Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Before the world began, Jesus lived in heaven, a far more glorious place than you or I can ever imagine. Yet, because you and I need a Savior, He left paradise and came to earth as a tiny baby, wrapped in cloth and laid in a feeding trough used for animals.
Just let that soak in for a moment.
If He had been born in the most fancy and noble place the world had to offer, it would not have been worthy of Him, but God chose to have His only Son born in the most meager place He could. God did this so that we would know that Jesus came for each of us. Jesus came to save the highest ranking official, the most popular and the richest person the world had to offer. He also came to save those who were very low on the social ladder, the least popular and the poorest the world had to offer.
Jesus came to rescue you and I.
The way Jesus came and how He lived as a man on this earth reveals so much to us about the true character of God and His amazing love for all of us. Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the miracle of His love.
That night in Bethlehem, our infant Savior was humbly laid on a simple bed of straw. As a boy, He played and studied in the modest household of a carpenter. As a man, Jesus live His life as a perfect example, enduring every kind of earthly temptation, yet, without sinning and then humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross so you and I might have eternal life.
Philippians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
As we see here in Philippians, Jesus humbled Himself to the extreme. Despite everything the world threw at Him, no matter how mean people were, Jesus, despite having the power to crush anyone who opposed Him, chose to stay humble.
You and I now know Jesus not as a helpless infant or even a grown-up man, but as the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Great I am. His greatness goes beyond what any one of us can fully comprehend. He is…
The Alpha and the Omega
Revelation 1:8 (NIV)
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
The Way, the Truth and the Life
John 14:6 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11 (NIV)
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Through a personal relationship with Christ, any of us can know Him intimately as any of these three.
As we are celebrating this Christmas season and begin to celebrate the miracle of His love. As we gather with our families and open our presents, I encourage you to ponder the majesty of God and the goodness and power He brings to your life. Having a close personal relationship with Jesus, that was made possible by Him coming to earth as a man, is truly the greatest gift of all.
