So, what is Christmas about? Well, that depends on who you are. For some, Christmas is traditionally a time for family and friends. It’s a time when we are more likely to put aside the stresses of our daily grind and give a little more, smile a little more and notice what is around us a little more. It is a time to slow down and have gratitude. For others, it is a time of gifts, parties, decorations and entertainment. Spending goes into overdrive and the excitement rules the day. It is a time to speed up and be everywhere. For Christians, Christmas should be a time for gratitude as we reflect on the birth of our Lord Jesus. While we can do the family and friends things and also be part of the excitement and entertainment, how can we maintain our focus on the most important thing?
How can we define the most important thing?
For me, it’s simple. I believe the most important thing is that the Bible not only reveals the voice of God, it also reveals that He has a plan. This plan is built around the fact that He knew humanity would sin. This sin would lead to eternal death. God pre-arranged a solution for this problem, and that solution would give every human being who ever lived a true opportunity for life. The solution's name is Jesus. God’s plan of redemption and reconciliation through Jesus IS the most important thing.
400 years of silence
Leading up to this most important thing was a pretty unnoticeable process. The Old Testament quietly ended, which meant God was no longer talking to Israel through prophets. Malachi was the last of those Old Testament prophets, and his final written words described the conditions for Jesus to arrive on the scene. Four-hundred years later, the angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias, the soon to be father of John the Baptist. And the New Testament is born!

God’s most important plan was now ready to bring the most important feature into focus. As the New Testament unfolds, we see how God orchestrated the events that lead to Jesus’ birth by way of His holy spirit and of angels. We will see how He designed the announcement of Jesus’ birth through angelic proclamation, accompanied by a magnificent chorus of countless angels. We will also see how God protected the child Jesus. This protection was enacted through several angelic messages. All of this added up to God providing powerful care so the greatest life ever lived could begin.

Check out our December 20, 2021 podcast, “How Do We Keep Christmas About Jesus?” for more. We tell the story of Jesus’ birth with particular focus on the extraordinary providences of God along the way. The lesson here is dramatic. Our ability to keep Christmas about Jesus is deeply enhanced when we understand how profoundly God took care of the details surrounding his birth. Join us and hear the story that began the life that changed everything!