There are many Christmas songs about Jesus. Rightfully so, as He essentially “invented” the holiday! Interestingly though, there are not many songs of the season that talk about Jesus as the Messiah.

During the time period Jesus was born—The Late Second Temple Period—the Jewish people more than ever before were expectant of a coming Messiah. The word Messiah (mashiach) in Hebrew simply means “anointed one.” The Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) are full of references to the “anointed one” rescuing Israel from her enemies and leading the Gentile nations of the world into the knowledge of the God of Israel. By the time Jesus was born, the two most commonly understood and expected actions the Messiah would perform were regathering the outcasts of Israel (those still living in exile) and defeating God’s enemies by establishing His throne in Jerusalem.

Long before Jesus arrived in the flesh, Israel’s history was colored by captivity and enslavement. The northern tribes of Israel were taken into exile by the Assyrians, and the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin were taken away by the Babylonians. When they finally returned to Jerusalem 70 years later, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin endured the Greeks consistently attacking Jerusalem (where the events of Hanukkah happen) and lived under a godless Roman rule up until the time Jesus was born.

Can you imagine just how much you’d be longing for the Messiah if your family history read like this? Especially if, during this traumatic history, there were godly men and women who reminded your family that God was still watching your suffering and was going to send a Deliverer to save you from oppression.

The supernatural birth of Jesus was like a bright star breaking into centuries of Israel’s darkness. He was the hero finally arriving on the scene after generations of waiting. And when the mighty angel of the Lord appeared to the lowly shepherds to let them know the Messiah had been born, I’d bet that hundreds of years of history flashed before their eyes. It was likely an almost out-of-body experience for these shepherds to realize they were the ones alive for this historic event!

And where, of all places, was the long-awaited Messiah finally born? Bethlehem. In Hebrew, Beit Lehem means “House of Bread.” Or more plainly, “House of Provision.”

As we move patiently and expectantly toward Christmas—the celebration of the birth of our Messiah—what areas of your life are you waiting for Jesus to show up in? Even if you feel like there’s decades of family history needing the Messiah’s intervention, remember God broke into Israel’s story when many least expected Him to. And especially in a way they didn’t expect—through the birth of a baby in humble conditions. Where might God do the same in your life this Christmas?

I’m joining you to pray for the Messiah to move powerfully in our lives this holiday season.