There is a part of me that doesn’t like the Christmas season. I hate what it has done to Christianity. The birth of the Savior has been hi-jacked. The arrival of Emmanuel has been relegated to a secular celebration highlighted by a trip to the local mall. What a way to celebrate the ultimate spiritual-bailout.
I’m sure our family is no different than yours. Our kids love to look at home movies, especially from previous Christmas mornings. They love to laugh and reminisce about the days of their youth and the childish behavior they exhibited.
But they are no longer children. All are grown adults with their own lives, and dreams of miraculous things that the Lord will do through them. Their childhood is a mere memory, a record if you will, of their journey on this globe. Each year we celebrate their birthday by acknowledging how much they have grown. We are happy they were born, but we are excited by what they will become.
But it is different with Jesus. Christmas is a yearly reminder of God’s invasion of time and space and the gift of life He gave to the world. But the yearly reminder of a “babe wrapped in swaddling clothes” seems to trap Jesus in the manger. For many in this nation they never get beyond the “Christ Child.”
I don’t want to ruin your Christmas party but the birth of Jesus is meaningless without the Cross of Calvary. His birth is insignificant without His death. It is the crucifixion that “saves His people from their sins.”
For many, the recitation of the “Christmas Story” gives an almost-fairy-tale like feeling to those who are enamored by the season. If the only Jesus one hears about is the “Babe in a manger” is it any wonder that Christianity is so powerless to so many?
Almighty God humbled Himself and took on the form of a sinful man. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. He is so much more than a “Babe in a manger.”
The Prophet Isaiah foretold “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,”
That Babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, was almighty God Himself. It is high time we taught our children to look beyond the manger.
You see the entire Bible is about Jesus. In each of the sixty-six books there is a type or shadow, a picture if you will, of Jesus.
In Genesis He is The Seed of The Woman. In Exodus: The Passover Lamb. In Leviticus He is The High Priest. In Numbers The Cloud and The Fire, In Deuteronomy He is The Prophet Like Moses. Joshua presents Him as The Captain of Our Salvation, In Judges He is The Judge And Lawgiver.
The book of Ruth presents Him as The Kinsman Redeemer, in 1 & 2 Samuel He is The Prophet of The Lord. The books of 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles declare Him The Reigning King while in Ezra He is The Faithful Scribe. Nehemiah pictures Him as The Rebuilder of The Broken Down Walls.
In Esther He is Mordecai. Job describes Him as The Dayspring From on High. In Psalms, The Lord Who Is Our Shepherd, Proverbs & Ecclesiastes call Him Wisdom. The Song of Solomon declares him as The Lover & Bridegroom, and Isaiah says He is The Prince of Peace.
In Jeremiah & Lamentations He is The Weeping Prophet, while Ezekiel writes that He is The Wheel Turning. Daniel names Him The 4th Man in The Fiery Furnace, to Hosea The Bridegroom Married to The Backslidden Woman. Joel declares Him Baptized With The Holy Spirit And Fire while Amos calls Him The Burden Bearer.
The book of Obadiah speaks of Him as The Mighty Savior, while Jonah says He is The Forgiving God. In Micah He is The Messenger With Beautiful Feet, but Nahum prophesizes Him as The Avenger of God's Elect. Habakkuk speaks of The Great Evangelist, Crying For Revival, while Zephaniah describes Him as The Restorer of God's Lost Heritage.
In Haggai he is The Cleansing Fountain, Zechariah: The Merciful Father and Malachi calls Him The Son of Righteousness, Rising with Healing in His Wings.
Matthew: The Messiah, Mark: The Wonder Worker, Luke: The Son of Man, John: The Son of God. In Acts He is The Ascended Lord, In Romans The Justifier. In 1 & 2 Corinthians He is called The Last Adam, Galatians declares He is The One Who Sets Us Free. Ephesians calls Him The Christ of Riches, while in Philippians: The God Who Meets Our Every Need.
Colossians describes Him as The Fullness of The Godhead, 1 & 2 Thessalonians: The Soon Coming King, 1 & 2 Timothy: The Mediator Between God And Man. Titus calls Him The Blessed Hope, while Philemon: The Friend That Sticks Closer Than a Brother.
In the book of Hebrews He is The Blood That Washes Away My Sins. James declares Him The Great Physician. In 1 & 2 Peter declare Him The Chief Shepherd while in 1 & 2 & 3 John: Everlasting Love. Jude cries The God our Savior and in Revelation He is The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
This Christmas season teach your children about our Savior and God’s marvelous plan to rescue the world from sin.
Hark! the herald angels sing "Glory to the new born King,
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"
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