CHRISTMAS MANNA! - WHAT IS IT ?

 Jesus is the Living Manna Sent from Above!                                                       

What is it
Manna is sent from Above.
Photo courtesy by:garlandsofhosannas.com
As we are entering into the season of Christmas 2012 let us meditate some of the prophecies concerning the Birth and life of Jesus from the Bible.

God Provided Israelites with Manna to satisfy their Hunger. All the people have amazed to see the food which came from the above. Manna satisfied the hunger of people. Jesus is the living bread who satisfies the hunger of spiritual life.

What is Manna?

Manna (Hebrew: מָ‏ן) or al-Mann we al-Salwa (Arabic: المَنّ و السلوى‎, Kurdish: gezo, Persian: گزانگبین‎), sometimes or archaically spelled mana, is an edible substance that, according to Abrahamic doctrine, God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert according to the Bible and the Qur'an.



Biblical description:

Manna is described as being comparable to hoarfrost in size. Hoarfrost on grass lawn.
According to the book of Exodus, manna is white, like Coriander seed.

In the description in the Book of Exodus, manna is described as being "a fine, flake-like thing" like the frost on the ground.[1] It is described in the Book of Numbers as arriving with the dew during the night;[2] Exodus adds that manna was comparable to hoarfrost in size,[1] similarly had to be collected before it was melted by the heat of the sun,[3] and was white like coriander seed in color.[4] Numbers describes it as having the appearance of bdellium,[5] adding that the Israelites ground it and pounded it into cakes, which were then baked, resulting in something that tasted like cakes baked with oil.[6] Exodus states that raw manna tasted like wafers that had been made with honey…………

In Islamic literature:

The word mana appears three times in the Qurʾān. It is narrated in the hadith Sahih Muslim that the prophet Muhammad said "Truffles are part of the 'manna' which Allah, sent to the people of Israel through Moses, and its juice is a medicine for the eyes."

James Tissot
Gathering of Manna.
Photo by:James Tissothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna
In the Bible prophecies it is stated:

 “That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat"(Exo 16:13-15).

God provided Manna to satisfy the hunger. The word Manna in Hebrew means what is it? When they saw the thing fallen from above they didn’t know what actually it was? They said what is it? They said Manna (what is it?).It was called as what is it ? Today we find many things of life which we cannot comprehend with human wisdom and say what is it?.

Millions around the world today have the knowledge of Science and technology, politics, Religions, History Health and about many more advancements.

When man comes to the point of spiritual quest he is unaware of answers to the day to day life and grossly filled with the confusions of the esoteric physical life and after life. God is the absolute answer for both Physical and spiritual esoteric confrontations of mankind’s quest. Bible answers all the information  which the wisdom of man cannot offer because the spiritual wisdom which was lost in the Garden of Eden.

The Bible says God holds certain secrets and it is not possible for man to comprehend it. God has an answer for your what is it situation you are encountering today..

God didn’t stop with Manna but He sent His son to reveal us many more esoteric things which mankind was unaware for centuries.

Many people think Jesus as a founder of the Religion called Christianity.Millions around the world including Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Communists respect Jesus as a great spiritual personality which ever existed in this world.

The Muslims believe Jesus as  Prophet and other religions as an incarnation of God. Jesus is equaled with all the prominent religious Icons and spiritual Gurus of this world.

The very own words spoken by Jesus testifies that He is not from this wolrd.There is a peculiar teachings of Jesus which was not generally accepted by many during Jesus time but was accepted by many more from that day to this day.As a new converted Hindu as I was reading the teachings of Jesus from the New Testament I found everything was authoritative which I have never heard and is crystal clear to me point to point. Jesus made it clear to mankind the things about God crystal clear. He revealed Himself to us and reveals to thus who search God irrespective of their caste, creed, Religion and gender.

1.Jesus is the living Manna came from Above.


Jesus said He is not from this world. His birth is of Divine nature born to a Virgin Mary by the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit. According to old testament prophecies.

