“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:2)
I believe that acknowledging that Christ has come in the flesh is acknowledging his birth. For some of us, receiving the birth of Christ was the same as receiving the hope of redemption. But Christ’s birth was more than hope for some. It was the actual arrival of salvation.
I believe that many of us recall Christmas time as a moment of cheers, exchanging gifts, parties with laughter, snippets moments of joy, other than the expenses and anxiety and depression that come along with such season for some.
When Christ was born many centuries ago, many prophets who were still living, namely Simeon and Anna, didn’t see Christ as the hope of salvation or the hope of redemption. They saw salvation, they saw redemption. Even before Christ went up the cross to shed his blood for our redemption, these prophets saw their salvation walking in the flesh.
Simeon was so satisfied, he said: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
Whether you get it or not matters. But what matters most is that God loves us. This love caused Jesus to come in the flesh, died and was resurrected to bring us back to God.
I can’t tell you what to do or what not to do. But I think that at any moment of our lifetime we can remember the birth of Christ as not just something that was glorious to all creation, but also that was revealing of our salvation who is Christ himself.
If sunrise symbolizes birth, then sunset symbolizes death, peaceful death that is.
But in the new world, there will never be a sunset or a sunrise.
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5)
Jesus is the well of the living water, the Holy Spirit. 