Matthew 1:23

Christmas is the celebration of a Child, God’s indescribable gift of love to us. He is the Light of the world, our Hope of glory.

When God planned to conquer Pharaoh and destroy Egypt, He sent the baby, Moses, to smash the oppression of slavery that held Israel captive. When God decided to expose the sins of Israel, He sent the prophet, Samuel, as a baby who went on to judge Israel all the days of his life (I Samuel 7:15).

When God set His plan in motion to vanquish Satan and his evil empire, He sent another Baby – His only Son – to be born of a virgin in Bethlehem’s manger. Jesus did not come to earth to establish the commercial chaos that we call Christmas.

He came to fulfill the promise that God made in Genesis 3:15 – Jesus, the Seed of the woman (Mary), would crush the head of the serpent, Satan, once and for all! His arrival marked the beginning of the battle for our souls. He came to redeem and set us free.

God came near. He wrapped Himself in flesh and came as a Baby to live among us. He is not a far-off God, unaffected by our plight and untouched by our dilemma. He is Immanuel, God with us.