I was intrigued by Major W. Ian Thomas' chapter title from one of his last books which I am using as a title to this blog. Isaiah 9:6 prophecies . . . "For unto us a child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." And then we see in John 1 the following: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, . . ."
Can you imagine helping a friend by putting gas in his car because he has no money and then seeing that friend after thanking you profusely pushing with all his might on his car trying to get it down the road rather than starting it with the gas you had graciously given him? You would look and say, "He's crazy. Why does he think I put the gas in the tank? Talk about senseless." Well, that's exactly how Paul addresses the Galations, "You poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galations!" He goes on to tell them they are failing to live simply by faith in the indwelling Christ through His Spirit.
Jesus didn't come from heaven to earth to get us out of hell and into heaven. He came to get Himself out of heaven into us. He didn't just come to dwell among us, but in us. The gift is His very life. The very life of Christ in us brings into us He who is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. How can we say things like, "I just don't have peace." He is our peace. He didn't come just to be in the world, but to be in us. All of Him has come to be in all of me. "Christ is all and in all . . ." (Col. 3:11) Christmas gives us the gift of the indwelling "Christ in us, the Hope of Glory"! (Col. 1:27) . . . if we simply invite Him in. And, when we do, all of Him comes to dwell in us.
Let's not just have the mind set that Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth. Let's have the mind set that He came to indwell us! That is a hallelujah Christmas! mjm
