I thought today would be the best day of the year to call on my dad for a guest post. He and my mom have been followers of Jesus for many years, so on the day we celebrate Jesus’s birthday, here is a quick read courtesy of my dad…
As I reflect back on this Christmas season, I think we remember the holiday part, not the Holy Day part. Think about it…we are all excited about extra time off from work, going on the tour of lights, visiting relatives and friends, hosting Christmas parties, exchanging gifts. We begin to focus on Santa Claus, our Christmas tree decorations, colored lights, tinsel, wrapping paper, etc., all of which are good things, however we never want to lose focus of the main thing at Christmas…whose birthday we are celebrating.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the first chapter verse 23 – “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Christmas really means “Immanuel”… God with us. Do you see the Deity of Christ? From the very beginning someone special, the Son of God!
I find the most startling thing about the Christian faith is that when God chose to let us know who He is and what He is like, He sent His Son in the form of a servant! From the very humble beginning of Jesus in a manger… to the triumphant rising of Jesus from the grave, God has given us this gift of life.
It is this gift of life I would like for all of us to celebrate today!
Fred Wilder, Ben’s Dad
Merry Christmas!
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 