Christmas is a time when many get very nostalgic. They look at a nativity set and all the characters in the scene and their imagination goes wild. We all get a bit tenderhearted when we see a baby, and looking and thinking about baby Jesus is no different. The mere thought of God himself coming in the form of a baby brings tears to my eyes as I think about who this baby truly is.
C is for the Christ child. Christ means the anointed one. It is also the Hebrew equivalent of the Messiah. In Luke 2:11 the angel declared to the Shepherds that Jesus is Christ the Lord. In John 4:25-26, Jesus himself announces to the woman at the well that He is the Christ.
Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.“
John 4:25-26 “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”
H reminds me of his holiness. To be holy is to be without sin. Jesus, the Christ was God in the flesh. He never sinned even though He took on the attributes of man. He was tempted just as we are, but He never yielded to the temptation. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us He never sinned. In II Corinthians 5:21, Paul teaches us that He was made sin for us, yet He knew no sin.
II Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
R is for the righteousness of my Lord. He is God in the flesh. He was guilty of no sin. Hebrews 7:26 declares Him as our high priest. We can be made righteous before God because the righteous one, Jesus Christ, took our sins upon himself and paid the price for those sins with His death. For those who repent of their sins and place their faith in Him, His righteousness is imputed to them. Therefore, when God looks at us, He sees us through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. We are completely accepted by God and are clothed with Jesus’ robes of righteousness. Hallelujah for the righteous One!
Hebrews 7:26 “For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”
I reminds me of His presence. He is Immanuel which means God with us! It was prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14. The virgin birth and His name were given to us by God’s revelation to the prophet around 700 years before the birth of Christ. In Matthew chapter 1, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to confirm to him that the child Mary was carrying was of God. The angel said His name would be Jesus, and verse 23 teaches us that this was Immanuel, God with us.
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Matthew 1:21-23 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
S is for the Savior of the world. A savior is someone who saves another from something harmful. We have the only Savior that can save us from Hell. He is the only one that can save us from the penalty of our sins. I John 4:14 teaches us that God sent Him to be our Savior.
I John 4:14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”
T gives place to Jesus Christ as part of the Trinity. We serve a triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There is one God who manifests Himself in three persons. God the Son is the Christ child of Christmas. He is the Godman, holy, and perfect as the sacrificial Lamb for our sins. He came, walked among men, taught, and developed disciples to carry on His work after He left. He died, was buried, and rose again after three days to prove He has power over death and the grave. His resurrection was proof He was who He said He was. After His resurrection, he taught, ate with His disciples, and ministered for 40 days before He ascended back to the Father in Heaven. At Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:16-17, we see all three present at the same time.
Matthew 3:16-17 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
M reminds me of the majesty of Christ. We have a baby who is God in the flesh. Majestic in all His attributes yet humble and meek. When Peter, James, and John were with Him at His transfiguration they saw His majesty. In Peter’s mind, the transfiguration was designed to give proof that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. A Messiah that would appear in glory and reign forever. When He comes again, He will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, not as a baby in a manger.
II Peter 1:16 “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
A recalls, as mentioned earlier, that His name means anointed one. He was appointed by God to be the one who could redeem us from our sins and the penalty of death in Hell. God gave His only Son so that we might be saved.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
S, the last letter in the word Christmas must leave us with the fact that He is the Son of God. So many religions speak of Him as a good man, a prophet, or a god. They do not recognize Him as the one and only, Son of God, who came to earth to save sinful man.
Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
This is Christmas, it is not about family, gifts, or meals that exceed all others. It is not about Santa, not about sales and stores making money, it’s not any of the frills or thrills we seem to get so caught up in. Christmas is Christ who came to save the world. Many of the things we do are good and enjoyable, but the real reason for Christmas is to look and rejoice because of the Christ of Christmas.
Excellent. I really enjoyed this.