December 23rd, 2024
by Dr. Josh Franklin
by Dr. Josh Franklin
We know the nativity story—Jesus, the babe born in Bethlehem; the manger; the wise men; the shepherds. But it’s vital to move beyond the imagery and recognize the truth: God came in human form.
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” These verses are clearly proclaiming that Jesus is God. Verse 14 then declares that God became flesh and lived among us. The word dwelt means “tabernacled,” just as God's presence tabernacled among His people in the Old Testament. Jesus is God tabernacling with us—walking, talking, and revealing His glory.
John 1:14 tells us that God came down, and we miss the true meaning of Christmas if we fail to recognize that it’s not just about baby Jesus in the manger—it’s about God Incarnate, God in human flesh. This Christmas season, if you have little children or grandchildren, you’ll likely witness them unwrapping presents. They’ll tear through the wrapping paper and find that special gift inside the box. But 15 or 20 minutes later, as you’re talking, you wonder, “Where are they?” You look over and see them playing—not with the gift you carefully picked out—but with the box it came in. And you think to yourself, “I should have saved the money and just given them a box!”
In the same way, during Christmas, we can get caught up celebrating the “box,” the manger, while neglecting the true Gift: God Himself, coming to live among us. He walked with us, talked with us, and ultimately gave His life to pay for the sins of humanity—your sins and mine.
To overlook this is to miss the heart of Christmas. It’s not just about baby Jesus in the manger; it’s about God incarnate. Colossians 1:15-20 helps us appreciate the true impact of God coming down that Christmas day.
Colossians 1:15–20 (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
What you find in the book of Colossians was a request made from a little country church in Colossae, which is a small, insignificant town in the first century. Paul was responding to a question about a heresy known as Gnosticism which means “to know”. Gnostics would be similar to modern-day New Ageism, looking within (instead of to God) to find the answers.
Gnostics would get among God’s people and saying, “Jesus wasn’t really the God-man. He was an emanation from Yahweh, and he was pointing people to the light within each person. This light can spark inside of your heart, and you will receive secret knowledge that would take you to the pleroma (fullness) in heaven.” They said Jesus came to light that spark inside of each person. Jesus came to point you to this secret knowledge. These first-century gnostics would even use similar terminology to Christianity or even refer to Jesus in a positive way, which confused these believers in Colossae.
In A Christmas Story, Ralphie excitedly gets this decoder in the mail. He runs to the radio to listen to the program, and at the end there is a secret message that only people with the decoder can know. He’s excited because he will finally receive this secret message. He decodes the message, one letter at a time. The message reads, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” And he says, “Oh, rats. It's an Ovaltine commercial.” This illustrates how secret knowledge is attractive to us. We say, “Well, we have something that you don't have.”
The Gnostics would teach that Jesus was somebody who would communicate that secret knowledge to us. So the Colossians asked Paul about this doctrine. Just a couple of decades after Jesus’ earthly ministry, people needed to have clarity about His Person and work. He didn’t come to give us secret knowledge – He is the Truth Personified. He isn’t just a man pointing us to God – He is God Incarnate.
In Colossians 1:15-19, Paul reminds the Colossians about a hymn or song they sang about Jesus. That’s really what this passage is – a first-century hymn about Christ. Just 20-30 years after Jesus’ earthly life, we see God’s people worshipping Jesus not as someone who pointed us to God, but God Himself. He uses the lyrics to remind them Who Jesus is and what makes Him unique.
During the Christmas season, we don’t celebrate the birth of a good man; we worship the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the One Who rescues us from our sins and gives us purpose and meaning.
C. S. Lewis wrote a book series entitled The Chronicles of Narnia, where Aslan is the Christ figure, pictured as a lion that grows and gets bigger and bigger. Lucy says, “Aslan, you're bigger now.” And Aslan says, “No, I'm not any bigger; it's just you're seeing me bigger. You're a little older now and you've seen me get bigger before your eyes, but I've always been this size.” In the same way, let this passage from Colossians expand your vision of Who Jesus is what He came to do.
Jesus Is the Revealer of God
Verse 15 states, “He is the image of the invisible God.” Hebrews 1:1–3 echoes this truth.
Hebrews 1:1–3 (NKJV)
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
John 1:18 declares, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son…has declared Him.” Jesus makes the invisible God visible.
If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what God sounds like, listen to Jesus. In John 14:9, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Sometimes we say, “Why doesn’t God just show Himself to me?” His response is, “I did.” Colossians 1:19 says, “for it pleased the Father that in Him (or, in Christ), all the fullness would dwell.”
Gnostics would use the word “pleroma”, which means “fullness” to describe ultimate light or the ultimate place that one could go. Paul says, “Jesus is the pleroma.” Everything that God is, Jesus is. Colossians 2:9 says, “in Christ dwells all the fullness (pleroma) of the Godhead bodily.”
Paul could not make it any clearer. Whatever it is to be God, Jesus is all of that. He is not 50% God and 50% man. He is completely God and completely man. The unique God-man. At times we see Jesus, as man, asleep on the boat. At other times we see Jesus, as God, getting up and rebuking the wind and waves, calming the storm. Fully human, fully God.
Jesus makes God visible. Jesus makes God vocal. If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what God sounds like, listen to Jesus. He is God visible. He is God vocal.
The Gnostics of Paul’s time promised secret knowledge, but it was meaningless. Jesus didn’t come to give us some hidden message or spark a mystical light within us—He came to reveal the truth: He is God in the flesh.
Jesus Is the Ranking (Preeminent) One
Verse 15 also says, “He is the firstborn over all creation.” This doesn’t mean Jesus was created—it means He is first in rank, preeminent over everything. Verse 18 adds, “That in all things He may have the preeminence.”
The Greek word is “prototokos”, which doesn't mean “firstborn” necessarily; it just means “first in rank.” He's the head. I have seen this little bumper sticker that says, “God is my copilot,” but God doesn't want to be your copilot. He is just going to be your pilot. You get in the backseat while He flies the airplane. That's what Jesus deserves, that He might have the preeminence. He is the ranking one.
In the Old Testament, you would have two children that were born, one was younger, one was older, and then God would put his hand of blessing on the younger one at times and say that the older one would serve the younger one.
Now that would be someone who was the protokos; he wasn't firstborn necessarily, but he was first in rank. He is preeminent.
There was a CEO who had walked into the business meeting with a long rectangular table. He chose to sit in a supposedly insignificant seat, and one of the employees said, “Sir, you’re supposed to take your seat at the head of the table.” His response was, “Wherever I sit is the head of the table.”
That’s Jesus. Wherever He is, He is first. He doesn’t take second place to anyone or anything. He is supreme, preeminent, and deserving of our worship.
Jesus Is the Creator and Purpose-Giver
Verse 16 says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
While Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, Colossians reveals that Jesus was the Agent of creation. So, which is true? Both. The entire Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—was involved in creation. Jesus was not a created being; He is the Creator Himself.
This baby born in Bethlehem is holy God—the One who created the heavens and the earth. And because He is our Creator, He alone defines our purpose.
Too often, we live for everything in this world except Jesus. But what is the purpose of your life? Let me tell you: it starts with surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. If you’ve never done that, your purpose is clear—give your life to Him. You were made by Him and for Him. You belong to Him, and your job is to acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.
Now, if you’ve already accepted Jesus as your Savior, your purpose doesn’t stop there. Romans 8:29 says: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
This verse states the purpose for every believer: to be conformed to the image of Jesus. God’s desire for your life is that you reflect Christ more and more each day. Whether you’ve walked with Him for a year or for decades, your purpose remains the same—to reflect Jesus more accurately to the watching world.
Jesus is the Creator and the One who gives us purpose. He made you for Himself, and His desire is for your life to glorify Him.
Jesus Is the Sustainer
Verse 17 continues, “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Another translation says, “In Him, all things hold together.” Hebrews 1:3 echoes this truth, stating that Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power.
We often sing, “He’s got the whole world in His hands,” and that’s exactly right. Jesus is holding everything together. Without Him, the universe would fall into chaos.
Yet, many people reject this truth, unwilling to acknowledge a Creator to Whom they are accountable. For instance, we ask, “What’s holding this world together?” They say, “Gravity.” Then you ask, “What is gravity?” The response is, “Well, that’s what holds this world together.” That’s circular reasoning. They can’t give a satisfactory answer because they refuse to acknowledge the true force holding the universe together—Jesus Christ.
Can’t you just picture it? Jesus, the Creator, is also the Sustainer. He holds the stars in place, keeps the earth spinning, and ensures the laws of nature remain constant. Everything is held together by Him.
Jesus Is the Ruler
Verse 18 declares: “He is the head of the body, the church.”
This reminds us that Jesus is not just the Creator and Sustainer; He is also the Ruler. He is the head of the church, and we are His body.
Some people mistakenly think of the church as a democracy, where everyone gets a vote on how things should operate. But the church isn’t a democracy—it’s a theocracy. Jesus Christ is the head, and we submit to His authority.
If He is the head and we are the body, I wonder how we look to God? Have you ever seen those funny photo boards where you stick your head through a cutout hole? It’s your head but the body is painted on a board. Usually, the head doesn’t match the body. I wonder if God sometimes looks at His church and sees a mismatch. Jesus is the head, but the body—the church—doesn’t reflect Him as it should.
Jesus is in charge. He sets the rules, and our job is to follow them. Our mission is to reflect Him, to live in obedience, and to bring Him glory. He is the Ruler, and He deserves preeminence in every area of our lives. Verse 18 says: “That in all things He may have the preeminence.” Jesus doesn’t take second place to anyone or anything. He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.
Jesus Is the Reconciler
Finally, verse 20 reveals the great reality: “By Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Jesus didn’t come just to show us who God is, though that would have been enough. He didn’t come merely to rule over the church, though He has every right to do so. He came to reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God.
We were once enemies of God. But Jesus came to bridge the gap between sinful humanity and holy God. Through His death on the cross, He brought together two warring parties. Reconciliation means taking enemies and making them friends. But Jesus did more than that—He made us family.
There was a woman who was immaculately dressed in white gloves and white heels. As she walked through a section of the city that was muddy, people were puzzled by her actions. She was on her hands and knees, digging in the mud with her white gloves. No one understood what she was doing until she eventually pulled something out and wiped it off. It was the diamond ring she had lost, which had fallen into the mud.
This story reminds me of Psalm 40:2: "He lifted me up out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock and established my steps." God did this for you and me through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. He came down into the muck and mire of our sinful existence to rescue that precious diamond, which represents you and me. He did this to redeem us and bring us into the family of God.
This is the beauty of Christmas: the holy, sinless Son of God came down to rescue us. Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, and through His sacrifice, made us sons and daughters of God.
Conclusion
This Christmas, don’t leave Jesus in the manger. Worship Him at the cross. Worship Him at the empty tomb. Recognize that He came not just to reveal God, not just to rule the church, and not just to be your Creator. He came to reconcile you to God. Will you celebrate Him for who He truly is—Savior and Lord?
Merry Christmas!
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” These verses are clearly proclaiming that Jesus is God. Verse 14 then declares that God became flesh and lived among us. The word dwelt means “tabernacled,” just as God's presence tabernacled among His people in the Old Testament. Jesus is God tabernacling with us—walking, talking, and revealing His glory.
John 1:14 tells us that God came down, and we miss the true meaning of Christmas if we fail to recognize that it’s not just about baby Jesus in the manger—it’s about God Incarnate, God in human flesh. This Christmas season, if you have little children or grandchildren, you’ll likely witness them unwrapping presents. They’ll tear through the wrapping paper and find that special gift inside the box. But 15 or 20 minutes later, as you’re talking, you wonder, “Where are they?” You look over and see them playing—not with the gift you carefully picked out—but with the box it came in. And you think to yourself, “I should have saved the money and just given them a box!”
In the same way, during Christmas, we can get caught up celebrating the “box,” the manger, while neglecting the true Gift: God Himself, coming to live among us. He walked with us, talked with us, and ultimately gave His life to pay for the sins of humanity—your sins and mine.
To overlook this is to miss the heart of Christmas. It’s not just about baby Jesus in the manger; it’s about God incarnate. Colossians 1:15-20 helps us appreciate the true impact of God coming down that Christmas day.
Colossians 1:15–20 (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
What you find in the book of Colossians was a request made from a little country church in Colossae, which is a small, insignificant town in the first century. Paul was responding to a question about a heresy known as Gnosticism which means “to know”. Gnostics would be similar to modern-day New Ageism, looking within (instead of to God) to find the answers.
Gnostics would get among God’s people and saying, “Jesus wasn’t really the God-man. He was an emanation from Yahweh, and he was pointing people to the light within each person. This light can spark inside of your heart, and you will receive secret knowledge that would take you to the pleroma (fullness) in heaven.” They said Jesus came to light that spark inside of each person. Jesus came to point you to this secret knowledge. These first-century gnostics would even use similar terminology to Christianity or even refer to Jesus in a positive way, which confused these believers in Colossae.
