Focus: Divine Purpose

Text: Mt.1:21

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Knowledge of purpose is essential to fulfilling it. I think it was Miles Monroe who said that where purpose is not known abuse becomes inevitable. Every child born into this world is born to fulfill a divine purpose. Jeremiah lamented for Israel, saying, "Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully…" (Lam.1:9). The words "last end" refer to destiny or purpose. Israel knew not her destiny, and for that he fell down and failed disastrously.

Christmas refers to a time of year when followers of Christ celebrate the birth of their Master and Owner. He was born and lived for a divine purpose. His whole life was solely devoted to fulfilling the purpose of God for His earthly existence. No birth is accidental or coincidental, but providential. Jesus Christ was born to execute the Father's agenda on the earth, and that agenda is stamped upon His names. 

His very names are a revelation of what He came into the world to achieve, and He focused on getting it done.

The text for today reveals one reason He was born for, which is to save His people from their sins. Mark the word 'sins.' In John 1:29, John the Baptist says to his disciples, "Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world." In John it is SIN, and in Matthew it is SINS. Sins deal with our day to day sinful thoughts and actions, while sin deals with our nature of sin, or sin as a principle - sin as it runs through our blood or veins. 

Christ was called Yeshua, because He was born to accomplish our salvation. Luke declares, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Lk.2:11). Interestingly, Christ is more than our Savior; He is also our salvation. Additionally, He is our sovereign Lord and the anointed and appointed one of God. Indeed He was born to save us - the whole human race.

Matthew tells us something else about Jesus Christ. He says, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Mt.1:23). He was born to mirror God to us. He reflects God in our midst. Whenever you look at Christ, you are indeed looking at God Himself. God has come down in the coming of Christ. Jesus Christ is the God we can see, touch, feel and hear from. In Christ the transcendent God has become immanent. The far away God is now in our midst to be seen, heard and touched. He is our Emmanuel!

Isaiah has something to tell us about Him. He says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa.9:6). In Christ we behold divine wonders, we encounter divine counsel and wisdom, we see the power of God in action, we feel so strongly that we are in the presence of the Father of eternity. In Christ the eternal one has stepped into His sanctuary, and we find ourselves bowing down to the Prince and enjoying His peace. On His shoulders governance feels at rest. Governance is made easy and sweat-less through Him. He rules and rules well and with ease.

In Matthew 2:2, a question is asked, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him" (Mt.2:2). We find another title or appellation right here. He was born to rule. He was born as the King of Israel. John captures it well in his superscription, "This is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." He is Israel's King. In John, Pilate asked Jesus Christ, "Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world…" (Jh.18:37). In the Greek, His answer is a concrete affirmation. He is saying essentially, 'So you are the King of the Jews!'

At Christmas we celebrate a man whose names speak of the purpose of His birth. In this season of Christmas the question we should be asking ourselves is: 

What do I exist for? Will I find my destiny by examining the significance of my names? What am I living for? Is Christmas only about merriment and nothing more?

In this season of Christmas we should, more than ever, reflect on the reason why God guaranteed our birth. Are we abusing purpose, ignoring it, or fulfilling it? The birth of Christ was for a reason and He pursued it to its logical conclusion. On that old rugged cross, He shouted, "It is finished!" He didn't disappoint Himself, His Father, nor the world that He came to save. He was born to save, to rule, to manifest the presence and glory of God, to deliver and to heal. To celebrate the birth of Christ year in and year out and not give oneself to fulfilling the divine purpose amounts to an unpardonable sin.

In Christ God came down. In Christ God became our Savior, our sin-bearer and our salvation. In Christ God sits as King over His people. When we call Him by His name, we are signifying the reason or purpose for which He came down to earth. His names reveal God's purposes for His life. Find your purpose and live it out! Use the season of Christmas to fulfill the purpose of God for your life.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter