There are many myths about Christmas. There's Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. There's Santa Claus, the obese, bearded guy in red who jumps down chimneys. There's yule logs and chestnuts roasting on the open fire. There's even a manger scene, the creche, where shepherds and farm animals stand around a man and woman and their little baby. But all this makes no sense--it's like dropping in on a telephone conversation already in progress. What are they talking about? So we need to start at the very beginning.
The story of Christmas begins with the story of the world. Actually, it goes way before that. It starts before the beginning of time itself! You may wonder: Who is that babe in the manger? Was he an ordinary child? A prophet, perhaps? A king? Or something more? Why did he come? Why so suddenly?
The answers lie in history and the documents of the ancient world:
- The baby was long expected. It was sudden, but people knew he was coming. God, through prophets living hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, had told them who exactly would be born, where exactly he would be born, and how exactly he would be born. But God did not say when.
- He existed before he was born. He existed 1,000 years before he was born. He existed 2,500 years before he was born. He made everything. He was not created--He has always existed!
- He came for a reason. Because God made human beings to praise Him, and human beings turned away from Him instead, we deserve the punishment of being separated from Him forever. Yet God chose to save some and sent Jesus, the Son, to come as a human being, a little baby, to save His people--anyone who believes and receives Jesus as their Master and Saviour. What happened next was witnessed by many and recorded for us as well: Jesus' life, works, death, burial, and resurrection. And so are the prophecies of his Second Coming.
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