What is Christmas all about? It is all about the Christmas Miracle, the miraculous birth of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, fully God, fully man! Conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary in a lowly stable among the horses, donkeys, and sheep! Born in the small town of Bethlehem of Judea on a cold December night in the year 1 BC., a Jewish baby born King of the Jews in a Jewish-Roman world! Born the Seed of the Woman! The Bread of Life would be born in the house of bread! 

The Old Testament and the New Testament of the Holy Bible tells us how all this came about. All in the Plan of God that only something GOD can do! 

The Christmas Miracle started way back in Genesis in the Garden of Eden, after Eve and Adam had been deceived by Satan in the Serpent to disobey God! And God (Jesus) sees what they did and curses the Serpent. And here comes the very first mention of a future Redeemer, the Seed of the Woman, in Genesis 3:15 where God said He would put enmity between he and the woman, and between his seed and her seed. Well, the woman does not carry the seed. the man does! So you know that sometime in the future a miracle birth is going to happen that only God could do.

And thousands of years later during the time of the prophet Isaiah, who prophesied about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, he said this about the miraculous birth that was to come:

Isaiah 7:14…”Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (God with us)

Isaiah 9:6…”For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

And Micah 5:2…”But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Then we jump to the New Testament to the gospels of Matthew and Luke who first tell us the genealogy of Jesus through the ‘seed sons.’ Then…how it happened!

Matthew 1:18-25…”NOW the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had told him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

Further detail is explained in Luke 1:26-35 when, in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, (Mary’s cousin) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Nazareth in Galilee to a virgin named Mary who was engaged to a man named Joseph. Gabriel greeted her and said she was highly favored and that the Lord is with her, and that she was blessed among women. Well, this troubled her and she didn’t understand what was going on.

“And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.”

After stating the things that Jesus would accomplish in the future, Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

“FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.”

So Jesus was conceived in Nazareth and born in Bethlehem, about ninety miles away to the south. Luke chapter two tells us why they went there, how they got there, and how Jesus was born.

“And it came to pass in those days, that there when out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” So every Jew was to report to his home town, and Joseph’s was Bethlehem in Judea; “because he was of the house and lineage of king David.”

The journey itself was a miracle! Mary was nine months pregnant and soon to be delivered. She most likely rode in a large cart drawn by a donkey. It was December the rainy season in Israel and very cold at nights. The trip would have taken them a week to ten days due to Mary’s condition. There was food and supplies brought along, and their water would be from the Jordan River.. There were rest stops, overnight camping, and shelter needed against the rain and cold. The route south along the river and the border of Samaria was heavily forested and full of lions, bears, wild boars, and bandits! But you knew the Holy Spirit and angels had this all the way! 

And they arrived at Bethlehem!

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.”

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Blessed be this season of great joy in remembrance and celebration of the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior, our Lord and our God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who will one day return as THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, to reign in Jerusalem on the throne of David over the whole earth.

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen.