What does Christmas tell you about God? Christmas forces us to focus on the birth of Jesus Christ. But who is Jesus Christ to you? Jesus once asked his disciples a serious question’ “Who do people say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”* John tells us that Jesus was the WORD who became flesh.* Paul asserts that Jesus Christ is God who emptied himself and took on human likeness.* What you believe about the person of Jesus will radically dictate what Christmas tell you about God.
If you believe that Jesus is God then you will have the same view as Jonathan Edwards of what Christmas tells us about God. Jonathan Edwards writes:
“The gospel leads us to love God as an infinitely condescending God. The gospel, above all things in the world, holds forth the exceeding condescension of God. No other manifestation that ever God made of himself exhibits such wonderful condescension as the Christian revelation does. The gospel teaches how God, who humbles himself to behold things that are in heaven and earth, stooped so low as to take an infinitely gracious notice of poor vile worms of the dust, and to concern himself for their salvation, and so as to send his only-begotten Son to die for them, that they might be forgiven, and elevated, and honoured, and brought into eternal fellowship with him, and to the perfect enjoyment of himself in heaven for ever.”*
God condescends down at Christmas in the Person of Jesus Christ, His Father rejoicing and dancing in heaven that His Son should take on such a noble humbling task for the salvation of his people and for his glory. The Holy Spirit eagerly awaiting the day when He will be the comforter and sealer of those who will be redeemed. Christmas portrays an humbling God, who was rich but became poor to dwell among men to make his home with them. God joined our struggle and gave us hope; He came into our darkness to display his conquering light. Christmas tells us of the humility of God and of his Love. If you ever doubt his love, remember his condescension at Christmas and yet He continues to condescend in the Person of His Holy Spirit today.
We are called to imitate this God, Christmas should be a reminder to us all of the condescending God who was rich but became poor. He released all heavenly comfort for the suffering of this world which eventually led him to His cross. Likewise his gospel calls us to do the same. Let us condescend into the sufferings of our fellow man, let us be found to sweat, to shed blood, to have our palms pierce and our mouth filled with bitter taste so that we who are rich became poor because we Love like the condescending God at Christmas.
K.Oni
*Matthew 16:12-15
*John 1
*Philippians 2:5-8
*Charity and its Fruits
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