Wednesday, December 4, 2013

A Christmas Devotion #3

Isaiah 42:1; "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My Elect one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations".

In England we have a chocolate covered variation of Turkish Delight which is one of sweetest and most delicious bars of sugary goodness I have ever tasted. As a child entering into the confectionery shop it would always be the candy bar that would carry a unique ‘aura of specialness’. To the point that if you purchased it over any other candy, you would leave the local shop feeling giddy. And yet, although my young taste buds delighted in consuming my sweet purchase, it was a delight that lacked depth and gone as soon as it had arrived. However, if I could bottle the delight I felt and magnify it several thousand times, I may scratch the surface of the depth of delight that we find here in Isaiah, as he pens words about the coming Messiah.

What a blessing it must have been for the Father to say this about His Son. The part of the verse which stands out to me here is, "My Elect one in whom My soul delights". This really gives us a picture of how the Father feels about His Beloved Son. Not only does it state that Jesus was the Elect One, the only one that could come to this earth and give Himself as an offering on our behalf to save our lives, but also, that the Father delights in His son. This reminds me of Jesus' Baptism, where the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus like a dove and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". Notice that this statement from the Father comes before Jesus had started His earthly ministry. This is a proud Father indeed.

For all of us that are found in Christ, this principle applies to us. No matter what we do here on earth, whether it be good acts that we do or in the times that we stumble, it does not change the fact that we have a God that loves us beyond our wildest comprehension. Not only this, but I am convinced that His soul delights in those who are found in Christ, who have been chosen to be the Fragrance of Christ. (That notion is still a mystery to me. Why the Father would choose us to play a part in making Christ ‘smell good’).

God can delight in us due to the obedience of His Son, Jesus Christ, that came in the flesh and dwelt among us. Let us be joyful together this Christmas season that Jesus Christ our Lord has given us this opportunity to delight God's Soul. 

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