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Why is Christmas so special?
To understand Christmas you need to know:
The Relevance of Christmas
Jesus was God, and he came to live among us for a while. That is the relevance of Christmas. Jesus didn't start in the stable. He existed even before Creation. The preeminence of Christ is explained in Colossians, where we are told he is the exact likeness of the unseen God, he existed before anything else, and, in truth, he is the Creator who made everything in Heaven and on Earth (Colossians 1:15-16). The Bible says if you've seen Jesus, you've seen God (John 1). If Jesus really is God and God came to Earth, then Christmas is the most relevant event of history.
The Reality of Christmas
The reality of Christmas was that Jesus Christ was a real man, flesh and blood, bones and hair. He was a real person — not a myth, not a fable, not a nice story. The Bible says Jesus “of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7 TEV).
The Reason for Christmas
Jesus didn't stay in the manger. He went to a cross and voluntarily laid down his life for us. The Bible says, “He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8 TEV). So the Cross of Christ is not the end of baby Jesus in the manger. He is alive, and he came on a mission to bring you home to the Father. That's the reason for Christmas.
The Result of Christmas
The Bible says that because Jesus was willing to walk in humility, “God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 TEV).
FAQ
Q: Why would Jesus come as a human being?
A: If God had wanted to communicate with dogs, he would have become a dog. If he wanted to communicate with birds, he would have become a bird. But God wanted to communicate with people, so he became a person.
Q: Why did he allow himself to go to the cross?
A: Firstly, to demonstrate God's love. The Bible says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT, second edition). Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT, second edition).
Secondly, to pay for our sins. When you break a law, you have to pay a penalty. When you break man's laws, you pay man's penalties. When you break God's laws, you pay God's penalties. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life: “Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24 TEV). What Jesus did over 2,000 years ago can make a difference in our lives right now. We can be completely forgiven for everything we’ve ever done wrong or will ever do wrong. That's the reason for Christmas.
Q: What does it mean to be a Christian, to be a believer, to be saved?
A: It means to say, “Jesus is my Lord. I acknowledge the fact that he is God, I believe that he has everything under control, and I commit everything I have to him.”
Q: What does it mean to say, “Jesus is Lord”?
A: I acknowledge that Jesus really is God. I believe that Jesus has everything under control. I commit all of my life to Jesus.
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The Bible says one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. It will happen. All of the arrogance in this world that puts itself up against Christ and all the arguments that deny Jesus is Lord will fall by the wayside, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
You may think evil is winning, but Jesus is Lord. You may think you can’t go on because circumstances are piled up against you, but Jesus is Lord. You may think your problems are too big for anyone to handle, but Jesus is Lord.
When you’re discouraged, say, “Jesus is Lord.” When you're tired, when you’re worried, when you’re afraid, when you’re lonely say, “Jesus is Lord.” Say it when you're grieving and you don't understand why someone you love just died. Say it when you don't think you can go another mile.
Say it this Christmas and make it the theme of your life: Jesus is Lord.
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