Over the past few weeks, we’ve mentioned the wise men, the gifts, and the shepherds; all of which are important to the Christmas story. But in fact, it’s really about the Child born one day in a manger in Bethlehem. We may not know the exact day He was born or the exact location, but one thing is certain, He was born. There is apparently no reputable scholar or historian who will dispute the simple fact that Jesus was born, lived where the Bible states He lived, and was crucified in His early thirties. There is also little dispute over the fact that no other solitary life has impacted humanity more than has the life of Christ.
The Bible indicates that from the beginning Jesus’ birth and death was planned that way, but why? God is omnipotent, He could have just waved His hand and made any changes He desired to the world but He didn’t. He had His own plan, but why this way?
It is said that every one is a sinner. Romans 3:10-12 puts this way: “There is none righteous, no not one…there is none who seeks after God…there is none who does good, no, not one.” Romans 6:23 also states that “…the wages of sin is death…” and it says in Joshua 24:19 that “…He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.”
God could have just have forgiven our sins but He would not. It would not really be fair to forgive some and not all and that would mean sin would really go unpunished. Perhaps people could work their way to forgiveness but that too would be unjust because some are more capable of work than others. Psalm 7:11 remarks that “God is a just judge…” and so working to forgiveness is not going to be the way.
But why did He chose to come to earth as an infant and grow up amongst us as His way of doing things? There are probably many reasons but let me relate three.
First, coming and growing up among us as He did, allowed us to relate to Him on our terms. It gave us the ability to interact person to person so to speak and at the same time illustrated His extreme concern and love for His creation.
Secondly, through Christ, we were able to see God as He meant us to see Him. John 14:9 states “He who was seen Me has seen the Father…” because “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father”( John 6:46).
Thirdly, He came as a baby so that we would not be afraid. The first thing the angel said to the shepherds, in Luke 2:10, was “…‘Do not be afraid.’” Who could be afraid of an infant? If however, He had come with all His glory, as He will the second time, there would have been a great deal of fear, as there may well be on His next visit.
To have a God who is willing to come to us so that we can relate to Him, who has made himself visible through His Son and who has humbled Himself enough to come as an infant with all that entails, well, that is truly something we should all be thinking about this Christmas season.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
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