It is a time to gather with friends and family, to share in the giving and receiving of gifts, symbolic of the greatest gift ever given, the Son of God. It is not surprising that the most well known verse in Scripture reminds of that very Truth --
… “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten (uniquely born) Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting/eternal life.”(John 3:16)
Can you imagine the excitement of those shepherds some two thousand years ago, as they saw and heard the angelic announcement that the long awaited Savior, the Messiah of Israel had come?
“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.”(Luke 2:10-11)
That which had been promised since the Garden of Eden had come to fruition.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”(Gen. 3:15 NIV)
The prophets of Israel had foretold of His coming. Isaiah came on the scene and proclaimed that a virgin would conceive. This would be more than just the issue of a person’s virginity, for this would be a one of a kind pregnancy, a conception in a young woman outside the natural process of procreation.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”(Isa 7:14 NIV)
Mary would become pregnant by the spoken Word of God.
“But after he (Joseph) had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”(Matt. 1:20 NIV)
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
(Matt 1:21 KJV)
So that the nation Israel and the whole world would know that this event was the working of God in human history, the Hebrew Scriptures contain over three hundred prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, the Christ. God went so far as to speak through Micah and give the exact location that the birth would occur some six hundred years later. We read from the prophet Micah --
... “the LORD says, "Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.”(Micah 5:2 TEV)
How much clearer could it be to a world in need of the Savior? Therefore, at the right time in history, God intervened in the affairs of mankind, took on the form and nature of perfect man, so that He might come into this world, not in a palace as deserved, but in a humble manager. The message of so many prophets of Israel had come true, for God is a God who is not slack concerning His promises. Isaiah’s message almost eight hundred years earlier, had come to pass --
… “the Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”(Isa 61:1 KJV)
As in every generation, each person must face the issue of the Christ who came to seek and to save that which is lost. The shepherds, expecting, believing, hastened to see the Christ child. The wise men also had long awaited his coming and they came to worship. So we, right where we are, have the privilege of acknowledging God’s marvelous free gift and receiving by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.