“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:11-12

On the very first Christmas day that took place over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in a manger. Why so much concern over this baby born in a barnyard feeding trough?

900 years before Jesus’ birth, the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, wrote about a Child/Savior that God would send to rule over the earth with perfect peace, justice and righteousness: He wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he 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.” Isaiah 9:6-7. Many Jews at the time of Jesus’ birth were anticipating the arrival of this special “Child” who would come to serve as their long-awaited Savior.

This same prophet Isaiah later wrote, however, a more sobering prophecy about this Savior: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5. So, the role of this coming Savior would not just be to govern the world with righteousness, but also to suffer and die on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sins. This prophecy came true through Jesus’ death on the cross and immediately subsequent resurrection. The Apostle Peter later wrote about Jesus: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24.

Many additional Old Testament prophecies were written about this Savior hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus that would serve to authenticate the identity of this coming Child/Savior. The following are just a few of them:

  • He would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:22-23, Luke 1:34-35)
  • He would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:4-6)
  • He would have his hands and feet pierced, and suffer many other things. (Psalm 22, Matt. 27:46)
  • He would come to deliver us from our sins by receiving the punishment on our behalf. (Isaiah 52:13-15 & 53, Luke 24:26-27, 1 Peter 2:24-25)
  • He would be a descendant of the tribe of Judah and lineage of King David. Both Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his legal/adoptive father Joseph were descendants of King David. (Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, Matt. 1:17, Luke 2:4-5)
  • He would be called the Son of Man and the Son of God. (Dan. 7:13-14, Matt. 25:31, 26:1-2, 26:63-64, Luke 9:22, John 8:28, 9:35-38) (Psalm 2, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 1:32, John 1:1)

It was no wonder that the Shepherds and angels rejoiced on this special night as these prophecies of the coming Savior all came true through this Child named Jesus!

So why is this Savior not governing over the world today? Here is what Jesus had to say about this: “The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied, “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”” Matthew 26:63-64

So then, according to Jesus himself, the best part of this story is yet to come! Are you ready?