Receive 4

John 1:14

At our previous church they told the story on several occasions about a man who was home one evening when birds began flying into the reflection of the sky on his plate glass window. Bird after bird flew into the glass and smacked against the hard surface. The man tried to shoo the birds away, to warn them, but they kept flying into the window.

Desperate to help the birds and tired from waving his arms, the man finally thought that if he could become a bird he would warn the others about the window. And it was in thinking this that he saw the meaning of the birth of Jesus.

Jesus was a gift from God to all of humanity, a gift of God in flesh. Jesus became one of us. He became a person so that we might be able to understand who God really is. Christ became a person so that he might have an intimate and personal relationship with each of us.

It was through the birth, life and death of Jesus that we get to know who God is. We can see His mercy and His love through the teaching and action of Jesus. Through the example of Jesus we are shown the glory of God, the Father. Through God, the Son, we can know better our heavenly Father.

That is the purpose and point of Christmas – God giving Himself to us so that we might know God better and more closely. The point of Jesus is that we see more clearly who our God is.

Knowing this should bring us joy. Knowing that God loves us so much that He wanted to live among us should fill our hearts with a warm elation, not just over the holidays, but every day of our lives.

Receive the gift of Christ. Let the joy of God’s precious gift, the example of His glory, grace and truth fill your heart this Christmas.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can Christmas become more personal to you this year?