If your an angler or know a fisherman, you know we're prone to exaggerate our stories. We're caught up in the adrenaline rush of a moment and when recalling that time everything seemed bigger, faster, perhaps unbelievable! I'm not exactly sure what it is that leads us down these exaggerated tales, but all anglers will (and should) admit this is has been true of them.
This Christmas story is not about me and is not exaggerated, although when you hear it, I confess it sounds hard to believe. It's not even a fishing story per se, but it's a story that has impacted me immensely and shapes my entire worldview, This may sound like the most overstated fishing story you've ever heard, but I believe it's 100% true.
I want to start in roughly 740 BC in the time of ancient Israel. There was a guy named Isaiah, who was a prophet. The job title of 'prophet' was not a popular one. If you want a rough comparison for today, think of the President of the United States' Press Secretary. The Press Secretary speaks on behalf of the President and is often not liked, a prophet spoke on behalf of Yahweh (Israel's God), and even more so was often not liked (sometime killed).
Around 740 BC time the Israelite's were living to the beat of their own drum and doing what was right in their own eyes, and we're not following God's commands and direction. That said, you can understand why prophets weren't that popular, as they spoke on God's behalf calling out the peoples egregious behaviour.
Anyway, in the book of Isaiah in the Bible you can read about Isaiah's prophecies to the people.
And I wanted to start here as there are two prophecies made by Isaiah about a very specific and important person almost roughly 700 years before they are born. Isaiah write many prophecies about this person, below are 2 of them.
Side Note / Fact Check - Isaiah's writings are historical documents and are one of the best preserved and affirmed with ongoing archaeology and discoveries (e.g. discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946) you can check them out at The Great Isaiah Scroll.
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:1-7
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Wildest of Predictions
There is a lot going on in these 2 prophecies, but for this wild Christmas story I want to focus on the mention of a child. And it's fitting as it's a few days before Christmas which is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas, the Christ coming in human baby form at this time, which we've celebrated for the last 2000+ years.
Isaiah says this child will be born of a virgin in the first prophecy. Well if that's not a whopper, I don't know what is. Think about that prediction, why would you write something like that? A child born of a virgin mother? This is thousands of years before any In Vitro Fertilization had ever been conceived, so the possibility of a baby being born outside of sex was impossible. And to add onto this exaggerated story, the child born would not be just any child but would be this incredible leader or king, he would have an "everlasting" government/kingdom. He would have kingly titles like "Prince of Peace", "Mighty God", "Wonderful Counselor", etc.
Stop and think about these 2 predictions again, here we have historical documents from roughly 740 BC telling one of the craziest stories about a child. Isaiah was beyond an fisherman because no angler could get away with that much embellishment.
740 years later ...
Fast Forward 740 years to the 1st century AD. We have a man named Jesus arriving on the scene. His birth and life is well documented by the 4 gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. His life and teaching is also thoroughly discussed in the writings of the Apostle Paul and his letters to the various churches. In fact, when you look at the entirety of the Bible, it all points to Jesus in some form or another.
The gospels write that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. Which is exactly what Isaiah wrote about hundreds of years earlier. So I guess the question has to be, is it true? Was Jesus conceived by God to a virgin Mary? I believe that to be true. I believe that Isaiah's prophecy was 100% correct and speaking about Jesus.
Everlasting Government & King
Isaiah also predicted this kingship and reign would never end. And eternal king, again, a crazy prediction! Well I believe that was correct as well. The Jews did not expect a king in the format Jesus presented, and many of them still reject him. They expected someone to bring change to the government, a military dominant king that would bring their salvation by regime change and Israel's rise to glory. Well Jesus didn't come in the form they expected.
The New Testament books speak to how Jesus created an everlasting kingdom and opportunity for all people to be part of. Jew and Gentile, You and Me. Jesus who is the Son of God, came to earth in a human form to suffer, die for the sin we all have. But he wouldn't stop there, Jesus would rise again and conquer death and ultimately show (all powers) and all time that He is King. He created an everlasting Kingdom by creating a way for us to be with God for all time.
That's what Christianity is all about. We believe and confess that we are broken and sinners, and that Jesus is the only solution to this. This will change your life, it'll change your thought patterns, it changes the way you see all of life. In the Bible it talks about being given a "new heart" or being born again.
Wildest stories can be true
And I believe all of this. I believe Isaiah's prophecies came true! Jesus was the promised Messiah, the virgin child that would create an everlasting kingdom. He's the one! We don't have to look any further, Jesus is the answer. This is the wildest Christmas story and even as an angler I realize how crazy it may sound. I believe it, and I don't say this out of blind faith or because my parents raised me too, I believe it because there is evidence. And my entire life I've been studying and reflecting on the evidence, and that evidence only affirms more and more of this. I'm writing this post to tell you, Jesus is the greatest Christmas story, I believe it 100%.
And he's so much more than just a story but a person that seeks relationship with you reading this right now. I would encourage you to reflect on this and look at the evidence yourself. Pick up a Bible and reflect on the evidence yourself. If you do, I wouldn't be surprised if you too have a whopper of life story to share with others in how Jesus can change your life.
Blessings Jesse