by Greg Laurie

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
- Matthew 1:23

It really is an amazing thing, to think about the mystery of the Incarnation - that mysterious moment when God became a man.

Jesus Christ - God the Son - was born in a manger. He went from the throne of heaven to a feeding trough. He went from the presence of angels to a cave filled with animals. He who is larger than the universe became an embryo. He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young virgin.

Some people have a hard time believing in the Virgin Birth. If you believe the Bible, you need to believe in the Virgin Birth. The Bible teaches that God Almighty was supernaturally conceived in the womb of a virgin (see Matthew 1:23).

This makes sense if you think about it. If God had chosen to, He could have sent Jesus to this earth as a fully grown yet sinless human being. A shaft of light could have come out from heaven with Jesus descending to the ground as an adult man.

But if Jesus came to us in that way, who could have related to Him as a person, as a part of the human race? God also could have had Jesus come into the world through two ordinary human beings - but still with a divine nature. But then most of us would have doubted His divinity. That's why the Incarnation makes sense.

Christmas is the opportunity to worship God, to bow down and pay homage to Him for humbling Himself and appearing in human form (see Philippians 2:6–9). Why He would choose to love us so much to become one of us is the true mystery of the Incarnation - and the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Let's be sure to worship Him this week and to proclaim "good tidings of great joy" to a world that needs to hear good news.

(Isa. 9:6-7, Micah 5:2, Jer. 33:15, Matt. 1:21, John 1:14, Rom. 1:1-6, Heb.10:5-12, Rev. 12:3-5, 22:16)

He died, was buried and rose again according to the Holy Scriptures

(Matt. 28:6-7, John 5:39, 1 Cor. 15:2-4)

to make RIGHTEOUS full atonement and RIGHTEOUS propitiation for all of Adam's fallen race which place their trust in Him

(John 1:12, Acts 4:12, 16:28-30, Rom. 10:2-4, 1 John 2:2, 4:10)

He now sits at the Right Hand of Almighty God's throne

(Acts 2:26-33, Psalm 110:1, Col. 3:1-4, Heb. 1:2-3, Rev. 5)

and will come again in the clouds for His bride

(John 14:3, 1 Cor. 15:51-57, 1 Thess.4:13-18, 1 John 3:1-4)!

He will then come back to earth from Heaven's glory to judge the world in PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS and establish His 1000 year Kingdom Reign and REIGN for EVERMORE

(Isa. 2:1-4, Jer. 23:6, Dan. 2:43-44, 7:13-14, Mic. 4:1-4, Zech. 14:3-5, Matt. 24:27, 2 Thess. 2:8-12, Rev. 19:11-2, 21-22:1-5)!

Dear friends, that is the WONDERFUL Christmas message in a nut shell!!! O the ETERNAL depths of the Christmas message! Who can even fathom it?! This Christmas season may you be a TRUE receiver and a TRUE believer in knowledge with spiritual understanding about what the birth of Jesus Christ truly means. May it be so!!

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

by Stephen Altrogge

Don't get me wrong, I really do like Christmas. I like getting together with my family to open presents and sit around the tree and watch reruns of Seinfeld and The Andy Griffith Show. I'm happy when it snows on Christmas. I like seeing tastefully decorated houses. Heck, I even like some Christmas music (don't get me started on "Mary Did You Know?").

But Christmas often brings out the gloomy side of me as well. I'm reminded of one of my favorite families who, because of cancer, no longer has a dad around the house. I'm reminded of some of my favorite people who, after many years of patiently waiting, are still single. I'm reminded of my sister, who has been dealing with migraine headaches for years without much relief. I'm reminded of my own ongoing battles with intense physical anxiety.

After the tree is down and the wrapping paper put away and the music silenced and the egg nog polished off, all the problems still remain. I think one of the reasons we cling so tightly to Christmas is that it helps us forget about our problems for awhile. For a few, brief days, everything seems as it should be. We long for a white Christmas because the snow covers up all the mud and muck.

My propensity toward Christmas gloom is one of the reasons I am so grateful for Jesus. Not in a "Jesus is the reason for the season," kind of way, but in a, "Jesus is a holy warrior," kind of way.

