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The Christmas season arrives each year with lights, carols, decorations, and celebrations around the world. Christmas is always the most memorable season of the year. Yet beneath the decors, the music, and the festivities lies a story far deeper than many realize, a story that greatly impacted on human history—Jesus’s birth.
Jesus’s birth was not an ordinary birth. Thus, Christmas is not an ordinary season of the year. For Christians, Christmas is a commemoration and celebration of the most significant moment in redemption history—the moment God stepped into the world in the form of a man. And, for the rest of humanity, Christmas is a graphic portrayal of the redeeming love of the God who made them.
As we prepare for another Christmas, it is crucial that we don’t allow the festivities to take our attention away from the weightier matter—understanding the profound significance of Jesus’s birth and why it remains a pivotal event not only for Christian faith but for all of humanity.
In this article, drawing from Scripture and the timeless message of the gospel, I want to explore the theological, prophetic, and practical implications of Jesus’s birth which we celebrate at Christmas.
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Christmas Testifies of Ancient Prophecies Fulfilled
Long before Jesus was born, God had spoken through prophets in the Old Testament, of the birth of Jesus. The prophets, speaking by God’s Spirit, foretold with remarkable clarity and depth, the identity, power and glory, and mission of Jesus. These prophecies were not vague or symbolic. They were direct, specific, and detailed, making them impossible to be fulfilled by chance.
The Prophecy of a Virgin Birth
The Prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 7:14, prophesied:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
This prophecy was fulfilled in a precise manner which made it impossible to be a mere coincidence, in the conception of Jesus through the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin.
Matthew 1:22–23:
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””
No other event in human history comes close to the supernatural nature of Jesus’s birth.
The Prophecy of His Birthplace
God, through Prophet Micah, foretold the place of Jesus’s birth—Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2:
“But you, Bethlehem 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 are from of old, from everlasting.”
When the time was right for Jesus to be born, God orchestrated events in the then world to make Jesus’s birth happen exactly as He had spoken by the prophets. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. But by a decree of Caesar Augustus, both traveled to Bethlehem for a census, where Jesus was born (Luke 2:1–7).
The Prophecy of His Identity
Again, prophet Isaiah spoke by God’s Spirit, concerning the identity of Jesus. The Bible, in Isaiah 9:6–7, says:
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
The Child to be born—Jesus the Christ—would not be an ordinary human. He would be God in human form. All through the New Testament, the deity of Jesus is displayed—through His miraculous works, authoritative teachings, and ultimately His resurrection from the dead.
The precise manners in which the prophecies were fulfilled shows that Jesus’ birth was not accidental; it was intentional, planned, and executed by God the Father Himself. Christmas reminds us that God watches over His words, no matter how long it takes, to fulfill them.
Christmas Speaks of the Incarnation of God
The most profound significance of Christmas is the incarnation—the truth that God stepped into the human realm in a human form for the purpose of humanity’s redemption. Jesus’s birth signifies the entrance of divinity into the human realm.
Apostle John the beloved declares in John 1:14:
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” [NLT]
In Jesus’s birth, the eternal, infinite, all-powerful God stepped into the human realm. The One who created time and space entered into time and space. The One who formed all things was Himself formed in a woman’s womb. He became like us so that we could become like Him.
Why the Incarnation Matters
1. God walked among us
The name of Jesus—Emmanuel, meaning “God with us”, indicates that God came bodily among us, and dwelled among us. Jesus’s birth declares that God not only exists, but that God is present with us.
2. God became accessible
Before Jesus, men approached God through human priests and sacrifices. But through Jesus, God became close, personal, knowable, and accessible. Hebrews 10:19–22 assures us that we can approach God directly. The veil of partition is gone. Hallelujah!
3. God became relatable
Jesus—being God in the flesh, knows hunger, pain, fatigue, rejection, loneliness, and temptation. Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus understands what it means to be human completely.
Christmas teaches the greatest act of divine humility and love ever demonstrated.
