The prophecies of His coming
Long before Bethlehem, the Hebrew Scriptures promised a Redeemer. The first promise came right after the fall: the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). He would come from Abraham (Genesis 22:18), from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and from the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 11:1).
Isaiah announced, “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), which means “God with us.” He also wrote: “unto us a child is born… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Micah named the town: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah… out of thee shall he come forth” (Micah 5:2).
Read: Genesis 3:15 · Isaiah 7:14 · Isaiah 9:6–7 · Micah 5:2 · Jeremiah 23:5–6
The nativity story
The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary in Nazareth, a virgin engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David. Gabriel told her that she would bear a Son, Jesus, who would sit on David’s throne forever (Luke 1:26–38). An angel also told Joseph in a dream: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name Yeshua means “Yahweh saves.”
A decree from Caesar Augustus sent the couple to Bethlehem, the city of David. There Mary “brought forth her firstborn son… and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). Angels announced the birth to shepherds in the fields: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Later, wise men from the east followed a star to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem. They worshipped the child and offered gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:1–11). These were gifts for a King, for God and for One who would die. Warned in a dream, Joseph took the family to Egypt to escape Herod. Matthew sees this as fulfilling Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
Read: Luke 1–2 · Matthew 1–2 · John 1:1–14
The ancient historical setting
The nativity took place in the Roman world. Augustus ruled the empire from 27 BC to AD 14, and Herod the Great ruled Judea as a client king. Most historians date Herod’s death to around 4 BC, so Jesus was probably born a few years before that, around 6–4 BC. The calendar’s “year one” was worked out centuries later by the monk Dionysius Exiguus and is slightly off.
Bethlehem was a small town about six miles south of Jerusalem. Homes there often had a lower area where animals were kept, which may be where the manger was. Shepherds raising flocks near Bethlehem may have tended sheep used in the temple. Many find that fitting for the birth of the Lamb of God.
Why December 25?
Scripture doesn’t give the date of Jesus’ birth. By the early 300s, the church in Rome was celebrating the nativity on December 25. One ancient explanation, the “calculation” view, held that Jesus was conceived on the same date He later died, around March 25, which puts His birth nine months later. Another view holds that the church chose a date that would replace the Roman midwinter festivals, such as the feast of Sol Invictus and the season of Saturnalia, with a celebration of Christ, the true “Sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2).
Eastern churches that follow the older Julian calendar celebrate on January 7. Whatever the date, the early church celebrated the event itself: the Word became flesh.
Advent: the season of waiting
Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming.” It covers the four Sundays before Christmas. The season looks back to Israel’s long wait for the Messiah and forward to His second coming. Traditional Advent wreaths light a candle each week, often for hope, peace, joy and love, with a center candle for Christ on Christmas.
Advent readings often move through the prophets: Isaiah’s promise of comfort (Isaiah 40), John the Baptist preparing the way (Mark 1:1–8), and Mary’s song of praise (Luke 1:46–55). Advent teaches believers to wait for Christ’s return the way Simeon and Anna waited in the temple for “the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25–38).
Read: Isaiah 40:1–5 · Luke 1:46–55 · Luke 2:25–38 · Titus 2:13
Christmas traditions and their meaning
Many Christmas customs grew up over the centuries. Nativity scenes are traditionally traced to Francis of Assisi in 1223. Carols range from medieval hymns to “Silent Night” (1818). Gift-giving looks back to the wise men and to St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra remembered for his secret generosity. Evergreens and lights came later and are often read as pictures of everlasting life and of Christ, the Light of the world.
Read: John 8:12 · James 1:17 · 2 Corinthians 9:15
The first coming and the second
The child in the manger is the King who will return. The same prophets who foretold Bethlehem also saw a coming kingdom of peace “upon the throne of David… for ever” (Isaiah 9:7). Christmas celebrates the first Advent. Every Christmas also looks forward to the second, when “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and the angels’ song of peace on earth will be fully true.
Read: Isaiah 9:7 · Hebrews 9:28 · Revelation 22:20
This is a devotional study from the D’vash house journal. Historical dates such as the year of Jesus’ birth and the origin of December 25 are scholarly estimates and debated views.