What are some pivotal moments that helped you understand the spirit of Christmas?
Have you ever looked back at your life and realized there were some pivotal moments that changed the direction your life was going?
Recently my wife and I were talking about some of these moments in our own lives both before and after we got married. In fact, one of the most significant pivotal moments in my wife’s life, that had a huge effect on my life, was when she had to stay in New York City one weekend when she wanted to visit her parents in Michigan. It just so happened that was the weekend I was visiting my sister in New York City. And that Sunday at church, we met. If she had been back in Michigan, things would have turned out very different.
I did a whole podcast episode about how we met. Here’s the link if you’d like to listen to it: Episode 53: How I Met My Wife
Pivotal moments in the Bible
The Bible is full of pivotal moments. Sometime small, sometimes large things, changed the course of the overarching story of the Bible.
Think of when Moses sent 12 men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, to investigate the land of Canaan after their exodus from Egypt. Ten of those twelve were intimidated by the people they saw and it created fear in their hearts. Then they shared that fear with the Children of Israel. As a result, the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they could come back to Canaan. You can read that whole story starting in Numbers, Chapter 13.
Ten men, who were afraid, changed the course of Bible history.
What would have happened if they had not been afraid, had not made all the people afraid, and had had more faith that God would help them? Well, they wouldn’t have had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. What else might have been different, we’ll never know. Just think about that for a little bit. What would have been different if they hadn’t been afraid?
Leading up to Christmas
Christmas is in just a few weeks and I’ve been thinking more specifically about some of the things that happened in the Old Testament that helped set the stage and direct the chain of events to prepare the way for Jesus to be born.
I want to talk about some of these pivotal moments that lead up to Christmas. There are so many, so, I’ll touch on just a few of them.
In thinking back to these 12 men who went to check out the land of Canaan, two of them, Joshua and Caleb, maintained their faith in God’s ability to give them victory, even against all odds. Caleb was from the tribe of Judah. His decision to be honest and faithful to God was a pivotal moment. It set the tone for the tribe of Judah down through the ages. And interestingly enough, King David is descended from the tribe of Judah.
Loyalty in the tribe of Judah
And concerning the tribe of Judah, and David’s kingdom, Jeremiah prophesies:
For this is what the LORD says: “David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel,” Jeremiah 33:17 NIV
This goes along with what Jacob said concerning his son Judah:
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor. Genesis 49:10 NLT
That is a pretty clear reference to the Messiah. All the way back in Genesis, there’s this hint of someone who will come to rule all nations.
This loyalty of David was part of the heritage of the tribe of Judah, so was Caleb’s loyalty being faithful to God, and it went all the way back too Judah himself. But it’s not just Judah, Caleb, David, and other members of the tribe of Judah as individuals being in Jesus’s lineage. It’s even more about the loyalty these men had that factored into Jesus’s heritage.
Ruth’s pivotal moments
Another pivotal moment in the Bible that leads to Jesus is how Ruth responded to her mother-in-law, Naomi. After Naomi’s husband and two sons died, she decided to return from Moab, where she was living at the time, to her homeland of Israel. She encouraged her two daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Orpah decided to stay, however, Ruth chose to come with Naomi back to Israel. She implored Naomi,
But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Ruth 1:16 NLT
This was a major pivotal moment, not just for Ruth and how her life would unfold, but it directly influenced the lineage of Jesus because Ruth eventually marries Boaz. Their son, Obed, was the father of Jesse, who then was the father of David, who, of course, became King of Israel. And Jesus, in his human lineage, is descended from King David.
Ruth didn’t know the future results of her decision
So here we have a young woman, Ruth, who has been deeply touched by the love of her mother-in-law, Naomi, but also by Naomi’s devotion to God. Ruth had seen firsthand Naomi’s love for God and the difference it made in her life. She wanted follow in the faith of Naomi.
Ruth didn’t know she would have anything to do with the promised Messiah, or perhaps that there would even be a Messiah, and she was certainly not aware of her place in Jesus’s genealogy. She was just following her newfound convictions of faith and trust in God.
Here is a non-Jewish foreigner who becomes a link in ’s human history.
What if she had not gone to Israel with Naomi? That decision was an incredibly important pivotal moment in leading up to Christmas.
