You’re probably familiar with the story of the first Christmas. Christ’s supernatural entrance into the world through a virgin womb on a Bethlehem night has been told time and time again in both Christian and secular circles. However, beneath the surface of the parts of the story that we’re familiar with, there are several other things that happened on the first Christmas night. Today, allow the story of Christ’s birth to be made brand new within your spirit as you discover more about what God truly accomplished on the night that His Son was born into this world.
You don’t have to have a long history of church attendance in order to know the general premise of the Christmas story. The birth of Christ is one of the most popular stories in history. It has been told and retold within Christian and even secular circles for generations. For example, the Charlie Brown Christmas movie includes a monologue from Linus, who recounts the story of Christ’s birth found in Saint Luke’s Gospel.
Truly, the “greatest story ever told” is just that. It has spanned generations, it has been used in secular entertainment, and has been verified by historians and archeologists. However, the story of Christ’s birth goes beyond the words that we read in the Gospel accounts of His life. While the words written in the Gospel accounts of His life are lifechanging for us, it’s important to recognize some of the other things that really happened on the first Christmas night.
We know that Christ was born to a virgin and her carpenter-husband in a stable because there was no room for them in any of the local inns. However, there are other passages of Scripture that give us a greater insight into the things that happened on the first Christmas that may not have been discussed in Luke’s Gospel, which is widely considered the most detailed account of Christ’s birth.
Today, let’s look deeper than the parts of the story that we already know. While the surface level of the story of Christ’s birth is life-changing, it’s a good idea to consider the things that aren’t explicitly discussed in the Gospel accounts of His birth. When we do that, we can gain an even better understanding of what the Christmas season means for us.
We Received the Righteousness of God
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Some translations of this passage say that God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so we could become the righteousness of God. Without righteousness, it is impossible for us to live Godly lives. Without righteousness, we would be left in a perpetual cycle of sinfulness. God knew that the only way for us to ever break out of that cycle was for Him to offer a way for us to truly inherit His righteousness.
Keep in mind, thousands of years before Christ came into the world, God set the plan for salvation into motion. In the Book of Genesis, right after Adam and Eve committed the first sin, God promised that He would provide a sacrifice that would create space between humanity and sinfulness. When Satan jeered at the idea, God declared that Satan would bruise the heel of this promised redemption, but it would ultimately crush Satan’s head.
It’s important to understand that the verse that we just read is specifically speaking about the crucifixion of Christ. However, without the birth, there would have been no crucifixion. God’s plan to offer us His righteousness required the birth of Christ as a baby so He could grow into that man we read about in Scripture. Without the birth, there could be no death. Without the death, there would have been no resurrection. Without the death and the resurrection, we could never have experienced what it means to become the righteousness of God.
The Door Was Opened Between Us and God
Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT)
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
In ancient times, there was a thick veil in the temple that divided the common person from entering into the place where the presence of God dwelt. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was permitted to enter into the sacred place (referred to as the Holy of Holies), where He would offer up a sacrifice for the sins of the nation.
The common citizens of the nation were never permitted to go into the sacred part of the temple. The veil served as a stark reminder that they could never come into direct contact with God. However, when Christ came to the world, the door was opened, and we could step into His presence any time we wanted to.
When Christ died, the Bible teaches us that the same veil that kept people out was torn in two from top to bottom. The declaration that humanity could interact with the divine was repeated by the author of Hebrews.
Christ’s arrival on the first Christmas night provided us with the opportunity to have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are tempted. He faced all the human, fleshly issues that we face today, yet He never sinned. This sinless nature, which He maintained in the face of temptation, created an open door between us and God.
Today, you can go to your Heavenly Father through prayer because of Christ’s birth on the first Christmas night. His entrance into the world opened a door between us and God, so now we can boldly come to His throne to find mercy and grace when we need it the most.
Your Eternity Was Sealed
John 3:16-17 (NLT)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
Take a moment and try to wrap your mind around the concept of eternity. If you find it impossible, don’t feel bad. Our minds process everything through the lens of time. However, when Christ came into the world, it was the first step of God showing us His love which would seal our eternities.
John 3:16 is the most popular Bible verse according to multiple studies. Within those few words, God’s plan for our eternities is completely mapped out. He knew that we faced eternal separation from Him, so He offered His only Son as the bridge between the human and the Divine.
Christ’s presence was the ultimate Christmas present. Through the gift of His Son, God declared that He would offer us eternal life. Since God is not limited by time like we are, He views everything through the lens of eternity.
He didn’t just want to offer us life while we were living, breathing beings on this planet. Instead, He wanted to do something that would provide us with the chance to spend eternity with Him in a state of perpetual living. That was the motive behind the first Christmas night.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your Son for me so that I could know what it is like to have eternal life through You. Thank You for everything that the Christmas season is about, even the things that I had never really considered until today. Thank You for the fact that there is now an open door between You and I. Thank You for promising me mercy and grace in the moments that I need it most. Thank You for securing my eternity through Your love and Your willingness to give Your Only Son. In Christ’s name I praise You today, Amen.