Why the Nativity? (2022)

David Jeremiah: Self

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Quotes 

• David Jeremiah : Though many years have gone by and that stable in Bethlehem is long gone, we need to concentrate our gaze through the mist of time, through the lens of Scripture, and use our imagination - not to change the Christmas story, but envision the people, places, and circumstances that could have been a part of the nativity. And in doing so, we will answer the mystery, the meaning, and the question... Why the Nativity?

• David Jeremiah : Joseph would take Mary as his wife. He would be the earthly father to the Christ Child. He would postpone his desires for the will of God. And in this plan he believed.

• David Jeremiah : As if to set the tone for the entire life and message of His Son, God brought a delegation of lowly shepherds to be the first to see, to worship, to celebrate. He invited simple people to take the low road... and soon, wise men to take the high road... because from that moment, all roads would lead to the manger and the Christ Child.

• David Jeremiah : Mary was favored by God for a task that would finally allow each of us to be favored. Gabriel said, "The Lord is with you," and as a result, the Lord is with us all. In that way, God sent the ultimate Christmas gift not just to Mary but to all of us - and it was Mary who delivered the package.

• David Jeremiah : That little town of Bethlehem, it bore watching. So as the years went by, the rabbis remembered and the scholars kept an eye on the village. Everyone else passed it by without much notice, so that upon that amazing day, when a peasant and his betrothed wife stole wearily into a frenzied town, no one could have anticipated that the world was about to be changed forever.

• David Jeremiah : They knew this child was like no other. Angels had announced him, and prophecies had foretold him. No other baby was conceived this way. The miracle of a virgin birth.

• David Jeremiah : The object of their entire rigorous quest was one of worship; and worship of a God probably not their own, but a God who was reaching out to them, to let them know that He had sent a Savior of the world and all people.

• David Jeremiah : Immanuel. Imagine the moment when Joseph and Mary saw the Christ Child for the first time. What a profound moment. The infinite has come to dwell among the finite, the perfect among the imperfect, and this world is graced by the presence of one who can never be limited by it, because it is His own creation.

• David Jeremiah : Just when people needed hope, God would send a baby - a King - to offer a foretaste of a better future.

• David Jeremiah : What was it about the vast Roman Empire that was ideal for the coming of Christ? The Romans themselves unknowingly were part of the answer. For the first time in history, the Mediterranean world - the cradle of civilization - was unified!

• David Jeremiah : Why Mary? She was a virgin who honored scripture and obeyed the will of her Father. She was a clean vessel to provide God's only Son a home from which He would emerge to redeem the world. Mary's heart was in the right place and her focus was on God's will. She knew God's strength makes all things possible, and His love makes any burden a joy to bear.

• David Jeremiah : There is something joyful found in the angels' announcement that night. Something hopeful and peaceful in the picture of those poor shepherds gathered in the presence of the newborn King.

• David Jeremiah : What was soon to happen in a stable in little Bethlehem would redefine history - at the perfect time, for all time.

• David Jeremiah : The birth of this King may not have occurred in an opulent setting by human standard. But when our Lord finally stands revealed in all the glory of the next world, every wealthy ruler will bow before him. And in that moment, there will be no more great or least among mortals - no more princes, no more peasants - only the one eternal King among His beloved, adoring children, who stand hand-in-hand at the foot of the throne.

• David Jeremiah : Why the nativity? Because the birth of Christ changes everything. It changed the world, and it can change you. He can bring you joy in a world void of joy, hope in hopeless times, and peace in an uncertain world. Why the nativity? Because, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life." Simply put. Why the nativity? You.

• David Jeremiah : We can imagine the whispered conversations between Mary and Joseph late at night. Mary was told that her child would be the Son of God. Joseph was told that this child would save this people from their sins.

• David Jeremiah : A weary world rejoiced at the arrival of a long-awaited Messiah, a Savior. And we have much to rejoice about as well. The world is still weary, and maybe you feel the weariness. We're overwhelmed with our stressful lives. The headlines trouble us, and the future appears unsure and frightening. Even Christmas - the season of joy - is a quagmire of pressure. Perhaps you're worried you don't have the money, time, or energy to devote to the demands of the holidays. But here's what I want you to know; joy comes when you least expect it. Joy comes when wars are raging, famine is spreading, and headlines are screaming. Joy comes when finances are low, pressure is great, and circumstances are bleak. Joy comes when the Romans are occupying your land and Caesar wants his taxes! That's just the kind of moment when God breaks through with good tidings of great joy!

• David Jeremiah : More than three hundred Old Testament prophecies would be fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• David Jeremiah : Jesus not only came at the perfect time, he brought the perfect message. He brought hope and light. In a world ruled by the sword, this teacher would bring perfect peace. In a world of violence and retribution, he would teach to love one's enemies. In a world of death, he offered hope of new and eternal life. The Romans dominated through the power of terror, He would dominate the world through love. That was a message to capture the world. In the fullness of time, just when His truth and love could spread with greatest impact, Jesus came to bring the most radical, most wonderful message that would ever be presented.

• David Jeremiah : The Lord of Creation chose to enter this world quietly amid an unquiet scene. A homeless birth was part and parcel of a homeless life. Accepting humanity's rejection even in His birth, Jesus would send a message of stubborn, unbreakable love to the world. We had no room for Him, but homeless no more, one day He will throw open the doors of Heaven, so that no one might be left in the cold.

• David Jeremiah : Jesus is born. The Messiah has come. The Savior of the World. When this supernatural and spectacular event occurred on that night in Bethlehem, who do you imagine would be the first to greet the newborn king? The world's emperors? Priests and prophets? Soldiers and scholars? No. This honor was reserved for society's outcasts, a band of poor shepherds tending their flocks outside of Bethlehem. They were the lowliest of the low, despised by the local gentry. Men whose skin glistened with sweat, whose clothes gave off a stench of animals and the fields; those who lacked the most basic manners or education. They bore names nowhere recorded in the Bible. Yet whatever their names may have been, they would grace the guest list of the most joyful moment in human history. They were not of high esteem on earth, however on this night they were favored by heaven.

• David Jeremiah : The Star would lead these wisemen to the light of His presence like it will do for us today. And once we are there, even the brightest star seems dim by comparison.

• David Jeremiah : The shepherds had come on the night when Jesus was born. But just as Mary and Joseph might have wondered how long their special child would remain a secret to the world, there now appeared these wise men to affirm that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. As Gabriel said, He is the Son of God; therefore, He belongs to the world, as the world belongs to Him.

• David Jeremiah : The love of Jesus would continue as He moved throughout the world, healing, teaching, and changing hearts. His voice would be heard, and His ministry felt, wherever His followers traveled.

• David Jeremiah : Let Christmas awaken you to our need for a Savior. The nativity is a picture of God offering to redeem us through His Son. An offer to all people from every land. So, however or whenever God speaks to you, there's no better time to awaken to a fresh start by giving your life to Jesus Christ.