"Christmas - The Wisdom of God"

Christmas: The Wisdom of God

People all over the world have heard the story of Jesus’ birth. But have you ever wondered whether there’s more to the familiar story? Since the Bible records the birth of Jesus in detail, is there a deeper meaning to that event? The teaching of this message is to see something of the wisdom of Jesus’ birth. Catching even a glimpse of its real meaning will increase our love for Jesus and uplift our worship of Him.

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s wisdom is on display. Read Romans 11:33 (ESV) sums it up, saying, Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

God’s Wisdom at Christmas 

Nowhere is God’s wisdom more apparent than in His plan of redemption. In eternity past, He planned a way for sinful humankind to be saved. To appreciate God’s unfathomable ways, we need look no further than the events of the Christmas story when His Son came to earth.

About seven hundred years before Christ, a prophecy concerning Jesus’ birth was recorded in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The New Testament opens with the account of Jesus’
birth. Matthew 1:18-20 tells us how the virgin birth
prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 was fulfilled:

Matthew 1:18-20 (ESV)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took p lace in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  19  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  20  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

These two verses, Matthew 1:18 and 20, show us that the birth of Jesus Christ was by no means the ordinary birth of an ordinary man; it was the extraordinary incarnation of God Himself. The birth of Jesus was the birth of a God-man, our Messiah who was both divine and human. Though Jesus was born as a child with flesh and blood, His source was the Holy Spirit.

God’s Timing

Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,  5  to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Throughout history, empires have risen and fallen, each with their own unique achievements and contributions to civilization—the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks—but the Lord chose the time of the Roman Empire for the coming of His Son. This was the predetermined time, and all the events came to pass just as He planned.

Jesus Christ’s life didn’t begin on the day of His birth. The Son of God existed forever.

John 1:1-2 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2  He was in the beginning with God. 

But when the incarnation occurred, His deity joined with human flesh. Some were looking for the Messiah’s arrival, but many were not. And they certainly didn’t expect Him to come as a baby. Many were awaiting a strong military leader who would set them free from 

Roman domination.

The Place of Jesus’ Birth

Hundreds of years beforehand, Micah prophesied God’s choice for the location of the Messiah’s birth

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

God didn’t choose an impressive city as the setting for His Son’s birth, but a town of little to no significance. The name Bethlehem means “house of bread,” which is an appropriate birthplace of the One who said, “I am the bread of life”.

The fact that Mary and Joseph were in Nazareth was no hindrance to God’s plan. He ordained that Caesar Augustus would take a census, requiring everyone to register at the place of their origin. Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem because they were descendants of David. The leaders may have thought they were in charge, but they were merely used by the Lord to fulfill His plan that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. 

The Birth Announcement

Great events are usually announced by important dignitaries, and to authenticate the message of the Messiah’s birth, God sent a holy angel from heaven. But instead of proclaiming the birth to multitudes, He sent the angel to a group of shepherds in a field. By doing so God identified His Son with these humble men, because Jesus would become the Good Shepherd who leads people to salvation.

In response, the shepherds hurried to where Jesus lay and then made known to everyone they knew what the angel had said and how they’d seen the newborn Savior.

The Surroundings

We also see God’s wisdom in the surroundings of Christ’s birth. He wasn’t born in a palace or even an inn. Because He was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, it was fitting for Him to be born in a place used by cattle and sheep. He came into the world without riches and prominence because God’s ways are not like ours. The manger scene is a proclamation that God the Son came in humility to be our Savior. 

The Name – Jesus and Immanuel

Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV)

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  22  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 

Jesus and Immanuel are two excellent names that are full of significance for us. Let’s explore these names with some of God’s wisdom. 

The name Jesus was very common in that day. Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means Jehovah the Savior, or the salvation of Jehovah. Hence, Jesus is not only a man but Jehovah, and not only Jehovah but Jehovah becoming our salvation. Thus, He is our Savior. He is also our Joshua, the One who brings us into rest. We call that rest… peace! Because of the fall of man, all human beings need a Savior. This Savior is Jesus, who is Jehovah, the very God Himself. The God-man Jesus is the only one who saves us from our sins. We can enjoy His salvation whenever we call upon the name of Jesus. How precious the name of Jesus is! It is the sweetest name I know! It’s the name above every other and the only one by which we can be saved. One day at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth

Jesus was the name given by God, whereas Immanuel, meaning God with us, was the name by which man called Him. Jesus the Savior is God with us. He is God, and He is also God incarnated to dwell among us. He is not only God but God with us. Our Savior Jesus is Immanuel; He is God with us all the time. How comforting and encouraging this is! He’s always with us, everywhere and in every situation. 

God’s Purpose

The Lord’s wisdom is expressed in the purpose for which He sent His Son—our redemption. The baby in the manger was born to be the Lamb of God who came to “give His life as a ransom for many”. Mankind could never be good enough to be reconciled with God because everyone is born with a sin nature. Jesus alone was qualified to bear God’s wrath for our sins on the cross so we could be forgiven. There was no other way. Every detail of the plan of redemption was wisely and meticulously fulfilled by our heavenly Father. By believing in Him, we’re cleansed from our sins and delivered from eternal judgment.  

Brothers and Sisters, Christmas is not about the hustle and bustle of buying gifts, spending a bunch of money and putting up trees. Those are all nice, but in doing so remember that Jesus was born to save us, to reconcile us back to God.

For the vast majority of us, the day we celebrate Christmas, December 25th IS NOT your birthday. It is a time celebrate the birth of Christ. There is no better way to do that than by giving Christ a present on His birthday. That present is your life! And if you are already saved, now is time for you to give Christ the gift of sharing the Good News and winning souls for Christ!