Christmas!  A glorious day of celebration!  I pray that your Christmas is a blessed one, filled with the glories of the wondrous gift of life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”  
Galatians 4:4-5
 
There are those who only know the Babe in the manger.  They keep Him in the crib to take out and honor each year at the Christmas season; year after year they miss the true meaning of Christmas.
 
Though we have only a few glimpses of His childhood, Scripture tells us that,
“Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” 
Luke 2:52
 
We see Him again when He starts His, ministry and during those three years to His death on the cross.  His ministry was the work that God gave Him to do.    
John 17 reveals to us Jesus’ prayer to the Father as He has finished His work and is soon to die to pay the debt of all mankind,
“I have glorified You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given me to do.”  Vs. 4
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world…”  Vs. 6
“For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.”  
Vs. 8
Jesus ends His prayer,
“And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”  
Vs. 26
 
Having done these things, Jesus went to the cross to pay the sin debt once for all; the finished work for our salvation.  For those who leave the Babe in the crib, those who do not see the cross is empty or see the tomb is empty, God still holds out His precious gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus to each who will receive.

How blessed Believers are that God has provided the work of His Holy Spirit in each of our lives to bring us the place of showing us our need for a Savior and preparing our hearts to receive Him.  Jesus is the Father’s glorious, priceless and beautiful gift of Christmas.  All else pales in significance as we look into the face of Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Heavenly Father, forever we thank You, we praise You, we glorify Your Holy Name.  Amen