Santa’s Glory
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5
There was a time when I had a Santa Collection, over 100 of them. I would decorate for Christmas with them every year. They were everywhere in my house. When you entered that house you had to walk through a large parlor and living room (filled with Santas at Christmas) to reach the dining room – which is where I would put my very small Nativity set.
I look back on those days with great regret knowing that what my children, family and neighbors all saw was nothing but Santa Claus in my house at Christmas. Once I came to know the Lord I gave them all away except for a couple of them that are special for other reasons. I feel better with them out of my house!
What God had shown me was that the wrong man had been getting all the glory in my house at Christmas. Now, when I read through the passages directly related to Christ’s birth I am drawn to His names. In Matthew 1:18 – 25 God gives us two different descriptions of His Son in His names.
Matthew 1:21: She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:23: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Jesus and Immanuel, I love that God gave us explanations for the these names!
I have to wonder what Joseph, the father of Jesus, thought when he learned that “Jesus would save His people from their sins.” Up to this point it had been animal sacrifices that had saved the people of God from their sin. They would take an animal and place their hands on its head while confessing their sin. This would symbolically transfer the sin of the man onto the animal that a priest would then sacrifice before God. Hebrews 9:22 says that there can be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.
I cannot imagine that Mary and Joseph could have anticipated what this would mean for their new son. What I am grateful for is Joseph’s willingness to follow the path the Lord had laid out for Him in faithfully staying with Mary, believing that her pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit and that he should follow the instructions of the angel.
This Jesus, born as a baby who we celebrate at Christmas, came to die for our sin. Hebrews 9:25 -26 say, “Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Jesus’ sacrifice was only once for all people.
Matthew 1:22-23 tell us that “all of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”
This Jesus, Immanuel, had been God’s plan all along. He taught His people what the sacrifice would look like through animals but only to prepare us all for the coming of Immanuel, God with us. The incarnation of Christ would be a tangible reminder that the Lord is near. Deuteronomy 4:7 tells us that our God is special because He is near: “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?”
We are further reminded of His nearness in these two verses: Psalm 34:18, The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. And, Psalm 45:18, The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Jesus, who came to save us from our sin is also Immanuel, God with us. He has taken the penalty for our sin in His death on the cross but He has been resurrected to be “Immanuel, God with us.”
Our God, the One who took our sin and is God with us, took His grace even further. Romans 8:34 says, “Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
What greater Christmas gift could God have given us? Santa deserves no place in our celebrations. All the glory, all the honor, and all the praise needs to be directed to God and the One He sent to save us from our sin and to be Immanuel.