In A Christmas Story, Ralphie excitedly gets this decoder in the mail. He runs to the radio to listen to the program, and at the end there is a secret message that only people with the decoder can know. He’s excited because he will finally receive this secret message. He decodes the message, one letter at a time. The message reads, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” And he says, “Oh, rats. It's an Ovaltine commercial.” This illustrates how secret knowledge is attractive to us. We say, “Well, we have something that you don't have.”
The Gnostics would teach that Jesus was somebody who would communicate that secret knowledge to us. So the Colossians asked Paul about this doctrine. Just a couple of decades after Jesus’ earthly ministry, people needed to have clarity about His Person and work. He didn’t come to give us secret knowledge – He is the Truth Personified. He isn’t just a man pointing us to God – He is God Incarnate.
In Colossians 1:15-19, Paul reminds the Colossians about a hymn or song they sang about Jesus. That’s really what this passage is – a first-century hymn about Christ. Just 20-30 years after Jesus’ earthly life, we see God’s people worshipping Jesus not as someone who pointed us to God, but God Himself. He uses the lyrics to remind them Who Jesus is and what makes Him unique.
During the Christmas season, we don’t celebrate the birth of a good man; we worship the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the One Who rescues us from our sins and gives us purpose and meaning.
C. S. Lewis wrote a book series entitled The Chronicles of Narnia, where Aslan is the Christ figure, pictured as a lion that grows and gets bigger and bigger. Lucy says, “Aslan, you're bigger now.” And Aslan says, “No, I'm not any bigger; it's just you're seeing me bigger. You're a little older now and you've seen me get bigger before your eyes, but I've always been this size.” In the same way, let this passage from Colossians expand your vision of Who Jesus is what He came to do.
Jesus Is the Revealer of God
Verse 15 states, “He is the image of the invisible God.” Hebrews 1:1–3 echoes this truth.
Hebrews 1:1–3 (NKJV)
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
John 1:18 declares, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son…has declared Him.” Jesus makes the invisible God visible.
If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what God sounds like, listen to Jesus. In John 14:9, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Sometimes we say, “Why doesn’t God just show Himself to me?” His response is, “I did.” Colossians 1:19 says, “for it pleased the Father that in Him (or, in Christ), all the fullness would dwell.”
Gnostics would use the word “pleroma”, which means “fullness” to describe ultimate light or the ultimate place that one could go. Paul says, “Jesus is the pleroma.” Everything that God is, Jesus is. Colossians 2:9 says, “in Christ dwells all the fullness (pleroma) of the Godhead bodily.”
Paul could not make it any clearer. Whatever it is to be God, Jesus is all of that. He is not 50% God and 50% man. He is completely God and completely man. The unique God-man. At times we see Jesus, as man, asleep on the boat. At other times we see Jesus, as God, getting up and rebuking the wind and waves, calming the storm. Fully human, fully God.
Jesus makes God visible. Jesus makes God vocal. If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what God sounds like, listen to Jesus. He is God visible. He is God vocal.
The Gnostics of Paul’s time promised secret knowledge, but it was meaningless. Jesus didn’t come to give us some hidden message or spark a mystical light within us—He came to reveal the truth: He is God in the flesh.
Jesus Is the Ranking (Preeminent) One
Verse 15 also says, “He is the firstborn over all creation.” This doesn’t mean Jesus was created—it means He is first in rank, preeminent over everything. Verse 18 adds, “That in all things He may have the preeminence.”
The Greek word is “prototokos”, which doesn't mean “firstborn” necessarily; it just means “first in rank.” He's the head. I have seen this little bumper sticker that says, “God is my copilot,” but God doesn't want to be your copilot. He is just going to be your pilot. You get in the backseat while He flies the airplane. That's what Jesus deserves, that He might have the preeminence. He is the ranking one.
In the Old Testament, you would have two children that were born, one was younger, one was older, and then God would put his hand of blessing on the younger one at times and say that the older one would serve the younger one.
Now that would be someone who was the protokos; he wasn't firstborn necessarily, but he was first in rank. He is preeminent.
There was a CEO who had walked into the business meeting with a long rectangular table. He chose to sit in a supposedly insignificant seat, and one of the employees said, “Sir, you’re supposed to take your seat at the head of the table.” His response was, “Wherever I sit is the head of the table.”
That’s Jesus. Wherever He is, He is first. He doesn’t take second place to anyone or anything. He is supreme, preeminent, and deserving of our worship.