All his words signifies that He came from the above from the Father.

Jesus from  Heaven
                                 Jesus came from Above.
               Photo courtesy by:ashtarcommandcrew.net
 “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them" (John 3:31-36).

“No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”(John 6:46-51).

But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”(John 8:23).

The Greeks with their philosophy were unable to receive the complete revelation from Above.
Jesus clarified everything from above; the things which are hidden to mankind for centuries had been revealed through the birth and life of Jesus.

Jesus is the living Manna came from above.

2. Manna is very small. (Exo 16:14): 


The size of the Manna is very small or lower compared to all the eatables of the world. It was like thin flakes like frost and like a white coriander seed.

“The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt”(Exo 16:31-32).

Jesus in a Manger
Jesus is wonderful counselor, Mighty God.......
Photo by: http://facebook.com/healthstruggleandcare
By this we understand through the prophetic teaching of God’s word that God in Jesus had lowered Himself like the size of Manna.The Omnipotent, Omniscience, Omnipresent, Eternal life, Love, Sovereign, Veracity, Light of Godhead had lowered Himself to be like Man.

The prophecy foretold was “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”(Isaiah 9:6).

He humbled to the extent becoming like man to give the eternal life that was lost for mankind in Adam.

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness”(Phil 2:6-7). 

The birth and life of Jesus is very distinctive than any great men/women who had born into this world. He lived a humble life and proved that He is not from this world.

A.He was born in a manger…..

Jesus Birth
He was born in a manger.
Photo courtesy by:lavistachurchofchrist.org
Jesus was not born into a rich family and was not in a palace.He chose the God-fearing virgin Mary and the manger to be born.His birth place is a very small village not even a  town.All this shows that Jesus Christ is a God sent from above and He has greater heaven compared to the earth it is nothing before the Heavenly palaces.Thus His birth makes us focus on the Heavenly palaces rather than the riches we acquire on this temporal planet earth.He birth asks us to become rich in Heaven rather than to become rich on earth...

 “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger; because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7).

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich”(2 Cor 8:9).

B.He was paraded on the donkey.


Jesus on a donkey
Now and then Jesus rides on a donkey.
Photo by:armoniamagazineusa.com
Donkey is often portrayed as a neglected animal.In this advanced technological era the whereabouts of a donkey isquite questionable ?.It is surprise to notice the scene of a donkey is slowly disappearing from the list of animals.Why did Jesus choose a donkey? Donkey is not favored than any other animal. Even Today Jesus favors people who are treated and been humiliated like donkey which means rejected, abused, humbled and broken-hearted. Had not Joseph been treated like an animal  while he was thrown into a pit by his own brethren ? Later was sold as a slave,was imprisoned of  doing no wrong with a treatment of injustice by both his own and others. Jesus is ready to take ride through humble and downtrodden by this world and will be glorified by them. All the greater men and women had undergone through these experiences,humbled themselves, favored and honored by Jesus. Unless through this experiences they were not fit for the use of Master’s glory.

C.He humbled Himself to wash the feet of His disciples.


washing the feets of disciples
Jesus washing the feets of His disciples.
Photo by:possessthevision.wordpress.com
Here we learn that He was service minded than to be served. He gave a great example to many to be called as servant of God than to be anything greater name and fame to be achieved. 

"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him"(John 13:5).

Jesus clarified that his mission was to serve to those who are in need and give His life ransom for many.

 “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."(Matt 20:28).


D.He died on the cross :


He was treated like a criminal even though he did no wrong, was crucified on the cross which was a custom for the Roman government to punish the hard core criminals on the cross.

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! (Phil 2:8).

E.He was buried in someone else tomb:


He had no tomb of His own……was buried and resurrected.

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."(Matt 8:20).

“At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid" (John 19:41).

So Christmas is all about the God’s humbleness of becoming like manna as a man to bless us and accept us into His divine family of eternal life.

May this Christmas brings the blessings of the purpose of his birth in our lives as we continue to bring glory and honor to His Name.

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