This morning I was reading in Matthew 8-9. In these chapters Jesus cleanses a leper, heals a centurion's servant, heals Peter's mother-in-law, calms a storm, drives demons out of two raving madmen, heals a paralytic, raises a girl from the dead, heals two blind men, and heals a man who is unable to speak. In the comments section of The Gospel Transformation Bible it says:

Wherever Jesus goes he brings the reign of God, and where God reigns, the invisible powers of the universe in rebellion against him are banished and left powerless to do anyone ultimate harm…. Since believers are united with Christ, they share Christ's victory over evil.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the true meaning of Christmas. Wherever Jesus goes he brings the reign of God! Christmas is ultimately about the kingdom of God coming to this sad, broken, sin-marred world. Christmas is ultimately about a baby who would grow into a mighty warrior–a warrior who would crush Satan, undo sadness, defeat death, and ensure that it would be always Christmas and never winter.

Listen closely. For just a moment, tune out the Christmas music and television commercials. Do you hear that slow creaking and cracking noise? It's the sound of Satan's skull being slowly crushed underneath the foot of our conquering Savior. Now we suffer. Now we experience cancer and migraines and anxiety and singleness and sadness and loneliness and poverty. Now we are afflicted by sin and Satan and our flesh. But not always.

Ultimately, Christmas should give the most hope to those who hate Christmas. Things won't always be this way. As it says in 1 John 3:8, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." Those are such sweet words. Christmas is a celebration of war! Jesus himself has declared open season on Satan. He came to destroy all the works of the evil one. He came to wipe away tears and heal broken bodies and lift up despondent hearts and drive out fear and destroy loneliness.

If you're feeling gloomy, take heart. Jesus is for those who hate Christmas.

by Trevor Grant Thomas

As the parents of four young children (ages 13, 11, 9, and 7), my wife and I have had many years of joyous celebration at Christmas time. Interestingly, we've done this without ever "doing" Santa Claus. In other words, we have never pretended with our children that the gifts under the tree and the goodies in their stockings were the result of the magical efforts of a jolly fat-man.

Don't get me wrong, we don't shun Santa. As the above implies, we embrace most of the traditions surrounding Christmas. We have a Christmas tree with presents underneath. We decorate the house inside and out with wreaths, bows, Nativity scenes, and the like. We have our "stockings hung by the chimney with care." We send and receive Christmas cards (one of our best efforts from a couple of years ago is below), and so on. We've taught our children that some families, even Christian families, use the Santa Claus myth as a means of enhancing the joy and fun of the Christmas season.

Have a Merry Christmas...Or Else!

Of course, we work hard at keeping Christ the center of Christmas. We've cautioned our children that "traditions" often can distract us from the profound Truth that Christmas presents. Those who hate the real meaning and message of Christmas will go to great lengths to keep us from this Truth.

The unexpected death of my beloved father-in-law David earlier this year has made this Christmas season by far the most difficult that our family has faced. As an important court date looms for David's killer just a few days following Christmas, our family is tragically reminded of the true meaning of this season.

The man who killed David has a long criminal history. He soon will stand before a judge to be sentenced for probation violations associated with the crash that took David from us. Though he will face the hard consequences of our criminal justice system in this world, because of what was given at Christmas, David's killer, like all of us, has an amazing opportunity for eternal redemption. In other words, though he may be in prison, he could be "set free."

As the piece from the previous link indicates, whether or not we are ever unjustly responsible for the death of another human being in this world, in one way or another, we have all "offended" the One Judge before Whom we must all give an account. In other words, we are all "criminals" desperately in need of a pardon.

In fact, there is no greater need in this world. As Charles Sell put it,

"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior."

In Christian circles, it is often told that, early in the twentieth century, The Times (UK) either invited essays on, or ran a piece entitled, "What's wrong with the world?" Noted theologian, author, and apologist G.K. Chesterton replied,

"Dear Sir,
I am.
Yours, G.K. Chesterton."

None of us is "innocent." We have all gone our own way and done our own thing with disastrous results. In spite of the foolish notion often portrayed by some, no nation, no culture, no individual is "basically good." This world is filled with evil, and at one time or another, we've all had a hand in it. As the prophet Isaiah puts it, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah wasn't merely painting a picture of sinful humanity. The above Scripture was a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Ultimately the world doesn't have a poverty problem, or a crime problem, or a sexual problem, or a terrorism problem, or even (and of course) a climate problem. The world has a sin problem, and Jesus is the answer.

The most quoted portion of the Bible, John 3:16 declares, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Less well known is the verse immediately following. John 3:17 says, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

The Red Cross offers "Operation Save-A-Life." Those wanting us to donate blood or organs do so by imploring us to "Give the gift of life." With Christmas, God gave "the gift of life" as it has never before been given. How many dying individuals would say no to a lifesaving medical procedure made possible through the efforts or generosity of another? Yet how many reject the amazing gift of everlasting life that God offers through Jesus?

