Christmas is a time of celebration—of family gatherings, special meals, and more. Yet the first Christmas was highlighted by worship. In fact, gifts were secondary to worship. The angels first appeared to announce the birth of Christ to lowly and often-despised shepherds;1 they worshipped God, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them (Luke 2:11).
Worship was again displayed by the three wise men that bowed and paid homage to the Baby who was prophesied to come (Isa. 60:5,11, 61:6; Zeph. 3:10). Worship was accompanied with offerings that speak prophetically of Christ—gold, which speaks of His deity; frankincense, with its sweet perfume, which speaks of the fragrance of His life and is also an emblem of prayer; and myrrh, which speaks of His death and is a substance used for embalming. All three gifts prophesied to whom this Child would become (Matt. 2:11).
Christ, who was born in a stinky stable, has come again in the innumerable lives of those who are born again each day around the world. As Christ was born of the Spirit, so we are born again (John 3:3,5) of the same Spirit … a reincarnation of Christ, the Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27)! Christ is coming again, not as a babe, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).2 Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20)!
Who is this Babe that the whole world celebrates and venerates like no other person in history? Who is He that is worshipped by young and old, rich and poor, and from every tribe and nation? Who is He whom the shepherds and kings came to worship? Who is He that gives peace in the storms of life and heals the brokenhearted? Who is He Whom we celebrate with overwhelming joy and thanksgiving, and Who gives joy in the midst of sorrow? Who is He that heals the sick (some from incurable diseases), and raises others from the dead?3 Who is He that can forgive all our sins?4 Who is He that sets people free from sin’s bondage? Who is He that promises life eternal and a heavenly home prepared for His own?
We join with the universal Bride of Christ in celebrating Him not as a babe but because of Who He is! We join the heavenly host, which no man can number, in our worship of Him (Rev. 5:11). He now sits on the throne with exuberant adoration. He came to fully identify with all of mankind that we might have life and have it more abundantly (Rev. 3, 21; Luke 2:13-14; Rev. 7:9; Jn. 10:10)!
Reuben & Carmen Sequeira
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. —Jn. 1:14
1 See Genesis 46:34.
2 For more names and titles of Christ, see http://blog.adw.org/2012/05/150-titles-of-christ-from-the-scriptures/ and https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/debbie-mcdaniel/50-names-of-jesus-who-the-bible-says-christ-is.html.
3 Craig S. Keener, Ph.D., has documented hundreds of verified accounts of miracles. For more information, see his two-volume book Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts and his academic journal articles on the subject (here and here).
4 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa.43:25).