Christmas is a ‘must have’ time, according to the media, but it can be very difficult to get to the heart of the reason for the season if we allow ourselves to be influenced in that way. The nursery rhyme ‘Mary had a little lamb’ gives us insight into the true meaning of Christmas, for Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the real reason we celebrate at this time.
Matt 1:18-25 tells us that Joseph knew full well he was not the father of this child and needed angelic confirmation of Mary’s incredible story of a son who would be a Saviour. This ‘lamb’ would indeed be very special:
- He was special because He was God’s own Son; his conception was totally different to any before or since (see Is 7:14, Luke 1:34-35), being born of a virgin. This is an essential doctrine, for if Jesus was not both fully God and fully human, He could not be our Saviour. He was untainted by Adam’s sin because of this virgin birth.
- His conduct was special, performing miracles which caused everyone to marvel at Him (Luke 4:18). Even at a young age, people knew He was special (Luke 2:47). He always kept the Father at the centre of His life (John 8:29); He truly was one of a kind!
- His claims were special, for He claimed to be the Son of God (see John 10:31-36, John 8.) Until we confess Jesus as the Son of God, we cannot be saved (John 14:9, John 10:30). His claims were offensive to the Jews and continue to offend today.
Mary’s lamb was a sacrificial lamb. The main purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to die for our sins; He came to seek and save that which was lost. He was a spotless lamb, without sin (see 2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:14-16), and was also a submissive lamb who willingly followed His Father’s will. Ultimately, this lamb was sacrificed for us (Heb 9:22) so that He is a saving lamb (who has power to cleanse us from our sins, as 1 John 1:9 makes clear.) The heart is deceitful, but He is able to change our hearts and make us new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
Christmas marks the fact that God sent His Son so that He could save us. It’s a time of great joy that the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world has come to earth!
