Luke 2:1-21 - The Greatest Miracle

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Merry Christmas! Today is Christmas Eve which has fallen on a Sunday. Sunday is the day that we as believers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after His death on the cross. If asked, most Christians would say that this is greatest miracle of all. The crucifixion-resurrection event is, after all, the basis for our salvation. In the Scriptures several other people, like Lazarus, was resurrected from the dead but Jesus’ resurrection was a greater event than theirs because they eventually died again, but Jesus rose to eternal life and glory. When Lazarus rose, a great deal changed for him, but little changed for the world. But when Jesus rose, everything changed. What was so different about Jesus’ resurrection? The key lies in Who died and rose. In the case of Lazarus, a human died and rose again to continue a mortal life. But in the case of Jesus, someone much more than a human died and rose again. Jesus was human, but not just a human. He was both God and human — God in the flesh, God incarnate, both divine and human. The reason His death and resurrection have such power is not because death and resurrection are the greatest miracle. Rather, it is because His death and resurrection had been preceded by the miracle that truly is the greatest of all: the miracle of the incarnation. Billions will eventually die and be resurrected into eternal life and glory; the incarnation, however, will remain unique. By a miracle that passes human comprehension, about 2,000 years ago the Creator entered His creation, the Eternal entered time, God became human—in order to die and rise again for the salvation of all people. The power of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ does not lie in the events themselves. The power of the events derives from the person of Jesus Himself: who and what He was and is. His words have power and authority because they are the words of God incarnate. His life has power because it is the life of God incarnate. His death and resurrection have power because they are the death and resurrection of God incarnate. A spirit of commercialism has become so attached to the Christmas season that many Christians take little notice of this greatest of all miracles. Disturbed by these things, some avoid the festival. But too often, they also forget to dedicate time to think about the message Christmas was intended to remind us of: the message of God’s greatest miracle. What a pity that, as a result, some forgot to rejoice in this greatest of all miracles, the birth of Jesus. Let us not miss the opportunity to celebrate the great miracle: to come in wonder and worship before the One who humbled Himself to become a baby, a child, a human; who descended into His own creation so that by ascending again He might lift it up with Him from decay and bondage into glory and freedom. God bless and Merry Christmas!