What’s the Big Deal About Jesus?

On December 25, Christians around the world will celebrate Christmas. We will celebrate with presents and twinkly lights and evergreen trees and beautiful decorations of green and red. We will celebrate by worshipping and gathering and singing and feasting. We will celebrate by mending relationships and pursuing new ones. And we will celebrate with family and friends and loved ones and perhaps even strangers. 

But why? Why do we celebrate Christmas? 

Because the world is fascinated by true love. 

And there is no purer or truer love than that of a man named Jesus. 

A little more than two thousand years ago, a baby boy was born to a young virgin teenager named Mary, who was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. And this precious child was not only the most miraculous baby to have ever been born but also the most important human who will ever live. Because this baby named Jesus was God in human form.  

And for this incredible miracle, the world celebrates. 

The God of the Bible is a big God. He is the ultimate God. He is the God of the universe, and there is none other like Him. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. He was in existence before the world began, and there is no limit to who He is. Yet, on the very first Christmas, He allowed Himself to take on human form to live among and minister to His people on earth. And as He descended from the perfection of heaven into our world, He made His entrance not as a powerful, imposing king leading a procession of a million mighty warriors, but as a helpless newborn, wholly dependent on a poor, unmarried couple from a tiny town called Bethlehem. 

And for this incredible act of humility, the world celebrates. 

As baby Jesus grew into Jesus the man, He found Himself increasingly at odds with the world around Him. A rigid dichotomy emerged between His perfect life, His sinlessness, and our imperfect lives, our sinfulness. His teachings that all people have sinned and are in need of a Savior (Romans 3:21–26) insulted those who believed themselves to be generally good people, above reproach, or without sin. Jesus’ claim that He is the Son of God who has come down to earth to save humanity from its sinfulness infuriated religious leaders, and His assertion that He is the King of the Jews incited cries of “Crucify him!” from the crowds. As the crowds and political leaders plotted to kill Him, Jesus prayed to His Father in heaven that the impending and excruciating punishment for humanity’s sin might not be laid on His shoulders.

“And going a little farther He [Jesus] fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39

Yet, Jesus obediently submitted to His Father’s will.

And for this incredible act of submission, the world celebrates.

In this act of submission, Jesus not only revealed His obedience to His Father but also demonstrated true love, incredible love, unfathomable love—a kind of love only Jesus can give and a kind of love only we can give others because of Jesus. The only human in the history of the world who never sinned, ever, suffered an agonizing, barbaric, and humiliating death—a punishment that should be ours. Jesus was mocked, tortured, spat at, ridiculed, taunted, tortured, and killed so that we would never have to endure the agonizing death that sin deserves. 

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6–8

And for this incredible love, the world celebrates. 

Like the two criminals who were crucified next to Him, Jesus physically died on the cross. But death was no match for the Son of God because He is more powerful than Satan, and His love is more powerful than death. Three days after Jesus died, when the stone was rolled away from the opening of Jesus’ tomb, the women—expecting to see Jesus’ lifeless body—were instead greeted by two angels who asked a most profound question:  

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, He has risen.” Luke 24:5–6

When Christians talk about God’s omnipotence, his limitless power, they’re referring to His ability to do anything—from commanding the wind and the waves to cease (Luke 8:24) and creating a boundary between light and darkness (Job 26:4–11) to withstanding Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1–11), rising from the dead (Luke 24:5–6), and defeating death (Hebrews 2:10–18). And even though Satan is still alive, as evident by the evil in our world and the sin within us, the devil has been defeated. Death no longer has the final hold on our lives, and for those who believe in Jesus Christ, our hope is not in the things of this world, which will one day pass away.

Rather, because of the gift of Jesus, we have been given the gift of eternal life with Jesus in heaven—a gift far greater than we will ever truly understand. 

And for this incredible gift, the world celebrates.

This Christmas, the world celebrates Jesus.