By Reverend J. Loren Russell
Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The prophetic word of the prophet Isaiah sets the stage for the introduction of the savior of the world. The Jews began the process of looking for the coming of the Savior. Unfortunately, they rejected His arrival because they expected a conquering warrior, not a babe in a manger. But that didn’t stop the prophecy from becoming reality.
A child was born who was indeed “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.”
We now celebrate this day that the Lord has made. Every biblical prophecy of the coming of the savior was fulfilled on this day. (Theologians cannot definitively determine the exact day or date of the Messiah’s birth, but history proves as Luke wrote, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
Today is Christmas, the day that was prophesied to come from the beginning of time. This is the day that has been designated to celebrate Jesus Christ coming into the world, the day that was prophetically announced and divinely determined. It marked the beginning of something new in the pages of history.
It’s new, yet it is as old as the Bible itself. The Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled on this day. Genesis 3:14-15 says that the Messiah will be the offspring of the woman who shall bruise the serpent’s head. Genesis 17:7 says the Messiah would be born of the seed of Abraham, and Genesis 49:8-10 says the Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah.
There are more than 100 prophecies that were fulfilled on this day. In Malachi 4:2-3, the Messiah was declared to be the sun of righteousness, the day spring; our light. Jesus Christ declares Himself to be the light of the world. He says all who follow Him will not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life. Christ means Messiah; the anointed.
Don’t take my word for it. Investigate it for yourself. If you find any reason to doubt that this is the day the Lord has made, then live your life your way. But if you find that this is the day the Lord has made, I invite you to examine the symbol of the evergreen tree, the Christmas tree. It’s top points to Heaven and it’s needles remain green year round. The evergreen tree is a symbol of God’s gift of eternal life and a reminder of the living presence of Jesus the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah.
Psalm 118:24 declares, This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of both LaGree Baptist Church and the Evangelical Church of God, all in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096), and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook Live. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on YouTube and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smash words.com/books/view/993177.
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