Jesus Is the Creator and Purpose-Giver
Verse 16 says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
While Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, Colossians reveals that Jesus was the Agent of creation. So, which is true? Both. The entire Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—was involved in creation. Jesus was not a created being; He is the Creator Himself.
This baby born in Bethlehem is holy God—the One who created the heavens and the earth. And because He is our Creator, He alone defines our purpose.
Too often, we live for everything in this world except Jesus. But what is the purpose of your life? Let me tell you: it starts with surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. If you’ve never done that, your purpose is clear—give your life to Him. You were made by Him and for Him. You belong to Him, and your job is to acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.
Now, if you’ve already accepted Jesus as your Savior, your purpose doesn’t stop there. Romans 8:29 says: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
This verse states the purpose for every believer: to be conformed to the image of Jesus. God’s desire for your life is that you reflect Christ more and more each day. Whether you’ve walked with Him for a year or for decades, your purpose remains the same—to reflect Jesus more accurately to the watching world.
Jesus is the Creator and the One who gives us purpose. He made you for Himself, and His desire is for your life to glorify Him.
Jesus Is the Sustainer
Verse 17 continues, “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Another translation says, “In Him, all things hold together.” Hebrews 1:3 echoes this truth, stating that Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power.
We often sing, “He’s got the whole world in His hands,” and that’s exactly right. Jesus is holding everything together. Without Him, the universe would fall into chaos.
Yet, many people reject this truth, unwilling to acknowledge a Creator to Whom they are accountable. For instance, we ask, “What’s holding this world together?” They say, “Gravity.” Then you ask, “What is gravity?” The response is, “Well, that’s what holds this world together.” That’s circular reasoning. They can’t give a satisfactory answer because they refuse to acknowledge the true force holding the universe together—Jesus Christ.
Can’t you just picture it? Jesus, the Creator, is also the Sustainer. He holds the stars in place, keeps the earth spinning, and ensures the laws of nature remain constant. Everything is held together by Him.
Jesus Is the Ruler
Verse 18 declares: “He is the head of the body, the church.”
This reminds us that Jesus is not just the Creator and Sustainer; He is also the Ruler. He is the head of the church, and we are His body.
Some people mistakenly think of the church as a democracy, where everyone gets a vote on how things should operate. But the church isn’t a democracy—it’s a theocracy. Jesus Christ is the head, and we submit to His authority.
If He is the head and we are the body, I wonder how we look to God? Have you ever seen those funny photo boards where you stick your head through a cutout hole? It’s your head but the body is painted on a board. Usually, the head doesn’t match the body. I wonder if God sometimes looks at His church and sees a mismatch. Jesus is the head, but the body—the church—doesn’t reflect Him as it should.
Jesus is in charge. He sets the rules, and our job is to follow them. Our mission is to reflect Him, to live in obedience, and to bring Him glory. He is the Ruler, and He deserves preeminence in every area of our lives. Verse 18 says: “That in all things He may have the preeminence.” Jesus doesn’t take second place to anyone or anything. He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.
Jesus Is the Reconciler
Finally, verse 20 reveals the great reality: “By Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
Jesus didn’t come just to show us who God is, though that would have been enough. He didn’t come merely to rule over the church, though He has every right to do so. He came to reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God.
We were once enemies of God. But Jesus came to bridge the gap between sinful humanity and holy God. Through His death on the cross, He brought together two warring parties. Reconciliation means taking enemies and making them friends. But Jesus did more than that—He made us family.
There was a woman who was immaculately dressed in white gloves and white heels. As she walked through a section of the city that was muddy, people were puzzled by her actions. She was on her hands and knees, digging in the mud with her white gloves. No one understood what she was doing until she eventually pulled something out and wiped it off. It was the diamond ring she had lost, which had fallen into the mud.
This story reminds me of Psalm 40:2: "He lifted me up out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock and established my steps." God did this for you and me through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. He came down into the muck and mire of our sinful existence to rescue that precious diamond, which represents you and me. He did this to redeem us and bring us into the family of God.
This is the beauty of Christmas: the holy, sinless Son of God came down to rescue us. Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, and through His sacrifice, made us sons and daughters of God.
Conclusion
This Christmas, don’t leave Jesus in the manger. Worship Him at the cross. Worship Him at the empty tomb. Recognize that He came not just to reveal God, not just to rule the church, and not just to be your Creator. He came to reconcile you to God. Will you celebrate Him for who He truly is—Savior and Lord?
Merry Christmas!
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