The Light who Became One of Us (Part 2 of Rumors beyond the Flat Line)

From last month's article, I left off with the promise of telling you about the one who legitimately died and came back from the flat line. One writer described him as "the True Light" and that his birth was likened to light which first came down to earth, illuminating a world in darkness.  By now, some of you might have already guessed who he is.  This person is Jesus Christ-- the reason for our season.

In this post-modern times, most of us have associated Christmas with Santa Claus, exchanging presents, rush Christmas shopping,  unusually long lines at port areas and bus stations, attending parties, reunions and all sorts of revelry.  It was not this way originally.  It may be worthwhile to consider why we celebrate this day in the first place…

The meaning of Christmas has the tendency to be forgotten amidst the rush.
(fro www.kristiann1.com)

The first Christmas happened when God first came to earth in the form of a helpless human baby. He is the King of the universe, but He was not born inside the comforts of a castle, instead, He was delivered in a lowly stable.  Even if He was God, He relinquished His God-attributes to become a man. He who was infinite, powerful, strong and wise became as limited, as powerless, as weak and without knowledge as a babe. God came to earth to become something He was not before. He came to be one of us.

Because of the humanity of Jesus, He knew what it meant to be in your shoes and in mine. He finally experienced what pain meant when, as a kid, he first got bruised when He tripped on the hot, sandy ground of Nazareth.  He first knew what being exhausted meant after he spent a long day’s hard work of hammering wood and making furnitures as a carpenter. He first knew what it meant to be misunderstood when His own family disbelieved Him.  He first knew what real emotional pain was when He got betrayed and disowned by His two close friends. He knew what it meant to feel guilt, shame and unspeakable suffering when all the sins of humanity were laid upon Him on the Cross. And finally, He knew what mortality was when He breathed His last and died. Yet after his suffering and his death, he rose from the dead on the third day and thus proved that He was more powerful than death itself.

For this reason, we can now celebrate Christmas, assured that God is not just up there sitting comfortably in His throne in the heavens. We know that He became like us and knew what being human meant.  That is why the Bible refers to Jesus as “Immanuel”—God with us. Moreover, just as He has shown Himself greater than death (and greater than all other forms of power), it is within reason that we can trust Him even amidst our fears, this world’s wars, disease and problems. Jesus knew what troubles a human soul, and yet He bids us today, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

(from www.flickr.com)

Perhaps, that may be just what we need to be reminded and assured of this Christmas.  That is what   He invites us to celebrate. Immanuel. Shalom. Merry Christmas!

Written by Brice Serquina of Batch Spectra