Did you know there are around 360,000 babies born every day in this world? If you were to do the math, that would equal out to be around 15,000 births every hour, 250 births every minute, and 4 births every second. That’s a lot of babies!
Every baby is a precious soul in the sight of God. If you are a parent, then I know your children are special to you, and you vividly remember the day they were born into this world. I am sure you can recall all the emotions you felt, including the joy, pride, and even fear! The birth of a baby is truly one of the most remarkable moments we could ever experience.
But there was a birth that occurred a few thousand years ago that takes the cake as being the most special. This was one of the most climatic, momentous occasions in all of human history. A true miracle occurred that day when this baby entered this world. There has never been a birth as significant as this one, and there never will be a birth that compares to it. This, of course, was the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ!
People all over this world have heard the story of Jesus’ birth, but have you ever stopped to think about why his birth actually matters?
Unfortunately, I’ve heard some argue that “The birth of Jesus isn’t what matters; it’s his death on the cross that matters!” Others have supposed that his birth is only important because he came to die. Some suppose, “Jesus had to be born to die on the cross, but that’s the only reason why his birth is important.” Admittedly, these statements are troubling. I don’t believe they are accurate, and I fear we might be overlooking the significance of the Savior’s birth. We certainly wouldn’t want to ever minimize any aspect of the Lord’s work on our behalf.
So why does the birth of Jesus matter? Here are a few reasons why the birth of Jesus is one of the most extraordinary and important events of all time.
The birth of Jesus shows the faithfulness of God.
The coming of Jesus was not an accident. The Scriptures tell us our Savior and his work of redemption “was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20). Before time ever began, God foreknew man’s need for a Savior and foreknew his plan to rescue us from our sins. Throughout the Old Testament, God gradually revealed clues regarding the coming of Jesus. For instance, it was foretold that Jesus would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14); He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); He would be born of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10); He would be plotted against at birth (Jeremiah 31:15); He would be worshipped through gifts at birth (Psalm 72:10-15); and he would be preceded in birth by a messenger (Malachi 3:1; 4:5-6). Many aspects of the Lord’s coming were spelled out in Scripture generations before they came to pass. Had these events not come to pass as prophesied, God would not be faithful, his word could not be believed, and Jesus could not be our Messiah. Faithful Jews like Anna and Simeon praised God at the birth of Jesus because they knew God’s word had come to pass (see Luke 2:22-38). We can praise God today because he keeps his word; we can confidently build our lives, our hopes, and our future on his unfailing promises.
The birth of Jesus shows the presence of God.
Do you remember what Matthew recorded in describing the birth of Jesus? He said, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)“ (Matthew 1:22-23 ESV). The inspired penman reached all the way back to one of Isaiah’s ancient prophecies about Jesus and to help us understand what his was all about. Yes, it was to fulfill prophecy; it was also for God to become flesh and be with us! That’s a truly remarkable thought, and it brings to our remembrance how John began his Gospel narrative. In John 1:1-3, we learn about Jesus’ preexistence with the Father and his work of creating all things that exist, yet John goes on to write that this same Jesus “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The creator of heaven and earth came to this earth, robed himself in humanity, and lived among his creation. Wow! Surely, that moment matters! The coming of Jesus helps us to understand God’s love for us and the steps he was willing to take that we might intimately know him.
The birth of Jesus shows the character of God.
I love how the book of Hebrews begins; it tells us why Jesus is so special. Speaking of Jesus, the writer of Hebrew said, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature“ (Hebrews 1:3 ESV). The meaning of these phrases is that Jesus shows us exactly what God looks like by his words and actions. As Jesus said himself, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In a very real and tangible way, the coming of Jesus to this earth gave mankind a glimpse of God. Jesus put a face to God’s grace, love, mercy, kindness, patience, and forgiveness. He helped us to understand God in ways that would otherwise be impossible to see. Amazingly, we can demonstrate God too by learning to be more like Jesus in everything we think, say, and do. When Christ is seen in us, God will be displayed through the life we live.
The birth of Jesus shows the sympathy of God.
Just think about the coming of Jesus for a moment. If the only reason for our Lord’s coming was to die upon the cross, then why didn’t Jesus come down to earth as a full grown man? Yet the Scriptures find Jesus as a baby in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:26-45, a newborn baby in a manger (Luke 2:1-7), a young child growing and maturing (Luke 2:41-52), and then as a full-grown man during his ministry (Luke 3:23). Jesus didn’t just come to this earth as a man to die upon the cross. Instead, Jesus came to this earth and identified with us in all aspects of our human existence: from the womb, through infancy and adolescence, and into adulthood. He truly walked in our shoes and saw life through our point of view. He got hungry, thirsty, tired, and sleepy. His body felt fatigue and pain. His eyes shed tears, and his veins bled. He felt loneliness, hurt, and the nagging pull of temptation. In so doing, Jesus became a “merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17 ESV; cf. 4:14-16). Had Jesus never been born and passed through the various stages of life as we do, he never could have been our Savior.
In closing, it’s noteworthy to know that we are never told in the Scriptures when Jesus was born. To be honest, though, that’s not the point at all. It doesn’t matter if he was born (or not born) on December 25th. What does matter is that he was born! God’s faithful word came to pass; his promises were fulfilled. God loved us enough that he was willing to come and dwell among us in a real and personal way. Jesus lived to show us what the heart of God looks like, and his life helps us to better understand how we can look like God too. The Lord walked in our shoes and saw life from our lens so he could lovingly minister on our behalf. Above all, the birth of Jesus is a wonderful reminder that we are special to God and he longs to have a personal relationship with each of us. The birth of Jesus does matter! It matters at Christmas, and it matters each and every day of the year!
So thank you, Jesus! And a big thanks to each of you for reading Everyday Christianity! Merry Christmas!