What is Christmas?
A little more than 3100 years ago, a shepherd boy, the eighth of his father's eight sons, was anointed king of Israel. About fifteen years after he was anointed, David bar Jesse was coronated king in the city of Hebron in Judah. At first, David was only king over the tribe of Judah, but soon thereafter all of Israel pledged their allegiance to King David. David, a militarily and politically savvy leader, move the capital from Hebron in the heart of Judah to the more centrally located city of Jerusalem. Eventually, he brought the Sanctuary of Yahweh, where all the ritual sacrifices and offering were to be made, into Jerusalem. David inherited his father's sheep farm near the village of Bethlehem-Ephrathah. He gave this choice pasture land and the sheep business over to the priest to raise the sheep to be used for the sacrificial rituals including Passover.
Passover was the high festival commemorating the time when God delivered the Israelites from the Death Angel and from slavery in Egypt. About 200 years before the time of David, Moses commanded the Israelites to use the blood of a Passover lamb to paint the sides and tops of the their doorframes. When the Death Angel saw the blood on the door frames, he "passed over" that household and did no harm. But every house without the blood, the Death Angel took the life of the firstborn of that household. As a result of these losses, Pharaoh ordered the Israelite to leave Egypt. In this way, God delivered Israel from both slavery and death.
Exodus 12:5 dictated that the Passover lamb must be without defect. Annually, from the time of King David onward, the priest would choose an unblemished lamb from the pastures of Bethlehem for the Passover sacrifice. In order to protect the lamb, the priests would wrap the yearling in strips of cloth and carry it to the sanctuary (and later the Temple) to ensure it remained unblemished. Then on the day of Passover, the lamb would be sacrificed as a reminder of how Yahweh saved them in the past and will again save them in the future.
About 300 years after David was a prophet of Judah named Micah. In the book of Micah 5:2 we read his prophecy:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
This prophecy says out of the place where the sacrificial lambs are raised, a future King of Israel will arise.
About 700 years after Micah's prophecy, Jesus is born. Luke 2 records the events this way:
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Jesus, whose name means "Yahweh saves," was born in the place of the sacrificial lambs and wrapped in strips of cloth just as the sacrificial lambs were.
Luke 2 also records a visit of angels to the shepherds who raised and protected the sacrificial lambs:
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The shepherds understood the sign perfectly. They knew that the sacrifice was wrapped in strips of cloth. Then knew that they were looking at the King born to die. Thirty years later, just as Jesus began his ministry, He walked by his cousin, John the baptizer. John told his followers, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b)
About 3 1/2 years after He began his ministry, Jesus sat down and ate the Passover meal with his disciples. We refer to this meal as the "Last Supper." Later than evening, Jesus was arrested, tried, and handed over to the Romans. It was the next day when the high priest handed Jesus over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea. Pilate had Jesus flogged and crucified. But even Pilate understood, at least to a certain degree, who Jesus was. John 19 says:
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
So, what is Christmas? Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Merry Christmas!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
--Isaac Watts 1719
A little more than 3100 years ago, a shepherd boy, the eighth of his father's eight sons, was anointed king of Israel. About fifteen years after he was anointed, David bar Jesse was coronated king in the city of Hebron in Judah. At first, David was only king over the tribe of Judah, but soon thereafter all of Israel pledged their allegiance to King David. David, a militarily and politically savvy leader, move the capital from Hebron in the heart of Judah to the more centrally located city of Jerusalem. Eventually, he brought the Sanctuary of Yahweh, where all the ritual sacrifices and offering were to be made, into Jerusalem. David inherited his father's sheep farm near the village of Bethlehem-Ephrathah. He gave this choice pasture land and the sheep business over to the priest to raise the sheep to be used for the sacrificial rituals including Passover.
Passover was the high festival commemorating the time when God delivered the Israelites from the Death Angel and from slavery in Egypt. About 200 years before the time of David, Moses commanded the Israelites to use the blood of a Passover lamb to paint the sides and tops of the their doorframes. When the Death Angel saw the blood on the door frames, he "passed over" that household and did no harm. But every house without the blood, the Death Angel took the life of the firstborn of that household. As a result of these losses, Pharaoh ordered the Israelite to leave Egypt. In this way, God delivered Israel from both slavery and death.
Exodus 12:5 dictated that the Passover lamb must be without defect. Annually, from the time of King David onward, the priest would choose an unblemished lamb from the pastures of Bethlehem for the Passover sacrifice. In order to protect the lamb, the priests would wrap the yearling in strips of cloth and carry it to the sanctuary (and later the Temple) to ensure it remained unblemished. Then on the day of Passover, the lamb would be sacrificed as a reminder of how Yahweh saved them in the past and will again save them in the future.
About 300 years after David was a prophet of Judah named Micah. In the book of Micah 5:2 we read his prophecy:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
This prophecy says out of the place where the sacrificial lambs are raised, a future King of Israel will arise.
About 700 years after Micah's prophecy, Jesus is born. Luke 2 records the events this way:
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Jesus, whose name means "Yahweh saves," was born in the place of the sacrificial lambs and wrapped in strips of cloth just as the sacrificial lambs were.
Luke 2 also records a visit of angels to the shepherds who raised and protected the sacrificial lambs:
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The shepherds understood the sign perfectly. They knew that the sacrifice was wrapped in strips of cloth. Then knew that they were looking at the King born to die. Thirty years later, just as Jesus began his ministry, He walked by his cousin, John the baptizer. John told his followers, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b)
About 3 1/2 years after He began his ministry, Jesus sat down and ate the Passover meal with his disciples. We refer to this meal as the "Last Supper." Later than evening, Jesus was arrested, tried, and handed over to the Romans. It was the next day when the high priest handed Jesus over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea. Pilate had Jesus flogged and crucified. But even Pilate understood, at least to a certain degree, who Jesus was. John 19 says:
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
So, what is Christmas? Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Merry Christmas!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven and nature sing
(And Heaven and nature sing)
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
--Isaac Watts 1719
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