A Baby, A Savior - My Thoughts For Christmas, 2008

Over the years I have heard the various thoughts that some have had on whether or not to forgive certain groups of people for the death of the Lord Jesus. I understand that some have even made public announcements of their forgiveness to one group or another. I remember wondering if they would take the next step and offer to forgive the Father for sending His only begotten Son into the world to die on a cross for you and I. Oh how great the inability of men to comprehend the things of God without spiritual discernment.

The scripture is clear. Jesus was born to die. It has been said that His cradle lay in the shadow of a cross. This may not have been literal but in type. But again, perhaps as the dawn broke that first Christmas morn, the morning light cast a shadow of a cross where the baby lay. I suspect no one would have noticed. We do not and could not celebrate any other birth as we do His. It is with great irony that we consider Christmas and the babe that lay in a manger. The matter and purpose of His birth is not harmonious with how we think of a child’s birth. Beyond His death itself, is an even greater irony; the cause thereof. The scripture tells us that death is the wages of sin. The scripture also tells us that Jesus was sinless; that He "knew no sin". I must take a few moments to consider this before I share my thoughts on Christmas.

It was God who established the law of sin and death. We are forced then, to consider a sinless Jesus and this matter of death. I would suggest that it was impossible, a contradiction if you will of God's law, for Jesus to simply die. In fact, without sin I don't think it was possible for Him to die at all. But die He did, the just for the unjust. We find the answer to this mystery in a tragic, yet glorious truth. Again, make no mistake; He had no sin of His own. He died for my sins. But addressing the correlation between sin and death clearer, we read that He "bore our sins in His body on the cross", or even more pointedly expressed, He was made "to be sin on our behalf". My sins alone would have been sufficient to cause His death but He bore much more than mine. No less than the sins of the world would be borne by this little child who laid there in such innocence that first Christmas day.

The Gospel of Matthew records the following for us in Chapter 1:18-21. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

The Gospel of Luke records the angelic announcement to the shepherds of the Savior's birth in Chapter 2:8-12 as follows. "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Oh, how we needed someone to save us from our sins! Sin had a solid grip on us. We could not get away. It would not let us go willingly: If we were to beg and plead with it to give us our freedom, it would stone heartedly reject our pleas. And if we fought against it with all our might, we would find that our efforts were all in vain. But praise God for the "good news of great joy". This babe lying in a manger had come to save us from our sins!

There He laid, the only begotten Son of God, partaking of flesh and blood. I don't know how long He was or how much He weighed. I suppose it matters not. I don't know if he had a lot of hair or not so much. I don't know if His mother's labor was difficult or not.

In the beginning He was laid in a borrowed manger and at the end He was laid in a borrowed tomb. Merry Christmas.

The One who knew no sin was now lying there in a world where all knew sin. Merry Christmas.

The One who found His welcome in a cattle stall will one day welcome me to His heavenly home. Merry Christmas.

He was found by the shepherds, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger; but was found not amongst His grave clothes by His disciples. Merry Christmas.

Those little ears that first heard the voice of his parents and the animals nearby, would one day hear the loud shouts of the people saying, "Away with Him!" and "Crucify Him!" Merry Christmas.

That precious little face so adored by His mother would one day be spat upon and beaten. Merry Christmas.

The small nose that first sensed the smell of His mother and the animals and hay would one day smell the smell of blood and death on Golgotha's hill. Merry Christmas.

The smooth skin that His mother and father caressed would one day be tom from His body by scourging. Merry Christmas.

That little sweat head that lie in a manger would soon grow, that He might wear the crown of thorns that would be pressed upon His brow. Merry Christmas.

The soft hair on His head would change as He grew and one day would be matted with the blood from His brow. Merry Christmas.

Wood timbers, like those used to compose the stable and manger would one day be used to build His cross. Merry Christmas.

Those precious little hands and feet, marveled at by His parents, would one day be pierced through with large nails to suspend Him from His cross of crucifixion. Merry Christmas.

The mother who longingly gazed down in adoration of her baby, lying in a manger, would one day gaze up at Him in agony as He bore her sins and ours. Merry Christmas.

The kind little eyes that first looked up at His loving mother from His crude cradle would one day look down at her from His cross with a love like no other. Merry Christmas.

And that little mouth. Oh, that little mouth. The small cooing sounds spoken from His manger, that brought delight to His parents, would one day say, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing", bringing hope to a lost world. Merry Christmas.

Yes, that little mouth that would first utter cries to see His needs met would one day meet our greatest need as He cried once more with a loud voice; "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" Merry Christmas.

At His birth the angels proclaimed that He would be found, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Following His death there came the victorious announcement when He was not found lying in His tomb. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." Merry Christmas!

Christmas. Perhaps there is nothing more ironic and nothing more grand. This babe lying in a manger; the Son of God sent to save us from our sins. Merry Christmas!!

Father, we simply marvel at your unspeakable gift. Thank you for saving us from our sins. Amidst the irony of it all, thank you that we can say with tidings of great joy, "Merry Christmas".