Luke 1:30-31 (NKJV)-30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
The Birth of Christ was supernatural. All the events surrounding his birth had the hand of God upon them. Divine dreams, angels, divine circumstances, and prophesies over four thousand years brought Christ’s birth to its appointed time. Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV)
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. In the Gospel of Luke, we find Jesus in the temple about to make an astonishing declaration. He would declare the purpose of His coming, the reason God sent him. The climate of that day was one of Roman oppression, religious burden, and hardship. The day’s news was anything but encouraging—people living in the past with little hope for the future. Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV)-2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. A prophetic word hundreds of years before declaring a light that would come to God’s people. Would those gathered in that place hear what He was telling them? Would those words sink into their hearts? I like Mary’s testimony when the angel appeared to her to tell her she would have a child that would be born of the Holy Spirit within her womb. Luke 1:38 (NKJV)-38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. She received into her heart what was impossible in the natural. This was her response of unwavering faith and trust. It was fulfilled in “her” hearing.
Jesus read from the book of Isaiah. Luke 4:18-20 (NKJV)-18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. It was an affirmative action. It was without question authoritative. It’s as if Jesus was saying, “I’m staking my life on it on what was said concerning me and sealing it by sitting down.” Jesus goes on to say in Luke 4:21 (NKJV)-21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus knew His identity, He knew His calling, and why He came to earth. Would they accept Him as their Messiah? Would what they were hearing make a difference in their lives? Would it be fulfilled in their hearing? Would the conception of God’s Word take place in their hearts?
Who wouldn’t receive such news like that? It was liberating. It was too good to be true, good news. “Could you hear them saying, “Finally, we can experience true freedom, a better life, and hope for a brighter future both now and in eternity” Jesus went on to express that there would only be a remnant who would acknowledge and receive what He said as God’s true prophet. As read on in Luke we see their response. Luke 4:28-29 (NKJV)-28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. That didn’t go over well. Imagine wanting to throw the Son of God off a cliff. Luke 4:30-31 (NKJV)-30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. This was supernatural protection.
Do you know that nothing is fulfilled for you personally without you hearing?
Mark 4:11-12 (NKJV)-11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,12 so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,And hearing they may hear and not understand;Lest they should turn,And their sins be forgiven them.’ “ Why? Because their hearts were hardened. It was in one ear and out the other! Mark 4:24 (NKJV)-24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. How we hear, how we listen, and what we receive into our hearts matter. If it doesn’t get from our head into our hearts life doesn’t change. We are to take heed of how we hear so that we might understand and comprehend. The Greek word for fulfilled is plēroō. It means to make replete, i.e. (literal) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figurative) to furnish (or imbue diffuse influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction),- accomplish. (Strongs Dict.). Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He satisfied the prophetic words spoken of Him. He was appointed and anointed to execute the office that He was chosen for. Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)-6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Imagine God becoming a babe depending on others for care and protection.
Notice again “the scripture was fulfilled in your hearing.” How about your hearing? What are you hearing? I wonder if we aren’t seeing things fulfilled in our lives because of faulty hearing. Have we turned a deaf ear in the hard times? Whether we are or not doesn’t stop God. It doesn’t change who Jesus is and what He has done for us. God has done His part. It is up to us in how we are hearing and receiving. It can’t be someone else hearing for us. Romans 10:17-18 (NKJV)-17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth,And their words to the ends of the world.” Psychologists will tell us that hearing and listening are not the same. Hearing is passive. Listening requires more effort and concentration to gain understanding and meaning. This is why Bible study and meditation is so important. Matthew 13:15 (NKJV)-15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.Their ears are hard of hearing,And their eyes they have closed,Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,So that I should heal them.’ Let’s say it like this: I will heal or convert them when their hearts are turned towards me in understanding. What understanding? The goodness of God in redeeming us. That He is the savior of the World. This includes yours and my world. All that is going on in your life up to this point. Faith springs from a heart that truly understands God’s love and His true nature. That He is a good God!
It is going beyond just agreeing mentally with the Word of God to impacting the heart that brings about righteous and godly change in our lives. It changes our thoughts, affections, attitudes, and feelings. Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV)-7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. The heart says, “I’m making it personal, be it unto me according to thy word”. I’m taking ownership of God’s promises for me! ( 2 Cor 1:20). I’m not throwing God’s Word off the cliff! I will not reject it, distance myself from it, or turn a deaf ear to it. Even in times of discouragement or disappointment, I will not give up! I will continue to hide God’s Word in my heart. The Bible says that Jesus, the living Word became flesh and dwelt among us ( John 1:14). That which was spiritual manifested in the natural. 1 John 1:1-2 (NKJV)-1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life–2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us. This was speaking of Jesus, the Word of life as he dwelt with His disciples in His earthly ministry.
The Christmas story is about heaven invading earth. The Word of Life invades our personal lives if we hear and receive it by faith. The fulfillment in our hearing. It changes everything. We can be hopeful and filled with expectation of good things that come through Christ which includes eternal life. John 1:4-5 (NKJV)-4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Darkness will never overcome the light of God’s Word. All the works of Satan cannot overcome the Word of Life. He tried to take Jesus’s life prematurely several times. From the time of his birth, and during his earthly ministry. Jesus gave up His life willingly for us on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day. The full expression of God’s love for us! Thank God Jesus was born that we might be “Born Again”! Come let us adore Him. The Fulfillment in our hearing! As the Christmas song goes…..“Do you hear what I hear”.
Matthew 11:3-5 (NKJV)-3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
In Christ’s Love;
Brent and Linda Bushen
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