It is hard to ignore the magnitude of excitement when a famous star walks into a show, when players walk into an arena, or when a bride walks in for her wedding ceremony. Every detail is orchestrated in such a way that no one misses the grand entrance as fans stand and cheer and clap for their arrival. However, amazingly, Jesus Christ made a very simple entrance into this world as a baby. You would think that the Son of God would have made a magnificent appearance with the earth-shaking, thunder, and lighting. But just because Jesus was born in a humble manger, while most of the world was not even aware of His birth, we cannot ignore the significance of His arrival in God’s kingdom plan or forget to thank God for His Son and what He means to us.
So come, walk with me to the era when Jesus was born . . . you may be aware that those were not easy times. God had not spoken to His people in 400 years. The Israelites were facing Roman oppression, along with poverty and diseases. In the midst of a volatile setting, Jesus came to destroy the power of sin, bring healing, and offer life abundantly (John 10:10).
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). But the question is how do we experience the life that He is so willing to bless us with? I want to point out that when a person is saved by putting their trust in Jesus Christ, they become a brand-new creation and are filled with the Holy Spirit. The children of the Omnipotent God take on a whole new nature and experience a new life as they commit to serving Him. And so, when believers face trials in their lives, they receive the direction and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Even more, they can pray for wisdom, and God provides them the understanding to live each day. Jesus is the answer to everything we need, but if we do not go past the birth of Jesus to take on the character of Christ, we remain blind to the Light (see 2 Peter 1: 9). So, let’s be diligent and walk with Him, not only during this Christmas season but also through the rest of our days on earth.
Now walking with Jesus does not necessarily mean that we will continually experience a blissful life. Folks, there is no way that you can have someone as powerful as Jesus Christ come and think that your life will remain the same. Remember, Jesus came to transform you and me for the glory of His kingdom. In fact, take a moment to think about how the lives of Mary and Joseph, or for that matter, Elizabeth, and Zechariah, were fundamentally changed because Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
Sadly, many people celebrate Christmas but are not interested in the agenda of God. When Jesus was taken to the temple, there were many people right there, filled with excitement, feeling religious, and waiting for the Messiah; but apart from Simeon and Anna, most worshippers were so occupied with the religious structure and the traditions that they missed the entrance of the King. It is not that the Lord has not come to us, but we can become so engrossed with our lives that we consequently remain blind to the appearance of our Savior.
We have the most incredible opportunity to celebrate the most significant moment in human history at Christmas—the issue is, whom are we looking for? We want God to bless us with long, happy, healthy lives and riches–and He may, but more importantly, Jesus Christ is seeking to impact our hearts so we can live powerfully. Christ is saying He wants to radically transform us so we can experience peace and joy, strength and contentment, long-suffering and self-control, and love and power. Think about the gym for a moment; yes, workouts can make you sore, but after you hang in there for a while, you feel better and develop strength and endurance.
Today I want to challenge you to meet Jesus afresh and allow your Creator to change your life by saying yes. The baby in the manger is not a denomination or a religion; He is the Almighty Lord who can make an eternal difference in your life. Open your eyes, let Him renew your heart, and nurture a relationship that will last forever.