The Nativity Scene. It’s a precious picture of that holy night in Bethlehem, over 2000 years ago. As hymns play in the background, we look at sweet baby Jesus asleep on the hay. We see Him as our Savior, our King, The Son, even a Lamb. He seems so approachable, so human. We read the story silently wrapped in peace and love. But then I pinch myself, waking from that long winter’s nap, because I never want to miss the fact, that this little baby, is God wrapped in flesh. He came on a mission to rescue lowly slaves, from a kingdom of darkness. Jesus, Mary’s little boy child, is our Rescuer.
Two Kingdoms. Two Kings.
Paul writes about this rescue in the letter to the Colossians.
12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:12-14 NIV
The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of Light and Jesus is the righteous King, Who rules and reigns forever and ever! Hallelujah!
However, did you know the other kingdom also has a king, a jealous, angry, raging evil king, who since the Garden, holds legal right to the souls of mankind on the earth. Unfortunately, all of us are born as slaves to the Law of Sin and Death. Adam rebelled and opened the door, plunging everyone into spiritual darkness. From that point, all people are born spiritually broken, with no way to heal or free ourselves.
However, Father God had a rescue plan in place. It started that first Christmas when Jesus put on flesh, broke into time, and made a Way for us to be saved. That night, the foundations of the Kingdom of Darkness began to shake, as the evil king recognized our Rescuer had come.
The demonic powers may have trembled, but Heaven and earth rejoiced!
Chains Shall He Break
Perhaps this is the essence of the Christmas story. Jesus, the chain breaker, came as a Gift to give us a gift! The gift is freedom and a new life! We may be born the first time into sin and death, but Jesus made it possible to be born a second time, into the Kingdom of Light.
And what manner of God is this, to be willing to come and die? Jesus paid the price for our rescue with His blood. He broke open the Way into the Kingdom of Light with power and might. And He though you and I were worth that cost and brought us with Him when He defeated death and rose from the grave! Jesus breaks the chains for all of us would choose Him and believe.
No. It may not be a common Christmas theme, sin, slavery, chains and darkness, yet we rehearse it as we light the Christmas Eve candles. Flames illuminate the sanctuary and we behold each other’s faces light up as we pass the flame and sing Silent Night. It’s a picture of our rescue, moving from one kingdom to another, from terrible darkness into His light, from bondage to freedom.
Let Heaven and nature sing!
Born the King of Angels
It’s easy for us to focus on what Jesus brought to us, but harder to imagine the cost of what He left for us! That baby in the hay gave up everything to come down to rescue us. The life of Jesus did not begin with Christmas.
No! Jesus always was and always will be. He is the I Am. He was there in the beginning, with the Father creating, before anything existed, and all things were created through Him and for Him.
King Jesus is also the head of all things, visible and invisible! We call Him Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Mighty One of Israel, Messiah; Jesus is God!
We sing He is the King of Angels, but it’s hard to understand that this is and was then His true identity. He laid His glory and power aside; He emptied Himself to come as one of us, a frail human. He left His throne for hay and a manger.
O Come O Come Emmanuel! God with us, our Rescuer.
Veiled in Flesh
When I imagine mighty King Jesus and then look at the little baby asleep on the hay, I can’t reconcile the two. I suppose Mary and Joseph had the same struggle. We look at the little baby bundled in swaddling cloths, and feel all warm and fuzzy. But He was more than that. Jesus, our Rescuer was truly God, wrapped up in a man suit.
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
Colossians 1:15 TLV
Fully God and fully man; a marvelous mystery!
Once, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a high mountain to reveal His true identity. There He unzipped His flesh, just for a moment, and they saw this incredible brilliant God man with their very eyes. Jesus became light.
2 Now he was transfigured before them;
His face shone like the sun, and
His clothes became as white as the light.
Matthew 17:2 TLV
Transfigure comes from the same Greek word as – metamorphosis – to change from one form into another. They beheld Jesus as He truly is, the God of Light; glory veiled in flesh.
Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you
– that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 TLV
Light & Life to All He Brings!
I love the Spanish word for giving birth – dar la luz. It literally translates as “to give the light.” Mary definitely gave the Light that night in the stable. That baby is the True Light coming into the world giving Light to all of us!
And Jesus taught us in John chapter three, that all of us, every human, from the Garden until He returns, can only come to Heaven, by being born a second time in the spirit. Jesus came to “dar la luz” – give light and life – to us! Jesus Himself described His rescue mission:
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12 ESV
Go Tell it on the Mountain!
While Jesus was here walking on the earth, the people caught tiny glimpses of His glorious Light. Jesus told them:
“As long as I am in the world,
I am the Light of the World.”
John 9:5 ESV
But when Jesus left to return to Heaven, He gave His followers a task. This includes you and me. After being rescued, born again and filled with Light and life, Jesus wants us to share His gift.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV
In His absence, as we wait, the King of the Kingdom of Light, shines in the darkness, through us. We are now the light of the world, sons and daughters of light, new creations, no longer slaves, but rescued children, free in Jesus.
As a result, we shine and people can see Him in us. In a way, He still opens the door for us to share, the Good News of the rescue and the gift of freedom He brings. Truly, this gift, can be given not just at Christmas but all year long.
Joy to the World!
I’m praying for incredible joy to fill us this year as we glow with the Light and Life of Jesu!
Whenever you see the baby in the manger, I pray you will remember He is God, your Rescuer, all wrapped up, a gift in human flesh. He came for you!
When you wrap gifts, I pray you will rejoice for the Gift of Freedom, purchased by His blood.
As you light the candles, I pray you will remember you are shining His Light! Go and tell others about the True Light, Jesus. It’s the best Christmas gift you could ever give.
If you encounter darkness or dread this season, I pray you will lift your head and ask the mighty King of the Kingdom of Light to fill you afresh with Light and Life.
He loves you.
>He sees you.
>He is your Rescuer, even today!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Lori!
Thank You beautiful Diana!! And to you and your household, Blessings!
I am so thankful that He is my rescuer. Thank you for these words!