Christmas came, Christmas; a son is born, a child is given and He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, and the government shall be upon His shoulders.
As children, Christmas epitomized the ultimate, best, most fun and wonderment evoking time, no competitors. We counted the days; yielded our senses to it way before, and lived it weeks after. Toy and candy visions, visiting cousins, school vacation, and cookies galore etc. filled and thrilled our greedy little subjective hearts and minds.
Christ came to Earth; what did it mean? How did it redeem and how did it figure in God’s healing scheme? Unfortunately, we never understood or enjoyed this part as children. Lets think about it now.
Firstly, the miracle of God Himself becoming a man, honors mankind as never before. It takes the breath out of you when digested. Centuries of encouraging man, restoring dignity to man, honoring man, giving post-flood authority to man,and elevating man’s self-image—cumulatively have moved us down the field toward this next event. History has shown us God delivering chosen people from oppressive opposition, and establishing sacred identity in a race of people with God’s law as basis. All this has school-mastered and created opportunity for mankind even further.
Yes it has, but nothing epitomizes the honor bestowed on mankind at Immanuel’s coming! Bible history unfolds God’s working, man-focused, to build man’s honoring, and “God with us” is the enigma of wonder— but God becoming “as us”? well, that truth blows all honoring concepts right out of the proverbial water trough.
Second; Jesus came not just as a representative man, but as a revealer and express portrait of the Father. What mean? The Father’s holy and loving person unfurled in Christ’s person, cleared up all variety of pertinent questions about each. For example, Jesus came healing, delivering, and befriending publicans and sinners, so symbolizing the Father’s heart. In addition, He stood in opposition to the proud and boastful religious leaders. He purposed to seek and save lost men and to rescue people from their sins; Again, Father’s heart shown .
See, Christ revealed to us “The Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort.” And even more, when He was to return to the Father, He spoke of Him as “My Father and your Father”— Unheard of! Not “Father Abraham” or any other, but “Father God” is referenced.. Not just “My Father who art in heaven”, but, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”, is on His lips.
There’s more: His death with blood-shedding painted the picture, without question— salvation to all manner of men. Jew and Gentile, bond or free, Greek or Scythian are all concluded as one, that He might have mercy on all. Self sacrificing love and the unbelievable Holy Wrath unleashed on the Son of God Himself, as standing in for, and identifying with sin-infested man, blasted and blanketed any usurping principle of sin capability. Never before was it understood: all peoples were included in the eternal plan of the Father.
Fourth and half a yard; Christmas is a glorious display of Angels as they show up in the Christmas story several times. In contrast, the dastard display of hatred from Herod’s realm, conjure up in us thoughts of a dark world beyond vision’s periphery. Jesus world was a world where both angels and demons factored in; a supernatural, extra natural, yet fascinating and dream-evoking world. The Imagination can run the gambit, but most would agree these invisible creatures are attention grabbers, and we have a tendency to honor them just on the basis of their mysterious appearances.
But whoa! Christmas exalts those flesh and blood creatures called human beings! Our tendency toward lowly self-evaluation makes this event all but impossible inside our thinking and imagination-provoking spheres. Nevertheless, God moves toward the earth not for the ‘high’ creatures of nether world, but for you and me. O, we are the objects of the very love-embrace of Almighty God. We comprise the sole meaning of what He came for, and we ever live His joy and crown. He loves us, He loves you. O, see Him suffering and dying, out of pure love for the most unlikely, you and me
The celebration? It’s so glorious, precious, excitement producing, and reverts me back to childhood Christmas, and I am like a kid again, as the biggest box under the tree has my name on it. I have pure glee and laugh and weep and run and stop and try it out. It works great and it is my very own gift from Him; His very own victory and righteousness and separation from all harm and all the hidden potential of bad invisible creatures and my own frightful insides. I’m saved baby! I’m redeemed, and I am healed, I am healed. Jesus did it all for me; it is my birthday too, and I get all the benefits. It is my special day and His, and I am so feeling special.
Please, this Christmas, just open up the gift.