Today we have many concerns, and tomorrow is uncertain. We worry about a virus, wars, elections, and many things that can affect life for years to come. Prophecy seems to be running on fast-forward, but no matter what happens tomorrow, an event that happened many centuries ago should bring us peace.

I’m talking about the birth of Jesus Christ. That event changed the course of history, yet many who claim to be Christians have never read the account of His birth from Scripture. When Christmas comes around, we make sure our children believe there’s a guy up in the North Pole who has a workforce of elves making toys, and we see his supposed picture everywhere. Is that what Christmas is really about?

You and I both know that only Jesus Christ is the true meaning of Christmas… God’s gift to us. Let’s take time right now and turn our attention to God. There’s a verse that I quote many times, and it’s probably the best-known verse in Scripture.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Think about that verse, and then think of the way in which God’s Son entered His creation. He was born humbly in a manger. That’s the truth we need to instill in the hearts of our children.

The Gospel of Matthew gives Jesus’ genealogy through His stepfather, Joseph, who was a direct descendent of King David through the royal line of his son Solomon. The Gospel of Luke gives the genealogy of Jesus through His mother Mary, who was also a descendent of King David, but through a different son, Nathan. The Gospel of John also contains the genealogy of Jesus, God incarnate.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:1-5).

This passage informs us that Jesus existed in the beginning and created everything. Parents, be sure you teach this truth to your children. Evolution is as fictional as Santa Claus, and you’re responsible for teaching your children truth.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

We know that Jesus was born in a manger, but His beginning was long before that event. Actually, He had no beginning but was the beginning of all things.

Instead of reading some fictional story to your children about a jolly fat man coming down the chimney and leaving gifts, read the truth of the birth of God in the flesh. The Gospel of Luke tells us about the virgin birth. Mary was young, but had been betrothed to a man named Joseph; they would not come together as man and wife until after they had been married. In those days, if a woman became pregnant prior to marriage, she could be stoned. God is serious about marriage and families. Her life would soon take a miraculous twist. Her cousin Elizabeth already had a miracle of her own. She was past child- bearing age, but after her husband encountered the angel Gabriel, Elizabeth became pregnant. This child would be known as John the Baptist and fulfilled a prophecy in Isaiah.

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3).

The miracle that Mary experienced was even more spectacular.

“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be” (Luke 1:28-29).

It was Gabriel’s words that troubled Mary. The Greek word is diatarasso, which means “to agitate greatly, trouble greatly.” This is the only time this word is used in Scripture. Mary wasn’t terrified of Gabriel, but troubled by his words.

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

In 2 Samuel 7:12 et seq, God promised David that his kingdom would be eternal, and Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.

“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:34-35). 

Mary was obedient to God and only wanted to know how this miracle was to be accomplished. If she had any worries over the result of her obedience to God, she didn’t express her doubts. Would Joseph want to marry her? If he didn’t, how could she raise the child alone? It was the husband’s responsibility to provide for the family, and a woman had no way of earning a living. In spite of all the things that could go wrong, Mary trusted God to provide for her.

Whenever we choose to obey God, we run the risk of ridicule from family and friends, but we can learn from Mary. If we’re obedient to God, we can trust Him.

“And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:36-37). Be sure your children understand this. God is full of miracles, and nothing is impossible for Him.

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).

Mary seems like a very sweet person, and her obedience to God is an example to all of us.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us how Joseph reacted to this situation. He had no idea of the circumstances of the pregnancy and could only assume Mary had been unfaithful to him.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matthew 1:18-19).

Joseph didn’t want her stoned, but he couldn’t marry her if she was carrying another man’s child. God knew Joseph was considering releasing Mary from their betrothal, and He put Joseph’s mind at ease.

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:20-23).

The name “Jesus” means Jehovah is salvation, and “Emmanuel” means God with us. Jesus, God incarnate, is our only means of salvation and is with us always.

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS” (Matthew 1:24-25).

