The story takes place many years ago in a city in Galilee called Nazareth when Mary was a young girl betrothed to a man named Joseph.

She was still a virgin. And one night an angel of the Lord named Gabriel appeared to her and declared that she would conceive and bear a Son. You can imagine how shocking this must have been for Mary.

This Son would not be just any son. Gabriel told Mary that she was to name the baby Jesus. Gabriel said, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

He would be the one who was first promised in Genesis 3:15 when God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” 

He would be the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. It would be through Mary’s baby boy that all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

He would be at least part of what Joseph meant in Genesis 50:20, that what his brothers intended for evil, God intended for good. He would be the only one to perfectly keep the Law of Moses as laid out in Exodus and following.

He would be the means by which the true Israel would one day enter the Promised Land. He would be the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David when God said to David, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.”

He would be the one of whom the Psalmist wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!”

He would be the one of whom the prophet Isaiah wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

He would be the one Joel wrote about in whose name there is salvation.

He would be the one of whom the prophet Malachi wrote, “The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”  He would be the one for whom John the Baptist would prepare the way.

You see, the entire Bible points to Christ.  Jesus’ life is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

But the Old Testament Scriptures point forward to the Messiah. Jesus was not a backup plan.

Jesus was God’s “Plan A” since the foundation of the world. God established in eternity past that He would send Jesus, His only begotten Son, to reconcile us to Him.

My hope is that you would grow in your relationship with and faith in Jesus the Christ.

Adam Blosser is the pastor of Drakes Branch Baptist Church. He can be reached at adam@drakesbranchbc.com.