Millions upon millions of people will celebrate a national holiday this Sunday. It is commonly referred to as Christmas. Some people describe this season of the year in terms of the “winter holiday madness.”
It is with sadness that the incarnation of Jesus Christ is described by madness. The incarnation of Christ means He came in the “likeness of men.” The holiday season ought to be festive. However, it has been overtaken with Christmas madness. I hope Christians everywhere will seek personal reformation from the Word of God, so that the mind of Christ will prevail in discerning the difference in the incarnation of Christ and the winter holiday madness.
Christmas is a timeless celebration; Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Trinity. Christ is the exact representation of God’s nature according to the writer of Hebrews. “Christ is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). This is a most profound concept, because it is truly the message of Christmas. The intended occasion for Christmas was to emphasize the birth of Jesus Christ or to put it another way Christmas was the celebration of God, the second person of the Trinity, taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul. It is properly called the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The incarnation of Jesus Christ means that a heavenly Reality becomes an earthly Reality.
Christmas is an everyday event for Christians because it reminds them to worship Jesus Christ. They worship Him because He is the exact representation of the living God, not in body but in essence.
The essence of Jesus Christ is reality.
We worship Jesus Christ.
Therefore we worship reality, not some imaginary form.
The church has abused the nature of Jesus Christ who is the very image of God. Jesus Christ has been and is the most misunderstood figure throughout human history, because they have not seen the image of the invisible God. They have not seen the reality of the God-man. Christians must go beyond the physical image for their hope. They go to the image of the invisible God for their eternal hope.
The real question is: What image do you have of Jesus Christ? What does the image of the invisible God mean to you?
Is he a kind and gentle man?
Is he a man who heals your sickness?
Is he the one who provides financially?
Is he your savior?
Too often Christians think that way. That is a poor image of Jesus Christ. Although he may be all those things, they do not represent his essence and nature. The Christmas challenge is to see Jesus Christ in His fullness.
We can begin to discern the image of the invisible God by considering the threefold work of Jesus Christ as the Prophet, Priest, and King.
As a prophet he revealed to the church the whole will of God in things concerning salvation and edification. He is the prophet par excellence – Listen to his words and obey him.
As a priest he appeared in the presence of God to satisfy God’s wrath against the sinner. He is the heavenly High Priest – Let him be your mediator and the one who stands in your behalf.
As a king he is the sovereign head of the church. He rules over his kingdom with eternal power and authority. You are expected to worship and adore your king.
This is the time of the year that we see images of Jesus Christ at every juncture, but many of them do not represent the essence of His substance in reality. They are false images. We must replace those false images with the true image of Jesus Christ. I suggest you take time to retreat from the madness of this holiday season and mediate on the perfections of Jesus Christ.
One day every person will meet, face to face, the image of the invisible God.
On that day Christians will see the infinite and eternal loveliness of Jesus Christ.
On that day Christians will see an unchangeable image of the invisible God.
This is the time of the year when Christians should use this national holiday to share the true image of Jesus Christ. Take this opportunity to worship the Christ of Christmas
Everyone has a different need, but I expect every Christian or unbeliever, wants peace.
Peace within and peace among men and nations no doubt lies at the root of our existence.
During this “winter holiday madness” listen to hymns like:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- Fill all the world with heaven’s peace,
It Came upon the Midnight Clear
- Peace on the eart
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace
O Little Town of Bethlehem
- peace to men on earth
Sleep in heavenly peace
Jesus Christ is peace. The supremacy of His incarnation is the message I have during this “winter holiday madness.
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