I like Christmas. Have a tree. Decorate the house. Give presents. Sing Carols. It's a nice holiday during which we communicate with those we love in many ways. It's all good. But it has little to do with the purpose of the details we find in the book of Luke 2:1-20 or the account of Matthew 1:18 - 2:23.
They are beautiful stories. We sing about them and have great pageants. The problem is, we have in the western church, missed the whole point. Why did Luke and Matthew spend any time on these accounts? What purpose did they serve? If you think it's just informational, or that it is to just give us a picture of the humanity of Jesus...that would be short of the mark. Not wrong, just incomplete.
Imagine the task Matthew and Luke had before them, you are commissioned by Jesus to go ye therefore into all the world, but first in Judea.. How will you demonstrate to the well schooled Jew of that day that Jesus is the Messiah for which they wait? How can you demonstrate that to a doubter? Lots of people died on a Roman cross in that time. Lots of people in that day were great spiritual leaders. Lots of people were excellent teachers. Some even claimed to be the messiah, or at least those who followed them thought so. How indeed would you get past that kind of backdrop?
By carefully giving the details of Jesus Holy Birth will the revelation of HIM as the Messiah be confirmed by the thousands of prophesies his birth fulfilled. They knew the prophesies. Dots needed to be connected to show them the truth. Here is a short list of a some key fulfilled prophesies.
A Jewish scholar of the word of God in that day may have memorized all the messianic prophetic. When those were carefully compared to the accounts of His birth and the genealogies of Jesus the evidence was incontrovertible. The Messiah prophesied of old is JESUS.
Enjoy the season. But remember, the story is purposed to demonstrate fulfilled prophetic utterance and writings. You already knew that. You already believe Him to BE the true Messiah. The real story yet to be related is the path from HIS cradle to HIS cross to HIS Kingdom.
In that way... HIS KINGDOM CAME
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