Christmas Reveals God’s Unmatched Love
Jesus’s birth is the loudest way of God saying, “I love you.” Jesus’s birth is the ultimate expression of God’s love. It is God saying, “I love you enough to come for you”. Apostle John, in John 3:16, says:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
Rather than sending an angel or a prophet for humanity’s redemption, God came Himself, and gave Himself. I’d like to point out five qualities of this love of God.
1. Intentional—The coming of Jesus for humanity’s redemption was not accidental; it was intentional, planned, and directed by the Father Himself (Acts 2:23).
2. Sacrificial—The giving of Jesus was a sacrifice—the biggest sacrifice God ever made. God gave up what was most precious to Him.
3. Timely—God sent Christ at the right time; not too soon and not too late (Galatians 4:4).
4. Universal—The giving of Jesus was motivated God’s love. And, the offering is for all people (John 3:16).
5. Personal—God’s saving love targets and pursues individual humans.
Thus, Christmas is a revelation of divine love expressed through swaddling clothes.
The Door to Salvation was Opened at Christmas
It was at Christmas that the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan of salvation began. The angelic announcement of Jesus’s birth to Joseph revealed what God intended to achieve through Jesus—the salvation of mankind.
Matthew 1:20–21:
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””
Jesus’s birth was not primarily to give the world a moral teacher or a head of a religious movement. Jesus’s birth was primarily for the purpose of humanity’s redemption. The gospel story started at Christmas. Without Jesus’s birth, there would have been no cross, without the cross, there would have been no resurrection, and without resurrection, there would have been no salvation.
The mission of Jesus—which began at Christmas, includes reconciling humanity to God (2 Corinthians 5:18–19), redeeming humanity from the curse of sin (Galatians 3:13), destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and giving us eternal life (John 10:28).
Jesus’ Birth Demonstrated God’s Humility
Jesus—God, King, and Lord—did not enter the world in royal splendor. He came in poverty, simplicity, and in a lowly manner. Jesus’s birth happened through a young, ordinary couple, in a stable, among animals, and without wealth, status, or comfort. This was intentional, not accidental.
Through that simple means, God did three things.
1. He redefined greatness
In the human kingdoms, greatness is defined by wealth, status, comfort, power, and glamour. But in God’s kingdom, greatness is measured by humility and service, an antithesis to greatness in human kingdom.
2. He showed that He is approachable
When Jesus was born, there were no high palace walls or terrifying guards around Him, to block the access of lowly, ordinary people to Him. Anyone—shepherds, wise men, sinners—could come to Him.
3. He identified with the lowly
Jesus’ humble beginnings shows that God esteems the poor, the overlooked, and the ordinary.
Jesus’s birth teaches us that true greatness is found in humility.
Jesus’s Birth Brought Heaven’s Peace to Earth
Immediately after Jesus was born, there was an angelic announcement of peace on earth. Luke 2:13-14 says:
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!””
Jesus is the Prince of peace—One who rules through peace (Isaiah 9:6). He came to bring peace on earth, on three levels.
1. Peace With God
Scripture teaches that humanity was separated from God and in enmity with God on account of sin (Colossians 1:21). But through the atonement of Christ, the enmity between us and God was resolved. We were brought into a state of peace with God—a state of having nothing to fear with God (Romans 5:1).
2. The Peace of God
Through Christ, believers experience inner peace beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7). This peace is not the absence of the troubles of life, but the inward assuring comfort that produces rest, because we know that God is with us and is in control of the situations.
3. Peace Among People
Jesus also brought peace between man and man. When people come into Christ, their differences, inequalities, and enmity are resolved, and they all can live together peacefully as one new man in Christ (Ephesians 2:14).
The peace of God entered into the world at Christmas.
Jesus’s Birth Brought Light Into Darkness
Christmas is the festival of light. Because Jesus—the Light from heaven entered into the world at Christmas. Isaiah, in one of his messianic prophecies, in Isaiah 9:2, says:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”
At His Temple dedication, when Simeon—an aged just and devout man, who had been told by God that he would not die until he saw Jesus’s birth—held baby Jesus in his arms, he rejoiced and spoke by the Spirit:
29 Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word, 30 for my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel. (Luke 2:30–32)
Apostle John testifies about Him, in John 1:4–5:
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
And, Jesus declared about Himself, in John 8:12:
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Jesus is light! His coming brought light into darkness—the darkness of sin, ignorance about God, suffering, hopelessness, etc.
