"18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[a] because he will save his people from their sins." 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means, "God with us." 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." (Mathew 1:18-25)
When Jesus was born, only a few people realized He was more than a typical infant. The same is true today. Many people attend Christmas Eve services and observe holiday traditions but fail to consider three important questions:
1. Was Jesus really God?
2. Why did He come to earth?
3. What does this have to do with me?
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, begins with these words: “In the beginning God . . .” What evidence is there that Jesus existed from the very start? First of all, the fourth gospel opens with a claim of His preexistence: “In the beginning was the Word [that is, Jesus] . . . and the Word was God” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus also testified to His own preexistence when He asked God to glorify Him “with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). A second proof would be His demonstrations of divine power. Jesus caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to live again. His own words provide additional evidence. He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
The second and third questions can be answered at the same time. Jesus came to earth not to judge us, as some think, but to rescue us (John 12:47). He walked among us that we might know who God is. He died in our place so we could receive eternal life and become part of God’s family.
At this special season, look for opportunities to tell people what Christmas means to you. Be sure to include the answers to these three questions.
Location: Wayne & Ruth Lee homeI had fun eating delicious food, exchanging white elephant gifts, and playing Wii (Mario & Sonic Olympics) till 11:00 pm.
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