Possibly you have heard or thought these same sentiments: Keep Christ in Christmas, Jesus the Reason for the Season, or Celebrate Jesus this Christmas. The basic idea…Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. There are real and significant reasons to remember Jesus as you celebrate this holiday season. One paragraph from Hebrews highlights the significance of Jesus coming to Earth in a manger.
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage….Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
(Hebrews 2:14-18)
Why was Jesus’ birth significant? First, Jesus left Heaven to come to Earth because, in order to help us, He needed to be one of us. He willingly left the joy, majesty, glory, and prestige of Heaven to live life as a person, the God-man. Born in a manger, living the life of a Jewish carpenter’s son, undergoing all the pressures of daily living, Jesus demonstrated in His life the glory of God. He lived a perfect, sinless life as a person. He faced the same pressures we face: weather, fatigue, work, hunger, sickness, relationships, and government, to just name a few. Jesus partook of flesh and blood as our brother in suffering. So we celebrate Jesus as our brother Who is one of us.
As God, Jesus could not experience death. As a man, Jesus could and did experience death. The Bible teaches that Jesus was executed on the cross. He defeated death, and, three days later, came back to life through the resurrection. When He did, He forever defeated the power of death and the devil over mankind. Since Jesus lives, He can offer life after death to anyone who has a relationship with Him (cf. 1 Corinthians 15). As we live, knowing that ultimately one day we too will die, we can do so by faith in Jesus Who defeated death. He has taken the fear out of death. Living without fear and the promise of eternal life is worth celebrating at Christmas.
Jesus also sits on the right hand of the throne of God as our merciful and faithful High Priest. Jesus knows how to provide grace, comfort, strength, and courage. He understands. He faced the same pressures you face. He sweat. He hurt. He cried. He hungered. He slept. He worked. He toiled. He gets us. He knows our experience. He intercedes to God the Father on our behalf. We have access to grace through Jesus from God for our daily struggles and pressures. Jesus is our great High Priest; what an incredible reason to celebrate the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus this month.
Finallyy, we celebrate that Jesus acted as our wrath-bearing sacrifice in His death. God’s anger toward an individual’s sin and sin nature was poured out on Jesus when He died on the cross. The Bible calls this propitiation. Because of His death on the cross, forgiveness of sins is exclusively available to anyone through Jesus. As a sinner recognizing the penalty of sin is eternal death, you pray to God asking for forgiveness of your sins through the completed work of Jesus as a wrath-bearing sacrifice on the cross. God will hear your prayer and forgive your sins. At that point, Jesus’ payment for sin is specifically applied to your sins and sin nature. Therefore, your future eternal death is defeated and Jesus offers you eternal life. Again, another incredible reason to celebrate Jesus’ birth this month. Let that sink in…Because of Jesus’ love for the world, He came and humbly died to provide the world eternal life through Him.
So how do we get past all the clutter like busy schedules, shopping demands, and crowded roads this Christmas season? You consider Jesus and worship Him in gratitude for becoming a man which enabled Him to face all the pressures of daily living, while demonstrating perfect righteousness and allowing Him to die, which defeated death for all who call on Him for forgiveness of sins. That’s a mouth full…but it is what Hebrews teaches us. For sure it is more than enough reason to see past all the chaos, confusion, and muddle to worship the wonderful God-man Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful and merciful High Priest, our Savior. KevinCarson.com | Walking together through life as friends in Christ sharing wisdom along the journey
