Students of the Old Testament were familiar with those times when God had provided a prophetic indicator of great deliverances. For example, because of His words to Abraham, Israel might have anticipated a Moses after 400 years in Egypt. Certainly, Daniel was able to mark the end of the Babylonian captivity after 70 years, because of the prophecy of Jeremiah. Therefore, those who poured over the pages of the T’nach at the beginning of the Christian era would have been aware of Daniel’s prophecy which spoke of a period of 69 ‘sevens’ of years, that is 483 years, from the edict for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile to the coming of ‘Messiah the Prince’. These scholars looked for any indications of the unveiling of the Messiah.
And for those that had eyes to see, there were signs that the time of Messiah had come. There had been that incident when an elderly priest had testified that during the ceremony of the burning of the incense, he had seen an angel in the Temple, who had brought a message of the coming of the Messiah. The angel was the very same Gabriel who had been instrumental in giving the timetable of Messiah’s coming to Daniel. Events surrounding the angelic visit helped to confirm the veracity of the message. The old priest was struck dumb and a son was miraculously born to the old couple, on whose birth the old priest was able to talk again. Friends and neighbours spread the news throughout Judea.
Six months after the birth of the son of the priest, the ‘light and glory of God’ shone above the hills around Bethlehem. This light, the Shekinah of God, had been visible, even in Babylonia, where the eastern stargazers marked it and understood its significance. Temple shepherds, who had witnessed the Shekinah glory, reported further angelic messages of the birth of the Messiah.
Then there was the testimony of those who were recognised to be under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Some six weeks after the shepherds had seen the Shekinah glory of God, the parents of the baby identified by heaven as the Messiah, went up to the Temple to fulfil their obligations - the offering of sacrifice for the purification of the mother, and the payment of money for the redemption of the first-born. Following the priestly benediction on the infant, a godly man, Simeon, entered the court of prayer, held the child in His arms and declared the baby to be God’s Messiah. This man was not only a student of the Scriptures and therefore aware of the timing of the coming of the Messiah, but also a godly man who had received an indication from God that he would not die until he saw the ‘Consolation of Israel’. The prophetess, Anna, likewise declared Him to be her Messiah. Nearly two years after these events, the eastern stargazers, who had seen from afar the Shekinah glory over the hills of Bethlehem, arrived in Jerusalem on a visit and ‘troubled’ both Herod and Jerusalem with the question, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?’ (Matt.2:2)
Herod, clearly aware of the Messianic expectations of the nation at that time, called some of the Sanhedrin and asked where the Messiah was to be born. They identified Bethlehem, which community suffered a great tragedy some time later when Herodian soldiers slaughtered all of the children younger than twenty-five months. It was Herod’s attempt, no doubt prompted by a higher, evil, power, to kill the young Messiah.
In Conclusion
To poor, sinful, demon-possessed Israel Jesus came as their Messiah and offered deliverance and peace. How different would their future have been had they accepted Him. But sin makes a person foolish, and that applied to Israel’s leaders at that time.
However, the offer of deliverance and peace is still being made today—but now to individuals. Let not any be foolish and reject Christ’s offer of mercy, especially at Christmas time. After all, He can change your life for the better!
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