The Reason for Christmas

The Old Testament has many prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus who will save us from our sins. After the fall of man, God said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15). This was the first prophecy ever recorded that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection will defeat Satan’s stronghold of sin and death. Moses spoke about Jesus saying, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) Moses was the law giver. Jesus came to fulfill all the laws (Matthew 5:17). When Abraham was about to offer his only son to God, the Angel of the Lord said to Abraham, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (Genesis 22:12) But who is “Me” speaking as the “Angel of the Lord”? (No created angles can be capitalized) And why is “your only son” mentioned three times (Genesis 22:2,12,16)? It was to resonate the fact that God would also not spare His only Son (Romans 8:32, John 3:16); Christ would be the sacrificial Lamb of God who will bear the sins of many (Isaiah 53:1-12). It is believed that the Angel of the Lord is the Son of God who spoke to Abraham. It was foretold that Jesus will be born from a virgin: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), 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 9:6). And the Child will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The picture we get from the writings in the Old Testament is the foreshadowing of the long awaited birth of Jesus, In fact, Jesus even said that He came in the volume of book written of Him (Hebrews 10:7). And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). So the reason for Christmas is the birth of Jesus. MERRY CHRISTMAS