf, Chatham

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The Corona Virus

The Corona Virus

The Corona Virus 

I am writing these words during the unprecedented times of the Corona virus. Currently, we are living through a worldwide pandemic known as Covid19. Here in Britain – and elsewhere – we are under ‘lock down’ to prevent the virus spreading. This apart, every day the news reports a sad death toll. Many have lost their jobs as well as their loved ones. Normal life seems to be on hold, with the closure of non-essential shops, places of entertainment, restaurants and even churches. Thankfully, I still have a job, as technically I am a ‘key worker.’ Work though has introduced ‘social distancing’, as have the supermarkets. They have supplied us with hand sanitizer, and everywhere there are notices stressing the importance of hand washing. On a happier note, the country seems to be united in battle against the virus. On a Thursday night at 2000 hrs, we all go outside and give our beleaguered NHS workers – and other key workers – a well deserved and supportive round of applause. But do the Scriptures shed any light on the current Corona virus? Of course they do.

The Providence of God

Scripture teaches that behind every event, ultimately there lies the will of God. God is working His eternal purposes out. ‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory for ever. Amen’ (Romans 11:36). The events of this life then are not accidental but providential – ordained and foreordained by Almighty God. ‘God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions’ (Shorter Catechism). Almighty God is thus is control of the farthest planet, and Almighty God is thus in control of the minutest microbe. He is God. He is beholden to no one. He knows what He is doing and why He is doing it. It would appear that He is currently thwarting some of the modern day idols – sporting events have been cancelled; social gatherings of all kinds have been prohibited and the economy has taken a downturn. It would also appear that with so many events totally beyond our control, He is reminding us that we are not in charge, but that He is the One at the helm of the universe. The Corona Virus knocks away our earthly props and teaches us just how dependent we are on God. Whatever the circumstances, the Christian is called to trust God through thick and thin. ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ (Genesis 18:25). He is under no obligation to explain His ways to us. ‘How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!’  (Romans 11:33). William Cowper wrote:-

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps on the sea
And rides upon the storm

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower.

Have faith in God

For the Christian, a time of crisis is an opportunity to trust in God and grow in faith. God has not vacated His throne! ‘The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all’ (Psalm 103:19). Testing times are to be trusting times, and the God of the Bible is infinitely worthy of your trust. The Bible often descries God as a ‘Rock.’ In Him we may find stability in unstable times. Isaiah 26:3,4 ‘Thou dost keep him imperfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusts in Thee. Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.’

Be sensible

The Bible never encourages us to be presumptuous or reckless, but sane and sober minded. God uses means. He uses secondary causes. Thus we pray for daily bread – but also work so we can buy bread. We pray that God would protect us – but we also lock our doors. We pray for our unsaved friends – but also hand them a Gospel tract and even invite them to church. The Corona Virus reveals our fragility and vulnerability. It casts us on God. But this does not mean that we should not obey the government’s guidelines, so: observe your social distance; stay at home in isolation of you have the symptoms; be very careful about hygiene; seek medical advice is you are really smitten by the virus and have difficulty breathing.

Banish your fears with faith

While it is right and compassionate to be concerned about the present pandemic, fear is not compatible with faith. It is incompatible with knowing God as Father, Christ as Saviour and the indwelling comfort of God’s Holy Spirit. Isaiah 12:2 exclaims ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.’

Fear is as needless as it is pointless and sinful. Why? Because our times are safely in God’s hands. Scripture reveals the He, in His providence, has foreordained both the day of our birth and the day of our death, and we will not die prematurely and we will also not breathe for a moment longer than God has foreordained. ‘In Thy book were written, ever one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them’ (Psalm 139:16).

So take heart. God is in control. Your days are in His care. You are immortal until He sees fit to call you home, whether by old age, illness, accident so-called, or even by the Corona Virus. God knows best!

Sovereign Ruler of the skies
Ever gracious, ever wise
All my times are in Thy hand
All events at Thy command

He that formed me in the womb
He shall guide me to the tomb
All my times shall ever be
Ordered by His wise decree

Plagues and deaths around me fly
Till He bids I cannot die
Not a single shaft can hit
Till the love of God sees fit.

Copyright, Timothy J Cross, 2020

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The Severn Bridge

The Severn Bridge

The Severn Bridge

I used to work on the fifteenth floor of a tower block in Cardiff. On a clear day you could see both Severn bridges from the window. The first Severn Bridge was opened in 1966. The second one was opened in 1996. The latter is 5,128 metres in length – just over three miles.

