The birth of Jesus is a well-known feature in traditional Christmas paraphernalia.
We are all familiar with the
- three wise men
- the bewildered shepherds
- the guiding star
- the angels’ outburst of song
- the newborn Jesus, with
- his mother Mary and her husband Joseph
These are all familiar parts of the picture of the very first Christmas.
In the story it is the angels who speak meaning into what this is all about (read these yourself in the Gospel Luke 2:1-20 and the Gospel of Matthew 1:18-2:12).
The song the angels sung was a short burst of praise to God for the most momentous moment in all of history: the Son of God became a mortal man, to accomplish God’s great purposes. Christian’s call this event the “incarnation” – God becoming flesh. A human being like you or me.
Their song was a musical announcement: “Glory to God in heaven above, and on earth peace to those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14).
In the birth of Jesus the eternal ‘Son of God’ entered the world as a finite man.
He set out to do the will of the Father to get two great things:
- Glory for God and
- Peace for mankind – to those who please him.
The peace that Jesus gives is peace with God. It is just like the great Christmas carol:
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled.
This peace is given only to those who please God.
People may try to please God in many different ways, but the crucial thing to get right is to honor Jesus – to believe he is who he said he is, believe what he said he came to do, & to live your life as if it belonged to him rather than yourself. If you don’t get that right, nothing you do will be pleasing to God and you will not have peace with him.
The angels also announced that Jesus’ birth would be glory for God.
In Jesus, God offers amnesty to us all and because of that he is a glorious God. If we can see Jesus for who he really is and place him at the center of our lives rather than ourselves or any other worthy thing, then we give glory to God by our lives also.
The appropriate response is the same as the shepherds after they saw the newborn Jesus (Luke 2:20). They glorified and praised God for everything they had heard and seen. We should do likewise.
This Christmas season, amidst all the busyness of this time of the year, remember Jesus. He is the greatest gift there is to be had, and given on the first Christmas there ever was.
You might like to visit a church this to find out more or to connect with God. Many churches treat the time leading up to Christmas as a time to reflect on the themes of waiting and hope. These themes find their answer in the coming of Jesus.
This December our church (Lincoln Road Bible Chapel) is exploring the beginning of the Gospel of John. This describes Jesus as the light of the world, sent by God to bring people to God. Please feel free to get in touch or visit us one Sunday morning (10am).
“Take Another Look” is a West Auckland-based ministry that aims to commend Jesus to people’s hearts and minds, and promote the way of life that the good news of Jesus invites us into. If you would like to discover the widely-held beliefs and practices and aspirations for good-character among Christians, please visit and explore www.TakeAnotherLook.nz. Or, if you have questions you would like discussed, please get in touch through the contact page.
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