Weekly Devotional 12-14-15
The Incarnation of God The Son—The Essence of Christmas
John 1:1-14 (NKJV) “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became 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.”
For the past month now (perhaps longer) people have been scurrying about preparing for the coming holiday that we who are of the Christian community call Christmas. Those who are outside of this community will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and many hours spending those dollars as they shop for gifts for their loved ones and acquaintances, but will give no or little thought to the greatest gift ever given to humanity, the man Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many Christians will also give more thought to material gifts rather than to their Savior.
We Christians, if we really want to honor and bless God this Christmas, should spend more time reflecting on His gift to humanity rather than the material gifts of the mundane. What He gave to us cannot be matched or purchased by any amount of dollars. He gave us the man, Jesus the Christ. Speaking of this with Nicodemus, a Pharisee of Judaism, Jesus Himself said, “14as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should £not perish but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:14-17 NKJV).
The wonder of it all is that the man Jesus knew His purpose of being and destiny. Yet He willfully gave Himself to satisfy the righteousness of God in making us acceptable in His sight. The writer of Hebrews put it this way;
“1For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.5Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:’ Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure’. 7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ 8Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the law), 9then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:1-10NKJV).
Such a cost, such love and such a gift. Shouldn’t this be our focus this Christmas, and all the days of our lives?
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man