Christ in the Heart
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The birth of Jesus was greeted with silence and indifference by the world in general.
The Son of God slipped into this world largely undetected. Here was Immanuel, God with us, and the world remained undisturbed and oblivious to the angels’ song of “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Nothing earthly in appearance, whether parentage or circumstances, gave any indication of the veryspecial nature of the birth of this child.
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An angel spoke to both Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds to explain this divine visitation. We don’t have angels appearing before us during this Christmas season, but we have something much better! An understanding and appreciation for this pivotal moment in human history requires divine revelation, and we have this illumination in the full unfolding of infallible Scripture. The Apostle Peter declared, “we have also a more sure word of prophesy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star rise in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19). Here Peter confirms that the prophetic Word of God in its completeness is more reliable and impactful than his personal experiences with the earthly ministry of the Lord (specific reference here to events at the Mt. of Transfiguration in Matthew 17).
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In the midst of all the trappings of our modern holiday season, there is still the likelihood and danger that thereality of the entrance of Jesus into this world as a babe in Bethlehem is passed over without proper recognition and heart-felt response. It’s not just the time of year to celebrate, give gifts, enjoy family, take time from work, etc. The response of those who heard the message and understood the significance of Jesus’ birth was wondrous belief, repentance, joy, and worship before God.
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Simeon and Anna were among the few to recognize the birth of the Savior. The Holy Spirit gave them
understanding of Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. Simeon was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” and Anna witnessed to those who “looked for redemption” (Luke 2:25, 38). Because we have God’s complete revelation of Himself now in the Bible, we have even more reason to be celebrating our Savior’s work because of the fuller detail of not just the Lord’s birth, but His earthly life, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, priestly intercession, and anticipated return. After His return to the Father, the Lord Jesus fulfilled His promise to send us the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us unto all truth and to illuminate the teachings of Scripture to our hearts.
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Truly, there is no proper celebration of the birth of Jesus without an understanding of His return to God the Father in triumphant vindication and majesty. Rather than settling for the celebrations of the world, let us have a heavenward view from where we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ to return (Philippians 3:20). “And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). May we celebrate the angelic announcement of the Lord’s birth in the full light of the revelation of Scripture. For if our celebration is not based upon the Bible’s teaching about the Lord Jesus, then it fails to be about “the good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10).
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What are you celebrating this Christmas season?​​