On December 25 the whole world will celebrate the most significant event in human history: the day that God came to earth as a baby. Have you ever stopped to consider why this event is so important, why the birth of Jesus was the apex of human history? This was an event so monumental that the historical designation for time changed from B.C., Before Christ, to A.D., Anno Domini, Latin for “The Year of Our Lord.”
To give some perspective, the Christmas Story started way back in Genesis, “In the beginning,” when everything that God created was good, when humans had a perfect relationship with God. Adam and Eve even walked with Him in the Garden; they had perfect access to him. It was paradise!
Then came the ultimate tragedy: The Fall. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and their fellowship was broken, sin entered the world plunging the whole human race into rebellion against Him, putting everyone under his wrath, judgment and condemnation.
But there was Good News: a promise of restoration when God said to the serpent, that devil of old: “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.” (Genesis 3:15) There would be a constant battle between Satan and the woman, and with her offspring, the entire human race. Yet, a Savior would be born through that woman, one who would right the wrongs the devil had caused when He would “crush your head.” This was the promise from the beginning: He is coming! A Savior is coming!
Through all the Old Testament books, we are continually reminded that a Savior is coming! In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb, in Leviticus, our High Priest. In Numbers, Heis the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. Deuteronomy: Heis the Prophet and Mediator like Moses.
A SAVIOR IS COMING!
InJoshua, He’s the Captain of our Salvation; Judges, our Judge and Law-Giver; Ruth,our Kinsmen-Redeemer; In 1 and 2 Samuel, He is our trusted Prophet; in Kingsand Chronicles, our Reigning King; Ezra, He is the rebuilder of the broken-down walls of human life. In Esther, He is our Mordecai.
A SAVIOR IS COMING!
InJob, He’s our innocent Sufferer; in Psalms, our Shepherd; in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes: our Wisdom; in Song of Solomon: our loving Bridegroom. He is the Prince of Peace in Isaiah, our Righteousness in Jeremiah, our weeping Prophet In Lamentations, the Son of Man in Ezekiel, and in Daniel, the fourth man in the fiery furnace.
A SAVIOR IS COMING!
InHosea, he is the Faithful Husband forever married to the back-slider and He’s The Baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire in Joel; our Burden-Bearer in Amos, Mighty To Save in Obadiah, our Great Foreign Missionary in Jonah and He is the Messenger with Beautiful Feet in Micah. In Nahum, He is the Avenger of God’s Elect; in Habbakuk, He is God’s Evangelist crying “In the midst of the years, revive your work!” and in Zephaniah, our Savior. In Haggai, He’s the Restorer of God’s Lost Heritage; in Zechariah, He is the Fountain opened up in the House of David for sin and uncleanness, and, lastly, in Malachi, He is the Son of Righteousness rising with healing in His wings.
JESUS IS COMING!
After the last book of the Old Testament, there’s 400 years of silence, then finally, JESUS CAME! “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about:His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” [An angel of the Lord told Joseph], “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18,21)
The name Jesus is a form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means “Jehovah will save.” He is another Joshua who will lead his people into the Promised Land. Every time the name Joshua was pronounced, the Gospel was preached: “Jehovah saves.” Mary’s son not only testified of God’s salvation, he himself would be that salvation.
Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to save people from their sins, at last, crushing the serpent’s head. The Creator of the universe put on human flesh and entered human society as a baby. Two thousand years agothe Lord of Heaven came to earth. The all-powerful God became a helpless baby;the perfect Lamb of God came to be the perfect sacrifice; the Sinless One became sin for us.
Hark! the herald angels sing:
“Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.”