Author’s note: Christmas 2025 is upon us. This article, now slightly updated, was first posted/published December 25, 2006. I thought it still most relevant at this moment–perhaps more so than ever before.
The Visitation
One solitary birth is the basis upon which the future hangs for every person ever to enter this mortal realm we call planet Earth. How each man, woman, and child–who has reached the age of understanding salvation–views this visitation determines where their home will be for eternity.
Many believe Jesus was sent by God to show us how to live a good life. Some think He was a great prophet and teacher. Others regard Him as a philosopher right up there with Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the rest. A few among the billions who have lived since His birth have believed Jesus is the Son of God, but perhaps one among others of a created angelic order assigned to influence the affairs of humankind. Still fewer believe He was who He claimed to be: the only begotten Son of God; the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14: 6).
No birth of any individual has ever caused the excitement and controversy that the birth of Jesus has engendered. Was this baby a stranger of an otherworldly order sent to Earth to provide moral guidance? Was Jesus sent to philosophize on the vicissitudes of the human existence? Or was this visitation something more?
Jesus came into the world through the Jewish race. Only those inalterably antagonistic to the truth of history will argue against that. So, we should examine this birth–this visitation—through the prism of Israel and that Jewish nation’s dealings with the one called Jesus.
Although there are other histories about the era, the Bible’s historical account has, through archaeological unveilings, proven time after time to be accurate in details concerning matters surrounding Jesus, the Jews, and Israel. (One such example is the relatively recent discovery of artifacts and evidence that one called Pontius Pilate ruled the area of Judea during the times attributed to Jesus’ crucifixion. Until the discovery, Pilate’s existence as a historical figure was seriously doubted, even denied by many historians.)
We can know the accuracy of how Israel—and the religious Jews in particular—dealt with Jesus. We can know with assurance that He performed miracles and claimed to be God Himself by using the Bible’s documented veracity as proof that Jesus was born exactly as described in detail by Old Testament prophets. The Jewish religious leaders’ treatment of Christ’s First Coming as a baby lays groundwork for understanding what that means to the souls of all humankind. Understanding that First Coming also helps frame the importance of how each of us views Christ’s prophesied Second Advent.
Tragically, the pious Jewish leaders refused to accept that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah sent from Jehovah to be their King and Savior. They rejected Him despite the precise prophecies He fulfilled in His coming and His ministry. They chose to have Rome rather than Jesus rule over them. The results of their rejection continue to reverberate not only in the Holy Land, but throughout the entire world. Armageddon is building, its nucleus grounded in satanic rage against God’s chosen people.
Jesus wept over God’s people of Israel and the city Jerusalem. He saw times ahead that would eventuate in calamity for them.
“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:41-44).
Christ’s First Visitation was ignored and scoffed at by the religious leaders of the time. Their choice was their own way rather than God’s. They preferred to do what was right in their own eyes. True to Jesus’ prophecy, Jerusalem was laid waste, the Temple destroyed, and the Jews scattered to every part of the world. Genocide was committed against them to the point that their very existence as a race was threatened.
Israel continues to pay the price. Anti-Semitism is growing in Europe and around the world. The nation is becoming marginalized, just as the prophet Zechariah said in Zechariah chapters 12 and 14.
But there is a bright day coming for that people–those who accept the Messiah’s Second Visitation. Paul the apostle warned believers not to feel superior to Jews. He forecast a time when Israel would shine among the nations:
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25).
God said, again through the prophet Zechariah, that believing Israel will yet recognize the Lord Jesus upon His Second Visitation to the earth:
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).
The Apostle Paul said:
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Romans 11:26).
A parallel can be drawn between the ecclesiastical Jewish leaders of the time of Jesus’ First Visitation, and many among mainstream evangelical clergy today.
