A young child went up on the stage recently to explore the nativity set. His mother observed from a distance while he asked me questions. “What is this?” he said, feeling the hay. “Who is this?” he mused, pointing to one of the figures. There is a lot to take in when you are processing the sights of Christmas as a child. I think it gladdens the heart of God to watch the children’s curiosity as they learn about His birth.
We are all children in many ways. We never stop learning new truths about Christmas, and we never fully probe the concept that God became a man and lived among men. Our limited minds just cannot process how the eternal God could become a man and subject Himself to the pain and sorrow of a broken world. His ultimate purpose in coming, of course, was to die for us on the cross and then rise from the dead. Since He could not die as God in heaven, He became a man and yielded to death on the cross. He put on flesh so that He could die in our place (Hebrews 2:14).
Pondering the child in the nativity made me think about the love of God. The Bible says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT). We were helpless and hopeless. We were destined for judgment and hell. God interrupted a broken world with His presence so that He could rescue us. He did not come to save good people. He came to save sinners. The Scripture is blunt: “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (I Timothy 1:15, NKJ).
I also marvel at the innocence of Jesus. Perfect. Sinless. Pure. He lived in a tainted world and experienced the fullest strength of temptation and yet never sinned. He interacted and ministered to sinners and yet remained sinless. He truly was the holy lamb of God. The Bible is clear, “…he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!” (Hebrews 4:15, CEV). Had He sinned, He could not die for us. His perfection was a requirement for our atonement.
Christmas also leaves me in wonder at the presence of Jesus in me. It is amazing that the Son of God would leave heaven to live on earth. It is also amazing that He would choose to come and live in me. He took up residence in a broken world so that He could redeem it. He takes up residence in a broken life so that He can transform it. He lives in me so that He can shape me to be like Him. He wants to think through my mind, love through my heart, serve through my hands, and speak through my mouth. Paul declared this mystery: “Christ lives in you” (Colossians 1:27, NLT). Pause and ponder, Christian, that your life has become His home.