Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.1
Ignorantly, we may do the same with Jesus and quietly dismiss him if we don’t understand who he is. Jesus is God! 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 was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.2 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.3
Jesus became man in all respects; he was 100% man, yet 100% God.4 Although we celebrate his birth during Christmas, he proved to be God through his resurrection and ascension. God promised the coming of a Savior beforehand through the prophets in the holy Scriptures, descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.5
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.6
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”. . . When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.7 Christ Jesus died and was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.8
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.9
As we celebrate Christmas, may Jesus be the center of it all. Merry Christmas!
Notes:
1. Matthew 1:18-19
2. John 1:1-4
3. John 1:14
4. Colossians 2:9
5. Romans 1:2-4
6. Colossians 1:15-20
7. John 19:28-30
8. Romans 8:34
9. Acts 4:11-12
