When we think about Christmas...

Part of the Christmas message is the truth that God never forgets His word or His promises.

One of the commands that God has given us in His word is to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” When we think of Christmas, one of the reasons for the hope that is in us is the fact that Christ came to earth to eventually die for us so that we might be with Him throughout eternity. Another reason, often not associated with Christmas, for the hope that is in us is that God always keeps His word. In Isaiah 7:14 we read, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Even though it seemed impossible for a virgin to conceive, God kept His word when Christ was born.

In Jeremiah 33:14-16, God declared that He would bring forth from the house of Israel and the house of Judah a righteous Branch of David. This Branch would execute judgment and righteousness on the earth. Many people don’t think of this verse when they think of Christmas, but God did not forget His word and fulfilled this promise in Christ.

The Old Testament even alludes to the fact that Christ would also come from Egypt. In Hosea chapter 11 verse 1, we read, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” Some may think that this conflicts with Micah 5:2, which says, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” However, in both these verses God kept His word without any conflict. As Micah prophesized, Christ was born in Bethlehem. And as Hosea foretold, Matthew 2 tells us that a little later in His life, Christ was called out of Egypt.

Not only does God always keep His word, but He also knows everything, regardless of how inconsequential it may seem to us, or how few of us even consider it. For example, it is commonly known that Christ was born in Bethlehem. However, the significance of why Christ was born in Bethlehem may not be known by most, but it is known by God and was not forgotten. Bethlehem in the Hebrew means “House of Bread”, and what more fitting place is there Christ, who would be known as the Bread of Life, to be born. In addition, the lambs that were offered as a Passover sacrifice came from Bethlehem. There would be no other town that would be more appropriate to provide the sacrificial Lamb of God than Bethlehem, and this fact was not missed by God.

When we consider the meaning of Christmas, let us not forget that part of the Christmas message is the truth that God never forgets His word or His promises. The One who sent His only begotten Son to earth did so at the perfect time and in the perfect way, completely keeping His word and doing so in consideration of every detail of life. Because of this, we can put our complete hope and confidence in God.

Bryan Malik

Bryan Malik is the President of the Board of Advisors for Camp Infinity