What’s your source of Christmas joy?
Is it the King of kings whose birth is celebrated?
King Jesus humbled himself to become one created in the world he created (Philippians 2:6-8). Though we don’t know the specific date of his birth, we do know that his arrival was gloriously announced by a sky adorned with angels! His miraculous birth, though, was not the focal point for continued celebration; the reason he came – his sacrificial death – is to be a continual remembrance (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
God’s sovereign plan, woven throughout history with threads of justice and love, discipline and mercy, was for salvation through the promised Messiah. As the Passover Lamb, Jesus was the final sacrifice in order to defeat spiritual death. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NIV, letter S in Keep on Track).
Without the birth of Jesus there would have not been the death of Jesus and there would not have been the resurrection giving us hope for eternity with him! Remembering Jesus’ birth allows us to reflect on the immense and utter sacrifice he made when he put on flesh.
Jesus came – in obedience to his Father, always mindful of submitting to his Father’s plan. Jesus knew what he was coming to do. He willingly gave up, for a time, reigning in his heavenly place of honor, being continually worshiped and beside God the Father. Jesus came – “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15,17 NIV).
Jesus is the gift of God to us, so that all who accept him and submit to him will have communion with him and grow in him. We do not deserve such a gift from the holy God and we cannot earn the status of ‘child of God.’ We should be mindful each day of this life-altering gift from our heavenly Father.
As with other gifts we receive from a heart of love, we express thanks to the giver and put the gift to use in its intended way. Because of God’s gift of Jesus, we can be in relationship with God. Each day we can choose to have a posture of humility and worship our holy God. We can choose to have a heart of gratitude and an attitude of dependence on God our provider. We can choose to have a mindset of love, obedience, and service, just as Jesus modeled for us.
As we celebrate this Christmas, let’s “Bow the Knee” and humbly adore King Jesus.
Merry Christmas!