In a world filled with confusion and spiritual blindness, Jesus shines brightly as light, revealing truth, exposing sin, guiding men’s choices, illuminating our purpose, and dispelling fear.
Christmas is not a festival of eating, drinking, and merry making, but of divine light breaking into human darkness.
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Jesus’s Birth Marked the Beginning of the End of the Old Covenant
Before the coming of Jesus, God dealt with men, particularly the people of Israel, through a covenant which is now referred to as the Old Covenant, which was based on the Mosaic law, sacrifices, and ceremonies. But that system, though glorious, yet was not intended to be forever. Because it could never save or perfect humanity.
Hebrews 10:1–4:
1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. 3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. [NLT]
The Old Covenant and its entire support system pointed to the coming of something better and greater—a better and greater channel of relationship with God through the atonement of Christ.
Jesus’ birth marked the beginning of the end of the operation of Old Covenant. He was born under the law, to rescue those under the law (Galatians 4:4–5).
Prophet Jeremiah had foretold a new covenant where God would write His law on men’s hearts, sins would be forgiven, and God would dwell within His people (Jeremiah 31:31–34). This was fulfilled through Christ. His atonement ushered in the era of grace.
Now, by Jesus, sins are being forgiven, men are receiving direct access to the Father, men are receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit, men are being adopted as God’s children, and men are walking in freedom, not condemnation.
Christmas marks the dawn of grace, mercy, and spiritual transformation.
Jesus’s Birth Shows God Works Through Ordinary People
Lowly, ordinary people featured a lot in the events that surrounded Jesus’s birth.
- God didn’t choose a princess to birth Jesus; He chose Mary, a lowly, ordinary girl.
- God didn’t choose a prince to “father” Jesus; He chose Joseph, a simple carpenter.
- God didn’t choose a royal city as Jesus’s birthplace; He chose Bethlehem, a small and seemingly insignificant town.
- God didn’t announce Jesus’s birth to kings first; He announced to simple shepherds.
This reveals something profound about God: He delights in using ordinary people. He performs His greatest works through humble vessels. He chooses the unlikely to accomplish the extraordinary. The Christmas story encourages believers that no life is too small for God’s big plans.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29:
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Thus, this Christmas, if you are a lowly person, with no earthly status or wealth or power, you should rejoice in the truth that you matter to God and to His agenda for the world.
Jesus’s Birth Brings Joy to the World
Jesus’s birth is good news to the world! This was how the angel who announced Jesus’s birth to the shepherds tending to their flock that night of His birth announced it.
Luke 2:10:
“Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”
The angel called Jesus’s birth a good tidings of great joy! Jesus’s birth brought joy into the world. This joy is not dependent on circumstances, not based on possessions, and is not seasonal. The joy of Christmas is rooted in a Person—Jesus Christ, and in the knowledge that through Him, our sins can be forgiven, our past can be redeemed, our future is secure, God is with us, and heaven is open to us. This joy is available to all who will put their faith in Christ.
Hallelujah!
Christmas is more than a holiday or a festive season; it is a divine invitation.
An invitation to believe.
An invitation to receive.
An invitation to worship.
An invitation to experience the love and the presence of God.
As you celebrate this Christmas, may your heart be filled with renewed wonder at the incredible significance of Christ’s birth. May His story anchor your faith, deepen your gratitude, and remind you that the Child in the manger is the Savior of the world—and the Savior of your soul.
And, if you have not yet put your faith in Christ, I pray that the Spirit of Christ will work strongly upon your heart, and bring you to trust Him for your salvation.
I wish you a Happy Christmas!
Further Resources:
- GotQuestions.org—Why Is Christmas Important?
- Desiring God—Christmas
- Ligonier Ministries—The Meaning of the Incarnation
- Bible.org—Why Did Jesus Have to Be Born?
- Crosswalk – Why Jesus’ Birth Changed Everything
