O Come Let Us Adore Him

The Gospel of Luke is the source for what most of us know as the "Christmas Story". It records the events surrounding John the Baptist's conception and birth as well as the Virgin birth. However, the story of Christ coming to earth has been declared in Scripture since the third chapter in Genesis! Thirty-nine books of the Old Testament build to the first apex in human history: the birth of the Messiah.

In Genesis, immediately after Adam and Eve's fall into sin, God promises that the seed of the woman will redeem mankind from sin.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15, emphasis added).

Then in Deuteronomy Moses declares the Word of the Lord to the children of Israel regarding the Messiah. He would be one of the people who had God's word.

"I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him" (Deuteronomy 18:17, 18).

Further along God promises King David through the prophet Nathaniel that the Christ would be one of his descendants, sitting on the throne of Israel forever. He would be God's son, loved by Him.

" 'I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me and I will establish his throne forever, I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever' " (1 Chronicles 17:10b-14).

Scores of other passages point to Christ's coming and in Isaiah, the picture becomes even clearer. First, God reveals that He will be born of a Virgin and he will be called Immanuel. Next, Isaiah records in Chapter 9: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given" (Isaiah 9:6).

Christ, the Savior of the world, was born "to us". We are the recipients of this gift! Granted, Christmas (and life in general) is not about "us" but about glorifying God and it always has been. In this passage, it was God edifying to say that Jesus was given to the race of men: "to us a child is born, to us a son is given."

Now come back to the Gospel of Luke. The Savior has been born, the time has come. On cue, with the words given to them by Christ, the angels appear to shepherds and declare: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you" (Luke 2:11). "To you", again we see a reiteration of Isaiah's passage. Christ was born not to nature or to the angels or to the creatures of the earth but unto "men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14).

Thus, it is to us the carol writer calls, "O come, let us adore Him." Christ was given to us, saving us from our sin and ultimately, bringing glory to Himself. This is Christmas. Joyfully and triumphantly, we come, not to an elaborate palace or a vast temple or an extravagant church building, but to a humble stable, kneeling before, not a glorious altar, but a crude manger, before a new infant, "who is Christ the Lord."

--HM