Look there on the mountains the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!
– Nahum 2:12
Click here for a printer-friendly PDF version of this message.
Heavenly hosts fill the skies singing and proclaiming the birth of Christ the Messiah. A bright star portends His Kingdom. From the moment of His birth, His destiny was affirmed. King of kings and Lord of lords, Immanuel – God with us – changed the world forever. 1 As the Son of Man, He brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth and dwelt among us. 2 One of the most poignant pictures of Christmas is that of the baby Jesus in a manger with shepherd boys and their sheep kneeling at His feet. What a privilege the shepherds enjoyed as the first to behold the wonder of Jesus. What joy must have filled their hearts as they witnessed Mary and Joseph kiss the innocent feet of Jesus. 3
This regal yet humble birth is a paradox of elegant simplicity incomprehensible in human terms. In that miraculous moment, God fulfilled His prophetic Word written throughout 4000 years of Jewish history. 4 His Only Begotten Son who had been at His side from the beginning, who had created the Heavens and earth, in obedience, left His throne to dwell on earth. 5 In His humanity He lived the life of a carpenter in a part of Israel considered lower class, yet in His deity He brought peace and redemption for a fallen creation.
Surrounded by 12 chosen disciples, men of equally simple backgrounds and common occupations, Jesus traveled the country side and towns of Israel for three years preaching the Word of God, challenging the spiritual leaders, healing the sick and blind, comforting the broken hearted, forgiving sinners, and prophesying His second coming. 6 The messages, parables, and prayers of Jesus recorded in the four Gospels present every significant doctrine of Christianity, an amazing confirmation of Biblical truth. He declared His deity, prophesied His death and resurrection, proclaimed the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant, and established a new covenant for His Church. 7 Thousands sat at the servant feet of Jesus as He ministered to them and shared the secrets of His kingdom.
When Mary sat at the feet of Jesus while her sister scurried about to serve their guests, she was scolded by Martha for not helping. Yet Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better.” Rather than temporal things, Mary chose to partake of eternal truth. 8 Likewise another woman was rebuked as she anointed the feet of Jesus with perfume. Jesus accepted this humble act of worship saying, “Her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much…Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 9 These two women, one a family friend, the other a social discard, captured the heart of Jesus by their posture of humility, their heart of faith and their attitude of worship.
During Passover Jesus was betrayed, tried, beaten, scourged and crucified. The three Maries with the beloved disciple John knelt at the nail-pierced feet of Jesus grieving the gross torment of their son, friend, Master, and Rabbi. On the cross His life was wrenched away as Jesus cried, “it is finished” and gave up His spirit.10 Utter defeat was turned to eternal victory as within three days He arose, appeared among His disciples and commanded them to take the Gospel to all nations. 11 “I shall return,” He promised. 12 Then all men shall bow at the triumphant feet of Jesus, who will come to rule and reign over all the earth! From manger to ministry to majesty, Jesus calls us to worship at His feet. 13
In the frenzy of Christmas celebrations, parties, concerts, shopping and gift giving, take a quiet moment to hear the words of Jesus. Sit at His feet to comprehend the true meaning and significance of the season. Reflect on the eternal impact of His birth, His life, His passion, His sacrifice and resurrection. At the innocent feet of Jesus your heart will be softened. At the servant feet of Jesus, your diseases healed, your heart aches comforted, your burdens lifted, your losses restored. At the anointed feet of Jesus, broken lives are consecrated to Him. At the nail – pierced feet of Jesus sins are forgiven and at the triumphant feet of Jesus, lives transformed for eternity.
No matter how colorfully, creatively and elegantly wrapped, Christmas is but an empty package if not celebrated at the feet of Jesus. This Christmas praise God for His magnificent gift wrapped in pure love, a gift of saving grace found not under a decorated tree, but at the manger, at the cross, at the miraculous feet of Jesus.
With blessings,
Sheryl Dawson
December 25, 2004
- Matthew 1:22 (Fulfilled Prophecy) – All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel — which means, “God with us.”
- Luke 9:58 – Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
- Luke 2:8-20 (Fulfilled Prophecy) – And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Micah 5:2 (Prophecy ~700 BC) – 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.
- Luke 24:44 (Fulfilled Prophecy) – He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
- Luke 1:30-35 (Prophecy ~1 BC) – But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
- Mark 2:6-20 (Fulfilled Prophecy) – Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thing in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins … ” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Psalm 146:7-8 (Prophecy ~1000 BC)
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
Isaiah 29:18 (Prophecy ~700 BC)
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
Isaiah 35:5-6 (Prophecy ~700BC)
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Isaiah 61:1-2 (Prophecy ~700 BC)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent him to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn …
Luke 7:21-23 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
John 20:30-31 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
- Luke 24:27, 45-49 (Fulfilled Prophecy) – And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself …
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Matthew 26:1-2 (Prophecy) – Scripture References For
Christmas at the Feet of Jesus
Prophecy & Prophetic Fulfillment
1) Matthew 1:22 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel — which means, “God with us.”
Isaiah 7:14 (Prophecy ~700 BC)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
2) Luke 9:58
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
3) Luke 2:8-20 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Micah 5:2 (Prophecy ~700 BC)
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.
4) Luke 24:44 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
5) Luke 1:30-35 (Prophecy ~1 BC)
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
6) Mark 2:6-20 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thing in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins … ” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Psalm 146:7-8 (Prophecy ~1000 BC)
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.
Isaiah 29:18 (Prophecy ~700 BC)
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
Isaiah 35:5-6 (Prophecy ~700BC)
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Isaiah 61:1-2 (Prophecy ~700 BC)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent him to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn …
Luke 7:21-23 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
John 20:30-31 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
7) Luke 24:27, 45-49 (Fulfilled Prophecy)
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself …
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Matthew 26:1-2 (Prophecy)
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away — and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
- Luke 10:38-41 – As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
- Luke 7:37 — 50 – When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
- Mark 15:34 (Fulfilled Prophecy) – And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sbachthani? — which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Isaiah 53:3, 5, 7, 9,11-12 (Prophecy 700 BC)
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, wand with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Psalm 22:1, 7, 16, 18, 27 (Prophecy ~1000 BC)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads; He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
… they have pierced my hands and my feet.
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
- Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission) – Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”
- Matthew 24:27, 30-31, 44 (Prophecy) – For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man … At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other … So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
- Isaiah 45:22 — 25 (Prophecy ~700 BC) – Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked; Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.'” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.
