The most important news story of all time is recorded in Luke chapter 2, verses 1-20.
There are a few things we should note about the birth of the Promised Messiah, the Christ as recorded in the New Testament:
Born At Right Place
-Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2)
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Born In The Right Family:
-From The Family Of David (Matthew 1:1)
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)
The people knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem from the family of David:
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” (John 7:41) Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” (John 7:40-42)
Though Jesus was raised in Nazareth of Galilee, some did not realize that He had been born in Bethlehem in the royal line of King David, just as the Scripture predicted.
Born At The Right Time
Jesus was born, lived, and died before the Temple was destroyed a second time (Daniel 9:24-27). Two things we learn from these predictions we should appreciate: First, the predictions were literally fulfilled, just as written- born in the right place, the right family, the right time in history.
Second, they were all fulfilled by His birth. This is something that none of us can control: where, to whom, and when we are born.
The remainder of His life He fulfilled precisely what the Law and the Prophets predicted about the Coming Messiah. To sum up, the Scripture has predicted His coming into the world, His perfect life; Jesus Himself predicted His own death in Jerusalem by means of crucifixion. He also predicted His resurrection from the dead.
And one last thing, He has predicted that He will come again! Each of these were literally fulfilled. We wait for the fulfillment of this last prediction.
Merry Christmas.
–Pastor Don Stewart
One Solitary Life
There was a famous sermon, given in the 1920’s by Dr. James Allen Francis, in which he listed the amazing facts about the life and ministry of Jesus, as well as the effect it has had upon the world.
The following is an adaptation of that sermon which he gave. It has been called “One Solitary Life.”
“Here is a man who was born in an obscure village as the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher.
“He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.
“He had no credentials but himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of his divine manhood. While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. Another betrayed him. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon the cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying, and that was his coat.
“When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. [Twenty] wide centuries have come and gone and today he is the center of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.
“I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon the earth as powerfully as has this one solitary life.”
FAQ Section
Q: Why was Jesus’ birthplace important?
A: Because Micah 5:2 foretold that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, confirming Jesus as the promised ruler.
Q: Why did Jesus need to come from the line of David?
A:Scripture repeatedly states that the Messiah would descend from David’s royal lineage.
Q: How does Daniel 9 relate to Jesus’ birth?
A: Daniel’s prophecy places the Messiah’s appearance before the destruction of the Second Temple, aligning perfectly with Jesus’ lifetime.
Q: Did Jesus fulfill all Messianic prophecies?
A: Yes—His birth, life, death, and resurrection fulfilled them literally, and His return is the final prophecy yet to be completed
Author Bio:
Don Stewart is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary (with the highest honors).
Don is a best-selling and award-winning author having authored, or co-authored, over seventy books. This includes the best-selling Answers to Tough Questions, with Josh McDowell, as well as the award-winning book Family Handbook of Christian Knowledge: The Bible. His various writings have been translated into over thirty different languages and have sold over a million copies.
Don’s website educatingourworld.com contains 65 books under 11 different Biblical topics that are available for free download. The site has video files of his books as well as audio files.
Don also does a “Breaking News” program on Youtube where he looks at the latest stories that deal with last days Bible prophecy. All of these resources are available for free on his website as well upon his app.