The Christmas Story

Arturo Toscanini (1867–1957) was a very gifted Italian conductor who conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra, which was a radio orchestra. Toscanini led this orchestra from 1937 to 1954. One Sunday night the announcer read a letter from a lonely sheepherder in the Wyoming mountains. The letter said, “Each Sunday night I enjoy listening to you conduct the orchestra in New York City. It’s lonely out here. My only comfort is my battery radio and my old fiddle. Winter is coming, and then I won’t be able to get into town. My batteries will be dead by spring. This means that soon my only comfort will be my fiddle. However, it desperately needs a tuning. Would you be so kind as to sound the note ‘A’ next Sunday night so I can be sure my fiddle is up to stan­dard pitch?” The announcer then said: “Now ladies and gentlemen, for the man in Wyoming, here is an ‘A’.” The pianist sounded the note, and listeners visualized what was happen­ing over 2,000 miles away—a lonely man busily tuning four strings to match the pitch being sounded in New York City.

This compelling story presents an analogy of the Christmas story. Jesus came to earth to bring harmony to our lives that are so out of tune with heaven’s symphony. God sent heaven’s pitch in form of a little baby. There was no way any of us would have known what was right unless the direction came from outside of ourselves. That is precisely what happened when Jesus was born at Christmas.

Though Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Bible makes it very clear that Jesus has always existed. In fact, all things were made by him; nothing exists today that was not created by his hand. Jesus’ coming is so incredible because he was willing to humble himself by taking on a human body. The creator became part of his creation.

As we enter this Christmas season, I want to remind you that it is a wonderful time to read the scriptures from the Old and New Testaments that talk about the Christmas story. There are hundreds of Messianic prophesies that talk about Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection. Here are a few of them:

• Only Beloved Son & Sacrifice                                   Genesis 22:1-18
• The Lion of Judah                                                    Genesis 48:15-16, 49:8-10
• The Star of Jacob                                                    Numbers 23:18-24, 24:3-9, 15-19
• Son of David                                                            2 Samuel 7:1-17
• Messiah: Son of God and King                                  Psalm 2
• Holy One and Resurrected Redeemer                        Psalm 16
• Royal Son, Deliverer of the Afflicted                            Psalm 72
• Immanuel, Mighty God & Prince of Peace                  Isaiah 7:14, 9:1-7
• Suffering Servant and Lamb of God                            Isaiah 53:1-12
• Righteous Branch                                                    Jeremiah 23:1-6, 33:14-18
• Good Shepherd                                                        Ezekiel 34:1-31
• The Son of Man & Ruler from Bethlehem                    Daniel 7:9-10, Micah 5:2-6
• King on a Donkey and Pierced Firstborn                     Zechariah 9:9-10, 12:10-13:1
• Covenant Messenger & Son of Righteousness            Malachi 3:1-6
• Son of the Most High                                                Luke 1:5-38
• The Tender Mercy of God                                          Luke 1:39-80
• Savior from Sin and Word Made Flesh                        John 1:14, Matthew 1:18-25
• The Birth of Jesus                                                     Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 2:1-12