The Severn Bridge links England and Wales. If it wasn’t for the Severn Bridge, you would have to make a fifty-seven-mile detour around Gloucester to get in or out. Before the first Severn Bridge, you would have used the Aust Ferry to cross the waters of the River Severn. The Aust Ferry began operating in 1926, but we are told that ferries across the Severn go back even to Medieval times.

If a remarkable feat of engineering was needed to literally bridge the distance between England and Wales over the River Severn, what would it take to bridge the infinite distance between you and me and God our Maker? God is surely above and beyond us. He is high and holy. We are small, and we are sinners, and it is our sin which especially and particularly separates us from God and enjoying His fellowship, and will do so eternally unless it is dealt with. Isaiah 59:2 states ‘Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear.’

The Christian gospel proclaims that, in His great mercy, God Himself has built a bridge between Himself and us, and we may travel on that bridge, and reach Him, and be assured of a welcome and acceptance. That bridge is the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s own Son and the only Saviour of sinners.

In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read the statement ‘For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ A mediator is a ‘go-between’ – or, if you like, a bridge. How is Jesus this mediator? Scripture teaches that He is so in both His person and His work – by who He is and by what He has done.

The Person of Christ

Jesus is the one mediator between us and God because He is the God-man – God incarnate. In Christ, God came down to our human level. Philippians 2:6,7 says of Christ that ‘though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.’

The Work of Christ

Secondly, Jesus is the one mediator between God and us because He has dealt with the cause of the great separation between God and us, namely our sin. On the cross, He, the sinless one, was made accountable for our sins. He is ‘the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). 1 John 3:5 states ‘You know that He appeared to take away sins and in Him there is no sin.’ When we put of faith in Jesus then, our sin problem – the sin which separates us from God – is dealt with. Through Jesus we may be reconciled to God. His cross is the bridge – the bridge which reconciles sinners to God.

The Gospel of Reconciliation

‘Reconciliation’ therefore is one of the key words of the Christian faith and integral to the Christian gospel. To reconcile means ‘to bridge’ – to bring together two sides which were previously separated or to bring together two sides which were previously at enmity or at odds. Romans 5:11 reads ‘we … rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have received our reconciliation and 2 Corinthians 5:19 explains ‘in Christ (that is, by means of Christ) God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.’

The ‘message of reconciliation’ is thus a synonym for the Christian gospel. The gospel by implication has an evangelistic appeal. It urges a response. So the apostle continues on an urgent note ‘We beseech you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God’(2 Corinthians 5:20) – that is, acknowledge you are separated from your Maker by your sin; put your faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and through Him know the forgiveness of your sins, peace with God and restored fellowship with Him for time and eternity.

So, just as the Severn Bridge enables the tidal waters of the Severn to be crossed without danger, Jesus Christ alone is the one bridge between us and a holy God. ‘He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood’ goes the hymn. Why not memorise 1 Timothy 2:5. It is a key verse of the Bible: ‘There is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ And if you have never done so, put your faith in this one Mediator while you may.

 

Copyright, Timothy Cross

 

 

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Just the Right Person for the Job

JUST THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB …

 

I never got to know my paternal grandmother very well, but I do remember that when something went wrong, she used to say ‘I’ll have to get the man up.’ So, when something went wrong with the water, she would call a plumber. When something went wrong with the electrics, she would call a qualified electrician I guess we can all relate to this. There is normally just the right person for a particular job that needs to be done. Few of us would undertake a bit of DIY when it comes to plumbing or electricity for fear of getting either flooded or electrocuted respectively.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that there are two distinct divine Persons available ‘on call’ for twenty four hours a day? And these Persons are just the Persons for our deepest need. These Persons are described in the original Greek of the New Testament as the ‘Parakletos.’ When translated literally, the word ‘Parakletos’ means ‘one called alongside to help.’ According to the New Testament, the Christian is blessed by having a Parakletos both in heaven and on earth.

 

  1. Our Helper in Heaven

 

Our Parakletos in heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:1 tells us that If any one does sin, we have an advocate (parakletos) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus then is just the right Person for the job. He is our Parakletos in heaven – One called alongside the Father on our behalf, One Who speaks up in the sinner’s defence.

