Have you ever truly, truly pondered the significance of what we celebrate at this time of the year - the birth of Jesus?
OK, I realize that almost every person who reads this blog would probably say, "Pastor, of course I have. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior! It's God taking on flesh, born to be the sacrifice for our sins."
And you would be correct.
But there is more.
Do you realize how utterly wild the Doctrine of the Incarnation truly is? I mean, think about this: the Incarnation of Christ is one of the most astounding truth claims that sets Christianity apart from all the other world religions, including Judaism and Islam - a God who takes the initiative in becoming covered with flesh in order to redeem sinful human beings. One of my favorite writers, C. S. Lewis, said it like this in "Mere Christianity": "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."
So what's the BIG DEAL about Christmas?
In the Christ child of Bethlehem, God enters into human history and reveals Himself up close and personal. The astounding truth is that in Jesus Christ, God is encountered in a real, personal, historical, and tangible way.
In his book, "Understanding Jesus", Alister E. McGrath reflects upon the ultimate significance of Christmas:
"What sorts of things does the incarnation tell us about the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’? Perhaps most obviously, it tells us that the God with whom we are dealing is no distant ruler who remains aloof from the affairs of his creatures, but One who is passionately concerned with them to the extent that He takes the initiative in coming to them. God doesn’t just reveal things about Himself - He reveals Himself in Jesus Christ…. The incarnation speaks to us of a God who acts to demonstrate His love for us. That ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8) is a deep and important truth—but far more important is the truth that God acted to demonstrate this love. ‘In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him’ (1 John 4:9). Actions, as we are continually reminded, speak louder than words.
Beloved, the Nativity is more than a story about a place where a baby was born and wrapped in cloth. It is more than just a tale of two people who couldn't find a room to rent. It's more than a star-filled night, and it's more than shepherds and wise men.
The word "nativity" means "the event of being born". And when you think of WHO was born on that night, then everything has changed for all of the history of mankind. For those who know Him as Redeemer, Savior and Lord, it changes every aspect of the way we live. Like nothing else, it radically invades our lives...not just to remodel or to 'spruce up', but to rebuild from the inside out.
OK, I realize that almost every person who reads this blog would probably say, "Pastor, of course I have. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior! It's God taking on flesh, born to be the sacrifice for our sins."
And you would be correct.
But there is more.
Do you realize how utterly wild the Doctrine of the Incarnation truly is? I mean, think about this: the Incarnation of Christ is one of the most astounding truth claims that sets Christianity apart from all the other world religions, including Judaism and Islam - a God who takes the initiative in becoming covered with flesh in order to redeem sinful human beings. One of my favorite writers, C. S. Lewis, said it like this in "Mere Christianity": "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."
So what's the BIG DEAL about Christmas?
In the Christ child of Bethlehem, God enters into human history and reveals Himself up close and personal. The astounding truth is that in Jesus Christ, God is encountered in a real, personal, historical, and tangible way.
In his book, "Understanding Jesus", Alister E. McGrath reflects upon the ultimate significance of Christmas:
"What sorts of things does the incarnation tell us about the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’? Perhaps most obviously, it tells us that the God with whom we are dealing is no distant ruler who remains aloof from the affairs of his creatures, but One who is passionately concerned with them to the extent that He takes the initiative in coming to them. God doesn’t just reveal things about Himself - He reveals Himself in Jesus Christ…. The incarnation speaks to us of a God who acts to demonstrate His love for us. That ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8) is a deep and important truth—but far more important is the truth that God acted to demonstrate this love. ‘In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him’ (1 John 4:9). Actions, as we are continually reminded, speak louder than words.
Beloved, the Nativity is more than a story about a place where a baby was born and wrapped in cloth. It is more than just a tale of two people who couldn't find a room to rent. It's more than a star-filled night, and it's more than shepherds and wise men.
The word "nativity" means "the event of being born". And when you think of WHO was born on that night, then everything has changed for all of the history of mankind. For those who know Him as Redeemer, Savior and Lord, it changes every aspect of the way we live. Like nothing else, it radically invades our lives...not just to remodel or to 'spruce up', but to rebuild from the inside out.
THAT'S the big deal about Christmas. It's the gift given to you from Someone who loves you more than you can imagine.
May you experience the life-changing power of that Big Deal everyday of the year.
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