Jesus came. He came to earth. He came to sinful humanity. He came to a people that would reject Him. He came to seek and to save the lost. Yes, Jesus came.
But, have you ever considered what Jesus became? He could have come in glory, with pomp and circumstance. He could have come in judgment. Yet when Jesus came…
- He became a man. Born into poverty, into rumor and innuendo, into a political climate full of hatred, into a world reeling with the effects of sin – Christ became a man. He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). Our Lord did not become a person when He came to earth; He is the eternal Son of God. Christ did not begin in Bethlehem, He has always been! But when He was placed in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit He became a man. 100% God dwelling in a body that was 100% man. The perfect man in a very imperfect world.
- He became sin. As if taking the form of humanity was not enough, He then took all of our sins! At Calvary the sinless Man literally became sin and suffered the wrath of a holy God. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus grieved for 33 1/2 years over the brokenness all around Him. On the cross He took every ugly, evil thing for us. A divine transaction: He took our sin and we take His righteousness. It was the only way.
- He became the first to rise from the dead. To understand Jesus you must not only see Him in the manger, you must see Him coming out of the grave! “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the first but not the last. Soon there will be a great resurrection day, and it is only possible because of Jesus.
Don’t miss this – everything Jesus became was for us! “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). He became nothing so that we could have everything.
And He becomes your Savior the moment that you repent of your sin and trust Him alone for mercy. He is the Creator of the world (Colossians 1:16). He is the Lord of all (Philippians 2:11). He is the final Judge (Acts 17:31). Is He your Savior?
Christ was born so that we could be born again. He entered the human race so that we could be part of His forever family. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…Beloved, now are we the sons of God…” (1 John 3:1-2).
When Christ came to earth He became a man. He became sin. He became the first to rise from the dead. And when we come to Christ we become children of God. Come to Christ this Christmas and rejoice in what Christ became for you.