SAINT Luke recorded the story of the birth of Jesus Christ from a unique perspective, being a gentile, a physician, and the first historian of the early church.He described how God's Son entered into human history by relaying how others were connected to his birth. Jesus lived as the perfect human example. After a perfect ministry, he provided a perfect sacrifice for our sin so we could be saved. The story of the birth of Jesus from the gospel according to Saint Luke gives us detailed background of all who were connected to this wonderful and glorious birth of the Saviour of the world.The prophecy of the birth of Jesus was first predicted, shortly after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Gen 3:15:From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.' It was clear that the only way to redeem man to his original status would be by a special and divine arrangement. At this point, God was revealing his plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the world through his Son, Jesus Christ.Again, in Micah 5:1-3, the prophecy was recorded about the coming of the Son of God. 'Mobilise! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. With a rod they will strike the leader of Israel in the face.But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in labour gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land'.This leader was probably King Zedekiah, who was reigning in Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city (2 Kings 25:1-2). Zedekiah was the last of the kings in David's line to sit on the throne in Jerusalem. Micah said that the next king in David's line would be the Messiah, who would establish a kingdom that would never end.Jerusalem's leaders were obsessed with wealth and position, but Micah prophesied that mighty Jerusalem, with all its wealth and power, would be besieged and destroyed. Its king could not save it. In contrast, Bethlehem, a tiny town, would be the birthplace of the only ruler who could save his people. This deliverer, the Messiah, would be born as a baby in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7) and eventually would reign as the eternal King (Revelation 19'22).Everything around the birth of the saviour is of great value and timeless lessons for mankind. According to the scriptures all of God's idea, vision and dreams require people to bring them to fruition. Yet it is crucial to understand that God usually looks for available vessels, willing individuals and the simple at heart to believe whatever God says and cooperate with his agenda.The time of fulfillment came: 'It all begins with a Jewish priest, Zechariah, who lived when Herod was king of Judea. Zechariah was a member of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both very old.' (Luke 1:5-7)The understanding we must have with the situation of this couple is their bareness was for a divine purpose; God knew about it. The Ancient of Days was involved in their delay because of the work the child he'll give them would do for the Son of God.Nowadays, people are quick trace bareness to witches and wizards. Couples, at the slight delays in childbearing, are encouraged to go to any length to conceive without minding God's plan for them.God blessskabairaofciem@yahoo.co.uk
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