A brand new Christmas Bible study is now available for your use, encouragement, and edification. You can access it here.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds to announce the good news of Jesus’ birth, he told them not only who Jesus was, but also how they could find the child who was God’s gift to the world. The angel said,

The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds by Govert Flinck, 1639

Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger (Luke 2:10-11).

• • • Who is Jesus? He is the “Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
    • How would the shepherds be able to identify Him when they went looking for Him? They would find “a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Make no mistake. God wants people to know who His Son is. He wants everyone to be able to identify Him with confidence and to understand what He accomplished on their behalf. While the shepherds got to see Jesus personally, in the flesh, face to face; we have an advantage over them that we might not often consider. We can look at Jesus’ ministry as it has been recorded in the New Testament and see numerous other times God pointed out Jesus to people, telling them forthrightly who He was and is. Further, we have the confirmation of Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillments at various points in Jesus’ life and ministry to help us know with certainty that Jesus is worthy of our faith, trust, and obedience.

This is a topic worth exploring and reflecting on this Christmas. At Discover Bedrock Truth, a site where I post Bible studies, I’ve published a guide to help you consider and reflect on this important theme. You can access the study here.

A special Christmas Bible study is available here.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you, my readers, for accessing, reading, and using the articles and materials I create and release at wordfoundations.com and discoverbedrocktruth.org. It is a joy to provide “insights and commentary from a biblical perspective” and to create Bible studies to help you effectively “mine nuggets of truth from God’s Word and world.”

Our journey continues! There’s a great deal of misinformation and lies out there, but I know of no more effective way to combat these than with the truth. Further, I know of no more reliable source of truth than God’s Word, which gives us a dependable blueprint for living and a trustworthy lens through which to interpret and evaluate all we see, hear, and experience. With God’s help, I will continue to uphold His Word and His truth steadily and consistently. This is certainly my desire, my intention, and my goal.

Blessings to you! May you and your loved ones have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful Happy New Year!

—B. Nathaniel Sullivan

Copyright © 2021 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages in this brief article have been taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

This introduction copyright © 2021 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.