Christmas

Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son. Oh, the wonder of Christmas.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Minus the tree and decorations, minus the lights and presents, minus the food and drinks, we still have the historical story of God coming to dwell on earth in the flesh.

The atheist and whole range of others like to claim Christmas is a pagan holiday. Some even within the church will say the same and refuse to celebrate the birth of The Savior because it isn’t commanded. However many things we participate in are not commanded and we also break commands everyday. I don’t feel they are wrong for not celebrating Christmas, I feel that as a Christian we have the liberty to celebrate or not. But the insane conspiracies of being a pagan ritual are just that….insane.

Even though we do not know the exact date of the Incarnation of Jesus we still have reason to celebrate. And yes, we should celebrate this moment in time every day, but having a day set aside to meditate on and celebrate isn’t wrong and it isn’t forbidden.

Think of the importance of the Imcarnation and what exactly took place and why it was necessary. Have you ever thought of the world without this event?

The word “Incarnation” literally means “the act of being made flesh”. The infinite and eternal God came into the world in the flesh. But not just flesh, he took on our humanity. Without giving up His deity, Jesus became flesh, with human body and soul. He is the God-Man. And this sets Christianity apart from all other religions, the fact that God became a man. You will find it nowhere else.

Many heresies evolved around the nature’s of Christ that I won’t go into now, but the fact that Jesus was fully God and fully man at all times has been contested and taught wrongly.

God the Son came to us as we are. He cried, felt pain and hunger, had moments of happiness and sadness, was tempted as we are and died as we do. He depended on His mother although she was created by Him. He laid upon the very earth that he created from nothing and continually sustained.

John 1:14 reads “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” What an incredible and mysterious thing that the very God that gave us life would come to live perfectly for us so we could live eternally with Him!

I personally love the way the Nicene Creed explains this occasion of the birth of the God- Man Jesus Christ and the facts of who He is, what His nature is, what He accomplished and what His Incarnation means for us.    

It begins with “We believe” and continues “In one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.”

Today may not be the day, this month may not be the month, but the fact remains that we were given a Savior. And He came into the world as a baby who laid in a manger. He grew into a man and died and rose again to bring salvation to His people. We should celebrate this at all times, but on this day set aside we should celebrate as well. The gifts we give are of love, but what greater gift it was that a child was born. Merry Christmas.