So, God made a way to be with people again, through Jesus. The promises of God and the prophecies of the prophets became reality when Jesus was born. It was truly a joyous moment in the history of mankind! Yet, in the context of the big picture, it may seem somewhat anti-climactic. Yes, God was again walking with mankind. But, what about our spirits which were still dead? And, what about the curse of our flesh that was still plunging all people towards an eternity without God?
Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is worth celebrating because God's plan to save mankind was unfolding and being revealed! Jesus did not only come to earth to live and walk among us. He came to show us and teach us again the way God created life to be from the beginning; and how it still is in Heaven. Jesus lived His life perfectly. Then, when the time was right, He was willing to take our curse on Himself and die in our place. But, being God, death could not hold Him in the grave like it holds us! That is the celebration of Easter! That is the victory that God had planned.
Because Jesus took the punishment of death for our sin, our curse, and defeated it by His resurrection, we can follow Him in life. When we trust Jesus to be our savior, He gives our spirits new birth. (John 3) And when our cursed bodies die, we get new bodies that are once again pure! We get to spend eternity with God, rather than separated from Him.
This was God’s amazing plan, to make a way for us to be with Him again. This is the good news worth celebrating! And this is why we celebrate Christmas.
Our salvation began with Emmanuel, Jesus, God with us!
Merry Christmas!