Merry Christmas

A very merry Christmas to all my blog readers.

This year the words that have been going through my mind over and over again come from the great prologue to John's Gospel (John 1:1-14). There we read these words from verse 14: "The Word became flesh."

In those four words the true meaning of Christmas is captured. John has already identified the "Word" as God, the God who made the world. And this "Word" is the Lord Jesus Christ. The message of Christmas is that in the birth of a baby boy in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago, the God who made and rules over everything - the God of Israel - took on human flesh and became a human being. This is what theologians call "the incarnation". It is because he came that God's plan of redemption could be accomplished. He came to bring reconcilation between God and humankind and thereby reconcilation between all things in heaven and earth.

This is why Christians celebrate his birth every year. Because "He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall."

From his birth he was one of us in every respect, identifying completely with the poor, the hungry, the helpless and the needy.

And we need him this Christmas as much as we ever did. My prayer is that you will know Christ this Christmas and always. And may God bless you and all those whom you love now and forevermore.