Christmas is a special time of year when we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus. There is nothing ordinary about any Christmas, but the first Christmas was extraordinary. Here’s why.

First, extraordinary promises were kept. People often break their promises, but God never does. The Old Testament is filled with promises that God would someday send someone special to offer salvation to the entire human race.

There are over 300 prophecies about Jesus in Scripture. It foretells where Jesus would be born, in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). It predicts how Jesus would die 1,000 years before it happened and 800 years before crucifixion was even invented (Psalm 22:16). Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah describes him, and he also refers to his sacrificial death on the cross.

These and other predictions of the Messiah make it difficult to deny that God kept some extraordinary promises when he sent Jesus to be born. Some mathematicians and statisticians who didn’t previously believe in Jesus now agree that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ.  

Secondly, an extraordinary Person came to earth. Jesus was conceived supernaturally. Even as a youth, he greatly impressed grownups with his wisdom and maturity. He never sinned—not once! Jesus amazed people with his teaching and astounded them with his miracles. He called for people to follow him, and, even though he died at an early age, he founded a movement that has profoundly shaped the world.

And, oh, yes…After he died, he came back to life! And he promises eternal life to anyone who puts their trust in him! He is an extraordinary person indeed!

Finally, the first Christmas was special because people responded in extraordinary ways. Herod was extraordinarily evil, with his decree to have all the baby boys in the area killed. The priests and teachers of the law were remarkably indifferent to the birth of Jesus. If anyone would have been expecting this newborn king, it should have been them! Mary and Joseph were outstanding in their trust and obedience to God. They readily accepted their assignment to be the earthly parents of the Christ. The shepherds reacted to the good news by hurrying to see Jesus, and then by praising God and spreading the word to others. The Magi made a great effort to find Jesus, and when they did, they worshiped him with gifts that were fit for royalty.

All of these people responded to Jesus in extraordinary ways. The question remains—“How will you respond?”

The word “extraordinary” is “ordinary” with something “extra” added to it. God did his part in making Christmas special by sending Jesus to us. We can respond with indifference. Or we could react in a special way. Perhaps our extraordinary obedience, generosity, enthusiasm and worship can make this a truly extraordinary Christmas.