21 Dec Recovering Man’s Destiny
Last Sunday, Pastor Ken Lewis preached from Matthew 2:13-23 and showed us how God providentially protected his Son so he could accomplish his messianic mission. Indeed, God sovereignly orchestrated all things in order to atone for our sins through the ultimate sacrifice of his Son upon the cross.
Read: Isaiah 9:6
This Sunday, Pastor John Henschen will preach from Isaiah 9:6 and will exhort us to trust in the child born on Christmas Day who is our eternal Savior and King. As you prepare for our Sunday gathering, let this devotional from John MacArthur remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and strengthen your trust in God’s wonderful plan of salvation through Jesus.
Reflect: “Recovering Man’s Destiny”
“We … see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for every one” (Heb. 2:9).
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Jesus Christ is the only One who could recover man’s destiny.
The ultimate curse of our lost destiny is death. God warned Adam that if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die (Gen. 2:17). In the restored Kingdom we will be elevated again over a redeemed earth. But the only way we could ever reign again as kings was to have the curse of sin removed, and the only way to remove it was to pay the penalty of sin, which is death (Rom. 6:23).
There’s just one problem: how can we reign if we are dead? We need to be raised from the dead, but we certainly can’t do that ourselves. That’s why God sent Jesus Christ.
To accomplish this great work for us, Jesus had to become a man. He Himself had to be made “for a little while lower than the angels.” To regain man’s dominion, He had to taste death for every man. Christ came to die for us because in His dying He could conquer death.
But He was also raised from the dead: “Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him” (Rom. 6:9). How does that help us? “If we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection” (v. 5).
The moment you put your faith in Christ, you were identified with Him. You died with Him on the cross, you were resurrected, and you began to walk in newness of life. You now are a joint-heir with Christ in His eternal Kingdom.
Christ tasted death for you and me so we could recover our lost destiny. Celebrate that glorious truth as you celebrate His birth today.
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Suggestions for Prayer: Before you do another thing today, praise your Heavenly Father for His wonderful plan of salvation.
For Further Study: Read Isaiah 2:2–4 and 11:6–9, noting the character of our future Kingdom.
“Recovering Man’s Destiny,” December 25th Devotional, in Drawing Near, by John MacArthur.
Sing: Song List for Sunday
1. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” Arr. Crosspoint Music
2. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” Arr. Crosspoint Music
3. “What Child Is This?,” Arr. Sovereign Grace Music
4. “All Glory Be to Christ,” by Kings (MHM)