More Than a Baby

How would you respond if someone asked you to tell them the Christmas story?

There are a lot of places where you could begin. I would probably start with Mary, the devout Hebrew young woman who was visited by an angel and told that she would become pregnant with the Messiah.

Someone else might start with the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, who prophesied around 700 B.C. that a child would be born. He would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace,” and His kingdom would have no end (Isaiah 9).

Others might tell the story of the shepherds in the fields who were visited by a host of angels and told to go see the Christ child. You could share about the wise men who saw the magnificent star and travelled from their foreign land to visit Jesus, the child, the King.

All of these answers are true, and they are part of the amazing story of the birth of Jesus.

However, have you ever thought about telling the Christmas story from Colossians?

It’s easy to picture Jesus as the humble baby born in a stable one night in Bethlehem. But Jesus is so much more than a baby. Let’s see what Colossians 1:15-19 says about Him:

1. He created the world.

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth… all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16). You mean Jesus––tiny baby lying in the manger––was there when God made the world? Moreover, He created the world? Yes! That’s Jesus.

2. He’s the image of the invisible God.

“He is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Sometimes it’s hard to picture God. He made the world, He controls everything, and He’s just… here? I can talk to Him? Because of Jesus, yes, we can. In fact, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to walk with God, talk with God, or eat dinner with God, read about Jesus. He’s the [visible] image of the invisible God.

3. He was fully God.

We already touched on this in the paragraph above, but just to be clear, let’s include another verse from this passage: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:19). Amazing! And pretty self-explanatory.

4. He reconciles all things to himself.

“… through him to reconcile to himself all things…” (Col. 1:19). Now this is exciting! Do you ever look around our world and think of how broken it is? So many people are hurting, grieving and searching for answers. Friends, the answer is Jesus. He restores, He reconciles ALL things. Bring your burdens to Him, and He will give you rest (Matt. 11:28-30).

5. He made peace through the blood of his cross.

“… making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:19). Wow! There isn’t a sentence or two that I could write to describe how incredible this gift of peace is for those who put their faith in Jesus. Like Isaiah said, He is indeed the “Prince of Peace.”

Well friends, this is a lot of information to take in. If I can summarize with one bit of encouragement, it’s this: seek Jesus. He is wonderful, loving and all that we ever need. And He wants to know you. That’s why He came to earth in a lowly stable two thousand years ago. That, is the Christmas story.