Jesus wasn’t born by accident. He entered this world at a preordained moment to fulfill an eternally planned strategy for redeeming the human race. It was the greatest gift of love and the reason we celebrate this time of year.
Love Incarnate
Jesus came into the world that He might come into your heart. And He comes into your heart that you might come into His kingdom.
The Apostle John wrote, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).
On 14 different occasions, the Bible says that Jesus came “into the world.” He wasn’t simply born. He left heaven and came into the world. He knew His eternal origin and His divine mission. Jesus’ birthday is God’s gift to us.
In 1918, William Neidlinger wrote “The Birthday of a King.” While the specifics of the creation are unknown, we can guess that it might have been written for children — as his volume of children’s songs was a standard resource for early educators in the latter years of the 19th century.
As Neidlinger sought to teach children about the gift of music, God, too, continually seeks to teach His children.
The Reason for the Christ Candle
We are taught of how the heavens rejoiced, and the angels cheered at the birth of our Savior. We are taught that Christmas is the celebration of the moment the Eternal God entered into humanity through the womb of a virgin — history’s greatest miracle of conception and birth.
The reason Christmas captures our attention is that we have the sense that God Himself is being born — born so that we may be born again in Him.
What love God has displayed!
May His Love Ring True This Christmas
As we inch closer to the birthday of our Savior, remember the love He has shown for all people. The Lord Himself said, “For God so loved that the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
May this love ring true in your heart and home.
*A portion of this article is an excerpt from Season of Joy by David Jeremiah.
For further reading:
David Jeremiah Discusses the Source of Joy This Advent Season
David Jeremiah Discusses the Peace of Advent in an Unstable World
David Jeremiah Discusses the Advent Candle of Hope and What Matters This Holiday Season
What Do the Advent Candle Colors Purple, Pink, and White Mean?
Advent Week 4 - the Candle of Love and the Christ Candle for Advent
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images - Kara Gebhardt
