No hidden agenda—just Good News!
Today’s Text: Genesis 3:15
RECLAIMING CHRISTMAS

It is no secret that there has been a concerted effort over the past few decades to remove the message of Christmas from the public forum.

Topping off the list of casualties are nativity scenes, especially life-size crèches. They’ve been incrementally removed from public display and now seldom appear on courthouse lawns, city parks, public thoroughfares or even church properties.

But this year is different. Recently, a photo taken in California featuring baby Jesus lying in a manger between two Joseph figures posing piously in pink robes was widely circulated on social media. It was captioned “Gaytivity.” Who would have thought that a tradition used since medieval times to rehearse the authentic Christmas story would be co-opted?

Sorry, there is no hidden agenda—either social or political—in the Nativity. The crèche commemorates a miraculous historical event. The crèche represents a set time when the God of creation chose to live within the confines of humanity.

Ancient Prophecy Fulfilled

While our ancient ancestor’s, Adam and Eve, were still reeling from the consequences of their far-reaching act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden, they heard God tell Satan:  

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15, NIV).

In those few words, God not only revealed the advent of the Redeemer, He warned Satan to expect a crushing lethal blow for his seduction of humanity’s progenitors.

The promise was reiterated through Isaiah some 700 years before fulfillment at the birth of Jesus:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14).

Why was a human mother necessary? Why did she have to be a virgin? Couldn’t God have just burst onto the world stage in a dazzling demonstration of power to clean up the mess Adam and Eve had inflicted on their progeny?

Yes, God could have done that. Straightening out planet earth’s man-made crisis was God’s priority from the very beginning, but there was more.

The God-man

Mary’s baby was unique. God’s messenger, the angel Gabriel, announced,

“’and they shall call His name Immanuel’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” (Mt. 1:23).

Gabriel repeated the prophecy to reassure Joseph that Mary was still a virgin explaining, “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 1:20).

The reality that Mary’s baby was truly God while at the same time fully human is virtually impossible for our finite minds to comprehend.

To redeem fallen humanity, the Redeemer had to be genuinely human. At the same time, He had to be God for His sacrifice to fully affect our redemption. That God could be subjected to all the limitations of human experience without diminishing His deity or invalidating His humanity is astounding.

But, He did.

It was man’s disobedience that precipitated “the fall” in the Garden of Eden resulting in humanity’s current state of affairs. God not only provided a temporary solution for sin through the sacrificial system during Old Testament times, He became the God-man who was the ultimate sacrifice for man’s disobedience.

It is important to understand why God choose to enter the time space continuum. It was God’s plan to not only reclaim a fallen creation, but also make possible for individuals to actually know and have a personal relationship with Him (Rm. 8:20-21 cf. Jn. 3:16).

There will always be some element in society attempting to hijack the true message of Christmas; but that doesn’t sway biblically authentic Christians.

 We grasp the prophetic implications of Christmas. The God of creation intervened in human affairs so man could have a personal relationship with Him! No hidden agenda—just Good News!

Rev. Charles E. McCracken. Biblically Authentic – Standing with Israel.

Charles E. McCracken is an international Bible teacher, long-time friend of Israel and advocate for the Jewish people. Rev. McCracken is known for authenticity in communicating biblical truth that makes his presentations relevant for those seeking to understand the significance of Israel and the church in Bible prophecy. He staunchly supports the nation of Israel and the Jewish people’s right to exist and live in peace.

© Charles E. McCracken 2017, devotional comments only. Repost/Reprint with permission from the author via Contact Form under ABOUT. Scripture, unless otherwise noted, is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (Emphasis added.)

IMAGE:
1) Carnegie Presepio. By Pschemp (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons – Enhancement: MKM Portfolios

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