Can’t Have Christmas Without a Cross

When we think of Christmas, many images immediately come to mind: Santa Claus. Flying reindeer. Christmas trees. Brightly wrapped and ribboned gifts around the tree. The traditional Nativity scene featuring Mary, Joseph, the Christ Child, shepherds, barnyard animals, maybe some Magi (aka wisemen). 

Increasingly, for me a cross must be included among these images – because if it weren’t for the cross of Christ, there would be no Christmas. No need for it.

 

If I were a painter, or even a sketch artist, I’d figure out a way to present a shadow of a cross cast across the makeshift crib in which the infant lay. Even if it seems a bit crass, especially in light of romanticized imagery of the humble surroundings for Jesus’ birth, His foremost purpose in taking on human form wasn’t not to teach, provide a living example, or perform miracles. It was to die.

 

The Gospel of John clearly presents the good news that was initiated with the birth of the Son of God. We’re told, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Another gospel, Matthew, expands upon that truth: “‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

 

But a baby’s arrival the usual human way was just the start of what we understand by the term “God incarnate” – God in the flesh. If that’s all it amounted to, He could have simply arranged for snapshots to be taken that we could share and enjoy. Just as the birth of any child marks its emergence into the physical world, the birth of Jesus represented just the start of what’s been called by some, “the greatest story ever told.”

 

In John 3:16 we read the famous declaration, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” However, this love – and this gift – meant much more than the Lord being able to understand human existence. 

 

Because in another New Testament book we’re told, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This did not come as a surprise to God. In fact, it was part of His divine plan from time immemorial. 

 

We find this prophecy from thousands of years earlier: “But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). From the very beginning of time, humankind has had a tremendous problem – a sin problem. One for which we had no remedy. 

 

Romans 3:23 presents the bad news, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our sins have separated us from God, and we have no capability for doing anything about that. But a subsequent verse, Romans 6:23, tells us there’s hope: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Returning to the Gospel of John, we discover more about this gift. It says, “Yet to all who received Him [God’s gift], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Any gift, regardless of its worth, must be received to be of any benefit. The same is true for this greatest of all gifts. It is available to all who will both receive and believe.

 

Imagine showing up for the family Christmas gathering and while gifts are being exchanged, someone folds his or her arms and smugly says, “I don’t want it.” The gift had been thoughtfully planned; effort was extended to acquire it; the cost was fully considered. It was perfect. Yet the chosen recipient refused to accept it, not even bothering to see what it was.

 

This, sadly, is what many people do with the offered gift of salvation, forgiveness, redemption and eternal life. They may glance fondly at the quaint and serene Nativity scene, but refuse to consider the cross and its immeasurable cost to God. That is the tragedy of all tragedies.

 

Perhaps this Christmas, as we gather in our churches to sing “Away in a Manger,” it would be fitting also to sing the words of “The Old Rugged Cross.” Because without it, the babe in a manger in a small, inconspicuous town in ancient Judea wouldn’t even be a footnote in history. 

 

But there was a cross. The Cross. Because of it we have this promise: “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Christ was born – and He died – so that we might live. Live for Him. That’s why we can truly have a merry and joyous Christmas! 

The Amazing Thing About Being Born in Bethlehem

This scene at Lookout Mountain's Rock City depicts the birth of Christ.

You don’t have to be a follower of Jesus Christ to know He was born in the tiny, nondescript town of Bethlehem. The well-known Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” ensures that. But have you ever considered that His birth there was practically a miracle?

 

Scholars tell us Jesus’ life, crucifixion and resurrection all were foretold by many prophecies, but none was more significant than that Bethlehem would be His birthplace. In the Old Testament, the prophet Micah foretold, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

 

One of the historical marvels about Jesus is that He fulfilled every prophecy concerning the Messiah, including where He would be born. If He had failed to fulfill even one of the prophetic declarations, He wouldn’t have qualified as the promised Messiah.

But how did it come about that Bethlehem would be His place of birth? After all, Joseph – who would serve as His earthly father – and Mary, Joseph’s betrothed wife, resided in Nazareth, about 90 miles from Bethlehem. Being poor, without horses or camels available to them, and certainly not motorized transport, this trek wasn’t one they would have undertaken unless absolutely necessary.

 

Bethlehem wasn’t a vacation hotspot by any stretch of the imagination. But when Caesar Augustus decreed that everyone must return to his hometown to be counted in a census, distance and convenience didn’t matter. So, Joseph and Mary, with child by the Holy Spirit, packed up and headed for Bethlehem, the “town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4).

