Tag: Christ’s birth

There has been considerable debate regarding the date of Christ’s birth. According to the Gospel of Luke, it took place after Caesar Augustus issued a decree for all subjects of the Roman Empire to be registered (Luke 2:1). However, Britannica.com offers an explanation for why Christmas is celebrated on December 25.

In the 3rd century, the Roman Empire, which at the time had not adopted Christianity, celebrated the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) on December 25th. This holiday not only marked the return of longer days after the winter solstice but also followed the popular Roman festival called the Saturnalia (during which people feasted and exchanged gifts). It was also the birthday of the Indo-European deity Mithra, a god of light and loyalty whose cult was at the time growing popular among Roman soldiers.

The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the reign of the emperor Constantine. As Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations. The date was not widely accepted in the Eastern Empire, where January 6 had been favored, for another half-century, and Christmas did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century.

This blog doesn’t intend to challenge the widely celebrated date of Christ’s birth. Instead, I’ll delve into the profound significance of this event. The birth of the incarnate Christ Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises in Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6-7.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Isa 7:14)”. The Gospel of Matthew divinely spoke of its fulfillment, saying, “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:21-23)

The context of God’s promise was to encourage King Ahaz to trust in God despite the imminent threat of attack from the combined forces of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Syria, stemming from Judah’s refusal to join a coalition of nations against Assyria.

On the other hand, Isaiah 9:6-7 said, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” The New Testament Scripture spoke of its fulfillment on a lot of passages; Luke 1:35; Luke 2:11; John 1:14; John 3:16-17; Romans 8:32; 1Jn 4:10-14.

Here’s the problem. Although modern Christianity acknowledges the fulfillment of Christ’s birth, it conveniently overlooks His rule and kingdom. The prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7 has been unbiblically divided into two fulfillments. Yes, they acknowledge that Jesus Christ arrived and currently reigns spiritually, but they also believe He will return and reign physically. This belief is known as futurism.

Keep in mind that Scripture declared the arrival of Jesus Christ the commencement of the last days, see Hebrews 1:1-2, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world”. Though, it’s commonly belief that the last days commenced at the Pentecost. Yet Peter, at the Pentecost, quoting Joel 2:28-32 preached about the coming end of the Jewish age. See excerpt from Peter’s message:

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”” (Act 2:36-40)

See Joel 2:28-32, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit. ‘And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.’”

Joel prophesied about the impending judgment against Old Covenant Israel. A lot of Christians fail to notice that Jesus Christ taught the disciples about the end of the Jewish age too (see Matthew 24-25). Peter, in turn, announced the arrival of its soon fulfillment (Acts 2). By “soon”, I didn’t mean soon as futurist explains it to justify their insistence on another return by Christ Jesus. But soon as it should properly be understood, both biblically and grammatically, therefore applied to the generation of Jews that crucified Christ Jesus, and persecuted His apostles and servants of His Word. See Christ’s words on that Old Covenant crooked generation, “Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.” (Matthew 23:32-38)

The unbelieving world cannot comprehend modern Christians’ appreciation of God’s Word. It is not because their hearts were hardened that they failed to understand and believe the faith. Rather, it was due to the inconsistency of biblical declarations and explanations.

A mega-church has recently been doing a series of sermons on the supposed last day’s teachings of the Bible. Like many others before them, they insist that Israel remains to be the favored people of God. Recent excitements about a supposed soon second coming of Christ Jesus have been triggered by recent events in Israel. But instead of teaching about the last days of Israel, they believe in the last days of the church age, because they believe in the restoration of Israel to its former prominence. Keep in mind, that in their teaching the church is just a parenthesis in God’s original plan. On the contrary, Paul taught the reverse, the church was the mystery hidden for ages in God’s plan. See Ephesians 3:7-12.

“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of His power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.”

Paul taught that there is no longer any distinction between Jews and Gentiles; the Gospel is available to both for salvation. The church, therefore, is the heir to God’s promises to Abraham. See Galatians 3:25-29; Ephesians 1:3-3:12. This is not replacement theology, but a fulfillment of God’s unilateral promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), and all humanity (Genesis 3:15-21).

In Genesis 3:21, God made a garment of skin to clothe both Adam and Eve due to their spiritual nakedness. Keep in mind there was no malice in the beginning before their breaking of God’s covenant, they ate from the forbidden tree. So it’s not about being physically naked. Paul explained the implication of being spiritually naked. See 2 Corinthians 5:1-4.

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

By “tent”, Paul meant the temple, which was the temporal representation of God’s covenant. Paul was looking forward to a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Jesus Christ was the manifestation of God’s eternal temple. Paul in Colossians told us, that Christ Jesus is the Head, the church is His body (Col 1:18). In Ephesians, Paul revealed that Christians-both Jew and Gentile believers-is the holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:11-22). Paul, therefore, in 2 Corinthians 5 spoke of the passing of the Old Covenant temple with the fulfillment of Christ Jesus and His Church as the new and eternal Temple. Hence, Paul concludes in 2 Corinthians 5 with these words:

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Co 5:16-21)

By “flesh” Paul refers to circumcision, the sign of God’s Old Covenant (Gen 17:9-14; Gal 4:21-31). I have always asked this question, “Do you still see the Jewish temple standing in Jerusalem today?” It has been gone for millennia now, after its destruction in 70 A.D., exactly as prophesied by Christ Jesus in Matthew 23-24, Luke 21 & Mark 13.

Study the Bible accordingly. The incarnate coming of Christ Jesus, His death, resurrection, glorius ascension, and judgment against Old Covenant Israel was the complete fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7. Jesus Christ came to establish His kingdom and He has been reigning henceforth. And His reign is without end.

So amidst our temporal struggles do not lose heart, because He came and He reigns. Jesus Christ tells us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all our needs will be supplied to us.

On his farewell letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with Him (Christ Jesus), we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny Himself.” (2Timothy 2:11-13)

Let us not be like Adam and Eve. They were in the Garden of Eden communing with God. And yet, they allowed themselves to be tempted by the devil, twisting and manipulating God’s Word.

Christ Jesus came and fulfilled God’s salvation plan for us who believe. God’s salvation encompasses now, in our present existence, and to eternity. Therefore, let us be true to our confession of faith. Trusting Christ Jesus not only our eternity but even our today. That is what it meant to die with Jesus Christ. So Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)

Worrying about tomorrow could be a manifestation of faithlessness. Paul said, “If we deny Christ Jesus, He will also deny us”. Our faithlessness would not nullify Christ’s faithfulness, He would always be true to His Word and remain faithful. Consequently, do not be wary about tomorrow. Rather, be concerned that we may not be living in faith, thereby be kick out of God’s kingdom just as it happened to Adam and Eve.

On a side note, isn’t the treasure hidden in Christ’s parable God’s kingdom? Indeed, God’s kingdom cannot be observed, as He told the Pharisees in Luke 17:20-21; however, it can be found (Matt 13:44-46). But how? By the hearing and reading of God’s Word that was spoken by Christ Jesus (Matt 13:37; Matt 13:23; Rom 10:17-18).

Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share freely, for you freely receive. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!