How though can Jesus speak up in the sinner’s defence? He certainly cannot plead our innocence, for we are all sinners by nature and practice, and as such we are guilty before God … Well Jesus, our advocate/parakletos, does not so much plead our case, but He pleads His Own case on our behalf. He intercedes for us at God’s right hand not on the basis of our works and righteousness, but His Own work and righteousness. He, as it were, reminds the Father that He has fully atoned for our sins. He paid the price for our sins at Calvary. He was punished in our stead. Because the sinless Christ was treated as ‘Guilty’, we, the guilty sinners may be declared ‘Not Guilty’ in God’s sight.

We have a Parakletos in heaven then. Jesus is our advocate with God. He ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25):-

 

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea

A great High Priest, whose Name is love

Who ever lives and pleads for me

Because the sinless Saviour died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the Just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

 

  1. Our Helper on Earth

 

Our Parakletos on earth – that is, one called alongside us to help us – is the Holy Spirit of God, the third Person of the blessed Trinity. In John 14:15,16, Jesus promised: ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor (that is, a Parakletos, one called alongside to help) to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth.’

                The Holy Spirit of God then – the Parakletos – is the true ‘Vicar of Christ on earth.’ He is described by Jesus as another Counsellor/Comforter Just as the Lord Jesus helped His disciples, so now, all of Jesus’ present day followers may know the personal presence of Christ with them, day by day, in the Person of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise in John 14:18: ‘I will not leave you desolate, I will come to you.’

It is the Holy Spirit of God Who is the personal presence of God in the lives of His children, day by day here on earth – day and night, winter and summer, in sickness and in health, in days of ease and days of stress, on happy days and on sad days The Holy Spirit’s helping ministry is, of course, vast: It is He Who initially convicted us of our sin and converted us to Christ. It is He Who leads us and guides us. It is He Who helps us to pray aright. It is He Who enables us to understand the Scriptures. It is He Who strengthens us in Christian service, and it is He Who comforts us in sorrow. The Holy Spirit of God is our Parakletos on earth – One called alongside us to help.

Thank God then that just as there is normally expert help on hand to help us when things go wrong, God has not left us to flounder along in our own devices in this world An article of the Apostles’ Creed is: I believe in the Holy Spirit  He is the Parakletos of God on earth, just as the Lord Jesus is our Parakletos in heaven. This divine resource is available to every Christian, without exception He is available to you! It’s a staggering fact that whilst Almighty God presenced Himself in a particular way in the ancient temple in Jerusalem, He now no longer does so. Instead, He now presences Himself in Christians like you and me. The Bible says that it is we who are now the temple of the living God. He dwells in us, by His Holy Spirit. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

 

Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed

His tender last farewell

A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed

With us to dwell

He came sweet influence to impart

A gracious willing Guest

While He can find one humble heart

Wherein to rest

Spirit of purity and grace

Our weakness pitying see

O make our hearts Thy dwelling place

And worthier Thee.

 

This post copyright Timothy Cross

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Celebrating a Celebration?

CELEBRATING A CELEBRATION?

The story is told of a fellow who decided he would throw a retirement party for his colleagues, friends and family, having worked in the same company for over forty years. He hired a hall, booked a jazz band, contacted some outside caterers and sent out invitations. Then, in due course, a great crowd descended on the hall, and as the evening wore on, began to really ‘whoop it up.’ Strangely though, the host himself did not turn up! He couldn’t face it. Sadly, the nearer he got to retirement, the more depressed he got. It was something to do with thoughts of growing old, and being of no more economic use. But this didn’t stop the party goers from enjoying themselves! They ate and drank. They laughed. They enjoyed a great camaraderie. So much was this so, that they completely missed the original purpose of the party.

The above can be the same with Christmas. We can get so carried away with the festivities, that we miss the main reason for it all. Many do not even give the main reason for Christmas a thought – yet this does not prevent them celebrating. They too ‘whoop it up’ – but are really just ‘celebrating a celebration.’

On the first Christmas night, a message from heaven to earth was given. It is contained in Luke 2:11, and it captures the real ‘reason for the season’ of Christmas in a nutshell. The verse reads ‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’ Keeping this verse in mind will surely enable us to celebrate Christmas and not just celebrate a celebration. Note:-

 

  1. The Place

 ‘To you is born this day in the city of David …’ The ‘city of David’ refers to the ‘little town of Bethlehem’ where Christ was born. Bethlehem sets Christmas in time and space. Here we are dealing with history, not mythology. If you had the means, you could fly to Tel Aviv. From there you could take a coach to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem you could take a bus five miles or so to the south west, and you would arrive in … Bethlehem. Christ was born in this exact location, as the prophet Micah had foretold (see Micah 5:2). His birth was so significant that it divided our calendar into the eras of BC and AD. Christmas concerns an Event which really happened, in time and space.

