“Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high:” Hebrews 1:3
Where was Jesus during the first Christmas? If you’re like me, you probably thought
“Why, in the manger of Bethlehem, of course!” And you’re not wrong. But don’t stop reading
this blog quite yet because that answer only covers part of the truth. Jesus was indeed in a
manger in Bethlehem on the night of the first Christmas, but He was also somewhere else. And
the rest of that answer really matters.
When we think of Jesus at Christmas time, we often think of Jesus as a baby. And he was
just that. He was an actual person who lived in history. He was a person who experienced
growth, emotions, and bodily death (and resurrection!) (Luke 2:52; John 11:33,35; 19:30; I Cor.
15:3-4).
But on the night of the first Christmas, Jesus was not just a baby. He was also the eternal
God. The Bible makes very clear that Jesus is deity. He did works that only God has the
authority to do (Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 31:31-34; Matt. 8:23-27; 14:22-23) and He equally shares the
one divine name and nature with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20; John
8:58; Phil. 2:9-11). So on the night of Christmas, Jesus was in the manger (as a human) and he
was also present everywhere (as God). Even though Jesus’ human nature had him confined as a
helpless baby in the manger, his divine nature continued to uphold all things in the universe
(Hebrews 1:3). Perhaps a bit mind-blowing, but as Bible-believing Christians, it’s a truth we’re
taught in Scripture and get to celebrate!
But why is this truth (Jesus is one person but has both a divine nature and human
nature) so important? As a human, Jesus is qualified to meet all of our needs, including our
need for forgiveness of sin (Heb. 7:22-28; Heb. 9:15-10:18). As God, Jesus meets His standard of
perfect obedience and holiness that He placed on men (Rom 5:12-21). Thus, as the divine Son
and the incarnate Son, Jesus alone can save people from their sins and completely restore them
to being image-bearers of God (Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 2:5-18). That is one reason why Christmas is
so important to celebrate!
So next time a conversation about Christmas comes up, feel free to ask, “Where was
Jesus on the night He was born?” The answer makes for interesting conversation and is a great
path to discussing one’s eternal destination. With these wonderful truths in mind, we can
continue to see Christmas as another memorable time to worship and praise God for Who He is
and what He has done. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Where was Jesus during the First Christmas? - Josh Grover
“Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high:” Hebrews 1:3
Where was Jesus during the first Christmas? If you’re like me, you probably thought
“Why, in the manger of Bethlehem, of course!” And you’re not wrong. But don’t stop reading
this blog quite yet because that answer only covers part of the truth. Jesus was indeed in a
manger in Bethlehem on the night of the first Christmas, but He was also somewhere else. And
the rest of that answer really matters.
When we think of Jesus at Christmas time, we often think of Jesus as a baby. And he was
just that. He was an actual person who lived in history. He was a person who experienced
growth, emotions, and bodily death (and resurrection!) (Luke 2:52; John 11:33,35; 19:30; I Cor.
15:3-4).
But on the night of the first Christmas, Jesus was not just a baby. He was also the eternal
God. The Bible makes very clear that Jesus is deity. He did works that only God has the
authority to do (Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 31:31-34; Matt. 8:23-27; 14:22-23) and He equally shares the
one divine name and nature with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20; John
8:58; Phil. 2:9-11). So on the night of Christmas, Jesus was in the manger (as a human) and he
was also present everywhere (as God). Even though Jesus’ human nature had him confined as a
helpless baby in the manger, his divine nature continued to uphold all things in the universe
(Hebrews 1:3). Perhaps a bit mind-blowing, but as Bible-believing Christians, it’s a truth we’re
taught in Scripture and get to celebrate!
But why is this truth (Jesus is one person but has both a divine nature and human
nature) so important? As a human, Jesus is qualified to meet all of our needs, including our
need for forgiveness of sin (Heb. 7:22-28; Heb. 9:15-10:18). As God, Jesus meets His standard of
perfect obedience and holiness that He placed on men (Rom 5:12-21). Thus, as the divine Son
and the incarnate Son, Jesus alone can save people from their sins and completely restore them
to being image-bearers of God (Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 2:5-18). That is one reason why Christmas is
so important to celebrate!
So next time a conversation about Christmas comes up, feel free to ask, “Where was
Jesus on the night He was born?” The answer makes for interesting conversation and is a great
path to discussing one’s eternal destination. With these wonderful truths in mind, we can
continue to see Christmas as another memorable time to worship and praise God for Who He is
and what He has done. Have a very Merry Christmas!