İsa Mesih’in Beytlehem’de bir yemlikte doğduğunu ve ilk ziyaretçilerinin çobanlar olduğunu herkes bilir. Ama işin içine tarihsel "Efrata" detayını kattığınızda, o bilindik doğum sahnesi bambaşka ve tüyleri diken diken eden bir anlama bürünüyor.
Eski Ahit’te Mika peygamber (Mika 5:2), Mesih’in doğacağı yeri bildirirken sadece Beytlehem demez, özel olarak eski adını kullanır: "Ama sen, ey Beytlehem Efrata, Yahuda boyları arasında küçüksün; yine de İsrail’i yönetecek olan Biri senden çıkacak."
Peki neden özellikle Beytlehem Efrata ve neden ilk müjde oradaki çobanlara verildi?
Beytlehem Efrata bölgesi, Kudüs Tapınağı’na sadece birkaç kilometre uzaklıktaydı. Yahudi sözlü geleneğine (Mişna) göre, Efrata çayırlarında ve oradaki "Migdal Eder" (Sürü Kulesi) etrafında otlatılan koyunlar sıradan kasaplık hayvanlar değildi. Bunlar, Kudüs Tapınağı’nda Fısıh (Pesah) bayramında günah kurbanı olarak kesilmek üzere özel yetiştirilen "kusursuz tapınak kuzularıydı."
Luka 2:8’de gece kırda sürülerini beklediği söylenen çobanlar da sıradan çobanlar değil, tapınak için doğacak kurbanlık kuzuların kusursuz ve yarasız kalmasından sorumlu tapınak çobanlarıydı. Bu çobanlar, kurbanlık bir kuzu doğacağı zaman onu Sürü Kulesi’nin altındaki mağaraya götürür, yeni doğan kuzu sağa sola çarpıp yaralanmasın, lekesiz kalsın diye onu temiz bezlerle kundaklar ve taş yemliğe yatırırlardı.
Şimdi Luka 2:12’de meleğin çobanlara söylediği şu sözü tekrar okuyun:
"İşte size bir işaret: Kundağa sarılmış ve yemliğe yatırılmış bir bebek bulacaksınız."
Melek çobanlara herhangi bir adres tarif etmedi. Çünkü "kundağa sarılıp yemliğe yatırılmak" o çobanların her gün kurbanlık tapınak kuzularına bizzat yaptığı işlemdi! İşareti duyar duymaz nereye, hangi mağaraya bakacaklarını tam olarak biliyorlardı.
Yıllar sonra Vaftizci Yahya’nın İsa’yı gördüğünde "İşte dünyanın günahını ortadan kaldıran Tanrı Kuzusu!" (Yuhanna 1:29) diye haykırmasının arkasında da bu muazzam tablo yatar. Dünyanın günahı için kurban edilecek olan gerçek Tanrı Kuzusu, tesadüfen bir ahırda değil; tam olarak tapınak kuzularının doğduğu yerde, onların sarıldığı bezlere sarılarak ve onların yatırıldığı yemliğe yatırılarak dünyaya gelmişti.
"Cualquiera que en él creyere, no será avergonzado. Porque no hay diferencia entre judío y griego, pues el mismo que es Señor de todos, es rico para con todos los que le invocan; porque todo aquel que invocare el nombre del Señor, será salvo." R10:11-13
Charlie Kirk wasn’t the only member of the body of Christ who was m*rdered on Sept 10,2025 …. We remembered Charlie but not this man. Now you can remember him.
This man’s name is Assur and he’s from Syria but lived in France. He preached Christ boldly in love to Muslims from his wheelchair and was st@bbed to death by a Muslim the same day Charlie was m*rdered.
The world didn’t know his name but our God did. See you soon, brother.
Now you know his name 🩷👇🏻
5 reasons why it matters that Jesus Christ was born a man:
1. He is the Last Adam. Where the first Adam failed, Christ obeyed as our covenant Head (1 Cor. 15:45).
2. He is the Son of David. He fulfills God's promise of a King from David's line (Luke 1:32–33).
3. He fulfilled the Law. Born an Israelite male, He was circumcised and lived in perfect obedience (Gal. 4:4).
4. He is our Great High Priest. He fulfills the priestly office and intercedes for His people (Heb. 4:14).
5. He is the Bridegroom. Christ loves, redeems, and sanctifies His bride, the Church (Eph. 5:25–27).
A transgender man walked off the street to respond to Jesus.
I was open-air preaching the gospel when he stopped to listen...
As the gospel went forth, something shifted.
When I gave the opportunity to respond, he stepped forward.
No one is too far gone for Jesus. Watch for yourself...
When Jesus shed His blood, He obtained eternal redemption for us.
The debt was settled.
The claims against us were satisfied.
The penalty of sin was fully addressed.
He paid the price we could never pay and accomplished what we could never accomplish for ourselves.
Live with gratitude and confidence, knowing that your salvation is eternally secure in Jesus.
I watched @CBS@60Minutes tonight, and Ross Douthat interviewed President @realDonaldTrump. Toward the end of the interview, they talked about something far more important than politics. He asked the President, at 80 years of age and after surviving multiple assassination attempts, what he thinks will happen when he dies. President Trump said he wants to go to Heaven and not to Hell. Most people, if asked, I believe would say the same. But Heaven has borders. Heaven has unique and very strict entrance requirements. To enter Heaven, the Bible tells us that you must acknowledge your sins, turn from them in repentance, and receive Jesus Christ by faith. That means, believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, that He paid the penalty for your sins by dying on a cross, was buried in a tomb, raised to life on the third day, and walked out of that tomb. He’s alive! If you put your trust in Jesus Christ, you will be in God’s presence for eternity. Religion can’t save you—only a relationship with the Savior, Jesus Christ, can save you. Do you have that assurance?
A love letter to #Madrid - we had the absolute BEST time! Years from now I won’t remember the score, but I’ll remember what a great time we had with fans from all over the world! Beautiful city, beautiful people!
¡Who dey!
#WhoDey#Bengals
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17.
They learned to bury their parents before they learned to tie their shoes.
Orphaned by terror. Left with nothing.
Yet they still lift their little hands and sing:
“Hallelujah, Jesus redeemed me free of charge.”
If they can still worship after losing everything, we have no excuse to stay silent.
Pray for them. Stand with them. 🙏
"There is no limit to God. There is no limit to His wisdom. There is no limit to His power. There is no limit to His love. There is no limit to His mercy." —Billy Graham