 

  1. The Person

 Our verse tells us that none less than ‘Christ the Lord’ was born in Bethlehem. He is the One at the heart of Christmas. ‘Christ’ is a title, not a name. It means ‘the anointed One’ or ‘Messiah.’ In Jesus, the longed for Messiah, promised by God, arrived. In Old Testament times, prophets, priests and kings were all anointed with oil at the outset of their ministries. It symbolised their being set apart by God and endowed with His Holy Spirit. As the anointed one, Jesus combined the three-fold role of prophet, priest and king in His one person. Notice that He is also described as ‘the Lord.’ This is a title for God Himself. The uniqueness of the Christian Faith stems from the uniqueness of the Christ of the Christian Faith. He is God! Christians contend for the absolute deity of the Christ revealed in the Bible. Jesus is ‘Emmanuel, God with us.’ He is God in the flesh, for ‘In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily’ (Colossians 2:9).

 

  1. The Purpose

 Luke 2:11 actually takes us to the heart of the heart of Christmas. It does so as it says ‘to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour …’ Christ’s coming into the world to be our Saviour therefore is the divine purpose behind Christmas. Christ’s coming into the world to be our Saviour also encapsulates the very essence of the Christian gospel. ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Timothy 1:15). ‘You shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins’ (Mathew 1:21).

The word ‘Saviour’ means a rescuer or deliverer. This in turn begs the question: From what does Christ save? The answer of the Bible is that Christ saves sinners from the divine condemnation they deserve for their sins. He saves us from the wrath of God. He saves us from the very flames of hell. Our greatest need is for a Saviour, for by nature we are all sinners, and thus liable to the wrath of God. The gospel proclaims that in Christ alone we find the only Saviour for our need. This takes us from Christ’s cradle to His cross, for Christ was born to die. Salvation was procured, not so much by the birth of Christ but by the death of Christ – when thirty three years later He offered up His sinless life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of others, ‘that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

The purpose of Christmas? It was salvation. Jesus came to execute God’s eternal plan of salvation. He came to be our Saviour.

 

  1. The Pertinence

 ‘To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour …’ God’s salvation reaches real people. The ‘you’ here refers to some shepherds who were going about their business in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. On the first Christmas, almighty God actually graciously intervened in their lives. But the verse has a wider application. God’s offer of salvation still extends to sinners today. The gospel invitation is made ‘to you.’

            Jesus is a Saviour to receive. ‘The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). Have you received Him? You certainly need Him. And you may still receive Him, for He never turns anyone away when they confess that they are a lost sinner and cast themselves on Him for salvation.

‘To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord’(Luke 2:11). Here is the greatest Christmas present you can or ever will receive. The salvation of God in Christ is a gift to enjoy in life; a gift to enjoy in death and a gift to enjoy for all eternity.

 

O holy child of Bethlehem

Descent to us we pray

Cast out our sin and enter in

Be born in us today

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell

O come to us, abide with us

Our Lord Immanuel.

 

Timothy Cross

 

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The Twelve Days of Christmas

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

I am sure that you have heard the well known Christmas song entitled The Twelve Days of Christmas.  The song always seems to be heard during the Christmas season. I confess that I had never really given it much thought, as it comes over as nothing more than a frivolous ditty. I revised my opinion last Christmas, however, when I learned that The Twelve Days of Christmas is actually Christian in origin. It was written during a time of religious persecution when the Faith was driven somewhat underground. Each line of the song contains a hidden Christian meaning, known only to Christians. This enabled the song to be sung in public without fear of arrest, for a non Christian would only know its surface meaning. Let us then delve a little deeper into the seemingly lighthearted song The Twelve Days of Christmas.

