God Promised a Saviour to the first human couple in the Garden of Eden that Messiah would come as the seed of woman. (Genesis 3:15) Jacob gave prophetic utterances regarding his sons. He declared that the scepter would not depart from Judah, until he to whom it belonged. That person, the Messiah shall demand obedience of nations. (Genesis 49:10)
Double application: Certain prophecies could have multiple applications. This prophecy is about the dynasty of King David and later the Messiah who is also termed as the Son of David.
Scepter: The word scepter used here could be translated as club or staff or rod. All were used as weapons. The scepter symbolizes the civic and military power that a king command.
King David: In the Promised Land, the children of Jacob became a nation. God chose King David, and his descendants continued to rule until Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. The scepter will not depart from Judah, in particular, it did not depart from King David’s descendants until Shiloh comes – which means until the Messiah comes.
Lord Jesus Christ: As a descendant of David from the maternal side as well as from his stepfather Joseph’s side, Lord Jesus fulfills the prophecy. His Kingdom is eternal and is known as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. (II Peter 1:11; Revelation 5:5) The Scepter could be lost, stolen, broken, or set aside. The scepter of Messiah is eternal, and rules by justice. He loves righteousness and hates wickedness. (Hebrews 1:8-9; Psalm 45:6-7)
Wisemen: The wise men from the East were looking for the King of Jews. They saw a special star, which they could understand as his birth. (Matthew 2:1-12) Balaam foretold that a star would rise from Jacob. (Numbers 24:17) The wise men were Chaldeans, and scholars opine that they came to know about Balaam utterances during Babylonian Captivity.
Promises fulfilled: The First Christmas marked the fulfillment of God’s Plan of sending His Son, the Messiah, the Redeemer into this world.
Do I celebrate Christmas remembering God’s love, Promises, and fulfillment of Prophecies?