(Guest post by: Trent Claybaker)
When I was approached about writing to The Few’s dear readers during this year’s Blogmas, I thought, absolutely! Who wouldn’t love to write of such a monumental event?
I thought I could easily write from the Gospel of Matthew. The story of Jesus’ birth is described in the context of the genealogy of Jesus and the events leading up to His birth. Matthew’s account reiterates the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the significance of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. The narrative in Matthew includes the visit of the Magi, who come from the East to worship the newborn King of the Jews, as well as the flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Egypt to escape King Herod’s order to kill all male infants in Bethlehem.
Or even write from the Gospel of Luke which provides a more detailed narrative of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Luke includes the annunciation to Mary by the angel Gabriel, the visitation of Mary to her relative Elizabeth, the birth of John the Baptist, the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the census, and the angelic announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds in the fields.
We could go even a step further and discuss Luke’s account emphasizing the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth. I could easily write about the humble beginnings. As always though as a believer, the Lord asked more of me and so we’ll take a look at Christmas by reading the first couple verses from the Book of John.
John 1: 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2, He was with God in the beginning. 3, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4, In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5, The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6, There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7, He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him men might believe. 8, He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9, The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10, He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11, He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12, Yet to all who receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13, children born not of natural descent, nor human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
One of my favorite Christmas carols is ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ Not because it is one of the more well-known songs of Christmas, but because in the first three stanzas it tells the story of Christ’s birth with triumphant joy.
Stanza 1:
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant, and
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels;
Stanza 2:
God of God, Light of Light
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb
Very God, begotten, not created
Stanza 3:
Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God, all glory In the highest
In the fourth and final stanza, it draws from the deep mystery described in John 1.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
The beginning of the book of John describes Jesus as the Word of God. “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1 is a summary of the purpose of the coming of Christ. For each of us who receive Jesus, believing in Him as the true light of the world, He provides for us, “the right to become children of God.” John 1 tells us that “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” In other words, God Himself came to be one of us. He came to live with us. He came to provide us the gift of becoming children of God. “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing” – this simple yet extremely profound lyric reminds us that God Himself has come to be one of us.
When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the mystery that God has become one of us – so that He could save us from the curse of sin and death, giving us new life as the children of God. And as the song’s refrain invites us to sing, “O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
This Christmas and for all our time beyond, let’s adore Him! Let’s not easily brush aside in the days and weeks to follow the fact that He became flesh for you and me!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The Few 
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