Christmas
Hello everyone. :P Yup..it has been awhile since I last updated. Honestly, I felt kinda lazy…>.< Oh well. Anyway, I am writing this on Christmas Eve. Even though I have other things to write on, I guess I’ll give my take on Christmas first.
What is Christmas? Many Christians do not go beyond the fact that it is a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. It is true that Christmas is about Jesus’ birth but Christmas is so much more than that. Besides, December 25th is not really Jesus’ actual birthday. I read somewhere that historians place Jesus’ birth to be around April. Jesus’ birthday was placed on December 25th to replace a winter solstice festival during the time of Constantine. (Note: I have to check up the details again)
The true meaning of Christmas, in my opinion, runs deep and carries many implications. One must realize how much God gave up to come down in human form. We see commercials, children art, etc depicting Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus all comfortable and smiling. Fine. Since they portray it as such, here is something to think about. One must realize where was Jesus before he came down to be in human form as a baby. He was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in heaven; in all his glory, splendour and power. Imagine. He left all that to come to earth. Even if he did come to a comfy manger as it is portrayed, it is still a massive ‘downgrade’ from the usual. Imagine the Yang Dipertuan Agong leaving his palace, his regalia, his servants and his comfort to stay in one of the citizen’s house. Whether he stayed in an extremely poor house (squatters, etc) or in a middle to above average house, it would still be a massive ‘downgrade’, would you not think so?
But here is the thing. God was not forced to send Jesus down to earth as a baby and later to die for our sins. He could have just wiped all of us out for our sins. He is perfectly justified in doing so as Yahweh is a holy and just God who cannot tolerate evil. The punishment for our sin and rebellion is death and God could have executed his judgment in a single stroke. But God chose to provide a way out; the only way out. He sent Jesus down as a baby, live a sinless life and then to die a horrible and shameful death on the cross. He resurrected Jesus and now Jesus sits glorified in heaven and intercedes for us on our behalf together with the Holy Spirit. Did God have to go through the trouble to do it? I do not think so. But yet he chose to do so.
Also, one must note that Jesus was born as helpless baby to a not so well to do couple. He was not born in a palace or some rich person’s house. He was born as a baby and grew into a man. He didn’t suddenly appear as a full grown man. As a baby, he was helpless. He had to be looked after by human parents as he could not defend himself. Here is the only begotten Son of God, second co-equal in the Trinity, existed even before time began, now as a defenseless human baby. It was bad enough to be confined to a human shell but a human baby shell??
In light of this, here is a passage of Scripture which sounds all to familiar to most. A special focus on verse 7.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11
It is written that he made himself nothing, becoming a servant in human likeness. He humbled himself, gave up the joys of heaven to come down to be like us. Indeed, this is true love. Therefore, we must be forever thankful and grateful to God for what he has done. This is the reason why we give praise and thanks to God for. Indeed, this is the reason we live.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
John 1:14,18
What is Christmas? Many Christians do not go beyond the fact that it is a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. It is true that Christmas is about Jesus’ birth but Christmas is so much more than that. Besides, December 25th is not really Jesus’ actual birthday. I read somewhere that historians place Jesus’ birth to be around April. Jesus’ birthday was placed on December 25th to replace a winter solstice festival during the time of Constantine. (Note: I have to check up the details again)
The true meaning of Christmas, in my opinion, runs deep and carries many implications. One must realize how much God gave up to come down in human form. We see commercials, children art, etc depicting Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus all comfortable and smiling. Fine. Since they portray it as such, here is something to think about. One must realize where was Jesus before he came down to be in human form as a baby. He was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in heaven; in all his glory, splendour and power. Imagine. He left all that to come to earth. Even if he did come to a comfy manger as it is portrayed, it is still a massive ‘downgrade’ from the usual. Imagine the Yang Dipertuan Agong leaving his palace, his regalia, his servants and his comfort to stay in one of the citizen’s house. Whether he stayed in an extremely poor house (squatters, etc) or in a middle to above average house, it would still be a massive ‘downgrade’, would you not think so?
But here is the thing. God was not forced to send Jesus down to earth as a baby and later to die for our sins. He could have just wiped all of us out for our sins. He is perfectly justified in doing so as Yahweh is a holy and just God who cannot tolerate evil. The punishment for our sin and rebellion is death and God could have executed his judgment in a single stroke. But God chose to provide a way out; the only way out. He sent Jesus down as a baby, live a sinless life and then to die a horrible and shameful death on the cross. He resurrected Jesus and now Jesus sits glorified in heaven and intercedes for us on our behalf together with the Holy Spirit. Did God have to go through the trouble to do it? I do not think so. But yet he chose to do so.
Also, one must note that Jesus was born as helpless baby to a not so well to do couple. He was not born in a palace or some rich person’s house. He was born as a baby and grew into a man. He didn’t suddenly appear as a full grown man. As a baby, he was helpless. He had to be looked after by human parents as he could not defend himself. Here is the only begotten Son of God, second co-equal in the Trinity, existed even before time began, now as a defenseless human baby. It was bad enough to be confined to a human shell but a human baby shell??
In light of this, here is a passage of Scripture which sounds all to familiar to most. A special focus on verse 7.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11
It is written that he made himself nothing, becoming a servant in human likeness. He humbled himself, gave up the joys of heaven to come down to be like us. Indeed, this is true love. Therefore, we must be forever thankful and grateful to God for what he has done. This is the reason why we give praise and thanks to God for. Indeed, this is the reason we live.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
John 1:14,18
posted by child_of_God at 5:54 AM
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