Christmas is here, and there is much to celebrate. Children are waking up throughout our valley to find presents under the tree and stockings filled with goodies. Classic holiday songs fill the air as the delicious aromas of pancakes, eggs, and bacon waft from the kitchen. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have traveled long distances to be together, creating precious memories. Video cameras are rolling, and digital shots are capturing the laughter and joy of this festive tradition.
While we may not be a community known for white Christmases, there’s something special about being here during this holiday season. Maybe it’s the downtown decorations, the live nativity and carolers at the “Y,” or simply the fact that we aren’t buried under snow like many parts of the country. Some of us are even finding time for outdoor activities—whether hiking on the trails or enjoying the beach. There are people from all corners of the community who have chosen to invest part of this day in others, sharing a meal and their humanity together at the park as one way to make the holiday “holy.” Yet, the greatest Christmas miracle is often overlooked, and the true reason for the season is largely misunderstood.
Even non-churchgoers often attend a worship service at Christmas, and the Bible’s account is rehearsed in pageants and living rooms everywhere. But beyond the familiar scenes of the stable and the manger, the wise men and the shepherds, the central theme of the story is often missing. God came to earth and dwelt among men!
The Old and New Testaments chronicle an account that is much deeper than most of us realize. Isaiah 9:6 prophesies about the child who would come, bearing the title of “Mighty God.” Matthew 1 reminds us that Jesus’ name was chosen in heaven to reflect His mission as “Savior” of His people. There we are further pointed to His name “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” The Gospel of John begins with a profound description of who this Child, pictured in the manger, really is in His role as Creator God. Confusing? It should be—at least a little. We’re talking about God in the flesh, walking among men. Born to a virgin, living as a human yet without sin, and then dying as our substitute, paying the debt we could not, in order to give eternal life freely to all who ask. This is a Christmas miracle of the highest order, and yet it’s largely overlooked by most of us.
The concept of “God with us” is mind-boggling. What’s even more intellectually explosive is that the message continues as He puts His Spirit into each of His people and lives among us through His children. If we paused our busy lives to consider what this really means, it could change everything. Let’s make this Christmas more meaningful by reflecting on the amazing Christmas miracle and allowing our hearts to be transformed by the revelation that God still lives among us.
Author: Dan Nelson
Pastor Dan Nelson, Bible teacher and author, is dedicated to spreading the life-changing truths of God’s Word