The First Noel

Luke 1: 46 – 55

Jesus was the highest form of God and the ultimate form of man.  In Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, yet He took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in our likeness.

He who spoke the universe into existence humbled Himself and became obedient — even unto death for us.

He was the Light of the World yet, He came in darkness.

He was the Fountain of Life, yet upon the Cross He cried, “I thirst.”

He was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, yet He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.

He was the Ancient of Days, yet in one day He became the babe of Bethlehem’s manger.

He did all of this that you might have a MERRY CHRISTMAS — and much more.

Christmas in reality is all about Jesus’ birth. In the person of Jesus Christ, God left footprints in the sand of the Judean desert.  He cast a shadow on the streets of Jerusalem. He stained the gray stones of Calvary with His blood as a demonstration of His love for you. He was a real person who did an actual thing.

Little wonder that the adoring apostle Paul bowed his head and wrote of Him: “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

Who is our great God and Savior —- Jesus Christ?

Who is Jesus Christ —- our great God and Savior?

Who is He to you?

Edward Vincent Benet in his classic work, “A Child is Born” challenges us.

“God pity us indeed, for we are but human
and do not always see the vision when it comes, the shining change.
Or if we see it we do not follow it because it is too hard, too strange, too new, too unbelievably difficult,
warring too much with the common easy ways….
You who love money, you who love yourselves,
you who love bitterness, and I who loved and lost
thought I could not love again
and all the people of this little town rise up….
The loves we had were not enough.
Something is loosed to change the shaken world
and with it we must change.”

The “shining change” of which he wrote is Jesus. On His natal morn He was loosed to change the shaken world one soul at the time. That change brings stability. His love exceeds the bitterness that seeks to tarnish the shining change He can make in a life. The change is called being born again. It is so radical.