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THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS Pastor Charles Wesley Ewing Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matt. 1: 18 - 21). Today, a thousand million Christians commemorate His birth. Think of it! Why such interest, love, adoration, and devotion bestowed upon a child? Why this child? Why not some great military leader, philosopher, scientist, doctor, statesman, emperor, king? Simply because of Who He was and what He did. And Who was He, and what did He do? John says He was the Word and was with God, and was God, in the beginning before the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep. He inhabited eternity before the earth was without form and void. He was the light of eternity before the command went forth: Let there be light. He was the Ancient of Days before the evening and the morning were the first day. He was the Bright and Morning Star infinite ages before the morning stars began to shine. He was the Rock of Ages before the mountains raised their rocky peaks and clapped their hands with glee. He was the Water of Life before the firmament was made to divide the waters. He was the Bread of Life before the earth brought forth its golden grain. He was the Rose of Sharon before Eden's bowers bore its blossoms. He was the Lily of the Valley before the valleys were hollowed out. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world before the first animals grazed in Eden's pasture fields. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. He was born in a manger, grew up in obscurity, rejected as a heretic, arrested for treason, and crucified as a malefactor; but He now controls the destinies of the nations and rules over a kingdom that will never end. In the sway of His imperial power, He is the mightiest among the holy and the holiest among the mighty. With nail pierced hands, He lifted empires off their hinges, turned the stream of civilization from its channel, and governs the ages. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. In infancy He startled a king. In boyhood He puzzled the doctors. In manhood He stepped on the waters and they congealed like pavement under His feet; He commanded the winds and the waves and they obeyed Him; He took five loaves and fed five thousand; and He called the dead back from eternity. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. Born under the lowliest of circumstances, yet He marked the calendar with His birth. He knew every ignominy and shame an unbelieving world could heap upon Him, yet no military leader, president, priest or king can boast of as many followers who would gladly lay down their lives to own His cause. He was born in poverty and at the zenith of His career did not have a place to lay His head. His parents didn't own the barn in which He was born. He didn't own the boat in which He sailed. He didn't own the beast on which He rode. He didn't own the tomb in which He was buried. He was born in another man's stable, sailed in another man's boat, rode on another man's beast, and was buried in another map's mausoleum In order to pay His taxes He had to perform a miracle to get the money. When He died, an inventory of His possessions revealed one robe which He wore by day and slept in by night. Now, every seventh day, untold millions assemble to lay their tithes and offerings at His feet. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. In creative glory, He tossed racing planets and luminous suns into space, set the stars in their position, and stretched out the heavens like a scroll. He laid the mudsills of the earth, pushed up its mountains, scooped out its valleys, carpeted it with grass, and laced it with rippling streams and mighty rivers. His fingers wove the colors in the rainbow scarf and draped it on the shoulders of the frowning storm. He took a handful of dust, breathed upon it, and man became a living soul. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. In condescension, He took one infinite step from the heights of supernal glory to the depth of utter humiliation. He forsook the realms of eternal light for the abysmal darkness of a world of sin. He abdicated heaven's throne for a pile of straw in a cowshed. He bade farewell to heaven's love and angel's acclaim that He might receive earth's hate and feel men's shame. He surrendered heaven's adoration that He might be earth's object of scorn and accusation. He turned away from celestial bliss to the horrors of eternal judgment concentrated into a terrible moment of time. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. In humiliation, the Son of God became the Son of Man that sons of men might become sons of God. The Son of God put on humanity that sons of men might put on divinity. The Son of God came from heaven to earth that sons of men might go from earth to heaven. The Son of God suffered, groaned and died, that sons of men might live. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. In redemption, He hung on hell's cross timbers of torment with spikes in His hands and feet, a crown of thorns pressed down upon His brow, and there under the black arch of a sunless sky at noon, while muttering thunders beat on muffled drums of clouds, the earth convulsed with grief, and red fingered lightning wrote in letters of living fire on the rocks of Mount Calvary the tragedy of the ages. He reconciled the world to God. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. He pulled back the curtain of eternity, stepped out on the stage of time for one brief moment, and there retired once more to the side wings, of eternity; but that one brief moment of time was the crisis of the ages which sealed the fate and fixes the fortune of every man. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. Herod could not kill Him. Satan could not beguile Him. Demons could not resist Him. Sickness could not withstand Him. The waves could not drown Him. The rabble could not disturb Him. The cross could not deter Him. Pilate could not condemn Him. Death could not corrupt Him. Hell could not imprison Him. The grave could not contain Him. Gravitation could not restrain Him. One day heaven will not detain Him. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. He is healing to the sick, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cleansing to the leper, strength to the impotent, rest to the weary, freedom to those in bondage, comfort to those who mourn, joy to those who sorrow, hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless, brother to the friendless, light to those who grope in darkness, resurrection to the dead. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. He is the Counselor who knows all about your trials, the Captain who has never lost a battle, the Advocate who has never lost a case, the Physician who has never lost a patient. He is the One whom angels worship, saints adore, and devils fear. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. He was born contrary to the laws of birth, lived contrary to the laws of life, healed contrary to the laws of physics, taught contrary to the laws of tuition, condemned contrary to the laws of justice, died contrary to the laws of death, arose contrary to the laws of sepulture, ascended contrary to the laws of gravitation, and will come again contrary to the expectation of a sinful world. Thou shalt call his name JESUS. The Christian world unites to commemorate His birth, yet we are not worshipping a helpless infant lying in manger straw. We love to read the beautiful story of His parents taking Him to Jerusalem to the Feast of the Passover when He was twelve years of age, yet we are not worshipping a little boy in the temple answering the questions of the doctors. No man ever taught as He taught, yet we are not worshipping a teacher standing on the shores of Galilee. He died in agony nailed to a wretched cross, yet we are not worshipping a dead body hanging limp on a crucifix. We are worshipping a resurrected and ascended Lord, and soon-coming King who said: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth… go ye therefore… and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:18-20). Thou shalt call his name JESUS. "Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"
NEW SERMON #10815 THOU SHALT CALL… __________ New Christian Crusade Church
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New Christian Crusade Church You may call us Monday, Wednesday or Friday at 601-749-8565 Last modified: Wednesday, 17 October 2007 |