Joseph was a God-fearing man who was also obedient. He and Mary were the perfect couple to raise God’s only begotten Son.

There was still more prophecy to be fulfilled. The Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem.

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child” (Luke 2:1-5).

This fulfilled Micah 5:2. That journey must have been difficult for Mary, and Joseph must have been very concerned for her and the Baby. Plays and movies usually show them getting to town just as she was about to deliver; Joseph desperately looks for lodging but is forced to take her to a stable. That’s not exactly what Scripture describes. There were many people in Bethlehem for the taxing, so chances of getting a room wasn’t good. Also, if there had been family there, they surely wouldn’t be pleased to take in Mary who wasn’t married, but “great with child.” So, they lodged in a stable. While they were there, Jesus was born.

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

I’m sure Mary would have rather given birth to the Son of God in a better place, but if God had wanted that to happen, He would have made a way. As it was, the humble birth of God’s Son is an example of His life. He didn’t come to us in order to be the King of kings; that’s still in the future, but He did come to teach us humility, love, and to serve others. It also allowed the lowliest of people to be the first to worship Him.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid” (Luke 2:8-9).

The shepherds had a very different reaction to seeing an angel than Mary had. They were truly frightened.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:10-14).

What a sight to see and a sound to hear! The shepherds went immediately and found Jesus, just as the angel said. Then, they shared the Good News.

“And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds” (Luke 2:18).

Shouldn’t we tell everyone the Good News that Jesus Christ was born? Shouldn’t we celebrate Jesus instead of Santa Claus?

Jesus’ birth meant that God had come in the flesh to bridge the chasm of sin that separates humanity from Him. Today and every day, celebrate Jesus… and share the Good News.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

 “For unto us a child is born…” (Isaiah 9:6a). We all know about children. We love them, raise them, and want the best for them. Many centuries ago, a special Child was born. He was laid in a manger, and angels announced His birth to the shepherds watching flocks that night. Who do you think that Child was? That Child was Jesus, the Messiah. I’m sure you know the story. It was a time in history when the Jewish people struggled against persecution. That’s a recurring theme throughout history, but this time their misfortune could have been changed had they recognized their Messiah. If their leaders studied prophecy and believed it, they would have known their long-desired Messiah had come.

We face a similar problem today. God has given us prophecy, but either we don’t study it or we try to make it say what we want to believe. We would understand the times in which we live if we all studied prophecy. All that aside, let’s start this study with the Child who was born so long ago, but changed the world forever.

God had given many prophecies regarding the coming Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled them all. The hardest to believe or understand is found in Isaiah. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

When we look at this verse, we notice it says a “virgin” will bear a son. Human understanding says that’s impossible, but all things are possible with God. The word used for “virgin” is ‘almah,’ but is sometimes twisted to mean a young woman. Would that be any kind of a sign? How many young women throughout history have had children? It would only be a sign if a virgin gave birth. Fast forward many years to Nazareth, and the time that prophecy was about to be fulfilled.

A young woman named Mary, a virgin, had been betrothed to a man named Joseph. Today, it would be difficult to find a virgin of any age, but in the days of Mary and Joseph, men respected women, women respected themselves, and mostly, God’s law was respected. Premarital relations were not acceptable and a very serious violation of the Law. So, when Mary was visited by Gabriel, his news was hard to fathom: Mary would have a child.

Mary was young, but her future had been secure. She was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter. He wasn’t rich but would be able to provide for her and their future children. Then, Mary’s faith was challenged and tested. The angel Gabriel was sent from God to pay her a visit.

“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28).

Mary was only human and young. The appearance of the angel frightened her. Gabriel calmed her fears but gave her some startling news.

