“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11)

The prophets predicted it: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14); “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Jesus fulfilled it: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11); “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

On Christmas we celebrate the deity of Jesus. We celebrate that “He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3). We celebrate that what God promised, He fulfilled in Jesus Christ—the incarnate Word, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus never ceased to be God, but rather, He took on humanity. He is fully God and fully man.

As Christians, we not only celebrate that Jesus came, but also that He lived a perfect life, died for our sin, was raised for our justification and is coming again. On Christmas and every day, we celebrate Immanuel, “God with us”.