For there is born to
you this day
in the city of David
a Savior,
who is Christ the
Lord.
And this will be the
sign to you:
you will find a Babe
wrapped
in swaddling cloths,
lying in a
manger. And suddenly
there was with
the angel a multitude
of the
heavenly hosts
praising God saying:
“Glory to God in the
highest, and on
earth peace, goodwill
toward men!”
Luke 2:11–14
This familiar
narrative is one of the most important events recorded in the Bible; the first
being the creation, the second the birth of the Messiah (Christ), the third the
most important of all events; the death, burial, resurrection, and the
ascension into heaven by this same babe in a manger born some 33 years before.
It is His birth that we, Christians celebrate on this day, December 25th,
and it is on this day we are reminded of that night on a lonely pasture where
shepherds lay watching their sheep that the angel of God appeared and announced
the birth of the Son of God, and then a multitude of angels appeared singing; “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”(Luke 23:14). The
word “Christ” is not a name of Jesus, it is not Jesus Christ, as in our names
whereby we have a first and last name, and probably a middle name, this was not
a name, it is a title, a title announcing that the Messiah, the long promised
Messiah, the deliver, and savior has come into the world. Yes, it is true that
it was the Hebrews that looked for this Messiah and not the world and yet it
was for the whole world that Jesus was born and for whom He is the savior: “[H]e
took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord, now You are letting
Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen You
salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to
bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel’” (Luke
2:28–32). Yes, the babe in swaddling cloths came not only for His national
people for He came for all His children that are in any and all nations, those
chosen by God to be given to Him: “Now I am no longer in the world, but these
are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those
whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are one” (John 17:11). Some
will say that this prayer of Jesus just before His arrest in the Garden of
Gethsemane is only for His disciples. This prayer goes on to point out He was
praying not only for His closest followers. It was and is for the whole world
for this is the purpose of the life of Jesus and that purpose: bring salvation
to the world. His love, this love of God, this love that is so great and not
comprehended by our finite minds, may be in us, all who are the children of
God: “An I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the
love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). This
“agape” love, a love that has its foundation in that it expresses the deep and
constant love and the interests of God towards those who are unworthy. It is
this love brought to us by the birth of the Son of God, God’s very own Wisdom
clothed in flesh and who came to live as a perfect man, and die a perfect man. He
came not only to pay the debt of sin owed to God, a debt man cannot pay, for
this babe came to bring salvation to the Children of God. You who convert to
Jesus Christ are recipients of this love and salvation, and this is the real
meaning behind this celebration: Christmas. Now, this is a fact that the more
unbelievers pour scorn on Him, so much the more does He make, His Godhead
evident. The things which they, as men, rule out as impossible, He plainly
shows to be possible; that which they deride as unfitting, His goodness makes
most fit; and things which these wiseacres laugh at as "human" He by
His inherent might declares divine. Thus by what seems His utter poverty and
weakness on the cross He overturns the pomp and parade of idols, and quietly
and hiddenly wins over the mockers and unbelievers to recognize Him as God. Many
today attempt to destroy this celebration as if they could destroy
Christianity, and this world attempts to replace this special time with much
commercialism and yet with all they do they cannot change history. Jesus Christ
came, yes as a babe, and yes lived a life of poverty inasmuch as He did not
accumulate wealth of goods, and yes, He died a criminal’s death. This cannot be
denied, and His birth, life, and death changed the entire world, even those
nations; i.e., China, and other far Eastern nations that believe in a form of
Hinduism, or Buddhism, know about this babe, this man, Jesus Christ. Jesus did
not come to set in place His kingdom on this earth: “Jesus answered, ‘My
kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants
would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom
is not from here” (John 18:36). You, Christian, are part of His kingdom,
and He went away to prepare a place for you so that you may be with Him for
eternity. This is what we celebrate on Christmas Day, it is not just His birth,
rather it is Him, God in the flesh and all that He has promised to His children
are promises of assuredness. We believe, we are not responsible to do what He
commanded; to be a witness for Him: “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You
a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause
I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone
who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).
Do you believe? Then celebrate,
pass out gifts, enjoy time with your family, relatives, and friends, and speak
of this day not as a day of just fun and gifts, (good food, had to put that
in), rather this day when God came to earth for His children: You!
On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle
of David,
Which has fallen down, and repair
Its damages;
I will raise up
Its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days
Of old;
that they may possess
The remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles
Who are
called by My name,
Says the LORD who does this thing.
Amos 9:11–12
God Came To Plant You In His Land
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