December 2022
Merry Christmas my faithful friends:
This year has really flown; birthdays (October for me has a lot of birthdays), “trick or treating” with grandkids, then Thanksgiving. All have seemingly passed in a flash, and now Christmas is upon us. And all of this I so enjoy; for the memories past and present, the gatherings, the exchanging of gifts, and just for the joy in this special season. Even if this is not the actual birth date of our Lord,[1] still He was born, much to the dismay of evil, and there is in this season so much for us to delight in.
Without this singular birth our world would be so much the poorer. Much has been written on just how many things would not have happened, would not be, would be missing without the birth of Jesus, and His life, death, and resurrection. Without the coming of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, and Savior we would as a world, a people, a civilization be far worse off. But the point is He did come! This that we call the Incarnation, the enfleshment of God was always meant to be. More to the point He had to come. What we celebrate is what God had purposed, had planned before the foundation were laid for this incredible creation.
Our Bible puts it simply “in the fullness of time.” When all was perfectly aligned God took on “flesh.” The child we rightly celebrate was to be the “cornerstone,” the “foundation,” not just of the church, but civilization, our moral standards, to enable the very existence of we as a people. Our cultural memories at times are too fleeting. Many have forgotten, if they ever knew, that it was Jesus, His birth, Calvary, that empty tomb, and the Holy Spirit imbuing the church that has enabled our civilization.
A civilization that brought us science (that’s right Christianity gave birth to modern science), and all the technology that followed is because of Jesus. This will include our freedom, our once free-markets, and an educational system that was once the envy of the world. Our rule of law, open commerce, and our once moral strength was all because of Christ and His church in this very world.
Yes, everything we should enjoy is because of that one life, Jesus. That our civilization, our particular little worlds are in such trouble is only because as a people our hold on our faith in Jesus is tenuous, slipping, and sadly often for many non-existent. It cannot be said loud enough, or often enough, we need Jesus. We need Jesus active in our lives, in our homes, in our churches (and to say that is doubly sad, but it is true). We need Jesus in our communities, Jesus in our national governments, and yes, that is desperately needed.
What we celebrate this month is something that needs to be taken to heart, made real, made true for each of us. We need the TRUTH that God was born of a virgin, grew in favor with God and man, walked this earth healing the infirmed, making whole those broken, and bringing hope to the hopeless. And the truth is He still does! He brought the realization that God’s Kingdom had come, and proved it by His resurrection. He was, is, and will always be; the way, the truth, and the life. Not just for we who believe, but He is that for our way of life, our very existence. He is the only way! We need Jesus Christ, His word (which is the only way to gain any of this) His truth (which is the only truth to live by), His life (which is the only life worth living). We need Jesus Christ anew in each of us. ‘Maranatha,’ Oh Lord do come, but come now in thy Spirit not just in some future event, but reawaken us now, restore our families, refresh our churches, and remake our nations.
May this Christmas be always a source of joy, peace, love, and Jesus.
Thomas R. Wyatt
[1] If you have interest in what may have been our Lord actual birth date, please ask for my book “The Advent of the Christ,” free this month.
