The “Who” of the Christmas Story
Come and See Noel, Lauren Daigle
I have had a sticky note on my desk for several years with notes on the questions of the Nativity. These questions caught my attention as I was researching another topic contained in the Christmas narrative. So, I jotted them down to revisit at another time. It is time to dig into these questions. Questions have a purpose. A question articulates the thoughts floating around in our head and heart and attempts to make sense out of that which makes no sense at all. Let’s be frank: Virgin birth, a king born in stable, wise men reading stars, a one-time event in the galaxy, and many other events found in the Nativity are beyond our rational understanding.
The Who of Christmas: JESUS
The What of Christmas: What kind of child will this be?
The Why of Christmas: Why is this granted to me that the mother of my LORD should come to me?
The Where of Christmas: Where is He who is born King of the Jews?
The How of Christmas: How shall I know this?
How can this be?
These are the questions asked around the very first Christmas and they are powerful questions today. Different people asked these questions and their motivations are indicative of their character.
Immanuel
The WHO of the Nativity is Immanuel: God with us! The entire Biblical account from Genesis to the Revelation is all about HIM! Scripture is The Story from, “In the beginning,” to the final “amen.” Jesus: God with us-Immanuel. Yeshua. Son of God. Savior of the world. His genetic history contains less than reputable people, from all walks of life, and from the ancestors of every tribe and nation. (Matthew 1:1-17) For we all are descended from one man and one woman. (Romans 5:12-19) Jesus left His Heavenly Father to come and take on a human body and be bound by space and time. So, who IS this Jesus? He is a God-man, born of a virgin mother. Ok, we are already in over our heads for making sense out of the impossible.
Jesus Living and Present
So, let’s go to the Scripture and discover WHO the Holy Spirit says Jesus is, not who religion, history, or your parents said He was. He is not past tense at all, but very much present in the here and now.
John 1:1-4 Good News
Let’s begin in the gospel (good news) according to John. He writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made, that was made. In Him was life, and this life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-4, 14)
In Him Dwells the Fullness of the Godhead
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross… For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 1:19-20, and Colossians 2:9a)
In the Likeness of Men
“Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery, to be equal with God, but made HImself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became….” (Philippians 2:6-8a
God spoke through the prophets
The Hebrew writer reminds us, “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,” and Isaiah was just one of the prophets. He wrote, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated God with us.” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) But, God also told Joseph the husband of Mary, the virgin mother, “And she shall bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
John also wrote, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. (I John 4:2)
Virgin Birth
Do I fully grasp the virgin birth? That God has existed from before time? NO! What I do know is this, Jesus was asked many times to prove WHO He was. Some of His most powerful words were these: “…because you have seen Me, you believed. BLESSED are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
We celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus. The question is this: Do I really believe He alone is the Son of God, born of a virgin. If not, then I am NOT celebrating GOD WITH US, I am celebrating just another day and following traditions that really mean nothing.
Immanuel, Jesus, God with us who saves us from our sins! HE is the “who” of Christmas and without Him, there is no Christmas! There is no saving us from our sins. Without Immanuel, it is just another day and this is not paradise.
For God Is With Us, King and Country
May you find you the Christ of Christmas and know He is the Who of your Christmas.
Yvonne Jones
