By By Apostle Gasana Timothy || Team Leader – Life Redefined Ministries
Around the world, the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with joy and festivity. From hymns echoing in churches to nativity scenes displayed in homes, the occasion has become a symbol of peace and hope. Yet beneath the celebration lies a deeper, often overlooked truth: Jesus was born to die.
His birth was not simply a beautiful event in human history—it was the divine introduction of the Lamb of God, who would take away the sin of the world. His manger was not an endpoint, but the beginning of a journey that would lead to the cross. To understand the true meaning of Christmas, we must understand the sacrificial purpose behind the incarnation.
“Unto Us a Child Is Born, Unto Us a Son Is Given”
Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV):
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This prophecy from Isaiah contains two powerful phrases. “A Child is born” speaks of Jesus’ humanity—He entered into the world like any other child, wrapped in flesh and born of a woman. But “a Son is given” speaks of His divinity and purpose. The Son existed before the child was born. He was given, not created.
This giving is echoed in John 3:16:
John 3:16 (NKJV):
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Jesus was not only born to be among us, He was given to die for us. His birth was a divine act of offering, not just of presence.
The Lamb of God
When John the Baptist first saw Jesus, he did not call Him “the Messiah,” “the King,” or “the Teacher.” Instead, he identified Him as a sacrifice.
John 1:29 (NKJV):
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
This declaration ties Jesus directly to the Old Testament system of sacrifice:
- In the Passover (Exodus 12), a lamb was slain and its blood applied to protect the Israelites from judgment.
- In the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), animals were sacrificed for the sins of the nation.
Jesus came to fulfill these shadows. As Paul later wrote:
1 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV):
“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus was marked not by royalty but by destiny—sacrifice.
The Giving of the Son Was for the Purpose of Death
Jesus was not given merely to teach or to heal, though He did both. He was given to be offered up. Paul makes this clear:
Romans 8:32 (NKJV):
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
The term “delivered Him up” refers to His crucifixion. The manger leads to the cross. God did not spare His own Son—He handed Him over, not out of wrath, but out of love for humanity.
Isaac and the Foreshadowing of the Sacrifice
Long before Jesus was born, God foreshadowed the giving of His Son through the story of Abraham and Isaac.
Genesis 22:7–8 (NKJV):
“But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said,
‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’
Then he said, ‘Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’
And Abraham said,
‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’
So the two of them went together.”
Isaac carried the wood for his own offering, just as Jesus carried His cross. Abraham was willing to offer his beloved son, just as God did not withhold His. And God provided a ram in Isaac’s place, just as Jesus became our substitute.
The Virgin Birth: The Sinless Lamb
The sinless nature of Christ is essential for Him to be the Lamb of God. He could not be stained by Adam’s sin. That is why the virgin birth was not symbolic—it was vital.
Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV):
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Luke 1:35 (NKJV):
“And the angel answered and said to her,
‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;
therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the
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