I believe in Christmas:
The virgin birth,
The Christ child,
Angels singing,
Magi traveling from afar
Peace on earth,
And good will toward men.
I believe in Christmas:
God’s personal outreach to humanity,
God’s Son as the first and greatest gift,
The Word becoming flesh to dwell among us,
The eternal king taking the manger when He deserved the throne
And the same king that will come again.
I believe in Christmas.
What happened when Jesus was born?
God the Son took on human flesh, in order to reach out to man. He showed His love to us. He showed His grace to us. But mostly He showed Himself to us. By knowing the Son we know the Father.
His personal presence allowed Him to communicate with humanity, face to face. He was able to be directly involved in teaching us, establishing His church, and demonstrating His love for us. His direct interaction was relational, instructive and compassionate.
His came with a purpose; Jesus came to break through the sin barrier. He completed a plan God had made prior to creation. He extended mercy without excusing away or diminishing the horror of sin. He Himself paid the price for our wrongs even though He Himself was the only one who was right.
God the Son came with the intention to die on our cross. His death serving as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Choosing this method of redemption shows us how terrible sin is, without requiring of us its terrible price. He has offered us a great gift, and left us with the choice of whether to receive it.
Then finally, He was raised from the dead. The resurrection is proof both of His forgiveness and our future in His Kingdom. His human body was the first to take on humanity’s resurrection. Today in heaven, He still inhabits the resurrected body of humanity.
He traded heaven for earth He traded the right hand of God for a stable He traded the throne for a manger He traded the praise of angels for the lowing of cattle He traded distance for closeness He traded being served by angels for Mary’s embrace He traded eternal comfort for the human experience He traded legions of angles for twelve apostles He traded His life for ours He traded justice for mercy He traded comfort for self-sacrifice He traded continuous praise for the scorn of executioners Merry Christmas
Charles W. Short 