            On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. ‘My true love’ here represents God the Father, and the partridge represents His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ‘pear tree’ represents the cross of Calvary. A mother partridge, we are told, feigns injury to decoy predators from harming her nestlings. And of course, in His great love, God the Father sent His Son into the world to be the Saviour of sinners, delivering them from eternal harm by dying in the place of sinners. 1 John 4:10 reminds us ‘In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two turtle doves. These two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testament which comprise the Bible. The Old and New Testaments are the two lips by which God speaks to us. They are infallible and inerrant. They are inspired by God’s Holy Spirit and reveal the Creator’s secret of a happy life, a happy death and a happy eternity.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three French hens. These represent the three theological virtues of ‘faith, hope and love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith means trusting and relying on God. Hope is a confident assurance and expectation that God will be true to His promises. Love for God and love for our fellow believers is a virtue enjoined frequently in the New Testament.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, four calling birds. The four calling birds here represent the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Bible gives us four written portraits of the one Christ. Matthew portrays Him as the King of the Jews – the long awaited Messiah. Mark portrays Him as the Servant of the Lord. Luke portrays Him as the Saviour of sinners. John portrays Him as the eternal Son of God Who became man. All four Gospels major disproportionately on the death of Christ at Calvary. It is by the death of Christ, not His live, that sinners are reconciled to God.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five gold rings. These five gold rings represent the first five books of the Bible – the Pentateuch – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The theme of these five books is Creation, the Fall and Redemption. They tell us of our origins. They tell us how sin has spoiled the world. They tell us that the way back to God is by the blood sacrifice He has ordained – the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament all prefigured and foreshadowed the one sacrifice of Christ in the New.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, six geese a-laying. The six laying geese here represent the six days of creation as revealed in Genesis 1. The Bible teaches that Almighty God is the creator and sustainer of the universe. He spoke the world into existence in six days, and rested on the seventh. ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1).

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans a-swimming. These seven swimming swans represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in Romans 12:6,7, namely: prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, helping and acts of mercy. The risen Christ, by His Spirit, bestows these gifts on His church for her welfare and edification. Whilst every Christian does not have all the gifts of the Spirit, every Christian has at least one of the gifts by which they can be a blessing to the church, which is the body of Christ. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy is an exhortation to every Christian: ‘Do not neglect the gift you have …’ (1 Timothy 4:14).

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight maids a-milking. The eight milking maids are the eight ‘Beatitudes’ with which the Lord Jesus opened His famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’ – commonly known as the greatest sermon ever preached. The key to the Beatitudes is the first one: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3). True blessedness is a result of realising our spiritual poverty and need, and casting ourselves on God in Christ for mercy.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine ladies dancing. These nine dancing ladies represent the nine-fold ‘fruit of the Spirit’ enunciated in Galatians 5:22,23 – ‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.’ The Holy Spirit of Christ gradually transforms Christians into the likeness of Christ. The process is known as sanctification. Fruit can take time to ripen, but by the grace of God, all who belong to Jesus will surely ripen more and more into His character.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten lords a-leaping. The ten leaping lords represent the Ten Commandments, as delivered by God to Moses at Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments are the Maker’s instructions. They are a summary of the moral law. They reveal God’s will, and they convict us of our sin and drive us to Christ for salvation. They also show us how to please God. If we love Him, and if we have been saved by His grace, we will endeavour to keep His commandments.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven pipers piping. Jesus chose twelve disciples, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. Of these twelve, only eleven were faithful. One, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming. This final line of the song was intended to be a surreptitious reminder of the twelve lines of the Apostles’ Creed. The Apostles Creed is an early summary of the faith of the Bible – the Trinitarian Faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. ‘The Faith which was once for all delivered to the saint’ (Jude 3). The Apostles’ Creed is distinctly Trinitarian as the Christian Faith is distinctly Trinitarian. A Christian is one who has been saved by God the Holy Trinity – ‘chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood’ (1 Peter 1:2).

So there you have The Twelve Days of Christmas. It comes over as a jolly song, and somewhat light hearted. But there is more to it than meets the eye. Once we know its hidden meaning, we will never sing or hear it in the same way again. Happy Christmas!

© Timothy Cross

 

 

           

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Taking on New Things

Snowflakes

Underneath the surface jollity, Christmas can be a sad time for some. At Christmas-time we can be more aware of loved ones who are no longer with us. This is the case with my family, where my late father no longer joins us around the Christmas dinner table.

Losing a loved one though is not without compensations. Since my father’s death my mother has been released from the twenty four hour care he needed, and able to take on activities she was prevented from doing when my father was alive. She is now more involved with her church and has also joined a choir and a reading group. She is also now free to travel.

Did you know that the Lord Jesus – He whose birth lies at the centre of Christmas – at certain moments in time, took on matters which He had never taken on before? As the second person of the divine trinity, in eternity past, Jesus lived in the glory of heaven, in the ineffable fellowship which exists in the trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On earth, He could speak to His Father of ‘the glory which I had with Thee before the world was made’ (John 17:5). Yet Scripture reveals that at crucial moments in the divine plan of salvation, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, took upon Himself i. Our human flesh ii. Our human sin.

