Merry Christmas

5 min read

11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:11-14

Merry Christmas everyone! It’s not right to say that Christmas is Jesus’s birthday. Although it is fun to suppose that Jesus was actually born on December 25, no one actually knows the exact date of Jesus’s birth, even with the historical references in Luke’s gospel.

And so it’s not quite right to say that the point of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. Rather, the point of Christmas is to celebrate the coming of Christ in the flesh, the coming of Christ as a poor and humble babe in a manger. His first residence was with all the animals because there was no room for him in a human habitation.

Jesus came to suffer for the sin of humanity, and His suffering began on the day He was born. His humble birth highlighted how far humanity had strayed away from God. Where was the compassion? Where was the concern for life?

But the fact that He did come in the flesh, even in His dire circumstances, brought with it the hope of all God’s promises fulfilled. The Savior of humanity has come, and He will overthrow the injustice and lack of compassion that govern the world. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Father, It really has been a Merry Christmas for us. We thank You for being mindful of us. We thank You for saving us. May our lives bear witness to our Lord, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’s name. Amen.