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

Mary was the virgin prophesied by Isaiah. Mary didn’t ask “What’s in it for me,” but only asked how this could happen because she had never had any sexual encounters with a man and wouldn’t until after she and Joseph were legally married. What a sweet person she must have been and so willing to obey God’s will. She knew what the consequences of her actions could be (Joseph could have shunned her, and she could have been stoned), but she trusted God to protect her. We need to understand how important it was for Jesus to have a human mother. Without her humanity, Jesus wouldn’t have qualified as our kinsman.

“…unto us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6b). We’ve seen that Jesus was born of a virgin, but why is that so important? The son who was given was given by God. When Gabriel told Mary she would become pregnant, she only asked “How.” Gabriel explained that it was God who would be the father.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

There’s so much that we cannot fully understand about how sin tainted all of humanity, but because science has made some discoveries regarding chromosomes, we know that the father passes traits to his son that are unique. When God created the heavens and the earth, He filled it with everything needed for survival. Then, He created Adam. There was one rule, and that was to not eat fruit from the tree of knowledge. Eating that particular fruit would bring death into creation. Eve was taken out of Adam, and he loved her. Sadly, she made the horrendous mistake of speaking to Satan and was beguiled by his lies.

It always causes a problem when God is specific about not doing something, but a person listens to Satan instead. Adam knew that Eve had brought death upon herself by eating the fruit, because God had specifically told him of the consequences.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Adam knew that Eve had defied God’s law, but he loved her enough to join in her sin in order to not lose her forever. It was that action that brought the fall of all creation. It was that action that caused sin to corrupt the perfect creation of God.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12). 

That is the very reason that a human could not be the father of the Messiah. In order to redeem humanity from the curse of sin, the redeemer’s blood had to be untainted by the sin which began with Adam. Had any human been the father, the blood of Jesus would have been tainted by sin.

Humanity could never rise to the perfection required by God in order to be pure enough to spend eternity with Him. Adam’s sin brought much sorrow, and it separated us from God, but that wasn’t God’s desire. His love for His creation made a way for redemption. First the Jewish Law was given through Moses, and it was a schoolmaster to teach us to draw close to God.

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). 

Then, from the lineage of King David, the Messiah was given as a gift to the entire world. He fulfilled the Law and provided the only way of salvation for the entire world, including Gentiles, by shedding His own blood as the final sacrifice for our sin. An important lesson taught by the law is that only shed blood could take sin away, or at least cover it.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). 

God never required human sacrifice, but the law provided for the blood of animals to be shed as a sin offering. The Law was very specific about the sacrifices, but it also made it clear that those sacrifices were temporary and had to be repeated regularly. The blood of an animal was not human blood and therefore unable to take the sin away permanently.

“But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3-4).

Shedding blood for sacrifice is ugly, but so is sin. The offerings under the Law were a temporary remedy, but the blood of our Kinsman Redeemer was the once for all Sacrifice to take our sin away.

The role of kinsman redeemer was established in Jewish Law, and it is a way that property and/or people can be redeemed. Adam lost both for us by choosing to sin.

“If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold” (Leviticus 25:25).

The one who redeems the property must be a relative of the one who lost it. The same is true for people.

“After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself” (Leviticus 25:48-49). 

The one who redeems a person must be a relative of the one being redeemed. In order to redeem mankind, it was necessary for the redeemer to be human. Because Mary was Jesus’ mother, He was human. On the other hand, if His father had been human, sin-tainted blood would have been passed from father to Son, and He couldn’t have been a once-for-all sacrifice. Had the Messiah taken any form except human, His sacrifice on the cross wouldn’t have paid our debt.

“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:16-17).

After Jesus gave His life on the cross and shed His blood for our sin, He put His own blood on the Heavenly altar.

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:11-14).

Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, is our Kinsman Redeemer. You must believe this with your whole heart in order to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus. If you believe, then give yourself as a living sacrifice to Him who sacrificed everything for you.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people” (Luke 1:68).

This Christmas season as we sing hymns of praise for the Child born in a manger, let’s remember the Son that was given by God the Father, in order that sinful people can be redeemed and find eternal life through Jesus Christ.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.