1. The Divine Incarnation

In Jesus, God became man, taking upon Himself our human flesh. In Jesus, God actually shared our humanity. John wrote ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14), and Paul explained that ‘in Him (Christ) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily’ (Colossians 2:9). It is the incarnation – God’s real, actual, historical and historic ‘enfleshment’ – which takes us to the heart of Christmas:-

 

‘Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to Himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin’ (Shorter Catechism).

 

The real, humanity of Jesus reminds us that we have a God who really does understand our human lot from ‘the inside.’ He can never be accused of being far removed from our daily struggles in this fallen world. ‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35), and Jesus slept (Mark 4:38). He experienced fatigue (John 4:6), hunger (Mark 14:33) and thirst (John 19:28). Jesus also experienced mental turmoil (Mark 14:33) and received the barbs of those who sought to inflict psychological damage on Him (Matthew 27:39). Christians thus hold to the full humanity of Christ as much as they do to His absolute deity, for Scripture teaches both. His real humanity tells us ‘we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin’ (Hebrews 4:15).

But why did the Lord Jesus take on Himself our humanity? The answer of the Bible is: So He could die. His incarnation was with a view to His immolation. Unusually, His birth was with a view to His death. Scripture teaches that Jesus’ birth was a case of His taking on Himself our human flesh. But His death was a case of His taking on Himself our human sin.

2. The Divine Imputation

In a verse of infinite profundity, 2 Corinthians 5:21 states ‘For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.’ Hebrews 9:28 similarly tells of ‘Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many.’

The Christian gospel proclaims that the sins which prevent our fellowship with God and access to heaven may be fully and forever forgiven. But they may be forgiven only because Christ took them and their consequences on Himself when He died on the cross. Our sins may be forgiven because Christ bore them. When we speak of Christ ‘bearing’ our sins, we mean that He paid the price for them; He paid the penalty for them; He endured the punishment which we should have borne for them. He became the sinner’s substitute. Divine ‘imputation’ is the word which encapsulates this. Our sins – in the mercy of God – were ‘put to Christ’s account.’ He ‘paid the bill’ that we might be exonerated. On the cross of Calvary, He endured the wrath of God on our sins to save everyone who believes in Him from the wrath of God on their sins:-

 

All Thy sins were laid upon Him

Jesus bore them on the tree

God, who knew them, laid them on Him

And believing, Thou art free

(J Denham Smith 1817-1889)

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So at two key points in the saga of redemption, God, in Christ i. Took upon Himself our human flesh and ii. Took upon Himself our human sin. The two may be distinguished, but cannot be separated, as the former was with a view to the latter. Christ was born to save us. ‘You shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). And salvation was actually procured, not by Christ’s birth but by His death, in the very last hours of His earthly life, when He died as an atoning sacrifice for sinners. Christ’s taking on Himself our humanity was with the sole purpose of taking on Himself our sin. Christmas Day was with a view to Good Friday, for Christ’s cradle was with a view to His cross when ‘He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree’ (1 Peter 2:24).

 

Jesus, my Saviour to Bethlehem came

Born in a manger to sorrow and shame

O it was wonderful – blest be His Name!

Seeking for me, for me!

 

Jesus, my Saviour on Calvary’s tree

Paid the great debt and my soul He set free

O it was wonderful – how could it be

Dying for me, for me!

(Anon).

 

© Timothy Cross

 

 

 

 

 

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When Someone We Love Dies

WHEN SOMEONE WE LOVE DIES

My dear dad died on 12th December 2014. He was 84 years and 6 days old. He had been suffering from dementia for a few years, so wasn’t quite the father I had known. We enjoyed a warm friendship though right up to his last day. I confess that I would be lying if I said that I don’t miss him and am not subject to bouts of sadness. Over the years I have experienced the devastating loss of a job, along with the loss of beloved family pets, but until my father’s death I had never experienced the bereavement which comes from the death of a close relative. But does the Bible have any comfort to those – and we will all suffer loss at sometime – in my condition? Yes it does. When we struggle with bereavement, we may take comfort from the Sovereignty of God, the Salvation of God and the Solace of God.

