The REAL Christmas Story*

The Word that created the world and everything in it, the Word which was God, the Word that is the life and light in all men, this Word became flesh and tabernacled, or dwelt, among us. His own people did not receive Him, but whoever does receive Him and believe upon His name, Jesus (Yeshua), He gives power to become the sons of God (Jn. 1). His coming was prophesied by God, and those prophecies were fulfilled in the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem. His divine nature and conception were revealed by the angel Gabriel to Mary as he said to her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Lk. 1:35). Many have difficulty believing that a virgin conceived by the power of God, but this is the case, and it was confirmed by several corresponding miracles at the time. The writer of the Gospel of Luke assured the receiver of his report that it was given by eyewitnesses and ministers of this truth, which is assured (Lk. 1:1-2). The prophet Isaiah wrote (Isa. 7:14) hundreds of years before the birth of Christ that "the Lord himself shall give you a sign", that a virgin would conceive and bring forth a son, and that son's name would be called Immanuel ("God with us"). John the Baptist was also miraculously conceived by a barren, older woman, Elizabeth, in order to identify and reveal the Messiah to Israel when He came (Jn. 1:29-31). When a pregnant Mary visited her kinswoman, Elizabeth, Elizabeth felt the child in her womb leap with joy within her, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Sha called Mary "the mother of my Lord". (Lk. 1:39-45). Mary began to praise God and announce the fulfillment of His prophetic promises to His people, concluding: "He (God my Savior) hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, (as he spake to our fathers), to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." (v. 46-55). After the birth of Jesus, prophetic worshippers who saw the child, witnessed of their belief that they had seen the promised Messiah (Lk. 2:25-38). As Elizabeth's miracle child, John, was born, his father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to prophesy: "...thou child shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Lk.1:76-79). These miraculous things, Zacharias said, God did "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham." (v. 72-73). We are again told, that both the birth of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk. 1:17), and the birth of Jesus Christ, were the fulfillment of God's prophetic promises to Israel made thousands of years before to Abraham. Even before Abraham, the promise was made in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:14-15). John the Baptist bore witness to Jesus as the Messiah: "And John bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him (Jesus). And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God." (Jn. 1:31-34). John did not identify Jesus only as the One who would baptize in the Holy Ghost, but as One who was eternal, and as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world"(v. 29-30). This child, Jesus, born, and later identified by John as the Messiah, came in the flesh to us in order to die for us. The same prophet Isaiah, who prophesied His birth to a virgin, also prophesied His death, and the salvation accomplished through His severe suffering and death. The command of the LORD to His people is to "Awake" and "Shake thyself from the dust (of death); arise...loose thyself from the bands of thy neck...ye shall be redeemed without money...How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that sayeth unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Isa. 52). The proclamations of the angels in heaven at the birth of the Savior mirrored these prophetic words of Isaiah (Lk. 2:9-14). Isaiah went on to prophesy in the next chapter (53), the death of the Savior, not for any wrong that He committed, but for the sins and iniquities of us all. It is an exact description of the Gospel of salvation of the New Testament, achieved by the sacrifice of Christ. In this sacrifice, Isaiah wrote, "So shall he sprinkle (nazah) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." (Isa. 52:15). The real story of Christmas is a story of prophetic promises made by God to His people centuries and longer before the birth of Christ, and fulfilled that night in Bethlehem. It was the birth of the Word of God Who came to die for all of us. The prophet Isaiah asked concerning the Savior's birth and death, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" He has been revealed clearly to us. Will we believe the report? *Based upon Dr. Stevenson's 12/20/20 message to the church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705 or Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com Also visit us on Facebook and Twitter