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Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. Isaiah 7.14 Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. We thank you for coming down in human likeness, for fulfilling prophecies, and for providing us with a relationship that transcends our understanding.
Help us to grasp the depth of your love and the significance of your birth. May our lives reflect the humility and purity you demonstrated as a child. And may we embrace the new beginning you offer. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
Stars blanketed the night sky like white paint scattered across a dark canvas. Ruling among the candescent lights was a new star fixed above Bethlehem. It shone brighter than the others, its radiance mimicking that of the moon. The silvery gleams trickled downward like a stream from a mountain.
Under the lights was the stable carved in the hill behind the inn. Joseph made a space for Mary to give birth. Time was of the essence. He frantically swept and laid out some blankets the innkeeper had given him. He turned to his wife, whose back was against the stone walls. Joseph sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mary."
This will have to do. Mary held her lower back and belly and inched her way towards him. I'm ready. She sighed. She winced in pain and had Joseph help her onto the blankets. Everything smelled like hay and soot.
and the breeze wafting in from the outside carried with it the scent of sheep dung. Mary couldn't help but chuckle. She leaned back and wondered why the Lord was working in this way. She had so many questions, but the sudden contractions drowned out her thoughts. "Oh, he's coming, Joseph! He's coming!" Mary clenched her fists and with quiet determination began to push.
Hello and Merry Christmas, wherever you are and however you may be celebrating. I pray the Lord's peace and blessing be upon you. I'm Rabbi Schneider from Discovering the Jewish Jesus, and it is my absolute joy to guide you through this episode of Stories of the Messiah. Christmas isn't just about the birth of a child in Bethlehem.
It is the awe-inspiring story of God coming down in the likeness of man, a theme heralded in the title, Emmanuel, which means God with us. Do you ever pause to consider what thrills God? Looking at the entirety of Scripture reveals that God finds joy in being among his people.
He was in the garden with Adam and Eve. He followed Abraham's family. He dwelled with the Hebrews in the tabernacles. Then he dwelled in the temple among the people of Israel. The incarnation of Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of God's joyous pursuit of humanity. Let this episode remind everyone that God wants to be with you. He wants to transform your life.
fill you with His Spirit, and guide you daily toward His kingdom. This episode will give us an intimate glimpse into the birth of Christ. Mary and Joseph behold the newborn King and experience awe, confusion, wonder, and excitement. The birth of Christ invites us all to these feelings. It is truly a baffling thing that the God of all creation would humble Himself in the likeness of a helpless baby.
Without further ado, let's listen to the cinematic retelling of the birth of Christ. Afterward, we'll reflect on the joys of Christmas. The stable was dark, only slightly lit by the oil lamp hanging over Mary and Joseph. Mary's quiet and determined breaths echoed through the stable.
Beads of sweat like pearls descended down her brow. "Is this a blessing or a curse?" she murmured to herself. However, she knew it was a blessing. She knew what awaited her on the other side of her anguish. God had foretold this day and she was determined to step into the promised hope. At her side was Joseph, reassuring and steady. Hour after hour, Mary strained.
Finally, her shrieks of distress were replaced with the tender whimpers of her newborn son. Joseph wrapped him in his arms and wiped him with woven wool. He stared into the child's eyes. There was nothing different about him. There were no lights radiating from his eyes or humming of heavenly hosts behind him. He was a baby, crying and taking in the newness of life.
But as Joseph cradled him in his arms, he knew without a doubt this child was exceptional, chosen, blessed. All the turmoil, danger, and chaos he had to endure was worth it for the sake of this treasure he held in his hands.
"We already know his name," he said to Mary. Mary reached for her son and cradled him in her arms. She stroked his face. "His name will be Jesus," she whispered. "The Lord saves." Mary pressed Jesus against her chest and cried joyfully. He was the fulfillment of God's promise to humanity, the Good Shepherd of Israel, the Savior of the world.
But at that moment, under the chilly night sky, he was Mary's baby. A heart fluttered at the sound of his whimpers. "Jesus," she whispered again. Joseph crouched beside Mary and the two stared at the child with doting eyes.
