And The Word Became Flesh…

I love Christmas. I love to watch the strings of colors appear on houses, businesses and seeing the lights through the windows as they flash their way around myriad trees. I enjoy bringing out the decorations and reliving the past as I look at each one.

The memories of the excitement on the faces of my four kids as they anticipate Christmas morning. The pride on their faces as they belt out the words to songs in the Christmas program at church. The awe in their looks when they first spy Santa as they wait in line to speak to him. The songs that are sung to rejoice over the fact that a certain little baby was born more than two thousand years ago. I love it all.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

For more years than I can remember, Luke 2:11 was my favorite Christmas verse. What a declaration, right? And somehow, for me, it only sounds right in the King James version, more majestic maybe. It still thrills my heart when I hear it. I love watching the Charlie Brown Christmas show and hearing Linus do his speech. After all that’s what Christmas is all about. Celebrating His birth.

Churches are filled, some to standing room only, to hear another message of the first Christmas. People have pulled out their finest to go and listen and go and be seen. For some it is a ritual; “Well you have to go at least twice a year, don’t you?”

But there is a problem here and it revolves around the babe in the manger. Every Christmas His birth is celebrated around the world. It is worshiped and praised through song and theater. But once Christmas is over, the trees are taken down, the lights wound up and the manger scene carefully stored away.

True, duty and tradition were fulfilled as the Christ child was worshiped and celebrated. But now He is packed away in many people’s minds just as the statue of Him is put away. People are willing to celebrate His first advent, but they want to keep Him in the manger.

And the Word became flesh…

John 1:14a

It is easier that way. To think of Him as that cute innocent little baby boy, swaddled up, surrounded by His family. For if they let Him out of the manger that means He will grow up and become the man He was meant to be. The perfect, sinless, only begotten Son of God. Their Savior, Who died for their sins.

If they keep Him a baby tucked away in their hearts and minds, they don’t have to think about Him as that Savior; Who gave His life for them. For if they acknowledge Him as the only begotten of the Father, then they have a decision to make. They would have to accept or reject His offer of salvation. They would have to admit that they do sin and that His death paid the penalty for their sins.

…and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Christians aren’t any better. Many of us have ‘accepted and believed’. But what about the change that was meant to take place in both our hearts and in our lives.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2Corinthians 5:17

This new life means change. New ways, new actions; a new life. We are supposed to be producing fruit; good deeds; living for Him. People should be seeing a difference in us, such that causes them to wonder and maybe ask us about.

So, is your Jesus still wrapped up in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger or do you have Him living in you, active, alive; a fully risen Savior.

The choice is yours. Believe it and live it; or not. You can’t have one without the other.

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15:3

Until next time, God bless

~Brenda

Photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/huthfamily/2139907833/”>Nathan Huth</a> on <a href=”https://visualhunt.com/photos/christmas/”>Visual hunt</a> / <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”&gt; CC BY-NC-ND</a>