  1. The Sovereignty of God

According to the Bible, the day of our death is not accidental but providential. It has been pre-determined by Almighty God; a date written in His diary, if you like. ‘In Thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them’ reads Psalm 139:16. The absolute sovereignty of God is, truth be told, the only ultimate comfort for the soul. His eternal decree is fixed and unalterable. He ‘accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will’ (Ephesians 1:11). ‘The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass’ (Shorter Catechism). This being so, we will not die a moment too soon, just as we will neither breathe a moment longer than God has ordained. There is ‘a time to be born and a time to die’ (Ecclesiastes 3:2). A death in the family never takes God by surprise. He knows best. We may safely trust His providence.

  1. The Salvation of God

For the Christian, death is nothing less than the door through which we enter into a richer, fuller life – the porter which ushers us into the nearer presence of Christ our Saviour. We belong to Jesus. He has procured our eternal salvation when He died on Calvary’s cross to atone for our sins. Hence Paul could write ‘for me to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21) and ‘My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better’ (Philippians 1:23). You can be sure that once a Christian has tasted the bliss of God’s nearer presence in heaven that they would have no desire at all to return to this world with its sorrow and pain. For the Christian, death is a matter of being ‘away from the body and at home with the Lord’ (2 Corinthians 5:8) – awaiting the resurrection of the body on the Last Day, when Jesus returns to bring in the new heavens and the new earth.

But what if a loved one made no profession of Christ during their lifetime, as far as we know? It would, of course, be infinitely preferable to have the assurance that they were Christ’s, and thus now in heaven. Yet the Bible does not teach that everyone goes to heaven, whether they believe in Jesus or not … When we are unsure of a loved one’s eternal state, we may leave them with God. He knows what He is doing. His will, will be done. In Genesis 18:25 we read ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ and Psalm 119:137 reads ‘Righteous art Thou, O LORD, and right are thy judgments.’ No one who has ever lived and died will ever be able to accuse the Lord God of injustice or doing wrong. ‘The LORD is just in all His ways and kind in all His doings’ (Psalm 145:17).

  1. The Solace of God

It is the universal experience of Christians that the Lord God, in His mercy, draws especially near to us during times of sadness and trouble. ‘The LORD is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit’ (Psalm 34:18). The God of the Bible is a God of both saving and sustaining grace. He will give us strength for each day and the ability to cope with the losses, crosses and difficulties He sees fit to send us in His providence. He is infinite in wisdom – far too wise to make mistakes. He is also infinite in love – too loving to be unkind. We know this because our Gospel affirms ‘god shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8).

Grieving is a natural process which accompanies a loss. Yet grieving unduly is to be shunned, as it casts aspersions on God’s providence. Yet in our grief we may know the solace of God, as He is ‘the Father of mercies and god of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction’ (2 Corinthians 1:3,4). Jesus, our Saviour, is a Saviour of the utmost sympathy, who once wept at the death of a friend. The shortest verse of the Bible states ‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35). And the Holy Spirit is known in the Bible as ‘the Comforter’ – the ‘Parakletos’ – the One called alongside us to help, strengthen and undertake for us.

The death of a loved one knocks away all our human props. ‘All other helpers fail, and comforts flee.’ But the Christian has a God to whom to turn. Through our tears, He will give us His solace, and prove to be all-sufficient for our need, until the day when ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes’ (Revelation 21:3).

I thank God for the life and love of my father, John Cross. And with Job, I say ‘The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD’ (Job 1:21).

Timothy Cross

www.TimothyJCross.org

 

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He Ascended into Heaven …

 

Heaven

The day known as ‘Ascension Day’ by Christians who follow a church calendar, usually falls in May. It commemorates Christ’s glorious ascension into heaven, forty days after his victorious resurrection on the first ‘Easter Sunday’.

 

Luke provides the fullest description of this particular milestone in the work of the Saviour. He takes us, some two thousand years ago, to the Mount of Olives on the eastern side of the city of Jerusalem, and relates: ‘as they [that is, the disciples] were looking on, he [that is, the Lord Jesus] was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

‘And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven”’ (Acts 1:9-11).

 

Mission accomplished

 

The Ascension reminds us that in dealing with Jesus we are dealing with no mere man, but with God himself in human flesh. The Lord Jesus entered our world in a supernatural manner, being conceived by the Holy Spirit in a virgin’s womb. It was thus most fitting that he should also exit from our world in a supernatural way, ascending into heaven on the clouds.

Picture the scene in heaven when the Son of God returned home to glory. What triumph and jubilation! He had perfectly fulfilled his Father’s plan of salvation and accomplished his mission.

