The more we linger around the manger at Bethlehem and ponder what it might mean for God to become man, the more we realise the incredible implications of the incarnation – God becoming man. Too often we speed straight past the incarnation to get to the cross, to emphasize that Jesus came to die. Now it's never a bad thing to want to get to the cross! But the Gospels don't start there, even Mark's fast paced account that is so keen to get to the cross tells us about Jesus' life. Jesus didn't just come to die he also came to live. He came to show us how to live, how to live life to the full. If we pause at the manager and give ourselves the chance we will see the incredible implications for humanity that Jesus affirmed when he took on human flesh.
Sometimes we can be a bit uptight about all this and I am reminded of the children's nativity scene where there was a big towering cross looming over the fragile manager scene, traumatising the newly born baby! Jesus was in no doubt about his ultimate purpose in coming to earth, but that didn't mean he was afraid to live! Now there is nothing more powerful than spending a few hours at the bedside of a dying saint, who has walked with God for many years. Christians know how to die well, because they know where they are going! But we should also be known as those who really know how to live and how to live well. And contrary to what the media tells us at Christmas, living well is not about how much stuff we have or how big our house and wallet might be. Jesus certainly knew how to live, he knew that what really mattered was spending time with people, meeting their needs and pointing them to God the Father.
The incarnation radically affirms the value of being human and life here on earth. When God created Adam, He gave him every possible opportunity to live the kind of life we all deep down dream about. Jesus showed us that it was possible to live such a life and it's no surprise that the Bible parallels him as the second Adam.
Bible
So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" the last Adam, a life-giving spirit– 1 Corinthians 15:45
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. 1John 1:1-4
Prayer
Lord Jesus you came to die in our place but you were also willing to show us how to live. If you had never come to us, we would never have known everything you intended us to be. Help us to live well, as you did, and this Christmas help us to become more like you, to live life with the priorities and purposes that you had. We ask that you would change us by your Holy Spirit. Amen
Steve
for
Kruger
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