“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” - Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
In recent times there has been an interest, bordering on fixation, concerning the actual date of the birth of Jesus Christ. In certain circles it is very much disputed that 25th should be the day of celebration. It is said that this used to be a traditional practice to honour the Roman god Saturn that was later embraced by Christians after the conversion of Emperor Constantine 1 in 312. Since members of the Russian Orthodox Church observe the Gregorian calendar (unlike us who follow the Julian calendar) for them Christmas is actually celebrated later on January 7th!
While the exact date of Jesus’ birth may be up for debate, one thing that can’t be disputed is his birth, which scriptures had long predicted. The prophet Isaiah prophesied 700 years before he was born: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called. Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6). The three wise were very much aware of the prophecy in Daniel (9) foretelling of his birth and did not hesitate to follow the star to the East once it lighted. “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Mathew 2:1).
Today, for us, the matter may not be so much if 25th is the exact birthday of Jesus; what is important is to receive him as Lord and Saviour, for that was the very purpose of his birth. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.…” (John 3:16). Let us celebrate His birth for the gift of eternal life.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, today on Christmas day, we not only celebrate the birth of your son Jesus Christ, but also, gladly accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, as the king of our lives!
