For children, Christmas is magical and exciting. For adults, Christmas is decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, sending cards and letters, festive gatherings (though, not so much this year). For those who grieve, Christmas is often sad and lonely. But for Christians, Christmas is a time to remember that God gave the world the most wonderful gift possible, when He gave His Son, Jesus. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. Jesus came as a helpless baby but He was also the fulfillment of all knowledge, wisdom and power. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead body”.
Luke 2:10, 11“And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”. On that day, we received the blessing of Jesus, who would become our only hope of salvation and eternal life. What a marvelous gift! What wonderful “good news and great joy”, indeed! In a stable, “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law”. (Galatians 4:4)
When I visited Israel a couple of years ago, we went to Bethlehem and had a quiet time in the place near the Shepherd’s Field, where Jesus was born in a stable. It wasn’t a baby lamb that was born that night, but “the Lamb of God”! I’ve learned that this Shepherd’s Field was where the unblemished lambs grazed, the lambs that became the sacrificial lambs of offerings to God. How perfect, God’s plan, that Jesus, who knew no sin, would become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of you and me, born near this field!
I read recently that “Bethlehem”, in Hebrew, means “house of bread” situated in the Judean hillside about 5 miles south of Jerusalem. It is no coincidence, that in John 6:35, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life”. In John 6:48, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If any man eats of this bread, he will live forever”.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that he who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”. John 3:16. Talk about the “perfect” gift! In addition, God continues to give generous and unending gifts to His children. The Bible tells us that we cannot even count, nor could books contain, an entire list of all that God has given us! Our lives, as seen by the way we live, should reflect thanksgiving each day for the precious gift of Jesus.
“Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee”.
-Martin Luther (1483-1546)