 

At the time, neither Joseph nor Mary fully comprehended the magnitude of what was happening in their lives. The prophecy had clearly stated that Bethlehem, not Nazareth or any of the other towns and cities in the region, would be where the Messiah was born, but that wasn’t their reason for going there.

 

Not only was the census decree itself providential, but also its timing. Because, as preacher John MacArthur observed in one of his Christmas messages, if the decree had been issued weeks or months earlier – or later – Jesus would have been born elsewhere, thus negating the prophecy. As it happened, “While they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, and [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son” (Luke 2:6).

 

Why does this matter? And what does this mean for us today? For one thing, knowing that thousands of years earlier the Messiah’s birthplace had been accurately prophesied shows that our Lord is not just the God of the big picture, but also the God of meticulous detail. There’s no room for happenstance in His divine planning. And that applies for us in whatever circumstances we’re facing.

 

Confidence in the prophecy also was why a group of wise men from the east, commonly known as Magi, undertook the arduous, time-consuming and costly journey from their homes in the Babylonian empire to Bethlehem. They understood the prophecies, dating back to the days of Daniel, so when they saw the star – God’s Positioning System (GPS) – they saddled up their camels, Bethlehem-bound.

 

No one knows for certain how long after Jesus’ birth they arrived, but what’s important is that He and His earthly parents were still there. We’re told, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Luke 2:11). 

 

They, as well as shepherds that angels had alerted on the holy night of Jesus’ birth, were among the first eyewitnesses to the exact fulfillment of prophecies made thousands of years earlier. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Caesar Augustus had decreed the census at precisely the right time; that Joseph’s lineage required him to return to Bethlehem, taking Mary with him; and that the wise men had correctly calculated when and where the promised King would be born.

 

As Christ followers, we need to trust in the veracity of the Bible, from start to finish. The fulfillment of prophecies concerning Jesus’ birth was just the first of many prophetic writings He would fulfill during His life on earth, including details about His betrayal, crucifixion and resurrection.

 

During this Christmas season, whenever we glimpse a Nativity scene, it can serve as a reminder that God doesn’t make empty promises. When we read His promises to us in the Scriptures, we can have complete assurance that our Lord says what He will do, and does what He says.

Little Town That Became Birthplace to Something Great

We’ve heard it said that big things often come in small packages. This time of year, that could refer to a towering inflatable Santa Claus for the front lawn, a cute little puppy that will grow into a humongous Labradoodle, or an engagement ring that leads to a marriage and five kids. And who can forget that from little acorns great oak trees grow?

However, for the true essence of Christmas, there’s nothing bigger to have come out of a small package than the quiet, obscure village in Israel called Bethlehem where 2,000 years ago a baby was born who grew up to become the Savior of the world.

 

Back then, for those who studied and analyzed biblical prophesies, Bethlehem becoming the birthplace for the promised Messiah wasn’t a total surprise. After all, this had been foreseen in an Old Testament book: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

 

And when wise men from the East arrived at the doorstep of a tiny house in Bethlehem where Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus were still residing, they had determined their destination and timed their arrival in part because of what the prophet Micah had written. The fact that this long-awaited fulfillment of prophecy didn’t experience His nascent moments in a large metropolis, such as Jerusalem, didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest.

Frequently we hear of a legendary athlete who was raised in some humble hamlet, or a celebrated starlet who spent her youth in a nondescript town. But in all of human history, there never was any to compare with Immanuel – “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) – who was given the earthly name of Jesus, or in. the Hebrew, Y'shua. 

 

He grew up not only to become an unparalleled teacher and role model, healer and miracle worker, but also to perform the most selfless act of all time: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

 

Singing the beloved little carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, inspires visions of a small stable sheltering a young couple holding an infant swaddled in cloths that had been intended to protect sacrificial lambs, and some curious visitors – shepherds, barnyard animals, and perhaps a multitude of angels staying out of sight. But there was no press corps to cover the event. CNN, Fox News and the networks weren’t even figments of someone’s wild imaginations. Was this a miscalculation by God?

 

It was no mistake in the least. It was the perfect plan of the Creator God, desiring to rescue – redeem – His people from having to pay a price they could never pay. As Philippians 2:7-8 declares, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”

 

Jesus’ incomparable, yet hardly noticed birth became the pivot point for all of humanity. He came not only to die in our place, but also to live in human form so that He, more than anyone else, would be able to say when we pray and share with Him our pain, struggles, adversities and fears, “I understand.” As we’re told in Hebrews 4:15-16,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way – just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

And that is why we can all remember a quaint little town and say, with one accord, “Merry Christmas!” 

