Top 5 Bible Verses for Christmas

Below are my top 5 favorite passages of Scripture to read and study during the Christmas season.

1. 1 Timothy 1:15-17 (ESV)
"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this mercy, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

One may ask, "Why in the world start there? That has nothing to do with Christmas." Actually, this passage of Scripture has everything to do with Christmas. As we see portrayed in the passage, Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That was His purpose to coming to the earth. By doing the will of the Father, he humbled himself and became a servant to man in order that He may glorify the Father and save sinners from their fallen, unregenerate nature.

2. Matthew 1:1 (ESV)
"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

Before we get to the birth of Christ, we must understand His royal lineage. Matthew goes out of his way to begin his gospel writing by listing the genealogy of Christ. Why? So that his readers would see that Jesus did come through the royal line of David as promised in the Old Testament, that Jesus did come through the line of Abraham fulfilling the promise that all nations through Abraham would be blessed, and to show that Jesus is the coming Messiah promised in the Old Testament.

3. Matthew 1:22-23 (ESV)
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us).

This passage fulfills the Old Testament prophecy if Isaiah 7:14 that the Son of God would be born of a virgin. The virgin birth is so important - while Jesus came fully man and full God, he was not tainted with Adam's seed because he was conceived through the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 1:18).

4. Luke 2:1-21 (ESV)
v. 6-7, "And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

This is the classic birth story of Jesus. Now that we have seen the reason Jesus came, the prophecies fulfilled about Jesus' coming, and the miraculous virgin birth, we can respond to this beautiful birth story with humbled hearts filled with grace and thanksgiving.

5. Philippians 2:6-11
"who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the the glory of God the Father."

Wow! Hallelujah, what a Savior indeed! As indeed he did come into the world to save sinners, he is now risen and seated at the right hand of Father and has been exalted above all things. All of this is done why? To the glory of God the Father.

Let us not soon forget the reason why we celebrate Christmas. As Christians, we celebrate Christmas because we glory in a risen King who has conquered sin on our behalf and has placed His righteousness upon us. Be praise to Him forever and ever!