Christmas in Temecula, pt. 5—Jesus Arrives!
Luke 2:1-21

Jesus arrives as MAN

In the Bible, God portrayed Himself in various ways using speech, light, visions, angelic forms, and physical manifestations but never true humanity. However, Jesus came not as a ghost or a vision or just looking like a man, but a real flesh and blood person. While every human has a mother, it is startling that God would condescend to have a mother and go through the normal gestation, birth, and infancy process. Yet many prophecies in the OT refer to the Messiah as being truly human showing His connection with us (Deut. 18:15; Is. 9:6; Gal. 4:4). God loves humans so much, He became one!

Jesus arrives as KING

Nearly 1000 years before Jesus, God promised David that he would have a kingship that would last forever (2 Sam. 7:16). Eventually, from the royal lineage of David, Jesus was born as the man having the right to the throne of Israel. Not only was Jesus a son of David but was also born in his town, Bethlehem, which is where the Messiah was prophesied to come from (Micah 5:2). The kingdom and authority of Jesus will someday encompass the whole earth as he fulfills his role as rightful ruler over all (Ps. 2:6-9; Is. 9:6, 7). The King of Kings starts out as the King over none!

Jesus arrives as SAVIOR

Since sin first entered the world God had a plan to repair the relationship between broken humanity and a perfect God (Gen. 3:15). Jesus entered the world not to demand his rights as King and ruler but give his life as servant and Savior (Matt. 1:21; 20:28). Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost and give them new life (Luke 19:10; John 3:3). The baby is born to give others new birth!

Jesus arrives as GOD

In the most amazing moment in history, the invisible, all-powerful Creator God enters His creation. The Hebrew name he was given at birth is Yehoshua (‘The LORD is salvation’), a name not just hopeful, but actual as he was the LORD! One of his titles is Immanuel (‘God is with us’) showing both transcendence and imminence (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Where Jesus is, is where God is!