Advent: Day 18:
“What’s the Big Deal about Christmas!”
Scripture: “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I
have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).
Several years ago my grandson (Christopher) and I were travelling
together and we were having a theological discussion. It was around Christmas time and so we were
talking about the significance of the Christmas story. I taught him the definition of the
incarnation because he enjoys learning new words. I’ll never forget the impact that discussion
made on his life at that time. The
concept of GOD leaving glory to become a man and walk among us on the earth and
to suffer and die was overwhelming to him.
For the life of me I cannot understand why so many are not more
greatly impacted by this biblical truth:
That the Word became flesh, and dwelt (tabernacle) among us (John 1:14)! It’s not like this is an everyday occurrence
. . . as a matter of fact, it had never happened before and it will never
happen again.
The uniqueness of JESUS’ birth is that He did not originate at his
birth. He existed before He was born in
a manger. The personhood, the character,
and the personality of JESUS existed before the man JESUS of Nazareth was
born.
JESUS’ birth was not a coming into being of a new person, but a
coming into the world of an infinitely old person. The mystery of the birth of JESUS is not
merely that He was born of a virgin (though that pretty remarkable too!), but
that the child born at Christmas was a person who existed from before the
beginning of time . . . eternally with the Father (John 1:1-3; John 17:5; Colossians 1:13-17; Hebrews 1:2; 13:8).
This was GOD’s redemptive plan from the foundation of the world to
give you and me the possibility of being re-united with Him in Heaven . . . to
receive forgiveness for sin . . . to bring us eternal life and the most
incredible life here and now!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Richard
No comments:
Post a Comment