Christmas season cause for celebration

Winter has arrived. Christmas is around the corner. From our hillside home, we can see Christmas lights appearing across the landscape below and across the lake the lights of Polson shimmer a welcome to travelers descending Jette Hill. The Parade of Lights and the lighting of the Christmas Tree on Main Street, the beautiful Christmas wreaths throughout Polson’s central district, the nativity scenes and the ringing bells at the Salvation Army’s Red Kettles all remind us that a celebration is underway. And celebrate we should. For he “who being in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6-7) became in “the likeness of men.” The word “form” does not mean “shape” because God is “spirit,” he has no material shape. Therefore, the meaning which scripture intends is that Jesus Christ is like God, having the identical nature of God. This true likeness of God declares his divine equality with God which he lays aside to become the human baby boy in the manger.

He who was invisible now has human form. He sees us through human eyes; he welcomes us with human arms; his empathy has human emotions. Once he was so distant, so incomprehensible, so transcendent. But now we can see him as a baby in the manger at Bethlehem, as a young boy at the carpenter’s bench in Nazareth and on the cross at Golgotha as our suffering, dying Savior. It’s Jesus. I see him; I recognize him; though I fear him, I like him; I love him; I can trust him, and have him in my life.

Think of it. Before the incarnation, God seemed so distant, so completely beyond the scope of everyone’s imagination. Now we can know him personally, intimately.

“Ring the bells, ring the bells, let the whole world know Christ was born in Bethlehem many years ago; Born to die that we might live, came to earth new life to give. Ring the bells, ring the bells, let the whole world know.”

– Harvey A. Town, Polson