“It’s A Wonderful Life” is my favorite Christmas movie. I have the movie on VHS and I pull it out every year. Yes, I watch it on an old television in the garage. I didn’t see the movie until I was almost thirty years old. When I saw the classic for the first time I exclaimed, “I can’t believe I have never seen this movie!” I am a syrupy sentimentalist to say the least. Advent season begins this Sunday, December 3. We will take a pause from the Gospel of Luke until January. At Christmas we come back again and again to the fundamental and foundational truth of incarnation. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” (John 1:1,14) Jesus is eternal and divine. Yet, for 33 years he limited himself to a physical body while never compromising his eternal nature. (Colossians 1:15-23, Phil.2:5-11) This is the incarnation. This is miraculous. Paul uses the word, “mystery” to describe this phenomenon.
“Beyond all question, the mystery from which godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” I Timothy 3:16
If eternal God hadn’t come in human flesh we would still be trapped in the captivity of our sinful human flesh. Jesus is called, “Emmanuel” , in Isaiah 7:14. The ancient word means, “God with us”. This is what Christmas is about and this gives reason for worship of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This King hung on a cruel cross to pay the penalty for our sins. May worship be the primary activity of your Christmas.
God Bless You
Pastor Drew