Neither group has considered prophecies of Christ’s coming as relevant to their times. Their attitude is much akin to the one described by the Apostle Peter:
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
This sin-darkened sphere is on the brink of another visitation. Unlike the first, when He came as a humble baby who was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, He will come the next time as the King of all kings and Lord of all Lords. Let us who claim Christ as Savior heed His words about His coming again. And the first phase of that Second Coming will be unannounced, in the twinkling of an eye–the Rapture!
“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:35-37).
—Terry
Popular for All the Wrong Reasons
The widespread popularity of Christmas movies in our day reflects this troubling truth: The Christmas holiday is popular for all the wrong reasons. Of course, I enjoy watching several of these movies, especially the ones that don’t make Santa Claus the main attraction or leave us wondering about a nebulous “Christmas spirit” as though that’s the reason for the season.
This morning, I saw an article from the PNW (Prophecy News Watch) website that discusses the disconnect between the significance of Jesus’ birth and the world’s celebration of Christmas. Below are some excerpts from it:
Ask the average American whether Jesus was really born in Bethlehem, and most will say yes. Christmas, for them, is not mythology. It is history. The manger is not a fairy tale–it marks a moment in time when something extraordinary entered the world.
Even more striking, a large majority of Americans will tell you they believe Jesus is the Son of God. That belief stretches well beyond church walls, into living rooms where faith may be vague but respect for Jesus remains strong.
In a skeptical age, that alone is astonishing.
America has not rejected the event of Christmas. It has largely accepted it. The problem is not disbelief–it is incompleteness.
The article also states that the majority of Americans celebrate Jesus’ birth as that of a great man who didn’t exist until His birth in the manger. I believe that might even agree with the sentiment that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” but still miss the necessity of His death on the cross as payment for our sins.
There have been many great men and women in history whose accomplishments and discoveries have greatly benefited humanity. We enjoy our freedom in America because of the sacrifices of many who gave their lives fighting wars far away from home. We remember a few of our past leaders on their birthdays, and we have a holiday dedicated to those who died in battle so we could be free. Yet all of these remembrances and recognitions of past achievements fall far short of what happens each year in late December.
What If?
What if Jesus had remained in the grave after His crucifixion? There would be no such thing as the Christmas season with its gift exchanges and feasting with family with great food and delicious desserts and cookies. Jesus claimed to be one with the Father and the only path to eternal life. If He had not risen from the dead, no one would have believed Him or His claims to be “one with the Father” and the exclusive path to eternal life (John 10:30; 14:6). If anyone else in history had proclaimed his deity as well as the ability to forgive sins in such an unmistakable way, would the world celebrate that person’s birth in such a way?
Apart from Jesus’ resurrection, history would not even recognize Jesus as a great teacher. Josh McDowell, in his book Evidence that Demands a Verdict, argues that if Jesus is not Lord (all that He claimed to be), He must either be a liar or a lunatic. If He is not the eternal God and Savior sent from the Father, then no one today would celebrate His birth. His name might be a matter of trivia or a correct response on Jeopardy, but not the reason for exchanging of gifts and family get-togethers.
Jesus is the Word that Became Flesh
The Gospel of John describes Jesus’ birth in this way,
“In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father (1:1, 14).
Jesus’ birth represents God becoming flesh so that through His death on the cross, we might receive eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus came to give us life; He walked out of the grave to prove He alone is able to forgive our sins and bring us safely to heaven. This is why the angel proclaimed Him as “Savior” in announcing His birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:11). He is indeed the Savior of the world; there is salvation in no other name apart from His (Acts 4:12).
The celebration of Christmas devoid of the Gospel misses the whole purpose of Jesus’ birth; yet the holiday remains insanely popular among many who reject the saving message of the cross. Could it be that it gives people a little bit of Jesus without really trusting Him? Or have they fallen for Satan’s lie that being somewhat religious is enough, even if they don’t truly believe God’s Word?
My prayer is that all of you have a truly blessed and wonderful Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Savior in anticipation of His imminent appearing to take us home!
-Jonathan