“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). – Matthew 1:23
Forget the presents. Ignore all the food. Enjoy friends and family, but don’t let your joy stop there. During this time of year, there is only one reason to have true, lasting joy – God has taken on human flesh, forever.
God has taken on “flesh” in many ways throughout time. God walked in Eden (Gen. 3:8). He came to Moses in a burning bush (Exodus 3:6). He led the people of Israel out of Egypt as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). He literally sat on top of the ark of the covenant between the two cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4). God has been taking on various forms of “flesh” ever since Eden, but they all pale in comparison to what Christ has done for us at Christmas. He took on OUR flesh.
He took on OUR flesh with all its weaknesses, our flesh with all its temptations, our flesh that is subject to pain, hunger, and tiredness. God took on all these limitations willingly. God could have stayed the way He was. He didn’t have to take on our flesh, but He did have to take on our flesh if He wanted to pay the price for our sin, to suffer the punishment we deserve, and to make peace between us and God. Jesus, the Son of God, had to take on flesh to save us; and He did. So Jesus is named “Immanuel” which means God with us; and He is!
It was not enough for Jesus just to take on human flesh. He took on OUR human flesh so He could suffer, die, and rise from the dead. Just as Jesus took on human flesh through His incarnation, so now you have taken on Christ’s righteousness, holiness, and perfection through your baptism into Christ. In Christ’s incarnation, we have truly been given the greatest gift of all time. His death and His resurrection have now become our death to sin and our resurrection to eternal life.
We have SO much to be thankful for at Christmas! Let’s make sure we look past the lights, the trees, the gifts, and the food, and take great joy in what Christ has done for us by coming in our flesh to save us from all sins, and from death, and for life eternal in glory – with Him!
My dear fellow-blest by our gracious God, rich blessings to you, this Christmas! The best Gift this Christmas and always is Immanuel, God with us! He makes the difference, all the difference, for each of us, for eternity! So let’s celebrate His birth, His life, His suffering and death and His rising again, this Christmas!
May Immanuel be with you in your celebrations with His love, His joy, His peace, this Christmas and always, just as He is with us, always!
With love for you in Jesus,
