The First Christmas

The Western World, peopled primarily by post-Christian peoples, still comes to a stop at Christmas time around this one great holiday of the year. Intended as a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Christmas has almost always had a bit of a checkered history.

Is Christmas all that important?

It Furthered God’s Plan

Genesis 3:15 NKJV

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Many people point to this verse and the myriad verses like it that point to a Savior who would die as being of critical importance. They are not wrong; Jesus’ death on the cross, in our place, and for our sins is critically important. But this line of thinking misses two important facts:

Logically - Jesus could not die if He were not first born. That makes Jesus’ birth an important event for furthering God’s plan.

Textually - There is a lot of emphasis here on the Seed of the woman. What is the seed of a woman? A child. What was the Seed referred to here? Jesus. This emphasis is placed on His eventual arrival…or birth.

To be fair: Jesus birth was not the culmination of God’s plan, but it was necessary to further God’s plan. (For that matter, Jesus death was not the culmination either, each was a necessary step leading to the eventual culmination of restoration of all things in Revelation.)

Paul Highlighted this essential element in God’s plan:

Galatians 4:4–5 NKJV

4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

It Fulfilled God’s Promise

Since Jesus’ birth was part of God’s plan, it makes sense that He told us it was coming. These historical references to a future plan are what we commonly call prophecy and the Old Testament Scriptures are littered with them.

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 7:14 NKJV

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Micah 5:2 NKJV

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

Numbers 24:17 NKJV

17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.

Psalm 72:10–11 NKJV

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts. 11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.

There are others, but these serve to make the point. Jesus’ birth—really most of His entire life—was prophesied. Being born as He was and living as He did fulfilled prophecies.

It Furnished God’s Pleasure

Colossians 1:19–20 NKJV

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Matthew 3:17 NKJV

17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Sure, this last was at Jesus’ baptism, not His birth, but it highlights the truth that God was well pleased with Jesus’ life, which would include His birth.

Jesus’ birth, life, and relationship furnished God with pleasure

Jesus as a gift to, and for, us furnished God with pleasure in the same way that we are pleased when we are able to give something that pleases others.

We could argue that the first Christmas was the most important ever. Certainly, no Christmas would have followed had the first not occured, so it is definitely important. But, we could argue that it was one of the most important Christmases ever. What other Christmas might be important. We’ll talk about that next week: on Christmas Day!