"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." - 1 John 4:9-10
Megan had always loved Christmas. Every year, she went all out—her home sparkled with twinkling lights, her Christmas tree adorned with the finest decorations, and her table set for a grand feast. She spent hours finding the perfect gifts, wrapping them meticulously with shiny ribbons and bows. It was her favorite season, filled with warmth, family gatherings, and festive cheer.
But one Christmas Eve, as she stood back to admire her perfect decorations, she noticed her grandmother sitting quietly, holding a small, worn nativity figurine. It was the baby Jesus, cradled in a manger, nearly forgotten amidst the glittering ornaments. Her grandmother whispered, "It's easy to get lost in all this beauty, but we must remember why we celebrate. This child—He’s the heart of it all.”
With all the hustle and bustle of preparations, festivities, and shopping, it’s easy to overlook the greatest gift we’ve been given—Jesus—who brings true meaning to Christmas. While many presents may be short-lived and excess often prevails in a world of abundance, the gift of Jesus is eternal and life-changing. Jesus fulfills ancient prophecies, embodies God's greatest gift to humanity, and reveals the true spirit of Christmas—His divine presence taking on flesh and dwelling in every heart that opens to Him.
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How Was the Birth of Jesus a Fulfillment of Prophecy?
The Old Testament contains many prophecies, written hundreds of years before Jesus fulfilled them in the New Testament. Scholars have identified over 300 prophecies about His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. In this article, we’ll focus on just four fulfilled prophecies.
4 of the Many Prophesies Fulfilled by Jesus' Birth
1. Jesus was born of a virgin.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” - Isaiah 7:14
The fulfillment of this prophecy took place 700 years later, as Matthew 1:22-23 records: “All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”
2. Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel...” - Micah 5:2
This was fulfilled as recorded in Matthew 2:1-6.
3. Jesus was born as a King through the royal line of David.
One of Jeremiah’s most significant messianic prophecies, given during the time of the impending Babylonian exile, states:
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” - Jeremiah 23:5-6
Romans 1:3 and the genealogy of Jesus found in Luke 3:31 demonstrate the fulfillment of this prophecy.
4. Isaiah 53:12 predicted that Jesus would be crucified and counted among criminals.
This prophecy was fulfilled in Mark 15:27-28. The prophecy of being nailed to the cross from Psalm 22:16 foretold: “They pierce my hands and my feet,” was fulfilled in John 20:25-27.
Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ references mathematician and professor Peter Stoner’s work calculating the staggering improbability of fulfilling just eight messianic prophecies by chance, let alone the hundreds that Jesus fulfilled. Here’s a paraphrase of Strobel’s summary: Stoner examined eight specific prophecies, such as the Messiah being born in Bethlehem and being betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. He determined that the odds of one person fulfilling all eight by chance were 1 in 100 quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000). To visualize this, if you covered Texas with silver dollars two feet deep, marked one, and asked someone to pick it at random, their chances would be the same. This illustrates how impossible it would be for these prophecies to be fulfilled in one person without divine intervention.
God, the eternal One, stands outside the boundaries of time as we know it. The intricate prophecies of the Old Testament, written across centuries, were not random predictions but divine orchestrations. Every prophecy, promise, and word from the prophets found its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Greatest Gift!
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Jesus Is God’s Gift to Humanity
John 3:16 tells us, and probably most of you know this verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” At Christmas, with all its beauty, brightness, warmth, and the closeness of family and friends, the season reveals genuine joy as it focuses on God’s love for us through Jesus.
Like many who give their hearts to Jesus, my friend carried the weight of her past like a heavy, worn backpack, its straps digging into her shoulders. Her past mistakes burdened her with guilt, shame, and a deep sense of worthlessness. Like other Sunday mornings, the pastor spoke of Jesus’ love, powerful enough to cleanse hearts weighed down by guilt and shame. Something took hold of her. As the words washed over her, she closed her eyes, asking Jesus to save her and forgive her sins. Immediately, a lightness filled her as if someone had unburdened her and tossed aside the backpack. She knew the forgiveness of Jesus. Her past was wiped clean. She was redeemed, loved, and embraced as a child of God. Only Jesus could do that!
With Jesus taking residence in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we embrace the name Emmanuel (sometimes spelled Immanuel), derived from the Hebrew words Immanu ("with us") and El ("God"), meaning "God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). As Emmanuel, Jesus came to be present with His people, intimately involved in their lives. The gift of Jesus gives freedom from sin, a joyful existence, support during tough days, and a path to eternal life, resulting in a transformation that unites us with Him forever.
Amid the sparkle and rush of Christmas, it’s easy to lose sight of its deeper meaning. Jesus, God in the flesh, came "to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28b), offering freedom from sin and its consequences—covering our past, sustaining us in the present, and securing our future. The reality of His gift, bringing salvation and eternal life, is the greatest gift of all.
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What Is the True Spirit of Christmas?
The Invitation of Christmas
While many celebrate Christmas without fully grasping its significance, the season echoes the powerful message of God’s love, holding a life-changing invitation. It is God’s love extended to all. The joy, generosity, and togetherness that cultures worldwide embrace echoes a more profound truth—the light of Christ. Just as Christmas lights brighten the world, they reflect the greater light of Jesus, calling us to discover the true meaning of Christmas: a personal invitation to experience God's love.
The Gift of the Present
Christmas celebrates God's love in the here and now. When we understand its true significance, our perspective shifts from temporary material gifts to the eternal gift of His love. Like a light that starts as a flicker and grows into a steady flame, His love brings lasting peace, joy, and purpose. It grounds us in something far deeper than seasonal festivities, transforming our lives beyond the holidays and reminding us of His presence with us every day.
The Gift of the Future
Christmas points us to a future filled with hope. Jesus offers peace that surpasses understanding, and this peace isn’t confined to the present—it assures us of eternal life. As we celebrate Christ's birth, we connect with believers throughout history, looking forward to a future where we will stand united in God's eternal kingdom. This gift of hope assures us that we are part of a much larger, everlasting story that transcends time and leads to eternal joy.
Christmas celebrates God’s love through Jesus, an invitation that transcends time. It encompasses the past, where His work on the cross predated our lives, offering redemption. It speaks to the present, where His love and grace are available to us now, transforming our lives with peace and purpose. And it points to the future, securing our eternal hope and life with Him. All of this—past, present, and future—is made possible because of Jesus, the greatest gift to humanity.
Finally, Jesus’s miraculous life fulfills ancient prophecies and represents God's ultimate gift to humanity, embodying the true spirit of Christmas. His birth reminds us of the profound impact of His divine presence in our lives, inviting us to embrace the love He brings. As J. C. Penney wisely noted, “Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.”
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Originally published Wednesday, 30 October 2024.