The Christ of Christmas

I borrowed the title for this blog post from a book by the late Dr. James M. Boice, senior pastor at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. In his book, he discusses the Christmas story from Christ’s perspective. Noting how most of us are familiar with Luke and Mark’s account, Dr. Boice approached the subject from a different angle. With Christmas just a few weeks away, I thought I would take an opportunity to explore the Christ of Christmas and pay homage to Dr. Boice.

            When we think of Christmas, images of a baby lying in a manger come to mind. Surrounded by wise men, the Christ-child entered the world in ordinary fashion. However, he was no ordinary baby; he was unique. Biblical history is replete with accounts of miracles, displays of God’s power, and events that transcend understanding. The birth of Christ, though, is perhaps the most unique event in all of human history. Momentarily pushing aside the implications it had on salvation and eternal life and examining Christ’s birth from an historical perspective, it became the most celebrated event in human history. John Ortberg wrote a book, Who is this Man?, about the life of Jesus and his lasting impact. Ortberg noted that most people are quickly forgotten after they die. In all of history Jesus Christ is the only person to become more famous after his death. Every December the birth of Christ is celebrated around the world, a singular global event. Some churches celebrate with live manger scenes. Others have candlelight services. For just the briefest of moments, the world stops and celebrates the birth of a single child. But as I mentioned, he was no ordinary child.

            The Christ of Christmas was in fact God incarnate. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and clad in flesh, he was in fact a child. Mortal like us, he had not been born into sin. Although he was fully human, he was much, much more. The savior of the world made his entrance quietly in the middle of the night devoid of fanfare and grandeur. The King of kings and Lord of lords lay swaddled in the lowliest of places, a manger, a food troth for animals. Born to common folks, his life was not one rife with luxury and opulence. His birth was characterized by mundaneness. It was ordinary in that it lacked distinction in the world, which was largely unaware of the most extraordinary event taking place in a small town known as Bethlehem. Arriving modestly, Christ entered the world on a day that would later be celebrated by believers around the world. But who is the Christ of Christmas?

            While many of us might be quick to answer that question by stating “God with us,” “the Son of God,” or “the savior of the world,” I believe there is a different answer, one that Jesus himself gave during his ministry. In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” That is who he is, the resurrection. Max von Sydow starred in the The Greatest Story Ever Told. Playing Jesus, he spoke the words recorded in John. Although it’s impossible to know Jesus’ tone of voice when he spoke them, von Sydow spoke them passionately and deliberately, emphasizing [rightly, I believe] the word am, thereby claiming it as more than a title. Resurrection was Jesus’ identity, the entire purpose for his birth and subsequent ministry. True, the Christ of Christmas is God with us, the Son of God, and the savior of the world. However, that is not who Jesus professed to be. Now I know what you’re thinking. I skipped from his birth right to his ministry. Yes, I did. But I did so because the subject of this essay it to identify who the Christ of Christmas is, not who he was. When we label Jesus and his birth with terminology riddled with historical rhetoric, it’s easy to lose sight of the present. Jesus’ words in John 11 are directed at Martha after the death of her brother, Lazarus. In response to stating Lazarus will rise again, Martha said, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus replied as noted above. The familiar story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a pivotal moment in his ministry for two reasons.

           One, prior to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus has a very intriguing conversation with Martha in which he asks her what she believes. She is candid and sincere in her response. However, her belief is lacking in understanding, just as it was with the disciples. While Martha believes Jesus is the Messiah and believes in the resurrection, she fails to comprehend the power and majesty of God. Two, this is ‘the big reveal’ of sorts. John states Jesus was overcome with emotion, noting that he even wept. The onlookers commented about his great love for Lazarus and remarked that if he had been there, perhaps he could have saved him. What they, and Martha, failed to understand is that Jesus, the Messiah, wasn’t someone who could simply heal and prevent death; he negated death and invalidated it because he was God! His dominion extends over all creation. When questioned about the odor of the grave and nature of his actions, he responded, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:43). You see, while his followers had witnessed many miracles, they did not fully understand who Jesus was. If they had, there would have been no doubt, and they wouldn’t have questioned his actions.

            The Christ of Christmas is the resurrection and the life! Jesus demonstrated this with three simple words, “Lazarus come out.” In that moment, with those words, Jesus essentially said to everyone there, “I am God – the God of creation.” Put all of this in context and really wrap your mind around this. Have you ever lost a loved one and wished he could come back? Now imagine a man calling him out of the grave and having him appear moments later – fully restored! This wasn’t just a miracle because Jesus brought him back from the dead. Yes, that was miraculous, but to truly appreciate what he did, we must go deeper. Recall, Lazarus had been in the grave for days. His body had decayed; his blood coagulated; organs were decomposing. At Jesus’ command, not only was Lazarus alive, he was fully restored! That is the essence of the resurrection – full restoration. Salvation is not a matter of simply saving our soul. It is a full and complete restoration of our relationship with God. When Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, he displayed his mastery over creation. In an instant, Lazarus’ soul returned, his body was regenerated, his heart started beating, blood flowed through his body, and his organs functioned normally. You see, the Christ of Christmas is the Christ of creation!

Additionally, as Jesus noted, God’s glory was displayed. Now, let’s take a moment to think about this. In just a few verses Jesus’ full identity is revealed, as is God’s glory. It happens very quickly as we read it, but let’s slow it down. Travel back in time a few decades to that night in Bethlehem to the birth of a child, the first Christmas. Imagine Mary holding her knew baby, bonding with him, with Joseph by her side. This newborn child is the most unique person who will ever live. His reputation and his words will last forever. This infant, cooing in his mother’s arms, is the savior of the world, the one through whom salvation and eternal life will be possible. He will release sinners from the bondage of sin and offer forgiveness. A child-king will triumph over death. On a quiet, dark night the resurrection and the life entered the world. After Christ’s birth, we aren’t provided much detail about his life, other than his time at the temple. Presumably that information is not relevant to the overall content of the Bible. Luke picks up the story with John the Baptist and the beginning of Christ’s ministry.

            Fast-forward a bit to the story of Lazarus. In this pivotal moment, the Christ of Christmas fully reveals himself as God the creator, ruler of life and death. Chronologically, this was one of Jesus’ last miracles before his death. With it he clearly identifies himself and sets the stage for his own death and resurrection, which secured salvation and eternal life for believers. Jesus sealed his fate, so to speak. Some might argue it was already sealed, or at least it was pretty close, and that is probably true. However, the point is that the Christ is the resurrection and creator. He is God. There is no mistaking it; there is no arbitrary attribution possible. God, and only God, has dominion and power over death, and that power provides a full and complete restoration. Jesus not only claimed to be the resurrection and the life, he demonstrated it when he called Lazarus from the grave. That is the Christ of Christmas!