A little digging will lead us to discover references to Christmas throughout the Bible. As we discussed last week, some passages are obvious, like those in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Others are less noticeable, like John 1:14.
Let’s not leave out the Old Testament. Centuries before the birth of Jesus, prophets like Isaiah and Micah spoke of this blessed event.
And we should add the second Psalm.
“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’” – Psalm 2:7
(All the Bible quotations of today’s post will be from the New King James Version.)
People debate whether Jesus was born on December 25, but regardless, this verse points to the day Mary delivered her Son.
Yet there’s a problem with this line of thinking. Paul interpreted Psalm 2:7 in light of Christ’s resurrection, not His birth.
“And we declare to you glad tidings–that promise which was made to the fathers. 33God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’” – Acts 13:32-33
Paul preached these words in a synagogue during his first missionary journey. Announcing the gospel, he recounted the history of Israel leading up to the death and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus. But nowhere did he mention His birth. The apostle quoted Psalm 2:7 to highlight the resurrection, not Christmas, as a promise God kept.
Also, Paul opened his letter to the Roman church with a summary of his gospel:
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” – Romans 1:1-4
Paul laid out the bookends of the gospel: Christ’s birth and His resurrection. Christmas began the good news, but the declaration that Jesus is the Son of God awaited His resurrection from the dead.
Is Christmas no more than an introduction to the important news, the resurrection which vindicates Jesus as the Son of God?
That view is too narrow. The Bible proclaimed the status of Jesus as the Son of God before the resurrection.
Consider the evidence.
“So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’” – Matthew 27:34
This occurred right after Jesus died on the cross. The way He died, and the reaction of creation to His death, convinced a Roman centurion that the government had made a big mistake. Jesus was no criminal; He was the Son of God!
During His ministry, Christ revealed Himself as the Son of God.
“The sisters sent to Him, saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.’ 4When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” – John 11:3-4
Jesus, who had healed many sick people, permitted His friend Lazarus to die. But the Lord wasn’t cruel; He allowed this situation to get worse to prove His authority over sickness and death. They cannot defeat the Son of God!
Even demons affirmed Christ’s status.
“Suddenly they cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’” – Matthew 8:29
Evil spirits knew who He was and the truth scared them. They saw His ministry as a lethal judgment.
And finally, the whole gospel recognizes Jesus as the Son of God.
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” – Mark 1:1
In light of these verses, why skip Christmas? If the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus testify to Him being the Son of God, doesn’t Christmas?
Yes!
“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ 34Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ 35And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’” – Luke 1:30-35
Jesus is not only a son of Mary; He is the Son of God! The angel Gabriel announced to Christ’s mother that her firstborn would be the Son of God, the Holy One! The ultimate Christmas present!
Prophecies can have many levels of fulfillment. Psalm 2:7 points to the resurrection of Jesus, but it also applies to His death on the cross. The ministry of Jesus reveals Him to be God’s Son.
So let’s include Christmas. At this season, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the One whom the angel announced was the Son of God. That’s the gospel God wants you to experience and enjoy!
Merry Christmas!
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