The Person of Every Year

TIME magazine recently announced its annual “Person of the Year,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The European head of state was selected over seven other final candidates, but for many of us, we’re poised to celebrate the One who could rightly be called “The Person of Every Year.”

We would be hard-pressed to identify anyone that’s ever walked the earth who has had greater impact than Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate each Christmas. For those of us who identify ourselves as followers of Christ, or “Christians,” He is our leader, teacher, example, inspiration, and guide. The Bible describes Jesus as Savior, Lord, the Good Shepherd, the True Vine, the Great Physician, and many other names. Perhaps I’ve left out one of your favorites.

But even for those who don’t profess faith in Christ, even those who vehemently reject Him and His claims to be the Son of God, God incarnate, Jesus’ influence in all of our lives remains unmistakable.

Consider: From time to time the secular media refer to someone who willingly volunteers to help a stranger, even at personal peril, as a “good Samaritan.” In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate what He meant when commanding His followers to “love your neighbor as yourself.” That phrase itself has become a virtual cliché, regularly used by people of many faiths – and no faith – to assert our obligation to show compassion, mercy and generosity to those less fortunate than ourselves.

The so-called “Golden Rule,” which admonishes us to “do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12), is another of Jesus’ declarations – downright revolutionary for His time. It’s employed with abandon by those who insist on tolerance for all people, except perhaps for those who believe in and follow the One who said it first.

From time to time we’ll hear about a “prodigal son” who returns to a family, a company, even a political party, after a time of “going astray.” Jesus didn’t use the term “prodigal,” but it comes from another of His parables, also referred to as the parable of the lost son or the two sons, found in Luke 15:11-32.

Jesus was unparalleled in His ability to use what writers call “verbal imagery,” communicating a truth through a vivid oral account. A picture on which to hang a principle. Perhaps this is why so many people remember His stories, even if they don’t understand or dismiss His theology.

Sometimes we hear people being described disparagingly as thinking too much of themselves – “she must think she walks on water.” Jesus did this literally, as recounted in Matthew 14:22-33. And more than one business executive has declared, “I sweat blood to get that account,” a phenomenon Jesus experienced the night before His crucifixion: “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Of course, Jesus’ uniqueness goes far beyond the words He spoke and His activities on earth. He is the only leader of any religion or belief system reported to have died and then be resurrected. Mohammad, Buddha, Moses, Confucius and others don’t and can’t make that claim.

He boldly declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me” (John 14:6), and also stated, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). As C.S. Lewis stated, making such statements would mean Jesus either was a liar, a lunatic, or who He said He was – God in the flesh.

And to those who would accept His gift of forgiveness for their sins, possible only by His atoning death on the cross, Jesus made this promise: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).

So as we gather this Christmas with family, friends and loved ones, along with the familiar traditions we have adopted through the years, let’s not stop at reflecting on the pastoral scene of a young mother and father, and a baby in a crude feeding trough – hardly fitting accommodations for the One who would become known as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Let’s remember that Jesus Christ truly was – and is – like no other. He’s not the person of the year; for many of us, He’s the person of every year.

The Crèche and the Cross

The Nativity, or creche, is integral to the Christmas tradition.

This time of year we often see the so-called “manger scene,” also termed the Nativity or crèche, in homes, stores where holiday decorations are sold, and on public display where protests from freedom-from-religion types have not prevailed. Churches stage a “live Nativity,” complete with baaing sheep, mooing cows, even camels. It’s become an integral part of the Christmas tradition.

A heartwarming representation of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth, the Nativity shows the Christ Child surrounded by Mary and Joseph, adoring shepherds and animals, worshiping wise men and angels. Although it’s not always accurate – the biblical details and historians agree the Magi arrived as much as two years after the birth – the crèche displays, small or large, show both the humility and regality of the divine birth.

But I’ve often felt something important is missing in these well-intended scenes. I’m not an artist, but if I had talent for paint and brush, I’d try to include within the humble setting the shadow of a cross, perhaps falling across the Baby in His makeshift crib. Because if it were not for the Cross, the penultimate act of Jesus’ life, there would be no need for a crèche. It would have no meaning. It would have been just another baby being born.

Without the cross, the creche
is merely a sentimental symbol.

