Today's THE Day!
by Peter Horrobin
Isaiah had prophesied that when the Messiah came his arm would rule for him, but that he would also tend his flock like a shepherd. In this prophecy (Isaiah 40:10-11) we see two different aspects of the character of Jesus - Jesus the King who will rule and Jesus the Shepherd who will care for the sheep.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Scripture tells us that there were two sets of unusual visitors - first there were the Shepherds, who had both heard the angels telling of the birth of Christ and seen the hosts of angels praising God in thanksgiving. Then there were the Kings who brought their rich gifts and bowed before the baby who was also a King, but whose authority far outweighed that of any earthly king. In a remarkable way, these two visits to the baby Jesus reflected the prophecy of Isaiah, both the shepherds and the kings came and acknowledged that they were bowing before a far superior Shepherd and a far greater King.
As we celebrate, with great thanksgiving, the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, let us never forget that this baby grew to become that great Shepherd of the Sheep who cares deeply for everyone of His lambs, even you and me. But that He is also reigning as King of Kings and that ultimately all authority rests in His hands.
So whatever the situation the world is in, He is ultimately in control. And whatever situation you may be in personally, He is still the Good Shepherd. Try and spend a few minutes this Christmas thinking about your life and choosing to let Him reign in your life as King and bringing to Him, as your Shepherd, all the concerns that are pressing down upon you. He is sufficient for all these things.
Prayer: Thank you Father God for Jesus, the most amazing Christmas gift anyone could ever receive. Help me to mark this Christmas season with a new understanding of how precious Jesus is. In His name, Amen.
Peter Horrobin is the Founding and International Director of Ellel Ministries. The work was originally established in 1986 as a ministry of healing in the north-west of England, but today the work has spread round the world, with Ellel Centres in over thirty nations. Peter has been doing lots of writing recently, including the "Journey to Life" series which can be purchased online at sovereignworld.com.
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