“Behold, a virgin shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name
Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” – – Isaiah 7.14, RV
Christmas Eve is probably the apex of the holiday season for me. I’m not entirely sure why, but it always seems to be that way. Everyone comes over and we just kick-it together. Usually opening presents, joking with one another, and eating baby Jesus birthday cake is involved. This was the first year we read the Christmas Story out loud. In many ways, it marked a certain bit of profundity into the holiday for all of us. But that wasn’t my favorite part of the night.
My little cousin and I were in the kitchen doing manly things (like eating cookies when we weren’t supposed to – sorry mom). We were standing in there and I was making him laugh – something not hard to do – and he kept talking about Jesus’ birthday. Finally he asked an eye-opening question:
“Where is Jesus? He needs to be able to blow the candles out on his cake.”
This was awesome because it opened up the door for me to share Christ with my little cousin, but it was also a great way to brainstorm ideas for how Jesus could blow his birthday candles out. After much conversation, my little cousin decided we should take the cake outside and ask Jesus to blow them out himself. So we did.
And it worked!
It’s well known that Emmanuel means “God with us,” and truly, God is with us this day. He was born into the world and dwelt among us and now he dwells within us. Obviously, because we are in fact Christ with skin on, any of us could have blown the candles out on that cake, but I think it made a far bigger impression on my little cousin (and myself) by stepping outside and asking Jesus to do it himself! I think my family thought we were crazy, which we were. And my other cousin thought that it was just the wind, which it obviously was. But I believe it was the gusto of God that blew them candles out when we asked!
But ultimately, it’s Christmas day and we cannot forget the event that occurred
on this day, an event which is remembered every year for the last 2,000+. On this day a single infant was born into the
world, a babe who would change the course of human history as we know it. He would end up shaping everything from our
ethics, to our morals, to our faith. The
very way we live life would be impacted by this infinite God bound up in a
finite body. How hard would it be to be
the God of all creation and submit part of yourself to a task that you would
know to be the most painful thing ever?
on this day, an event which is remembered every year for the last 2,000+. On this day a single infant was born into the
world, a babe who would change the course of human history as we know it. He would end up shaping everything from our
ethics, to our morals, to our faith. The
very way we live life would be impacted by this infinite God bound up in a
finite body. How hard would it be to be
the God of all creation and submit part of yourself to a task that you would
know to be the most painful thing ever?
The thing I think we forget oftentimes is that God had this
all planned out. To say that from the
very beginning and creation of man that God didn’t know He was going to have to
sacrifice part of Himself, that He was going to give up His one and only son,
to say that He had no idea would be a lie.
He knew.
And to think that He loved us so much as finite humans that
He was still willing to go through all of that, that He was still willing to
submit His son to our sin, our humanity, our depravity in an effort to purge it
out of us by one simple choice.
Crazy.
And now He’s with us – He’s in us. In the tent of our hearts lives Immanuel. Let’s not forget that today.
Have a Merry Christmas everybody! Thank you for your faithful readership. Now go let God blow the candles out on your cake!