There's no escaping this all important eternal truth: we are all in dire need of a Savior. Your life can be filled with treasures and pleasures, but if you ignore Jesus and His message, you will regret it for eternity. Your life can be riddled with poverty, sickness, and strife, yet if you repent and believe in Christ, the magnificent riches of eternal life await you. And whether rich or poor, sick or well, imprisoned or free, in good times or bad, we all need the gift that was given on that first Christmas. Merry Christmas!

by Jill Carattini

According to a national organization dedicated to the study and aid of mental health, holiday stress is a widespread occurrence that plagues more of the population every year, for more time each year. "Americans are stressed during the holidays, we've long known this," said David Shern, president of Mental Health America. "However, on January 2, when a person may expect the stress let up, they instead find themselves feeling down, physically ill, or anxious. This is because stress takes a serious toll on a person's overall health—both physical and mental."(1) And the phenomenon is hardly unique to America.

If we could somehow miraculously transport someone from the time of the Old Testament into this conversation and he or she listened to us describe the stress we feel as we move closer and closer to Christmas, they would concur. We would of course first have to explain what Christmas is—namely, the remembrance of the birth of the Messiah, the day God came among us. But at this explanation, they would immediately understand. In fact, they would find it completely remarkable if anyone should not face with stress, awe, and trembling the thought that God is coming, that God is here.

Of course, you and I are well aware that this is not why we are stressed at Christmastime. According to Shern, we are stressed at the approach of Christmas because of finances, because of family, because of the absence of family, because of over-indulgence, because we have too much to do, or because we have too little to do and feel the pointed edges of loneliness. For so many of us, the thought that Christmas is coming is indeed one that invokes fear, trembling, and attention, though perhaps for unfortunate reasons.

In the times of Moses, David, and the prophets, the nearness of God awakened a sense of awe and consciousness. "Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence?" (Jeremiah 5:22). "Woe to me!" Isaiah cried when God appeared before him. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5). The early church, too, spoke of Christ's coming in terms of power, majesty, and the requiring of a radical response. "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty….and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place" (2 Peter 1:16-19). The coming of Christ—as a child no less, in a dark and despairing time—bids the world to stop and take notice, to tremble at a powerful story that changed everything.

Maybe we don't think of Christmas as having anything to do with God at all. Or maybe we have become so accustomed to the thought of God's coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the amazement of a God who comes near. Or maybe we have lost the will to see a light shining in a dark place and by it our own impoverished reflections? Can we consider the unthinkable love of a God who comes near—not in the form of a politician or in the strength of a military figure but in an infant? Will we see first the confining aspects of a stressful holiday or the despairing glimpses of a darkened world and only second or not at all the coming of light in the unthinkable gift of a child?

The Christian season of Advent, which in spirit is quite different than the seasonal bustle of Christmas, has been compared to living in a prison, though far from the prison-scenario many of us envision this time of year. Advent envisions enslavement, but not in the lists of things that need to be done or the emotional waves of the season. It is a far more real type of confinement: the enslavement of self, the imprisonment of sin, the dependence of creatureliness. Advent envisions us waiting for the one who breaks in and sets us free. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who knew well the cold walls of a prison cell, writes this of our confinement:

"Christ is breaking open his way to you. He wants to again soften your heart, which has become hard. In these weeks of Advent while we are waiting for Christmas, he calls to us that he is coming and that he will rescue us from the prison of our existence, from fear, guilt, and loneliness. Do you want to be redeemed? This is the one great question Advent puts before us…. But let us make no mistake about it. Redemption is drawing near. Only the question is: Will we let it come to us as well or will we resist it? Will we let ourselves be pulled into this movement coming down from heaven to earth or will we refuse to have anything to do with it? Either with us or without us, Christmas will come. It is up to each individual to decide what it will be."(2)

Christmas has come! Whether we are finished with all on our lists or are mentally prepared for the guests we now host, Advent reminds us that Christmas comes. Christmas comes because Christ has come, because Christ is here now, because Christ is coming again. God has come into the darkness, into our darkness, as a child—as light himself. Christmas has come.

References:

(1) "Survey Identifies Top Holiday Stressors, Who's Most Stressed," Mental Health America, December 7, 2006.

(2) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Testament to Freedom (New York: Harper Collins, 1995), 224-225.

About The Author:

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.