The Jewish Essence of Christmas
The Jewish Setting
A close reading of Luke’s birth narrative reveals a surprising revelation for many Gentiles and our Jewish friends: Christmas is a profoundly Jewish story!
The birth narrative is set within the Promised Land, the ancient homeland of the Jewish people and epicenter of Jewish history. The gospel, first proclaimed to Abraham shortly after his arrival to the Promised Land, found it’s fulfillment in the same Land (Galatians 3:8). God did not choose the setting of the Christmas narrative to be in Iraq, Peru, England or the United States. By divine decree, God chose the special land that He swore as an eternal inheritance to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants (Genesis 12, 15, 17, 22; Psalm 105:8-11, 1 Chronicles 16:14-18 and many more). This geographic setting for the Messiah’s arrival was and remains the principal turf of world Jewry.
According to the prophet Micah, Messiah was foreordained to be born in “Bethlehem Ephratah” of “Judea” (Micah 5:2). Bethlehem, meaning House of Bread, was located in the heart of the Jewish nation. Though small, it was the hometown of popular faith-filled figures, such as Boaz, Jesse and King David. Hence, the angel Gabriel’s reference to Bethlehem as “the city of David” when making the birth announcement to the shepherds (Luke 2:11).
Why does Luke connect Jesus’ arrival with King David on multiple occasions? Arnold Fruchtenbaum provides the answer, because “Giving Jesus the title of the son of David points to his kingship, since the kingship of the Jews was sustained through the House of David.”[1] As king of the Jewish people, Jesus stands as the epitome and standard bearer for His people. If we follow the King of the Jews, it rightly follows that we respect and love the Jewish people.
A Jewish Priest
The Jewish essence of Christmas is not limited to physical geography alone. Luke’s inspired characters are replete with Jewish vignettes. Luke writes about a “Jewish priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah” (Luke 1:5.) Zechariah, whose Hebrew name means “the Lord remembers,” served in the locus of Jewish religious life, the Temple. The fact that he had a priestly function indicates he was of the tribe of Levi.
While burning incense in the Temple, Zechariah received a vision about his future son, John the Baptist. John was to be a Jewish forerunner to the Jewish King (Luke 1:5-10). Included in John’s "job description" was the duty to "turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God" (Luke 1:16). Essentially, John was sent to the Jewish people to prepare them for their King’s arrival.
Zechariah was informed that his son would possess the same “spirit and power of Elijah,” one of the most influential of the Hebrew prophets. Upon hearing this miraculous news, Zechariah praises the "God of Israel" and rejoices that this fulfillment stems from the "holy prophets" and the covenants with David and Abraham (Luke 1:68-79). Zechariah clearly believed that the unfolding events of the Christmas story were related to God’s covenant promises to Israel.
The time arrived for Elizabeth (Zechariah’s wife) to deliver John. Luke records, “They came to circumcise the child on the eighth day.” (Luke 1:59) Circumcision on the eighth day was and remains a uniquely Jewish custom. After Messiah’s arrival, He too would be circumcised on the eighth day and presented with the proper sacrifices in Jerusalem’s Temple (Luke 2:21-24.)
After John’s birth, Luke records Zechariah’s praise and prophecy about his son. The Jewish nature of the prayer is undeniable as Zechariah praises the “God of Israel” and references the “house of His servant David.” Zechariah again acknowledges that God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is playing a large role in the unfolding story. He viewed the arrival of his son, John, as a gift from God to the nation of Israel (Luke 1:67-79). Not surprisingly, his relative, Mary, viewed her son as a gift to Israel as well.
A Jewish Mother
The angel Gabriel was not bashful in relaying the Messiah’s utterly Jewish job description to the young Mary. The angel’s message to Mary includes the unique duty of Messiah to "reign over the house of Jacob" (i.e., Israel) and possess "the throne of His father David," tasks only a Jewish man is qualified to do (Luke 1:32-33).
Upon hearing Gabriel’s news, Mary exults God and unashamedly declares that God has "helped His servant Israel...just as He spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever" (Luke 1:54-55). Like Zechariah, Mary was familiar with God’s promises to her people. She was a Jewish woman who practiced her faith and was familiar with the writings of the Jewish prophets. She made several annual pilgrimages to the Temple and lived a religious Jewish life, according to the Law of Moses (Luke 2:27). Mary was entrusted by God to raise the God-child in a Jewish home, according to Jewish Law and with Jewish parents and siblings. If ever there was a Jewish home, it was the home of the Messiah.
The list of Jewish attributes found in Luke's birth narrative is extensive. Time and space limit the listing of all the plethora of Jewish aspects found in the gospels, or the rest of the New Testament for that matter. We can recognize, from just a cursory overview of Luke’s account, that the story of Jesus is a Jewish story at its core. A Jewish story that is meant to be told, and told again, to the whole world, with priority for the Jewish people (Romans 1:16).
This is no surprise to you, dear reader, that the biblical texts mention nothing of Christmas trees, reindeer, Black Friday sales, pop holiday songs, or Santa Clause. Rather, Luke’s birth motif is the arrival of the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, via a miraculous birth, who has been sent from God to deliver people from sin. It’s a story of God’s redemption, for His glory, for Israel and the Gentiles.
The Jewish People & Their Jewish Messiah
Will you join me in remembering the birth of the Jewish Messiah as well as His Jewish people? God worked through the Jewish people to bring about His Son’s arrival (Romans 9:4-5), to write down the Christmas events, preserve those writings over millennia, and then to share the Good News with the Gentiles (Acts 10). Precious Israel is “the apple of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8) and He desires their salvation today just as He did on that special night in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. His desire for the salvation of the Jewish people is the same as Paul’s, as expressed in Romans 10:1-2:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. I can testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge”
May our mindset be the same as Simeon, who “was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation…” Upon seeing Him in the Temple, Simeon cradled Jesus in his arms and declared:
Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, as You promised. For my eyes have seen Your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples – a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel. (Luke 2:25:32)
Will you join me in praying for the Jewish people to come to believe in the One who has the starring role in this miraculous, Jewish, Christmas story?
Written by Levi Hazen, LIFE Executive Director
In what ways can you ensure that your focus remains on the Messiah this Christmas season?
Is there anyone in my circle of influence whom God wants me to share the Good News with this holiday season?
Whether you are Jewish or Gentile, God’s Word teaches that Messiah’s arrival means “the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” And “if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – What is preventing you from placing your faith in the Jewish Messiah today?
Have questions? We are happy to chat on the phone (484-3SHALOM) or online at www.insearchofshalom.com. Email us at questions@insearchofshalom.com
Endnotes:
[1] Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jesus Was A Jew (San Antonio, Ariel Ministries, 2010), 55.