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She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn. There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, 'Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you today, in David's city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:7-11 WEB.

Today is Christmas, and I want to refresh our minds on what the birth of Jesus Christ means for us. Here are some facts about Jesus that we must always remember:

1) Jesus is not a created being but is eternal, just as God the Father and the Holy Spirit. We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day when He was born as a man, but He was already here when God the Father created the Earth. The Apostle John told us this:

(John 1:1'3 WEB) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made."

The "Word" refers to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We can go back to the beginning and read Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." The word used for "God" there is "Elohim," and it is plural, referring to more than one. Each time "God" created something, the word used there is plural. Also, the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters, so the Holy Spirit was there as well.

2) Jesus appears throughout the Bible, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. He is included in the first verse in Genesis 1:1, and He is the subject of the last verse in Revelation 22:21.

(John 8:5-58 WEB) The Jews therefore said to him, 'You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?' Jesus said to them, 'Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."

Jesus said that He was around before Abraham, who lived about 2,000 years earlier. The "I AM" is the same name that the "Angel of the Lord" used when He appeared in a burning bush and spoke to Moses.

Sometimes, especially around Christmas, people just think of the poor Baby Jesus lying in a manger wrapped in cloth. I am sure that Jesus was adorable and cuddly as a little Baby. But don't let that become your image of Jesus. That was a tiny blip on a really, really long timeline, and we are talking about the King of all kings. The next time that the Earth sees Jesus, it will be as its reigning King. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

What did Jesus do for us? When Adam and Eve broke the one commandment that God had given them in the garden of Eden, mankind became alienated from God. That sin created a rift between God and mankind. Basically, Adam and Eve chose to follow satan's advice rather than God's, and you can't serve two masters.

It was really a cheap trick. For satan told them in Genesis 3:5, they could be like God and learn the knowledge of good and evil. But they already had the knowledge of good and pleasant things. So all that satan offered to teach them was evil. They were deceived, but like us, they were willing to try it out.

After they were ejected from the Garden of Eden, God came up with a plan to redeem mankind. In Genesis 3:15, God told satan: "I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel." The Woman's Seed is singular and would bruise satan's head. As I understand it, this refers to the coming of Jesus Christ to redeem mankind and crush satan.

Jesus was born on the Earth and walked among us for about thirty-three years. He experienced the same things that we go through (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus ate, drank, laughed, and sometimes He had to relieve Himself. Jesus had friends, enemies, experienced betrayal, attended weddings. He wept, prayed, sang hymns, and asked questions. In other words, Jesus understands us because He has walked in our shoes, yet He did it without sin. The old testament sacrifices could not take away sin, but the offering of a perfect, sinless man did.

(1 Corinthians 15:21'22 WEB) For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Adam led mankind into sin, but Jesus redeemed them. Jesus is our Redeemer, and we are saved only by our faith in Him. The Grace of Christ is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God. It is entirely free, and by definition, it cannot be bought nor earned period. Jesus Christ died to redeem us, and our bill of sin is now paid in full. On the cross, Jesus said: "It is finished," and there is nothing we can add to His work.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8'9 WEB "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast."

It is evident that we are not saved by our good works, but of course, we should be doing them. Jesus put on our sin, and we put on His righteousness. That is the glorious exchange that happened at the cross. But as I understand it, there is no forgiveness of sin without you actually asking God for it. But other than asking, there is nothing more to add to what Jesus has done for us. It is finished.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for allowing us to see another Christmas in our life. Today we celebrate the birth of Your Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Way, the Truth, and the Light. May my entire family come to know You. Please forgive us of our sins and give us Your peace. Let us shine Your love on the Earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Merry Christmas, friends! Though this year may be different than celebrations of the past, we can all still lift our hearts in joy as we remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Praying in particular for those who have lost loved ones this year and for all of you to have a blessed and joyful time! ~ Dion & Sylvia

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