Christmas

THE WONDERFULLY familiar Christmas story took place over 2000 years ago, but it was many more centuries in the making. In speaking through the ancient prophets, God foretold how He would bring His beloved Son into the world.

The birth of Jesus took place in an historical setting that the prophets foretold. The underlying story of His genealogy, in itself, was a Divine masterpiece of intrigue, suspense, and prophetic fulfillment. But the quiet events of that first Christmas morning, so long ago, have become commonplace in our modern traditions. Wise men and shepherds are familiar Christmas symbols as they gather around the tender baby who lies in a manger, while a chorus of angels proclaims the Lord’s good will to mankind. But how did the prophets envision this story? What hopes had they formed in the hearts of men, and what is the hope to which we look?

You see, the Israelites missed out on who Jesus was, they didn’t recognize their Messiah. Today, I often wonder if we are missing out of who Jesus is, and what His first coming signifies for us as we look for his second coming. How are we approaching THIS Christmas?

A Savior Foretold

Isaiah 9:2 ESV

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

The nation of Israel is looking at a time of bondage, overthrown as a strong nation, no longer able to do for themselves and instead would be under Assyrian control. No longer would they be the powerhouse nation God had intended them to be. Bug Isaiah reminds them of the glorious promise God had given them, that a great gift would be given to them. Jesus would be the great light of the world. This prophecy comes 700 years before Jesus is born, but when the Messiah is born, there are blessings that would come to this world.

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

There is hope. Isaiah confirms God is sending a child into this world who would be our Savior. While the Israelites were in darkness, Jesus would bring light into this world. Why the need for light? Because darkness causes one to not be able to see, to not know where they are going, to even stumble and fall. Darkness hides the realities of the world.

Jesus would fulfill a promise to the nation of Israel that they would again increase and joy would be returned to them. They would see a joy like they had not experienced since their exile.

Jesus was coming not as a helpless child, but as God in the flesh. The child’s being given indicate that in some special way God Himself will send the child into the world. The words a son refer back to Isaiah 7:14, which indicates that Immanuel Himself—God with us—will come to earth as the Messiah.

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

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.

The government will be upon his shoulders - He will rule over the whole world, executing perfect righteousness and justice among the people. As the exalted Lord, He will rule as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Messiah will be called Wonderful Counselor. Since Christ has come, we have a far better idea of just what this name means. Christ lived as a man, bearing all the trials and temptations of humanity. He even suffered incomprehensible persecution and was eventually executed as a criminal. Due to His intense suffering, He is able to be the most empathetic counselor imaginable. He knows what it is like to endure pain, to feel hunger and thirst, to experience poverty and homelessness. He knows the feeling of being rejected—even by His own family—and of being forsaken and left all alone. Such are the experiences that confront so many of us as we live out our lives. Thus when we need a counselor, Christ is the one Person who can feel what we feel, and He stands before us as the Wonderful Counselor. Christ can guide, encourage, and strengthen us to conquer whatever trial or temptation confronts us. As the Wonderful Counselor, He will teach us how to walk victoriously throughout life.

As predicted earlier in this verse (v. 6), the Messiah will be divine. So here He is actually called the Mighty God. As God, He will do things that no one else could conceivably do, for example, the very things that are covered in this passage (9:2–5, 7). In addition, as God, He is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (present everywhere). He is able to save any who cry out to Him for salvation. As the Mighty God, He has the power and knowledge to rescue people from all trials and temptations. He has the power to deliver people from any bondage or oppression.

The Messiah will be called the Everlasting Father. Although He is eternal, this is not the major thrust of this name. The emphasis lies upon the fact that the Messiah will love His people as a father loves His children. He will care for His people: nurture and nourish, comfort and assure, instruct and inform, lead and guide, correct and discipline them. He will do anything His people may need out of a deep, loving concern for them.

A question might be asked about this title: How can the Messiah, the Son, be called the Everlasting Father? The Bible Knowledge Commentary states “First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore He has all the attributes of God including eternality. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Person), the Messiah is God. Second, the title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity.

The Messiah will be called the Prince of Peace. He is the promised Savior of the world, the One who will bring peace to the human heart and peace among the nations. Note the word Prince, which indicates that the Messiah will be a ruler who governs in peace. He will achieve His purposes through methods of peace and carry on His work in a peaceful spirit. The people over whom He rules will be a people of peace. While the Messiah rules upon the earth, there will be no more war, brutality, divisiveness, prejudice, hatred, or bitterness. Peace will reign throughout the world.