King David’s pivotal moments
And speaking of King David, there’s so much that we could talk about. In spite of several times when he was not in obedience to God, David was in general, faithful to God. This loyalty and devotion was pleasing to God. David’s life as a whole was pivotal in the trajectory of Jewish history. It helped set the tone for what it means to be a man after God’s own heart.
And God revealed to David there would be someone coming, as his descendant, who would be known as the Messiah, the Anointed One.
There were also various pivotal moments in the course of the drama and intrigues of all David’s wives and children. Absalom plotted against his father, but didn’t succeed. But what if he had? Things would have been very different.
There were some pretty intense politics surrounding the question of who would be king after David. But in the end, it was Solomon who became king. This was certainly a pivotal moment leading to Jesus’s birth, because Solomon, too, is part of that lineage.
Not that he was a perfect king, but the wisdom Solomon expressed especially early in his reign, is a major component of Jesus’s heritage.
Pivotal moments of the prophets
Many of the prophets in the Old Testament talked about a coming Messiah. The book of Isaiah in particular is full of such prophecies.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6, 7 NIV
Jesus quotes these words in his ministry:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, Isaiah 61:1, 2 NLT
I’ve already mentioned Jacob’s prophecy about his son Judah. Moses also prophesied that the Messiah would be a prophet.
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Deuteronomy 18:15 NIV
More than just moments
Micah tells us where the Messiah will be born.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2 NIV
And Malachi tells the people to be ready.
“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Malachi 3:1 NIV
There are so many more prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament, but I mention these few prophecies to show the growing awareness and expectation over centuries of a coming Messiah. The children of Israel were slowly, but increasingly, pivoting to look for God’s Anointed One.
Of course, this wasn’t exactly a pivotal moment. It was a slow and gradual process with ups and downs along the way. But through these prophecies God was preparing the people collectively one step at a time for Jesus’s arrival. He was pivoting their thinking.
Pivotal moments in the New Testament leading to Christmas
Now let’s look at a few examples in the New Testament that were pivotal moments related to the birth of Jesus.
Think of the way Mary responded to the angel Gabriel’s news that she would be the mother of the Messiah. She could have balked. She could have not felt worthy. She could have resisted. But she humbly accepted what God had prepared for her.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38 NIV
And of course Joseph had a huge roll to play in the birth of Jesus. When he learned that Mary was expecting a child, he was devastated. He assumed she had been with another man. You and I would have felt the exact same way.
What if Joseph hadn’t believed the angel?
But Joseph was part of God’s plan and God sent an angel directly to him to get him on board.
…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20, 21 NIV
Of course, we know what happened and don’t give it too much attention, but Joseph had a mighty struggle in his heart about what to do when he learned that Mary was pregnant. God sent him his own angel in a dream to reassure Joseph and give him some specific instructions. And Joseph did as the angel had directed him.
But what if Joseph had not been obedient to the angel’s message? What if he had been overcome with fear of what others would think or say? What if he just couldn’t accept such a thing as possible? What if he hadn’t been there to support Mary but had put her away?
Joseph’s obedience was one of the most crucial pivotal moments related to Jesus’s birth.
What if the Wisemen hadn’t believed their angel?
I’ll mention one more. Think of when the Wiseman, who had come to see the newborn Jesus, had a dream of their own. Herod had asked them to let him know when they found him so he could come to worship him as well. But he actually intended to find out who and where this King of the Jews was and kill him.
This is what happened to the Wisemen.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:12 NIV
Here again is a pivotal moment. What if these men had decided not to obey the message they received in the dream? Things would have been very different.
How does this apply to us?
Now you may be thinking: Hey James, this is all pretty interesting but all these things happened thousands of years ago. What does this have to do with us today?
Well, for starters, it helps us see God’s hand in the chain of events that led up to Jesus’s birth. But in addition to that, all these examples of important moments where things pivoted and took a new direction can actually be metaphors for how God works in our lives, preparing and leading us to the birth, or appearance, of Christ in our own lives.
Think back to times in your own life when something happened that gave you a better sense of what Christmas is all about, when your heart pivoted to love and follow Christ more closely.
Pivotal moments in my life leading to Christmas
I can think of many times, in one way or another associated with Christmas, that over the years have opened my heart, not just to be more grateful for Jesus, but have given me a deeper, more spiritual significance of Jesus’s birth, life, and ministry. And the result has been I want to be more like Jesus, to follow his example, and to share his message with others.
