Every Christmas we read or see the depictions of a story that has been told and retold for over two thousand years and interestingly, 750 years prior to the birth of Christ, prophet Micah who prophesied that ‘a Messiah shall be born in Bethlehem’, said that coming ruler is from eternity. (Micah 5:2)
This gift from heaven, is from everlasting to everlasting. He has no beginning and end, the Alpha and the Omega, the creator, and sustainer of all things. The fact that He was in heaven before the heaven and earth were created and in Him and through Him all things existed makes the birth of Christ intriguing.
By this, we learn and understand that there is something spectacular about this child born to us in the town of Bethlehem.
Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God Himself. God became a son of man, so that sons of men could become sons of God. In Luke 2:8-20, we read three important phrases — Savior, Lord and Christ and in just three words, the angels summed up who Jesus is.
Firstly, the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said that his wife shall bear a son who shall save His people from sin and therefore, shall be named as Jesus. It is evident that none of us will ever go to hell because of poverty, sickness, or sorrow. It is only our sins and our sinful behavior that can take us to hell, and only Jesus who can save us. It is foolish to believe in Jesus for materialistic blessings or happiness because they are all temporal and most importantly, we must believe that Jesus came into this world to save us from sin and that is why the angels addressed Him as a Savior.
Secondly, the angels addressed Jesus as their Lord, which means, He is a captain, official leader, king, or master who has an authority. During His earthly ministry, we see Jesus’ authority over sickness, nature, demons, and even death and the power to forgive the sins, too. It is imperative to understand that because He is the Savior of the world, He is made the Lord of all. Philippians 2:6–11 and that is why the angels also called Him as Lord.
Thirdly, the name Christ means the anointed one or consecrated for a purpose. In the Old Testament, we read about kings, priests and prophets who were anointed and set apart for a mission. In Revelation 15:16, we read Jesus being addressed as the ‘King of Kings and the Lord of Lords’. It means that the anointed King is Christ. Hebrews 7:26 confirms that the anointed one who offered Himself as a sacrifice to become the mediator, priest between us, and Holy God is Christ. Moses, the highly respected prophet, said — In your midst, God shall send you a prophet to be born and you shall abide to him. Here, Moses was referring to Christ as a prophet and warned the people that if anyone doesn’t abide in Him, then such a person is cut off from the earth.
Christmas is more meaningful and real when we can believe in Jesus and His words, repent of our sins and live a holy life. It is only then, can we see Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and Christ.
Merry Christmas!
In His Love,
Timothy