It was a baffling thing to behold. God himself, the maker of the stars, the masters of the sea, was with them, among them. The prophecy told by Isaiah rang in their minds like wedding bells. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us.
God was with them in the flesh, voice whimpering and eyes adjusting to the dim lights of the oil lamp. A small gust of wind blew through the cave and he shivered. The maker of the wind shivered as it blew. Mary could barely wrap her mind around it and perhaps never truly would until it was time to behold his power over sin and death.
Joseph took Jesus from Mary and swallowed him tightly in the tattered remains of the blankets Mary used to save his life. He placed him in the manger where the donkey fed, the same donkey that carried Mary from Nazareth. Joseph, perhaps from exhaustion, felt his mind wander. He looked at the craftsmanship of the manger and couldn't help but critique it. That's when he realized, perhaps for the first time, that he would raise this child to be a craftsman like him.
He was going to raise the Son of God to be a carpenter? What are you doing, Lord? Joseph wondered. He stepped back and watched the boy gently fall asleep to the low humming of Mary's voice. The cave filled with the warmth of her melody. There, in a stable tucked in a mountain, Mary sang the same song of redemption she had in the beginning. A song of salvation, redemption, and hope.
Undying and unrelenting hope. He has shown his strength with his mighty arm. Scattered the proud, humbled the hard. He has shown his strength with his mighty arm. Scattered the proud, humbled the hard. He toppled the mighty from their thrones.
and lifted the humble and set them apart. For now all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy, holy, holy is His name. His mercy is for those who believe. On that first Christmas, Messiah was born under a canopy of stars and surrounded by livestock.
Jesus' birth fulfilled God's promise to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He promised that one day a son of Eve would be born to crush the work of evil. That promised son arrived, not in a chariot or in a palace, but in a stable. This humble arrival tells us that God doesn't care for pomp and circumstance, but humility and passion.
The circumstances of Jesus' birth were foretold in numerous Old Testament prophecies, signifying that God's redemptive plan was unfolding exactly as He had intended. Isaiah 7:14 said, "Therefore the Lord will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and call him Immanuel." This prophecy, given centuries before Jesus' birth, pointed to the unique circumstances of His arrival and His divine nature.
The birth of Christ was not a random occurrence. It was a carefully orchestrated divine plan that fulfilled specific prophecies providing evidence of his Messiahship. The title "Emmanuel" carries profound significance. It means, again, "God with us." That title symbolizes the ultimate relationship between God and humanity made possible through the Incarnation.
God did not remain distant or detached from human suffering and sin. He came down to live among us. In Philippians 2, 6 and 7, we see that Jesus, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Jesus' arrival as a vulnerable child demonstrates a profound humility and an invitation to approach God with childlike faith. It also represents a new beginning and the hope for redemption and renewal. The Nativity story is not merely a historical account. It's a story filled with mystery, drama, and profound theological truths.
This story illustrates God's profound love and willingness to enter our messy, broken world. But why did Jesus have to come as a child? Theologically, this has profound implications. By coming as a child, God made himself approachable and relatable. He began life on earth in the most humble and vulnerable state, indicating his willingness to identify with the human condition. Jesus' birth as a child also symbolizes innocence and purity.
qualities necessary for the one who would take away the sins of the world. Lastly, the birth of a child represents new life and hope. In Yeshua, in Jesus, we see the promise of a new creation, a fresh start for humanity, reconciled to God. May this Christmas season be a time to reflect on the profound truth that God is with us.
He is not distant or aloof, but intimately involved in our lives, offering hope, redemption, and a relationship that begins now and lasts for eternity. Our story is not yet over. God has orchestrated visitors to come and behold Jesus. And behind the scenes, a plot will be made to find and kill the newborn Messiah.
Continue this epic Christmas tale with us for the rest of December and behold God's sovereign power. If you are intrigued about prophecies concerning the Messiah, you can visit my website, discoveringthejewishgeist.com. We have a wealth of resources to teach you about God's sovereign plan throughout scripture.
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