December 25^th has come and gone. The nativity set and decorations are packed away, but that doesn’t stop me from celebrating Christmas. After all, Christmas is all about Christ, and not the decorations, gifts, food, and all the other things people do once a year.

Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus, and God’s gift of His one and only Son, coming into this world for the purpose of giving His life to pay the penalty for our sins is amazing!

The word amazing is insufficient to express the greatness of God’s benevolence to us. 

The apostle Paul stated it this way in 2 Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”.

When we celebrate someone’s birthday, we should honor God for His gift of the person. We should celebrate Christmas as Christ’s birth, and His life, which leads us to celebrate His mercy and grace that we receive because of His work on the cross. 

I believe that when we celebrate Christmas we need to understand the prophecies that were fulfilled in His birth and earthly life.  

We also need to remember that He willingly gave His life for us on the cross [John 10:18: “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”].

Jesus’ work on the cross gives deeper meaning to His birth, and to His sacrifice of living in a human body.

When I celebrate Christmas, I give thanks and praise to God for the immensity of Jesus’ sacrifice to live as a human being. I cannot begin to understand what it was like for God, infinite, almighty, omniscient [and so much more] to take on the limitations and frailty of this human body.

While I cannot understand it, the closest I get to imagining it is when I put on my dive suit. This suit is so tight that I feel confined. I am unable to negotiate in the same manner I do when I don’t have it on. The suit limits me from doing what I could do when I’m not wearing it.

It is my speculation that when Jesus became flesh [John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”] that His human body felt confining to His divine existence. Jesus was fully God and fully man. A mystery we believe by faith, though a challenge to grasp.

Jesus never expressed dissatisfaction with living in a human body. He, God in the flesh, had to experience the same events we do in our human bodies.

He was born in the same manner babies are born today, but without the comforts of modern conveniences:“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7. 

He grew up one day at a time, experiencing changes in His human body, the same as we experience them: “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40. I interpret this as indicating that he had to go through similar stages of life – toddler, childhood, puberty, adolescence, until He became an adult.  

God, in the person of Jesus, experienced life as we do. That causes me to be in awe of Him, and to want to love and obey Him with everything I have, and to praise His glorious Name, through worship and the sharing of the Gospel.

His experience in His fleshly body meant He got tired: “Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.” John 4:6

Jesus understands the spiritual battle we experience [Matthew 4:1-11]. I think His experience may have been more intense than ours, but God does allow people today to experience horrific circumstances at the hand of Satan [monitored by God – Job 1].

Jesus knew He could trust His Father. 

Throughout the Gospels there are recorded many times when Jesus would go and spend time alone with His Father. We have the same opportunity as He did. He entrusted Himself completely to His Father: “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.” Luke 23:46.

Jesus wept [John 11:35]. He experienced emotions as a human being. 

In all of His experiences as a human being, Jesus never sinned: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 1 Peter 2:22

Jesus rose from the dead, and His body, when viewed by His disciples, revealed that He still bore the scars from His crucifixion. He will bear the marks of having been human for eternity: “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” Luke 24:39.

Therefore, for all of these truths, and the rest contained in Scripture about Jesus, I am forever grateful to Jesus for taking on a human body, and paying the debt for my sin, and all our sins, and for all the promises that come with such a great redemption. This is why I celebrate Christmas every day.

I celebrate Christmas by spending time alone with Him every day. I take the study and application of His Word seriously. I want others to know how great He is, and what He has done for us.

God could have had a different plan. But He determined that sending His only Son as an innocent baby, to grow up to be tortured for us, was best. Praise His Holy Name!

Jesus defeated death. His death and resurrection bought our peace with God, so we can have the peace of God. We have no fear of God’s judgment, because Jesus took it upon Himself for us.

Jesus is going to return, and the completion of our salvation existence will take place.  For all who know Him as Lord and Savior, it will be the dream of bliss we yearn for now. 

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, as revealed through your words, and deeds [“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22], please don’t let this day end before you take that step to accept His amazing gift of salvation. Please contact me at: 

ButGodCares@gmail.com so we can talk about having a relationship with Jesus, or contact someone you know who truly is committed as a follower of Christ.

I pray that those who read this will celebrate Christmas every day, and not as the world does, but as a true follower of Jesus!

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

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Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.