Soon, Christmas will be no more; And Santa Claus will be chased out of Town!
Christmas flashes images of Santa, snow, harmattan pawpaw, cold hazy savannah winds and lots of gifts. Even so, being overwhelmed with all the thrills of Christmas we often lose sight of the greatest gift of all: Christ Jesus our Lord. He was a gift to the entire world. He was not given for just Christians; to be put in tiny cribs at every Christmas call. He was a man who walked the earth, gave life and still gives life to as many as would receive Him.
When I think of Christmas, I think of the King whose feast we are gathered at. I think of Jesus the eternal father; and yes, He is the Immanuel: the God with us. He is the word of God incarnate. When we meet Him we rub shoulders with the totality of the word in human form.
There is a reason why we cannot have enough of Him. The more time we spent adulating Him the more clearly we see His form, His beauty, His Holiness, His majesty and His power. And we cannot but keep falling in love over and over again with this gorgeous God of a man.
At Christmas, we are reminded that He was born. He was born in a manger to give life to many who were born in palaces and slums alike. He died, He arose and he will come again to take us home where the redeemed belong!
So we cry, “Oh come, Immanuel!” Our hearts are restless till we are joined with you. We cannot be at rest until we can at last be with you.
I ponder over the Christ of the season and I know that any day now we shall see Him face to face. It would no more be the yearly candlelit nights to commemorate His birth; we will be with Him forever. Neither will it be carols only to be sang at Christmas: we shall sing his praise forever, in His very presence. And we await that day with a hope that burns so bright and brighter still, the more we behold Him in His glory. And so, let the redeemed of the Lord say so; let them say: Oh Come, Immanuel.
‘The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, Come!...Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’
(Revelations 22:17-20, NIV)
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17, NIV)