CELEBRATING CHRIST – WONDERS OF HIS BIRTH

“And all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds” – Luke 2:18

Beloved, join me to CELEBRATE CHRIST in the WONDERS of HIS BIRTH: “For unto us a Child is born … His name will be called WONDERFUL…” (Isa.9:6-7a). The basic reason we share gifts in this season is to honour and reflect the Perfect Gift of God in the Baby Jesus. Irrespective of when and how we choose to celebrate His birth, there is consensus on the wonders of His birth. Jesus’ birth was full of wonders in terms of timing, place, prophecies, and the witnesses.

There is the wonder of the timing of His birth. Jesus was born at the time was right – in the fullness of time: “But when the FULLNESS of TIME had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal.4:4-5). Matthew traced Jesus’ ancestry back through David all the way to Abraham (Mt. 1:1-17), reporting 42 successions in all: 14 from Abraham to David; 14 from David to the Babylonian captivity; and another 14 to the birth of Christ. Biblical Historians have confirmed that spiritually, politically, and culturally, everything in the Greco-Roman world was ready for His first coming.

Jesus came at the right time spiritually. During the Babylonian captivity, Israel had turned from idolatry into which she had so often fallen. The Jews built synagogues as places of worship and education. The Old Testament was completed. These facilitated the proclaiming of the Messiah’s gospel. The time was right politically. Rome was experiencing an era of peace which provided economic and political stability. Early Christians could travel freely throughout the empire via a system of roads. The time was right culturally. Early Christians who spread the Gospel during the first centuries had a common language, because more than 300 years before the birth of Christ, Alexander the Great had thoroughly established Greek culture and language through the known world.

There is the wonder of the place of His birth. Of all lands, Palestine was the most fitted as the scene of the revelation of God’s Grace in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Palestine was located at the confluence of three great continents of the old world – Egypt, Syria, and the Assyrian Empires. Micah prophesied of His birth place about 700 years ahead: “But you, Bethelehem 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 have been from of old, from everlasting” (Mic.5:2).

There is the wonder of the prophecies of His birth. Centuries before Christ was born, God promised through Isaiah: “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). Again, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given…” (Isa. 9:6). From Isaiah 11:1 we know He is from the line of Jesse: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse…” Hosea 11:1 spoke of how baby Jesus would be returned from Egypt after Herod’s death: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my Son.” This was fulfilled in Matthew 2:14-15.

There is the wonder of the witnesses to His birth. The first heavenly announcement after the birth was to a group who were the most humble in the social order of that time – shepherds (Lk.2:8-11; 13-14). Christ’s First Advent was known to angels, shepherds, and Wise Men that travelled from afar. Mary wondered at what the angel said (Lk.1:34-35). The people wondered at what the shepherds (v.18). Herod the king wondered at what the wise men said (Mt.2:3). Mary continued to wonder about “all these things and pondered them in her heart” (v.19).

All about the conception and birth of He who is called ‘Wonderful’ is wonderful. In knowing Him, we also become Wonders to our world: “I have become as a WONDER to many, but You are my strong refuge” (Psa.71:1).