The Prophet Isaiah inspired by the Spirit of God prophesied about the birth of a Child who would be born not just unto his parents but unto us all, all humanity. However, it wasn’t until the fullness of time that this prophecy was fulfilled when of all places, this Child was born in Bethlehem some many years ago. At his birth, wise men from the East travelled all the way to the lowly manger where this Child was born and brought him treasures for truly unto them a Son was born.
This however wasn’t the ultimate purpose of the Son. Rather than receiving gifts, he came to give humanity the greatest gift of all – the gift of life. The Apostle John who realized this truth acknowledged that indeed the Father has given us life which is in His Son; anyone irrespective of nationality, gender, past experiences and affiliations who welcomes this Son actually welcomes life. What is this life anyways?
This is a rare kind of life, one which humanity desires but is not so familiar with. It is a life that is free from guilt, condemnation and self. If you know these elements as well as I do, you’ll probably agree that these get in the way of the beauty and satisfaction of life. The life the Son gives is one where righteousness isn’t what you work for, it is actually who you are. What humanity is familiar with is to work for righteousness till they are drained of every ounce of hope and enthusiasm. Jesus, who is the Child, came to relieve us from this burden by being the offering needed to make us righteous.
What’s more, this Child brings us intimacy with God. He gives us another name for God that is personal and warm, Father. He makes us know that we aren’t just some bunch of stranded creatures on a blue planet. He tells us that we are precious children of the Creator. God is brought to us in a way that we can never imagine in this Child. His birth is a picture of the Creator forsaking the luxury of the worship of his creation to live with and serve humanity. The angels proclaim peace and goodwill towards men. Peace between God and men so much that God isn’t miles away but is closer to us than our own souls. This peace makes the once unapproachable and distant God friendly to man.
Jesus is that Child born to die the death of many and to bring them into this kind of life. Today, we celebrate this Son that was given unto us. Like the many that have believed in this Son and have thus welcomed life, may this celebration bring you to that place where you welcome life, the life that the Son offers. Merry Christmas!
Restpiration 