Christmas is a time when people tend to think of Jesus Christ as a baby born in a cute little manger. That supernatural event is not the primary focus. To know the central truth of the Christmas story one must ask not assume. Ask – did deity descend in Bethlehem? Why is it said unlike any other baby, the child born in Bethlehem was unique in all of history? How was he born of a virgin, not of a human father and mother? Did he have a heavenly pre-existence (John 1: 1-3, 14). Is he God, the Son - Creator of the universe? (Phillippians 2:5-11). Why is Christmas called the ‘Incarnation,’ a word which means “in the flesh?” In Jesus’ birth, did the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator come to earth in the flesh? Is Christmas a priceless gift for all or just for a bunch of folks with a different religious label?
I’ve always wondered why would God do such a ridiculous thing? Why would he enter his own creation as a baby, instead of arriving in power and majesty? The prophecies from the Old Testament that were fulfilled in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have the answers. Scholars of all persuasions have verified nearly 300 predictions hundreds of years before his birth; referring to a coming deliverer they called the Messiah.
Renowned archaeologist, Nelson Glueck, has commented, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”  Findings include inscriptions that Caesar Augustus ordered his subjects to be taxed, which uprooted people such as Joseph and Mary from their homes (Luke 2: 3-4). (See Sir William Ramsey, The Bearing of Recent Discoveries on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament. (Hodder and Stoughton, 1920), p.238f.)
Despite all the evidence, many scorn the Savior’s birth because like Augustus Caesar, every individual has his own little kingdom. We want to run our own life, indulge in all the pleasures available, and demand ego fulfilment. The media reinforces all this – go for it, do your own thing, master your own fate, chart your own destiny, be your own man, be your own woman. People will not bow the knee to the Creator who chose to humble himself for their salvation.
People won’t ask.
At any Christmas family meal, the tradition is to invite only close relatives and friends. People want the best gifts, Christmas tree etc., to decorate their homes to perfection, but most folks miss the main point. Christ was born in lowly circumstances - he is not particular, he invites anyone to join the heavenly banquet, and he accepts people regardless of who they are. Just like he did in person, he still embraces rich or poor, depraved or sophisticated sinners of all types, even today. (I testify from personal experience not institutional belief).
It is impossible not to qualify for God’s grace and forgiveness -you only have to ask. You only have to set aside your spiritual pride, your tradition, your status, your knowledge, your refusal to forgive someone – whatever keeps you from acknowledging you are not pure enough to sit at the divine table. Or certain that you can be saved by your good works and religious membership, you can scorn the invitation.
Christmas 2009 will be a first for my grandson David who arrived in October. But it is a sober time for the family, with my fragile 86 year-old mother quite vulnerable after her sudden second stroke. As I write she is in a Singapore hospital ICU although her condition is reportedly stable. Shuttling between her five sons, four daughters, 17 grandchildren, and six great grandchildren in several countries, Mom is as sturdy as they come - it won’t surprise any of us if she comes through another stroke. Regardless, it will still be Christmas because even though I may not be sure about many things, this one thing I am sure of – Mom has asked.
And it will always be Christmas for anyone who asks because of the promise, “Ask and you will receive.”