By Todd Paetznick, December 21, 2023

The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, a love that led God to send His only son to a world filled with people who would hate and ignore Him.  But some would love Him back.  

Christmas is a season of giving.  J.I. Packer* wrote that the greatest gift given to people and the greatest act of love was Jesus’ leaving all he had as the second member of the God-head to become a human.   Jesus is THE son of God, not one of many, God’s only son.  The baby born in Bethlehem on Christmas was both God and man.  He did not cease being God when He became a person; he was no less God than before.  But through birth, he also became a man.  He was subjected to the struggles and temptations of being human so that He could sympathize with human weakness as someone who has been there and done that (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16).

As for me, I am not certain I will ever fully understand what it meant for Jesus, the creator of the universe, to become a person, but I have come to the point where I am okay with not knowing.  I suspect this is one of those God-things intended to keep us wondering but never fully understanding. 

Thankfully, I have not been alone in my wonder about God becoming a person.  The concept has raised questions and sparked controversies among theologians over the 2,000 years since Jesus’ birth.  Do we imagine Jesus was born to die like a common criminal?  Made to be something less than God?  Was He stripped of all privilege and power?  Do we imagine Jesus was limited in what He knew or could do?  Do we think of Him as having left the riches and glory of heaven to become a poor working man?  What did it mean for Jesus to become human?  And what should it mean to us today?

Jesus modeled the Christmas spirit by becoming human when He gave up His privilege as God.  Following his example, we too are to make ourselves poor by willingly giving up the privilege and possessions we think we are entitled to have so that others may be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).  Jesus enriched the lives of people by taking the time, making the effort, giving everything, and doing good to others (not just some “good” people or his friends).  The Christmas spirit is about giving gifts to other people and offering our time and efforts toward doing good.  And not just one day a year but every day.  

The American way of operating a business seeks to make and keep as much money as possible.  God would have us instead recognize that our money and possessions are tools to do good and not only for our own pleasure.  As Christian businesspeople, how we think about our money and possessions reflects our understanding of God and the Christmas story.  Love is an action word; it is more than merely a feeling.  God’s love for people was demonstrated through His becoming human and giving up His privilege as the creator and sustainer of everything.  Following God’s example, we, too, can use our lives and work to make the world and people’s lives better.  

Merry Christmas!

*(J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God, has become a Christian classic.  The book was initially published in 1973, and the most recent edition was by Crossway in 2023.  I highly recommend the book to help better understand God and His character.  It can also make a good Christmas present for that person on your list who wants a deeper understanding of God.  Of course, it is available from Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ji+packer+knowing+god&crid=26YZO8BU75RAQ&sprefix=ji+packer+%2Caps%2C113&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_10)