To us a child is born

NEWARK, California – It had been pretty cold in this part of California just next to Silicon Valley with temperatures in the low single digits for most of a week now. The polar vortex has descended upon North America bringing remarkably low temperatures to the US and Canada. NASA images confirmed that the northeast in particular is in for very nasty frigid weather.

The first Christmas, we have been told, also happened in very cold weather. Indeed, the so called dry winter in the deserts of the Middle East can be pretty frigid specially at night. But because there was no more room at the local inn, Joseph and Mary had to welcome Jesus into our world under pretty brutal conditions in a shed used by animals.

The Son of God chose to come to Earth as a human in humble conditions. It was perhaps to drive home the real mission for which he came... to bring salvation to a world that’s busy with its pleasures and mired in sin. He wasn’t welcome because His message goes against the accepted norms of the world. In the end He was persecuted and crucified but He conquered death and His message of hope and salvation rings strong over 2000 years after.

The prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord God and Savior about 700 years before the first Christmas. In Isaiah 7:14, it was said: “the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and, will call him Immanuel.” In Hebrew, Immanuel means God with us.

In Isaiah 9:2, it was written: “The people walking in darkness has seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death.” Thus, to us a child was born!

But the real message of Christmas is in Isaiah 53: 3-6; 8-9 which describes the mission of the baby we call Jesus Christ which is to take the scorn and punishment of the world so that those who believe in Him can have salvation.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteem him not.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

“We are all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all...

“By oppression and judgment He was taken away... For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken.

“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He has done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.”

In a sense, the message of Good Friday is also the essence of Christmas. We rejoice because our Savior was born and He will bear the punishment for our sins so that we may one day share in the inheritance of His Father’s kingdom, our transgressions fully paid for by Him in Calvary.

A Merry Blessed Christmas to everyone !

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.