CHRISTMAS UNOBSERVED

THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD THAT IS WITHIN US

 © Carlos Padilla, December 2013 Christmas

Other Christmas studies:

CHRISTMAS - THE MANGER - BETHLEHEM - JESUS OF NAZARETH

GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH - THE WORD OF GOD  - FROM NAZARETH TO BETHLEHEM

"...The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say: See here! or See there! For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21.

The birth of Jesus Christ, being one of the most relevant acts of His life in the history of humanity, would pass unobserved for the majority of people, whether in the nation of Israel, as for Romans and Greek, as well as to the rest of humanity, until it was evident and told by all. However it was the coming of the Kingdom of God within us, as an advance of the eternal state to which we are nearing, and even of such relevance and part of Biblical prophecies, and even being an event that Israel was waiting for, it was not evidently proclaimed in the exact moment, except to a few.

In the same way, nor the universal flood in times of Noah, nor the kingdom of David, when he beat Goliath, nor the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, although expected and proclaimed, were evident until they were before them. Not the coming of the Kingdom of God when Jesus Christ Yahshua and every eye shall see Him, will be an event –like the previous events that we have mentioned– evident to the world in the precise moment just before it happens, not even to the Church, nor to Israel. Days will pass, and so months, years and times proclaiming its coming. It is part of the prophecy, part of the announcement of Jesus Christ Himself, and even though it will not be an event that we will see coming, even as we live the fulfilment of prophecy before our eyes, it will be unobserved until we have it right before us and are living it.

For many the real Christmas also passes unobserved, while for many it is the happiest and most important time of the year. For many the Kingdom of God and Christmas are myths, but for many it is everyday's life and the event that will change life for ever in the entire universe. And, for many, the Gospel is a story, while for many others to preach it is more important than the cure of cancer, because it brings salvation from death and of the souls for those who receive it, to achieve access, precisely, to that Kingdom that Jesus Christ proclaimed, and for Him, that had to win our access by coming to this world, dying on the Cross in our place to pay for our sins, rising to prove His victory over death, and the forgiveness of our sins, if we believe in His redemptory work. Jesus Christ, Yahshua, will come and every eye will see Him, as we are told in Revelation 1:7 that John the Evangelist received. Don't let this Christmas, nor the coming of the Kingdom of God, pass unobserved for you.

Though of the day and the hour no one knows, (Matthew 24:36), it is not the same to live without God than with God. It is not the same thing to live under His direction, love and protection, than to live not knowing where one goes in life, and waiting for death, without faith. For to me to live is Christ, like Paul used to say in Philippians 1:21. Indeed life is Christ, "...I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. With Christ, our best friend, we live expecting the coming of the Kingdom of God, the new state of things, a new and eternal world to which we will enter through resurrection –for those who will have died– or through the rapture –for those alive– of those who are sons of God, who have been born again of the Holy Spirit.

Also in the prophetic history of the Bible we find people who lived the events that changed history, in an unobserved way, until they had them before them. Like Zacharias, the priest who received the message from an angel in the Holy Place in the Temple about the birth of his son John the Baptist. John would be who would prepare the way for the Messiah, or the wife of Zacharias, Elizabeth, who being barren and old of age –like Abraham and Sara were– conceived John. Her relative, Mary, the virgin of Nazareth, would conceive of the Holy Spirit the Messiah Jesus Christ Yahshua, who was also visited by the angel Gabriel, the same angel that would visit Joseph, husband of Mary, before their wedding was celebrated. Mary visited Elisabeth who was full of the Holy Spirit, in this way Jesus filled John with the Holy Spirit from their mother's womb. Or the shepherds who were keeping watch by night and received the visit of a multitude of the host of angels of Yahweh who were telling them about the birth of the Saviour. And furthermore Simeon, a just and devout, and the Holy Spirit was upon him, who was waiting for the Consolation of Israel, to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not die before he saw the Lord's Christ, and took Yahshua in his arms when He was brought to the Temple and prophesized of Him: Luke 2:28-35. In the following verses we also see Anna, prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, of a great age, who was giving thanks to God telling about the Child to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Since this event the only thing that can be relevant in the life of That Child until He was called at the age of 30 to His Ministry of redemption, death, resurrection, conquest of the souls and ascension back to the Throne of Heaven, is the event when He was twelve years old listening and asking questions to the teachers of the Law in the Temple. After, His life was subject to His parents. John the Baptist received the word of God in the desert and started to preach the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins, and the imminent coming of the Messiah. While the people would come out to the Jordan to be baptized by John, in the midst of them appeared Jesus and was baptized, coming upon Him the Holy Spirit, and hearing a voice from Heaven that said: "...You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased." Luke 3:22. All these events that followed the plan of God making it happen by His angels, were unobserved by the people, although they were intensely happening in the lives of a few chosen of God, who would live them.

It will not pass unobserved the time of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the Church of Jesus Christ Yahshua, because we are expecting while we are living the Kingdom within us. It will not pass unobserved the time of the Kingdom of God for us because Jesus has left us the prophecy of how the times prior to His coming would be. In the same way, God gave our ancestors the prophecies and messages directly previous to the events they lived. But, even though the time is evident, the event in itself will be unobserved until it suddenly happens. This is the reason why we have an observation from Jesus Christ: "...For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day." Luke 17:24 (complete 17:20-37). The first Christmas also came in the same way. Today, many discover the real Christmas for the first time.

God spoke to Noah about the flood and gave him instructions to build the Arch –whose exacts plans are in the Bible, so it could be built today. Also, Abraham obeyed God and was father of nations until today, leaving from the valley of Haran and arriving to Canaan. Also, Moses received instructions to take Israel out of Egypt and guide them to the Promised Land. In the same way, David received the kingdom of Judah, and the rest of the tribes came to him that he might be their king unifying the kingdom for the glory of God. This way, also, virgin Mary believed God, and even though her situation of being pregnant before being married was serious and dangerous and usually meant death by stoning, she carried the Messiah and received her husband, and they all received them. And also, the apostles kept the unity until the coming of the Holy Spirit. All these events were coming unobserved until they were living them, but were announced by prophecies, by angels and supernatural events that God had provided and that are lived along history.

Christmas, unobserved for many, has already given so many fruits and has been the beginning and the cause of so many events that have changed the world, that it would not be reasonable, nor logic, nor by lack of scientific empiric proof that every person should consider it possible that God indeed is going to establish His Kingdom for eternity, changing the heavens and the earth that exist now, for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells, 2Peter 3.

Meanwhile all of us Christians must celebrate Christmas and its consequences for humanity, and for every neighbour. We must also enjoy and celebrate it –leaving aside matters of dates when it should have happened and whether or not it should be celebrated– taking advantage of this annual world event that it might not be unobserved, because it is the salvation of the souls, helping the neighbour and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom until it is established, feeding the hope and the faith until Jesus Christ Yahshua comes with the clouds and every eye shall see Him, Revelation 1:7. We the Church have a ministry of announcing the Kingdom of God and the news that it is going to be established so that everyone knows it, and that they might all be expectant, even though the moment prior to the Event will be unobserved, those who are expecting it will wait for it as the fruit of our preaching, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Romans 10:17. Until then, every year: Merry Christmas unobserved! in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.