The Bible verse many of us know, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life” (John 3:16), reveals Jesus as the first Christmas gift. But God did not send Him to serve just as teacher and role model, but also to become Savior and Redeemer. Because the Scriptures also tell us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

In fact, from the moment of His birth, Jesus was embarking on the journey that inevitably led to the Cross. We’re told as He agonized over what lay in front of Him from a human perspective, Jesus prayed, ”Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour” (John 12:27).

In the film, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” the character played by Will Ferrell offers a prayer to “dear Lord baby Jesus.” It seems Jesus perceived only as an infant is far less imposing and demanding than the adult Christ. And yet, we’re told, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7). He didn't do that as a baby.

The Scriptures also inform us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). It’s troubling for many of us to admit we’re sinners, rebels desperately in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. It seems insulting to consider that we – good people we think ourselves to be – need to be “redeemed.”

But that’s what the Bible declares. We enjoy the crèche, it says, only because of what Jesus did on the Cross for us.

So the next time you admire the Nativity, that warm and cozy scene, remember it didn’t end there. That was just the beginning. God came in the flesh to offer a gift we could never obtain on our own, the greatest Christmas gift of all time. And because of that, we say MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Lots of Wants, But Not Many Needs

As Christmas nears, familiar scenes with the Christ child in the
manger are prominent, but there's a lot more to the story.

Years ago my family and I returned to Houston, Texas, where we lived for three years, to visit with family and old friends. I’ll always remember a former coworker’s answer when I asked how he, his wife and children were doing. “Well,” he said, “we have some wants, but we don’t have any needs.”

That was the first time I’d heard anyone express it that way, but it’s true for many of us. In our society, consumerism reigns, aiming to elevate our “wants” to the level of perceived needs. The more we get the merrier. We want a new smartphone, tablet or HD-TV, but we don’t need them. We go into stores and see the newest clothing styles on display, along with shoes, glitzy appliances and newly released CDs and DVDs. We want them – but don’t need them.

Being an admitted “bookaholic,” I have more books in my possession than I’ll probably ever read, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting more. I always seem to “need” more memorabilia and T-shirts for showing my avid support of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Millions of people in this world truly need things like food, clothing, a safe place to live, or a job. But anyone reading this is probably affluent enough not to be counted among them. A need is something that can bring disastrous consequences if it’s not met. We might feel we need a new bracelet, watch or pair of earrings, a new coat or shirt, but could it be just a want?

I don’t mean to sound like Scrooge as we approach the magical morning of Christmas, when many of us will exchange gifts with loved ones. It’s a happy tradition, hopefully an opportunity to understand more fully why Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive. At the same time, as we consider the true meaning of Christmas – the commemoration of Christ’s birth – we would be wise to recognize He came not to fulfill our wants, but to meet our most foundational need.

Starting with Adam and Eve, mankind has had a problem: Severed from a right relationship with God because of disobedience and rebellion against His laws and standards for living. The Bible calls it “sin.” Throughout history, people have tried to remedy this through something called “religion” – rituals, traditions, rules, dogma, and institutionalism. It’s what someone has called, “man’s best effort to reach God.”

Unfortunately, feeble attempts by unholy people to earn the favor of a holy God are about as effective as attempting to swim the Pacific Ocean. Even a champion swimmer will cover only a small fraction of the distance before having to give up and fall woefully short of the goal. In the face of this futility, God instead chose to provide the remedy Himself, reaching down to mankind and offering redemption – reconciliation through Jesus.

At sporting events, on highway overpasses, billboards and even drink cups we sometimes see the inscription, John 3:16. It’s become commonplace enough that it might seem like a cliché, but its meaning remains as profound as ever: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This was truly the first Christmas gift.

Another passage underscores this truth: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Think about it – when Jesus willingly went to the cross to serve as our atoning sacrifice, the payment for our sins, how many sins had you and I committed by that time? The answer, of course, is none. We hadn’t been born yet. But if we’re honest, we’ve more than made up for lost time since entering the world. That’s why 1 Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

Unlike Old Testament sacrifices that were carried out daily by the Israelite priests, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was once for all time – past, present and future.

So as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, visualizing the Nativity scene of a young mother, her betrothed husband and an infant lying in a makeshift cradle, let’s remember Jesus came to meet our deepest need – to become reconciled to God.

In our rebellious moments, we don’t even recognize that need. We want what we want, and if that’s contrary to God’s will, too bad. But Jesus didn’t come to appease our wants, our lust for having our own way. He came to fulfill the need we didn’t even know we had until He graciously revealed it to us. When images of Bethlehem come to your mind’s eye, don’t separate the cradle from the cross.

Merry Christmas!