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Syndicated story via Ken Klukowski @ Breitbart News

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”—John 1:1–2, 14 (ESV)

Christmas is so widely celebrated as a time for family and for giving that, in a modern culture, it is easy to lose sight of what Christians for two thousand years have believed it represents: The God of the universe took the form of a human being, lived alongside his fellow man, and changed the world. The person Christians believe to be both God and man is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

For over 1,000 years of recorded history before Jesus’ birth, prophets had uttered numerous prophesies regarding a promised Messiah (a Hebrew word for “anointed one” or “chosen one,” which in Greek is translated as the word Christ), recorded throughout the Old Testament. While some scholars include many oblique and fleeting references in Scripture that push the total number over 300, several dozen major ones clearly refer to the Promised Deliverer.

According to the Old Testament — which makes up over half of the Christian Bible — God promised Abraham that the entire world would be blessed through his offspring. Jacob prophesized that among his 12 sons, the royal line would come through his son Judah. God promised King David that the Messiah would be one of his descendants. The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The list goes on.

Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is that Promised Deliverer and that he fulfilled all those prophesies. Although Jesus was not born on December 25, that has always been the date on which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to his mother Mary in Bethlehem in four or five B.C.

But Christians also believe that many of those Old Testament references refer to a Messiah who is more than a ruler or a teacher.

Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” and that “of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.”

Daniel prophesized about a “Son of Man” — the term by which Jesus most often referred to himself, saying:

There came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

They believe that these prophesies refer to a Christ who is actually divine. And because the Bible is clear that there is only one divine God, Christians conclude that this promised Christ must be God himself.