Christmas Hope

I was contemplating Christmas and everything that it means and all that could be said about it. Over the years, Christians have considered the wonders of the event of Jesus’ birth and how its impact has influenced the world. It’s a beautiful message and I love it.

Jesus brought to mankind a clearer comprehension of the power and greatness of the love of God. He existed before creation and time began. He is the great “I AM,” yet He humbled Himself to take on a form that we could understand, and He manifested His love in a way that all could grasp and receive.

The things that our minds can fully understand seem to be few and far between compared to the wonders that science and faith tell us are all around us. We can only imagine the full reality of the many things that touch our lives every day, because so much of even this physical world is beyond what our senses can detect and comprehend.

We only hear a small range of sounds. We only see a small portion of the spectrum of light, and many other forms of energy are being discovered that, until recently, only a few people theorized about.

With that in mind, let’s consider what we actually know about Christmas and what led up to Jesus’ coming into this world.

We know that Jesus is both the Son of God and God, as expressed in many prophecies throughout the Bible and by Jesus in His own words.

We know that He existed before creation and before time began.

“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”—John 17:5

We know that He is the radiance and precise representation of God’s glory and nature.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.—Hebrews 1:3

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.—Colossians 1:15–17

We know that the Spirit of God is love.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.—1 John 4:7–9

We know that Jesus rules over all creation.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”—Revelation 22:13

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.—Isaiah 9:6

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. … And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.—John 1:1, 14

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.—Hebrews 11:3

We know that Jesus chose to take on human form and to live a life within the bonds and restrictions of time and the flesh, and to face all that we as human beings face.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.—Hebrews 4:15

We know that all that Jesus chose to do for our sakes is a manifestation of the nature and glory of God.

No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.—John 1:18

God chose, out of love for us, to make the utmost sacrifice in order to rescue us. He allowed His Son Jesus to die for our sins. He did this in spite of our rebellion against Him. His rescue of us was the ultimate act of pure love.

Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.—Matthew 20:28

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”—Luke 4:18–19

Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”—Luke 4:20–21

But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him.—Romans 5:8–9

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.—Hebrews 4:16

Jesus’ coming to earth was the most selfless act we could comprehend. And if that was not amazing enough, He made the ultimate sacrifice and gave up this life for our sakes through a cruel and painful death on the cross, taking the wages of our sin on Himself. Through this ultimate sacrifice of love, God offers us eternal life with Him.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.—Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.—Romans 6:23

He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began. And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel.—2 Timothy 1:9–10

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.—John 1:12

Christmas might seem to some to simply be the celebration of a little babe who was special, but this birth was a demonstration to the entire universe of the all-encompassing power of God’s love.

Christmas was a singular event that occurred in a small country, in a tiny town, two thousand years ago. But through that one event, the light of the love of God poured into the hearts and understanding of humankind.

If you can begin to imagine the depth of love behind the Christmas story and all that it represents, I pray that you will accept Jesus’ gift of salvation if you have not already done so. You can do this by simply praying and asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart. If you have already accepted Jesus as your Savior, I pray you will find the opportunity to share this wonderful news with others so that they too can share in God’s plan.