6 So it was, that while they
were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her
firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same
country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by
night.
9 And behold, an angel of the
Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy
which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Merry Christmas! Today is
Christmas Eve which has fallen on a Sunday. Sunday is the day that we as
believers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after His death on the
cross. If asked, most Christians would say that this is greatest miracle of all.
The crucifixion-resurrection event is, after all, the basis for our salvation.
In the Scriptures several other people, like Lazarus, was resurrected from the
dead but Jesus’ resurrection was a greater event than theirs because they
eventually died again, but Jesus rose to eternal life and glory. When Lazarus
rose, a great deal changed for him, but little changed for the world. But when
Jesus rose, everything changed.
What was so different about
Jesus’ resurrection? The key lies in Who died and rose. In the case of Lazarus,
a human died and rose again to continue a mortal life. But in the case of
Jesus, someone much more than a human died and rose again. Jesus was human, but
not just a human. He was both God and human — God in the flesh, God incarnate,
both divine and human.
The reason His death and
resurrection have such power is not because death and resurrection are the
greatest miracle. Rather, it is because His death and resurrection had been
preceded by the miracle that truly is the greatest of all: the miracle of the
incarnation. Billions will eventually die and be resurrected into eternal life
and glory; the incarnation, however, will remain unique.
By a miracle that passes human
comprehension, about 2,000 years ago the Creator entered His creation, the
Eternal entered time, God became human—in order to die and rise again for the
salvation of all people. The power of the life, teaching, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ does not lie in the events themselves. The power of the events
derives from the person of Jesus Himself: who and what He was and is. His words
have power and authority because they are the words of God incarnate. His life
has power because it is the life of God incarnate. His death and resurrection
have power because they are the death and resurrection of God incarnate.
A spirit of commercialism has
become so attached to the Christmas season that many Christians take little
notice of this greatest of all miracles. Disturbed by these things, some avoid
the festival. But too often, they also forget to dedicate time to think about
the message Christmas was intended to remind us of: the message of God’s
greatest miracle. What a pity that, as a result, some forgot to rejoice in this
greatest of all miracles, the birth of Jesus.
Let us not miss the
opportunity to celebrate the great miracle: to come in wonder and worship
before the One who humbled Himself to become a baby, a child, a human; who
descended into His own creation so that by ascending again He might lift it up
with Him from decay and bondage into glory and freedom.
God bless and Merry Christmas!
