Each year, we look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th. We think of the Baby, the manger, and the wise men as we decorate our homes, sing carols, and read through Advent devotions. But how often do we think about the perspective of those who were waiting for the Messiah? We celebrate the coming of God in the flesh – The Savior of the World. However, I think it’s easy to forget what a complete and flabbergasting shock this arrival was to the people of the time. Of all the potential entrances of the Messiah into the world, no one had anticipated God Himself entering His creation in poverty as a helpless baby.
This Christmas season, let’s consider three questions: What were they expecting? What did they receive? And what are we to do?
What kind of Messiah were they expecting?
The leaders and scribes awaiting the arrival of the Messiah, weren’t expecting God incarnate (which simply means “in flesh”) at all. The religious leaders and many who followed them were waiting for a king or a warrior – someone who would tear down the current political authoritarian system and bring victory to God’s people over their enemies. They didn’t believe this without reason.
As Dr. Les Crawford has correctly stated, prophecies such as those found in Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:4, Jeremiah 23:5-6 and 33:15-16 “portray a powerful, all-conquering king who will defeat every enemy and restore Israel to its rightful place as God’s people dwelling in security and prosperity.” While there were numerous prophecies describing the Messiah as a suffering servant, these were given less attention by many ancient Jewish commentators in favor of the prophecies that described a militaristic warrior and king. But Jesus would defy all expectations.
What kind of Messiah did they receive?
First, it should be said that God did not just provide us with a handful of prophecies in the Old Testament that only describe the future arrival of an all-conquering king. In fact, no less than 333 prophecies were perfectly fulfilled by Jesus by the time He completed His work on the cross. These prophecies – in their totality – describe One who will come as a child (Is 7:14), a suffering servant (Is 52-53), an all-knowing prophet (Deut 18:15), a mighty king (Is 11:4), a perfect sacrifice (Is 53:7), and God over all (Is 9:6)! Jesus, the Messiah, was all this and more. The Christ Hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 lays this out with incomparable beauty. Please take a moment to go and read it for yourself. I love this description of the hymn from Enter the Bible:
The hymn or confession itself is one of the most significant depictions of Christ in the New Testament. The poetic language expresses the two natures of Christ, who was “in the form of God” and “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” or servant. In this “human likeness” and “human form,” Christ “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death–even death on a cross.” At its midpoint, the hymn or confession turns to the action of God’s exaltation, giving Christ “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus” all the realms of creation are called to bow in homage and every tongue proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
That is the Messiah who they received and who is available for all to receive today. So, what are we to do with this today?
What are we to do?
There are a couple of actions we should take with this information.
First, we should marvel at the wonder of our Savior anew this year. Take a moment to insert yourself into a culture that was expecting earthly and national promises to be fulfilled and instead met Jesus, God over all, who willingly set aside His glory to substitute Himself in our place and pay the price for our sins so that we may no longer be under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). Simply astounding.
Second, during the holiday season, and even into the New Year, take advantage of the opportunities to start conversations with others about the numerous manger scenes in stores and neighborhoods or the Christ-honoring hymns playing even in secular stores! Why not work a question or two into a conversation you’re already having? God can use a simple question like, “have you ever heard the story behind that manger scene?” to take a conversation all the way to the Gospel. As the true story of our risen Messiah reminds us, you never quite know exactly what God will do – but we can rest assured that it will be wonderful!
