The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between

by Gregory Koukl

This is why Jesus came to earth. God’s Son surrendered his sinless human self to be the future unblemished offering to perfectly and completely save sinners. And this we do find in the birth narratives, everywhere. God tells Joseph that Mary “will give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” In the field that first Christmas night the angel tells the shepherds, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Zacharias prophesies over his son, the infant John Baptist, saying John would prepare the way for “the Lord,” and “give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” Thirty years later John points at the Lord Jesus Christ and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”8 Each of these events echoes our unsung Christmas verse: “A body you prepared for me.” The Lord. The Christ. The Savior. Emmanuel. God with us, who would die for us. The Lamb of God.