By putting our trust in the Messiah, our relationship with God can also be restored, and this brings peace to believers - peace WITH God, and the peace OF God.

Lastly, we have hope that He will also return to this world and establish God’s kingdom on earth. As God promised, the Messiah will rule in peace, sitting on David’s throne; and He will rule forever.

The great promise given to David concerning the Messiah was already well-known throughout Israel when Isaiah made this prophecy. Sitting eternally upon the throne of David, the Messiah will establish perfect justice and righteousness on earth.

A Savior is Born

Luke 2:1–21 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Was this what was to be expected of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? To be born in a manger? To poor parents? On a trip to pay their taxes?

The taxation was used by God to fulfill His plan for the birth of the Messiah. It had been prophesied that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, and Scripture had to be fulfilled. Joseph and Mary lived in Galilee, and Mary was now great with child. How was God going to make sure that the child was born in Bethlehem? The taxation happened just at the right time and in the right way; that is, everyone had to return to the city of his birth to pay his taxes. God was miraculously controlling the events of the world, working all things out for good so that He might fulfill His promise to send the Savior into the world.

The taxation forced Joseph to Bethlehem. Everyone had to return to the city of his birth. Note the great detail given in describing the journey to Bethlehem. The taxation was certainly an event of past work in the plan of God to fulfill Scripture.

The taxation led to the fulfillment of Scripture, despite man’s plans. Mary was about to deliver; she was “great with child” (v. 5). Apparently, Joseph and Mary had planned for the child to be delivered in Nazareth; but God overruled. He either caused or used the taxation and saw to it that Joseph and Mary were forced to Bethlehem.

Jesus was not born in comfortable surroundings. Shockingly, He was born in a stable and laid in a manger or feeding trough. The birth is covered in one simple verse, yet much can be gleaned from it.

Jesus was born in a smelly stable. He was neglected and turned away by men from the very beginning. There was no room in the inn, and Mary was about to deliver. If someone had cared, room could have been made for her.

Jesus was born in poverty. If Joseph had possessed the money, he could have bought a room.

Jesus was born in obscurity and loneliness. The birth took place away from people, all alone. Note that Mary herself wrapped the child in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.

Jesus was born in humiliation. He did not enter the world in a hospital, in a comfortable home, in the home of a friend or relative, under a doctor’s care, under the stars of heaven, nor even out in the open, but in a smelly stable, the lowest imaginable place for a birth.

Jesus was born into a corruptible world full of sin and selfishness, greed and unkindness. This is seen in that the world (represented in the innkeeper) was so wrapped up in its affairs that it could not help a woman bearing a child. No one would make room for Mary in the inn. Money and personal comfort were more important to all who had become aware of the situation.

Even though Jesus was born of humble, meager means, we see a different picture in His births heralding.

In the eyes of many, an angel would never appear to a shepherd. Shepherds would seldom be found praising and worshipping God; as a result they were looked upon as anything but worshippers. Their reputation was lowly at best, and religious people snubbed and ignored them. They were despised because they were unable to attend services and to keep the ceremonial laws of washing and cleansing. Their flocks just kept them too busy. What a beautiful foretaste of the salvation to come: God gave the first message of His Son to common shepherds, those looked upon as sinners.

But God...

Let the shepherds see the splendor of shekinah glory. They were the first given the privilege of hearing the good news of the birth of the Messiah. Not only were they given a front seat proclamation, they were also invited to go and see.

And then, a host of angels...The word “host” means an army of angels, “ten thousand times ten thousand”. The whole sky was nothing but angels, sent to usher in the birth of Jesus. They cried out for God to be glorified, and for peace and good will for all men. This was something they did not want to miss out on.

Closing

But notice how many people missed the first coming of Christ. The religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Many of the ones Jesus had come to save, would miss out on His first coming. They would reject the one sent to fulfill the prophecy of their deliverance.

How many will miss the second coming of Christ? This time of year, we should be celebrating the coming of Jesus, but also be looking forward to another promise given to us, as believers, the second coming of Christ.

Have we missed out on the true purpose of Christmas? Have we occupied ourselves with Rudolph, and the Grinch, that we have truly forgotten the miracle that we celebrate, and what will come?