Prophecy of the Virgin Birth
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Matthew 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Prophecy of Jesus’s Birthplace Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
The birth of Jesus was not just a historical event. It’s important that we understand that this birth fulfilled centuries-old prophecies and that it was a promise kept (prophecy fulfilled) by a faithful God.
Mary Luke 1:26-35 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (They are in Nazareth)
Joseph Matthew 1:18-24 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. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he 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. 21 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.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (They are in Nazareth) 65 miles away
The Birth Luke 2:1-20 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
In my mind’s eye looking back to that night, to that humble stable in Bethlehem, where a young virgin girl gave birth to the Son of God, it’s amazing to me that, that’s where God chose for the world first to meet its Savior.
That night the heavens opened up and echoed with angelic voices saying, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”
This is the night we celebrate at Christmas, the night when God’s love-God’s promises manifest themselves in the form of a tiny, vulnerable baby.
That night in a humble stable— a manger, a simple feeding trough, became the cradle for the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
The birth of Jesus is not just a story of a baby born in a manger, but it’s about a baby that would change the course of human history.
In this humble setting, God was doing something special, something extraordinary. He was birthing a new beginning.
The birth of Jesus marked the beginning of a new era, an era of grace and truth. The birth of Jesus brought light into a world of darkness, hope into a world of despair, and most importantly life into a world of death. And not just for Mary and Joseph, but for you and I and all of humanity.
The Christmas message is that there is hope for a fallen humanity—a hope for a pardon from our sin, and a hope that mankind can once again have a personal relationship with the creator God and once again be at peace with HIM.
That night with the birth of Jesus, we see God’s love in action. We see a love that is humble, purposeful, sacrificial, and faithful. That is what we celebrate at Christmas, a love that when understood has the power to transform our lives.
What happened that night is the cornerstone of our faith, it’s the foundation upon which you and I build our lives. Because that night the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
That night isn’t just about the birth of our savior, but it’s a very vivid picture of the extraordinary love that God has for each of us, A God who sent His only Son to save a world that wouldn’t even believe who He was.
What happened that night was such a powerful expression/demonstration of God’s love for us. This is a picture of love in its purest form -a love that was willing to sacrifice everything, fully knowing what it would cost in the end.
A love so great it moved God to leave the glory of heaven, to be born in a humble stable, to live among us, and ultimately to die for us. This is what Christmas should bring to mind.
And this is the greatest act of humility the world has or will ever know. It should say to all of us that God is not detached, God is not distant, but that He is a loving Father who wants to be intimately involved in each of our lives.
The birth of Jesus reveals to us that God’s love was sacrificial. Because Jesus, that baby we gaze at in the manger was born to die for the sins of the world.
Jesus’s birth set in motion a series of events that would lead HIM to the cross. Even as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, honestly, it’s very difficult for me not to see the shadow of the cross that looms in the background.
But even that is a testament to God’s commitment to humanity and proves beyond any doubt that God’s Love for us, and His commitment to us is unwavering, unconditional, and unending.
What happened that night (when love was born) is the story of a personal loving God who desires a personal loving relationship with each one of us. Jesus is a testament to God’s desire to know us and to be known by us and to love us and to be loved by us.
The birth of Jesus wasn’t just a historical event, it was a divine intervention. God stepped out of heaven, into our world, into our mess, into our brokenness, and said, not only “I am with you–but I’m here to save you.”
So, In the midst of the twinkling lights, the festive carols, the beautifully wrapped gifts, don’t lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Because It’s not about the presents under the tree, but the presence of God with us. It’s about the love that came down from heaven to rescue us, redeem us, and save us from ourselves.
As we celebrate this Christmas season, let’s do it with the truth of the Christmas story firmly planted in our hearts, full of gratitude, full of thankfulness, with our eyes wide open so we can see the goodness of God all around us.
Let’s remember to share Jesus with those around us, just like the shepherds did.
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