Christmas Devotional | 2018 - Day 25
Emmanuel
By Dr. Robert Jeffress
“But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law in order that he might redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Galatians 4:4-5
Christmas day is finally here! Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior; the one whom the New Testament calls the Lord Jesus Christ. But there are other names for the Lord in the Old Testament; other titles that were given to him, and one in particular that seems especially poignant given what we celebrate at Christmas.
Too often at Christmas we focus solely on the infancy of Jesus, and that leads us down a wrong path, obscuring the real meaning of this day. We look at the lights and sing the carols, and we get this warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and then we think about the idea of a baby being born. And then we think about our own children being born, and pretty soon we’ve devolved into this syrupy sentimentality that really has nothing to do with the real message of Christmas.
The fact is, there was nothing unique about a baby being born in Israel that night more than two thousand years ago. Hundreds of babies were born that night. But this baby was different. He was God in the flesh. Emmanuel. God with us. And because of that,He alone was capable of taking away our sin. That is what made His birth different than any other.
The Bible says that the God of all of the universe before the beginning of time decided that He wanted a relationship with you, and He set the plan into motion, the plan by which you and I could be adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ. By sending His Son as a baby, God took the initiative in establishing the relationship with you to put you into His forever family. Jesus willingly took the curse for our sin in order to point us to God. And that’s why we call Him Emmanuel, God with us. God became one of us so that we might be a part of His family.
This Christmas morning, I pray you celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the One who was veiled in flesh so that we might have a relationship with God.Celebrate what Christ did in coming to be born in the manger. And this morning, I pray you truly experience Emmanuel, God with us. Merry Christmas!
What is your favorite Christmas song?
“Joy To The World”
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
First Baptist Dallas Christmas Eve Service
What is your favorite Christmas dish or drink?
Haagen Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream (it’s delicious 365 days a year!)
Author Bio
Dr. Robert Jeffress
Dr. Robert Jeffress
Senior Pastor
Dr. Robert Jeffess is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Dallas. He is an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, consistently makes guest appearances on various radio and television programs and mainstream media outlets, hosts a daily radio program, Pathway to Victory, and is the author of 24 books. He and his wife, Amy, have two daughters and three grandchildren.
