Why the Birth of Jesus is Still Relevant, Today
It has been over two thousand years since the eternal Son of God was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Is 7:14; Mt 1:20; Lk 1:35). At the incarnation of God’s only begotten Son (Jn 1:14; 3:16), deity took on humanity and dwelt among us as fully God and fully man. He was like us yet without sin (Heb 4:15). His mission in coming into the world was to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21).
The relevance of the incarnation cannot be understood apart from the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In order to save God’s elect from the righteous wrath of the Holy God against sinners, Jesus had to die on the cross of Calvary (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). He needed to shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of our sins (Eph 1:7; Heb 9:22; 1 Pet 1:19). There was no other way.
The perfect conception and birth of the Messiah also required a perfect life of obedience under the Law of God given through Moses. In this, Jesus fulfilled the Law, in order to merit right standing as a man before God (Mt 5:17). He earned the position of being the one Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5), so that no one comes to the Father except through Him (Jn 14:6).
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (Lev 16; 1 Cor 15:3). He gave His life a ransom for many (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45)…for many are called but few are chosen. The few are the remnant God chose before creation (Rom 11:5–6), predestining them to adoption as sons (Rom 8:30; Eph 1:4–5). The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19), and He gave them the right to be called “children of God” (1 Jn 3:1, 10).
There is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby one must be saved (Acts 4:12). Indeed, He saved us (Titus 3:5), not we ourselves (Jn 1:13). His motive in salvation has always been His own glory and His love for those whose names He wrote in the Lamb’s book of life from before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8; 17:8; 21:27).
Christians rejoice in so great a salvation afforded to us by the grace of God, granted that we might trust in the Word of God enfleshed and also written for us in the Bible (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21). We believe in Jesus Christ, our only hope for eternal life (1 Tim 1:1), based on the promises of God sealed by the covenant of grace, in His blood. It is God who looks at the blood of the new covenant, shed once for all those the Father gave to the Son in eternity past (Jn 6:37; 17:2, 6, 24; 2 Tim 1:9). He mercifully forgives us.
Those whom He predestined to adoption as sons, He calls to come to Christ Jesus (Rom 8:30). The Father draws them to Christ by sending preachers with beautiful feet to proclaim Christ and Him crucified (Jn 6:44, 65; 1 Cor 1:18; 2:2). Faith in Christ comes by hearing the Word of Christ preached in the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom 10:17), who causes the elect redeemed to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3).
With no other way to have right standing with God on the Day of Judgment, the relevance of Jesus Christ is paramount. The alternative is an eternity in the lake of fire where punishment for sins is eternal (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15). The righteous Judge of all the earth is none other than Jesus Christ, who will sit upon His bema seat to recompense both believers and unbelievers on the Day of His second advent (Gen 18:25; 2 Cor 5:10).
The introduction of the kingdom of God began with the prophets, but when King Jesus enfleshed, the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The King had come; and He shall reign forever and ever as the King of glory (Ps 24). His kingdom has no end.
The devil, Satan, the usurper has always been under notice that his rebellion with the demons and reprobate humanity has an end date (Gen 3:15). The ruler of this world has an expiration date along with this world itself (Lk 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). There is a day appointed by God for the destruction of the evil one and fiery end to this sinful domain of darkness (Col 1:13; 2 Pet 3:7). This world is temporary and doomed.
The death of every sinner validates the birth of Christ as utterly relevant. Dying in their trespasses and sins, those without God and without hope in the world face eternal damnation as their just sentence for crimes against the infinite majesty of God.
The federal head of humanity was Adam. In Adam, all die (1 Cor 15:22). The federal head of God’s holy nation of royal priests, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God, is Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the second Adam; and in Christ, all of His beloved shall live forever. Simply put, there is a man sitting on the throne of God who ever lives to make intercession for the saints of God (Ps 110; Heb 7:25).
As our great high priest (Heb 4:14) and Lord of all (Acts 10:36), Jesus, the Son of God gives life to whom He wishes to give it according to the will of God (Jn 1:13; 6:63). This is the new life experienced by the regenerate, who believe in Christ because Christ now lives in each one born of God (Gal 2:20).
Without the incarnation of the Son of God, we would be void of the righteousness that is imputed to us. Therefore, Christians boldly go before the throne of God’s grace, as God’s beloved children, by the adoption of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15, 23), and know all these things revealed to us. We believe the Gospel of our salvation because we have a fully human advocate with God the Father (1 Jn 2:1). He pleads our defense before the just judgment of God based on His own merit. The man, Christ Jesus, bore our sins in His body on the cross and we are entirely forgiven because He loved us, demonstrated in His death. By His stripes, we are healed. That is relevant.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 26, 2023
