Faith Forum ~ What About the Baby? By Gloria Wessner

Christmas is a word that conjures up warm fuzzy feelings for most people. So much of Christmas is about time spent with family, holiday songs, parties, the holiday shopping atmosphere, the presents, decorating, the wonderful meal and the warm fuzzies the holidays bring. These things are all great and make the Christmas holiday season special. When the season passes, many of us anticipate the January blues.
What about the baby that caused December 25th to become recognized as an event to celebrate his birthday? (Earliest celebrations of December 25th were pagan and not-so-nice in nature. Efforts by then known Christian leaders caused Christ's birthday to be said to have happened on that date – it's too long a story to include here.) For the most part the baby is left in the manger; resurrected in the same infant form a year later and every year thereafter; not having any particular relevance to our lives the rest of the year.
What if there is relevance to our lives about this baby? What if, in coming to earth in infant form, there was eternal significance wrapped up in those swaddling clothes and laying in a manger? Would I not be smart to investigate such a possibility?
Within the limits of space in this article I'd like to share with you a couple of thoughts about this baby.
Jesus Christ's birth was predicted about 700 years by the prophet Isaiah before he was actually born – and portrayed as a life-changing event.
“For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:6, 7 NLT)
Then, between 700 and 800 years later, the apostle Matthew wrote these words in fulfilment of that prophecy.
“When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” Matthew 4:12 – 16 NLT (see Isaiah 9: 1, 2 NLT)
Jesus is that 'great light' – a bright beam showing us the way to Life and eternity with Him, just like that beam of light that came from that special star all those years ago that led the wise men to Jesus. By believing why that Baby came so long ago we know this: that when he grew up, his unselfish sacrifice to us was to die for our wrong doings and we are invited to respond to this gift by accepting his forgiveness. Then, as we live our life, we accept his Lordship in our lives each and every day and at the end of this life we have God's assurance that we will go to be with him forever.
God is offering you the greatest gift of all time in the form of his only beloved Son. He is not in the manger anymore, but lived to grow and be a man and willingly and knowingly gave his life for you. In rising from death, he conquered it and can offer you eternal life forever with Him.
What will you do with the Baby this Christmas?
Readers are invited to write me at: gloriawes@hotmail.com and I would be more than happy to visit with you or write with you.