The Nativity Story
In order to truly understand the Nativity we must understand the context and purpose of the Nativity and the reason there was a Nativity.
Back from the beginning of Genesis mankind lost fellowship with God because of the fall of Adam and Eve. All man has sinned and is lost under the wrath of God on their way to hell. God is a just and holy God and He must punish sin but He is also a loving and merciful God and doesn't want anyone to go to hell so He made a way for us so that we could be saved.
In the Old Testament God made a covenant with Israel and the Jewish people and promised that would day a King would be born apart of this covenant and would be a Descendant of King David and that He would be a Savior and a redeemer and would come to save mankind from their sins. He would be called Emmanuel, which means God with us and would be born in Israel. He is the Messiah, God in the flesh Jesus.
In the New Testament these prophecies were fulfilled when the angel appears to the young Virgin Mary and told her she would give birth to the Messiah:
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
John 4:25 - The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
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."
-Micah 5:2
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
-Zechariah 9:9
18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
-Matthew 1:18-23
9 "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."
-Matthew 2:9-11
6 "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child."
-Luke 2:6-17
Mary at first was doubtful because she didn't think of herself worthy to give birth to the Messiah but she accepted that this was her calling. Joseph was also doubtful and almost put her away privately but the Spirit confirmed that this was the truth
The Messiah was also prophesied to die a brutal death on the cross for our sins to atone for the sins of mankind and then rise from the dead so that salvation would be available. Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies:
53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
-Isaiah 53:1-6
10 "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
-Psalm 16:10
The Messiah God in the flesh, the Son of God Jesus came and lived as one of us and lived a sinless life and then died on the cross and rose from the dead which was something else the Messiah had to do and if we repent and put our trust in Him will be forgiven of our sins and be made new and saved from hell because of His sacrifice.
Back from the beginning of Genesis mankind lost fellowship with God because of the fall of Adam and Eve. All man has sinned and is lost under the wrath of God on their way to hell. God is a just and holy God and He must punish sin but He is also a loving and merciful God and doesn't want anyone to go to hell so He made a way for us so that we could be saved.
In the Old Testament God made a covenant with Israel and the Jewish people and promised that would day a King would be born apart of this covenant and would be a Descendant of King David and that He would be a Savior and a redeemer and would come to save mankind from their sins. He would be called Emmanuel, which means God with us and would be born in Israel. He is the Messiah, God in the flesh Jesus.
In the New Testament these prophecies were fulfilled when the angel appears to the young Virgin Mary and told her she would give birth to the Messiah:
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
John 4:25 - The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
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."
-Micah 5:2
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
-Zechariah 9:9
18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
-Matthew 1:18-23
9 "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."
-Matthew 2:9-11
6 "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child."
-Luke 2:6-17
Mary at first was doubtful because she didn't think of herself worthy to give birth to the Messiah but she accepted that this was her calling. Joseph was also doubtful and almost put her away privately but the Spirit confirmed that this was the truth
The Messiah was also prophesied to die a brutal death on the cross for our sins to atone for the sins of mankind and then rise from the dead so that salvation would be available. Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies:
53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
-Isaiah 53:1-6
10 "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
-Psalm 16:10
The Messiah God in the flesh, the Son of God Jesus came and lived as one of us and lived a sinless life and then died on the cross and rose from the dead which was something else the Messiah had to do and if we repent and put our trust in Him will be forgiven of our sins and be made new and saved from hell because of His sacrifice.
Comments
Post a Comment