He had left heaven for earth. He had died to save God’s elect from their sins, paying their penalty in full by dying on the cross in their place. He had triumphed over and defeated the grave when he rose victoriously from the dead on the third day. Now he was returning home.

The ascension is therefore rightly though of in terms of Christ’s coronation. Ascending into heaven, he took his seat at God’s right hand — the place of supreme approval and pre-eminence.

Psalm 24 may well give us a prophetic glimpse of this when it says, ‘Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up O ancient doors! That the King of Glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory’ (Psalm 24:9-10). Christ the crucified is now Christ crowned King:

 

The head that once was crowned with thorns

Is crowned with glory now;

A royal diadem adorns

The mighty Victor’s brow.

 

The highest place that heaven affords

Is his by sovereign right;

The King of kings and Lord of lords

And heaven’s eternal light.

 

Kingly office

 

Christ’s ascension and enthronement reminds us of his kingly office. As the Messiah, he fulfils the threefold office of prophet, priest and king in his one person. As King, he sits enthroned at God’s right hand. Christians contend for Christ’s crown and covenant, for our Saviour is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is due the worship, allegiance, obedience and obeisance appropriate to his worthy Name.

Our Saviour possesses unsurpassed authority, for he is the King of kings and Lord of lords! As the Shorter Catechism puts it, ‘Christ executeth the office of a king, subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies’.

 

An on-going ministry

 

Paradoxically, the ascension of Christ also teaches us about the continuation, as well as the conclusion, of Christ’s ministry. Ten days after his ascension, as he promised, Christ poured out his Holy Spirit on the infant church.

The Holy Spirit of God, although a divine person in his own right, can also be thought of as the presence of Jesus with his people on earth. He continues Christ’s ministry by applying to us the benefits of Christ’s redeeming work. The Shorter Catechism, again, states: ‘We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit’.

Thank God that we are not left to our own unaided devices when it comes to the essential matter of believing in Jesus, but that redemption is as divinely applied as it was divinely accomplished.

Thank God also that because Jesus sits at God’s right hand, his people have a much-needed ‘advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1 John 2:1). The Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus is currently active on his people’s behalf, praying and interceding for his own — for ‘He ever lives to make intercession for us’ (Hebrews 7:25).            This, of course, refers to Christ’s high priestly ministry: ‘we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God’ (Hebrews 4:14). Paul tells us that ‘Christ Jesus … is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us’ (Romans 8:34).            It is a great comfort to know this. Without the Spirit’s advocacy on earth and the Saviour’s advocacy in heaven, no Christian would ever persevere in the Faith to the last. Our divine salvation is also a divine preservation.

 

Christ’s coming majesty

 

Finally, Christ’s ascension reminds us that he is coming again to this earth — to make all things new and put all things right. To quote Luke’s account once again: ‘This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’.

According to the Bible, history is linear, and is and will remain ‘ his-story’. The great culmination of history will be the Second Coming of Christ — and what a day it will be! When the Lord Jesus comes again, visibly in the clouds of heaven, to gather his church and judge the earth in righteousness, he will destroy all evil and put all his enemies under his feet.

Paul calls it ‘our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13). It will certainly be a day of eternal consolation for those who, by God’s grace, have been brought into a personal saving-faith union with the Lord Jesus. But it will also be a day of remorse and eternal calamity to those who would have nothing to do with Jesus and have hardened their hearts against his saving rule.

 

Christ ascended into heaven …

 

Whether we follow a church calendar or not, the ascension of the Lord Jesus is not to be passed over lightly. Jesus is the incomparable Christ. He is the eternal Son of God. He was born miraculously, he lived miraculously, he died miraculously, and he rose from the grave miraculously.

He ascended into heaven miraculously and, miraculously, even today, is still at work in the world, bestowing salvation on lost sinners and building his church. He is also coming again — miraculously. The Bible tells us so, ‘For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet’ (1 Corinthians 15:25).

‘Ascension Day’ reminds us that there is no-one like the Lord Jesus — the Christ of the Scriptures, the head of all principality and power, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and in whom we are complete (Colossians 2:8-10).

 

Triumphant, Christ ascends on high,

The glorious work complete.

Sin, death and hell low vanquished lie

Beneath his awe-full feet.

 

There, with eternal glory crowned,

The Lord, the Conqueror reigns.

His praise the heavenly choirs resound

In their immortal strains.

 

© Timothy Cross

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