2020 has been a rough year. For some, they lost a job. For others, they lost someone dear to them. For many, they lost freedoms we had all taken for granted. And I dare say there have been times this year you felt like you were all alone. You were walking through the valley of tears by yourself. Yet, here we stand in the week of Christmas, a joyous time of year for many who remember that God never forgot about us, his prized creation, and sent his Son, Jesus, to walk with us. Indeed, he became the ultimate Christmas gift. In his birth, we find hope for a better tomorrow.
This time of year, we hear a word. It’s incarnation. But what does incarnation mean? One description I found was this:
“In Christian theology, the doctrine of the incarnation is that Jesus the preexistent divine logos, God the Son (the Son of the Father) taking on a human body and human nature who, made flesh, conceived in the womb of Mary. This doctrine states that Jesus is fully God and fully human, joined in hypostatic union.”
Well, that doesn’t seem too helpful of a description! I’ve got an advanced degree in theology but I was lost on some of those words. Ultimately, it means God became flesh in the person of his son, Jesus.
The whole world remembers that God remembered us this time of year. God's Son, Jesus, came to earth to live among us (John 1:1, 14). But if He came, what was his mission? Jesus says it is to seek and save that which was lost. Namely, us! So, he’s a rescuer and he came to bring us life and life to the full. His birth brings us hope and his death brings us life.
So when you read of his birth in Matthew 1:23, it says “His name is Immanuel, which means God is with us.”
So when you are afraid, Jesus is your peace. When you are alone, Jesus is your companion. When you are are lost, Jesus is your guide. When you are sick, Jesus is your healer. When you are tired, Jesus will carry you. When you are weak, Jesus will be your strength. And when you feel the weight of your sin on your shoulders, Jesus will be your Savior.
Jesus birth and life is the greatest story ever told. It’s what Christmas is all about. He is the ultimate gift. So, are you going to open him this holiday? He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He’s the promised Messiah. He’s the Son of God, the Lamb of God. Jesus is the light of the world. He’s Immanuel. Jesus is God with us. Blessings on your holiday season.