Christmas! Jesus’ birth! What a splendid time of year. To me, Christ’s birth along with his death and resurrection are the most important events in the history of humanity, and the ones that I am the most grateful for in my life. Without his birth, we wouldn’t have a Savior that would redeem us from all of the darkness of sin. God in his infinite love sent his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Because of Christ’s birth, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead, we have new life. If you think about it, our identity as Christians is linked to a tiny baby born in a stable and to the Christ who died on the cross. One selection of scripture that emphasizes all these aspects is Isaiah 9:6.

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The scriptures tell us Jesus was born in a manger as a baby, lived as a man, but was also by his very nature, God. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us.” In Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל. The more we can identify with all aspects of Jesus, the more we will understand our true identity as Christians. During this Christmas, may your heart be open and ready to have the Holy Spirit teach you more about Jesus in all his fullness. May you embrace the baby, but also ponder how God became a man.

Merry Christmas!