I can remember some books my parents used to read me at Christmas time. I don’t remember all the specifics now, but those books pointed my young heart in the direction of loving people the way Jesus did.
My first Christmas away from home
During my junior year in college, I studied in France. It was the first time I was not at home for Christmas. Three friends and I were traveling over the holidays and arrived in Munich, Germany on Christmas Eve in the early afternoon. We planned to go buy a wonderful feast of bread, cheese, meats, fruit, and pastries to celebrate the next day. We checked into our youth hostel and divided up the shopping list. I was in charge of buying all the food. They were getting a bunch of other stuff.
What we didn’t know was that the whole City of Munich was mostly already shut down getting ready for Christmas. I went from one store to another only to find them closed. The streets were decorated with Christmas trees everywhere. Everything was so beautiful, but I felt miserable.
I returned to our room with no food. On top of that, everyone told us the restaurants would all be closed on Christmas day. I had visions of us all going without any food that night and all Christmas day.
Christmas joy
As I waited for my friends back in our room, I felt miserable, lonely, and so far from the Christmas spirit. In about half an hour they returned full of joy and laughter. I broke the news that we had no food and was sure they would feel just as bad as I did, or blame me for coming back empty handed. But they didn’t. Their Christmas joy could not be disturbed. They made light of it and said we would have a good day anyway.
They had managed to find a few doughnuts and we had a little food from our train ride earlier. So we settled in, made some decorations, sang some Christmas carols, and had a wonderful evening.
In the past, Christmas for me had been about Jesus’s birth of course, but a lot of the focus was on what gifts you gave and what gifts you received, not to mention all the special holiday foods that were on hand for a couple of weeks before Christmas.
And to top it all off, my friends all had gifts for me and I had nothing for them. I felt like such a loser.
But the next morning, we woke up cheerful and greeted the day with the joy of Christmas, just without all the external things that I thought brought the Christmas spirit. One thing I had brought back the day before was a little branch of a Christmas tree I found lying in the street. It made the Charlie Brown Christmas tree look magnificent by comparison, but it did the job.
We didn’t need the outward symbols of Christmas
The amazing thing to me was that we were all in good spirits, we were joyful and had the full spirit of Christmas even though there were hardly any of the symbols I had associated with Christmas.
We went out walking later in the day and found a restaurant that was open and all had a good meal, which I paid for as my present to my friends.
This was not just an isolated holiday that was soon forgotten,. It was a major turning point in my life about how I viewed Christmas. It turned me away, to some degree, from all the outward, material trappings and festivities of the season and helped me focus on what Christmas is really all about, the coming of Christ to a world in need.
Pivotal moments for my children and me
When my children were young, we had some wonderful Christmas picture books which I would read each year. There is one in particular that would make me cry every time I read it. I still cry when I read it because it captures so beautifully the majesty of the way events unfolded when Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Each time I read that book, it becomes a new pivotal moment for me, impelling me to turn more to Christ in my thinking and the way I live my life.
There are so many other examples I could share, but you get the idea.
What are the pivotal moments in your life leading to Christmas?
As you’re getting ready for Christmas this year, or even if you’re reading to this in the middle of July, I encourage you to take some time to look back on things in your life that have given you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about. What have been the pivotal moments which have pointed you to the spirit of Christmas?
What difference have these pivotal moments made in your life? Take a moment to appreciate how God has guided you in these situations.
And just like many of the characters in the Bible didn’t realize how a particular decision they made would have a far-reaching effect on the birth of Jesus, you may never know how your actions can affect those in the future.
When you incline your heart to follow and be more like Christ, even in a small degree, when you offer a simple word of encouragement or an unselfish deed, or when your heart overflows with love, it will naturally have an impact on your life, and give you a deeper sense of what Christmas is all about, as well as bless those around you. But it just might also be a blessing to many generations to come.
Photo Credit: M. B. Louis
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
Jeremiah 33:17 NIV
17 For this is what the LORD says: “David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel,”
Genesis 49:10 NLT
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will honor.
Ruth 1:16 NLT
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
Isaiah 9:6, 7 NIV
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 61:1, 2 NLT
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,
Deuteronomy 18:15 NIV
15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
Micah 5:2 NIV
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Malachi 3:1 NIV
1 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
Luke 1:38 NIV
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Matthew 1:20, 21 NIV
20 …an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 2:12 NIV
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
