Two thousand years and change ago, God made good on a promise. A baby was born, – in less than perfect human circumstances I suppose, – but fully according to God’s plan. Now, there are no accidents. God’s will is supreme. There was nothing about the events surrounding this birth that took God by surprise. And we are all brought forth with the full knowledge of God, as He works out His will for His creation. But this was different; – of an entirely different order as any of the births that have occurred anywhere in the world, – before or since. This was a fulfillment of a promise. This was the birth of God’s only begotten Son; – His Anointed One; – A Savior for the World. Nothing has ever been the same.
This promise was given for the first time back in Genesis 3:15, on the occasion of God’s dealings with Adam and Eve as he spelled out the consequences of their sin. “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” This is the first mention of God’s promise to His creation. It is like He is saying: ‘You may have sinned and will have to suffer the consequences. But don’t despair. Help is on the way. I’m sending Someone to deal with your sin.’ Theologians call this the ‘proto-evangelium.’ That’s just some fancy language for the ‘first Gospel.’ And it’s the only time that the Scriptures speak of the seed of a woman. Elsewhere “seed” always pertains to a man.[1] So, it is the first hint of the virgin birth. This was fulfilled in the events leading to the first Christmas when the[2] Gospel tells us of Mary, “she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18)
Hey, this gets better. The Prophet Isaiah reveals that this coming ‘Anointed One’, the Christ (Greek) – or – Messiah (Hebrew), – would live for a time “In Galilee of the Gentiles, The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) Just a few verses later, in Isaiah 9:6-7, – Scripture gives us a hint at the full import and identity of the one who is to come. “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” That virgin birth was more specifically prophesied in Isaiah 7:14. Speaking to King Ahaz, God gives a promise to all of Israel and by extension, all of mankind. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call His name Immanuel.” Now the virgin birth is one thing. But the name is something even greater. God gives the name of that child as “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” That’s really big stuff! Now some would be smart guys, point out that the word for ‘virgin’ can also be translated ‘young girl.’ But what kind of a sign is that? What’s so remarkable about God promising that a young girl would have a baby? (Ooooh, wooow!) And what they don’t tell you is that the Hebrew word for ‘you’ being used here is in the plural form. [It would be kind of like using ‘you guys’ – or ‘y’all’ – or even ‘youse guys’ if you live in that Philly-Boston corridor.] Besides this comes on the heels of God telling Ahaz to ask for a sign that is “as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.” (Isaiah 7:11) When the king fails to do so, God tells him of a sign that cannot be duplicated by any mere man. Not only a virgin birth; – but the virgin birth of God’s Son Himself![3]
Isaiah is giving us pretty much the whole plan here. The very Son of God will come to us as a child. And He will be fully God in all His glory; – “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” From this given Son, The Lord of Hosts will establish a Kingdom that will reign on earth in justice and judgment forever. Scripture confirms this in 2nd Samuel. Here the prophet is speaking of the near fulfillment by Solomon, the son of David as a type of the more significant and complete fulfillment by Yeshua, the Messiah Himself. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever…And your house and your kingdom shall be established before you. Your throne shall be established.” (2Samuel 7:13, 16) This is the essence of God’s promise to we, – His subjects that have rebelled, – but whom He has chosen. It is a very great thing, – beyond words, – beyond comprehension. ALLELUIA!
You see, God wanted His people to recognize His Son when He came to them. So He revealed to His prophets more details about the Messiah’s coming, His background and His life. In Micah 5:2 he revealed His birthplace, – the tiny town of Bethlehem. “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.” Yes the Messiah shall be born there, but look at the end of that verse. There is another confirmation that this sent Messiah is the eternal God, – “From everlasting.” In Hosea 11:1 we are told that he would spend time and return from Egypt. Isaiah 11:1 tells us that He would come directly from the line of David. And when the Gospels record Christ’s genealogies on both His mother’s and earthly father’s side, – we see clearly that He is qualified by birth to be the King of Israel. Isaiah 53 reveals the nature of His ministry and the gruesome details of His suffering and death. Most importantly, it shows us the purpose for His coming in that Bethlehem stable. Not to be worshipped as a Child, but to die as a Savior and rise again. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4)
The fulfillment of all of this was recorded in the Gospels. It was witnessed to by the people of Jerusalem and beyond as He lived and worked among them. At His birth, it was declared by an angel who proclaimed to the shepherds, “‘I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:10-14) That angel was announcing the fulfillment of God’s promise to His chosen, both Jew and Gentile. The Savior had arrived.
This Child / Son was sent because it was necessary. Sin in the Garden, – and our own rebellion has made it so. Sin! John MacArthur calls it the “dark and ugly side of Christmas.” It’s what has prompted God, – in His love, – to send His Son to bear our sins, suffering such a terrible death. And it is that ugly side that shows the very depth of God’s love for us, “that He sent His only Son.”[4] This is the very God, the Creator. The Apostle John puts it thus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5)
This was the fulfillment of that promise. This is the proclamation of Immanuel; God with Us. And this is the very essence of its’ meaning. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12) Therein lies our choice. We can choose to accept the gift of God’s Son and the forgiveness and fulfillment that comes with it, – or to continue in our rebellion. We can serve ourselves or our God. But here is the consequence of our choice: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18) So I urge you this Christmas season. Go beyond the presents and the commercialism and the traditions borrowed from pagan sources. See the promise that God made…and fulfilled. See the Child born and the Son given. Realize the depth of God’s offer. And choose wisely whom you will serve. Embrace the Savior of promise as your own.
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