Some people have asked if it matters that traditional Christian Christmas celebrations are disappearing from school and other public venues. What does it matter? Traditions change: Isn’t Christmas just a tradition?
No. Christmas is a special time when we remember the coming of Jesus, even as we now are looking forward to his return in the near future. Jesus lived 2000 years ago, and the many documents collected in the Bible and other sources tell us about him. He came to live in Galilee when it was under the control of the Romans. His birth is linked to the time of Caesar Augustus. His life and his death are referred to in a number of ancient manuscripts. His whole life and ministry can be seen in the context of Jewish religious life and history. Although his universal message and ministry broke through the boundaries of Judaism, he did belong to the Jewish/Roman world of the first century. Jesus was an historical person but not merely an historical person because in him, God has revealed himself and acted in history on our behalf (cf. Salvation Story, pp 35-49).
Jesus Christ is ‘truly and properly God’. ‘He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made . . .’ (John 1:2-3). The character and being of God were fully present in the life of Jesus, for ‘He who has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14: 9). The early Christians adopted the word ‘Incarnation’ to describe this truth. The word is not strictly a biblical term, but literally means ‘embodiment’ or ‘in the flesh’ (John 1:14). The Incarnation declares that our God, who was without sin, loved us so much that He even became one of us (cf. Salvation Story, pp 35-49).
First century writers express this truth in different ways. In the Gospel of John we read that ‘the Word became flesh and lived for a while among us’ (John 1:14). In Philippians, Paul expresses this truth as he describes Christ as ‘being in very nature God’, and yet ‘taking the very nature of a servant’ (Phil 2:6-7). In Hebrews, Jesus Christ is referred to as ‘the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of his being’ (Heb1:3; cf. Salvation Story, pp 35-49).
Christmas is much more than a tradition; it is a time when we celebrate that God, Jesus, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:14). “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
If you haven’t yet come to know Jesus, I invite you to pray and invite him to be part of your life today. If you already have, this week I invite you to introduce someone to Jesus.
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