Baby Jesus - A Savior and Man

Preparations for Christmas day are being made and we're nearly there!  We have breakfast, snacks and dinner in mind. Gifts have been wrapped and the tree is decorated with photos of loved ones, memorable ornaments, and lights that represent the star that shone on Christmas night.  Christmas cards with photos and sparkle sit on the mantle, reminding us of those we deeply care for.  The stockings hang in front of the fireplace waiting for gifts to fill them... just as mankind eagerly awaited God's gift of salvation to fill our hearts.

As I contemplate Christmas Day and the celebration of Christ's birth, I can't help but think about Jesus Christ the man.  This tiny baby... born in humbling circumstances to an average couple of meager status... grew to be a man who forever changed the World.  Who knew that this baby and the beautiful stories that surround his birth would lead to a man who would bring life into a world of darkness?


"...I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.  Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."  John 6:35

As we bustle about in our consumer-driven world, we should always remind ourselves of the true gift God has given us.  Our homes, cars, education, clothing, games and vacations are meaningless in comparison to the gift God gave us on Christmas Night; life.  He gave us a child who would grow to become a man, and sacrifice his own life to give freedom from our own selfishness and sin.  Christ would then rise again to spend eternity with our creator, God... just as we will do also.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  "Don't be afraid!" He said.  "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all the people.  The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying: "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

Luke 2: 8-14