As we near the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I continue to reflect on faith and how to reach those that do not believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God and was sent to save the world.
What makes it difficult for those that do not believe that Christ was the Son of God?
The history of civilizations is told through historical records and eyewitness accounts. Events are chronicled through documents, archaeology of sites, and the reenactment and descriptions of what historians believe occurred.
I wrote a few weeks ago that the Old Testament, which provides historical accounts from prophets, predicted the coming of Christ at least twenty-three times. The birth of Jesus was predicted and outlined hundreds of years before Jesus was born.
- Genesis 3:15 Christ is the Seed of woman and we are told He will one day crush Satan
- In Exodus, we learn of the story of the Passover Lamb, and Christ is the sacrificial Lamb given for us
- In Leviticus, we read of the high priests making sacrifices to the people, and Christ has become our High Priest
- In Deuteronomy, Moses prophesied a prophet who would come that would be greater than Himself
- Ezra depicts Jesus as the Lord of our fathers
- Job says that the Redeemer is coming
- Christ appears several times in Psalms, including when David describes Him as “the Shepherd”
- Joel describes Him as the hope of His people
- Amos tells us that Jesus is the judge of all nations
- Obadiah warns of the coming eternal kingdom
- Jonah offers a picture of Jesus being dead for three days, then coming back to life to preach repentance
- Zephaniah says Jesus will be the king over Israel
- Zachariah is the prophet who speaks of Jesus riding on a colt
- Malachi is the one who calls Jesus the Son of Righteousness
One of the most pronounced and specific predictions came from the prophet Isaiah in chapter 9 verse 2.
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah wrote this verse at least 700 years before the birth of Jesus.
The Bible was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 authors. The books of the Bible leading up to the birth of Christ, in the Old Testament, foretold of Christ’s coming. The books after Christ’s birth, the New Testament, outlined His teachings and provide eyewitness accounts to his birth, miracles, existence as a man who lived a sinless life on earth and corroborated his crucifixion and resurrection. Never in human history has there be a person who has been more described, detailed, and written about. The Bible is the greatest compilation of historical record ever produced by man, about a man, who happened to be our Savior.
As I have matured in my faith, I have come to realize that my struggles with faith are more about my willingness to humble myself and accept that I am not in control. The historical record of the Bible speaks for itself. God created each of us with a purpose and our lives are a compilation of experiences that should lead us to glorify and praise Him. If we choose not to follow and praise God, He will create situations in our lives that push us to need Him and want a relationship with Him.
Sometimes our lives are full of unhappiness and strife, and God wants us to turn to Him for solace and peace. We have feelings of emptiness, loneliness, discontent, and yearn for understanding of a sinful and sometimes sad world.
A life “walking with Jesus” leads to peace, hope, contentment, and being filled with joy. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have it all figured out, but I am learning that life is empty without Christ. Reading, studying, and listening to God’s word creates reflection and growth. Knowing that no matter how awful life gets and what struggles occur, we are loved and wanted by our Almighty Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No matter how bad we screw up, Jesus will be there to “catch our fall.”
“You are made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.”
-Rick Warren
The greatest miracle in human history will be celebrated in four days. Let us rejoice, give thanks, and praise our Heavenly Father for the gift of salvation, which began with the birth of Jesus.
Let’s not only celebrate the history of Christ told in the Bible, but help others experience the joy and exhilaration of knowing Jesus as our Savior.
