Jesus Does Matter

The Bible presents a very high view of Jesus Christ. Today, however, most people who call themselves Christians have a very low view of Jesus Christ. The way people celebrate Christmas, it looks like Jesus doesn’t matter anymore. But Jesus does matter. Not just on Christmas Day, but also on the other 364 days.

• He already exists even before the creation of the universe. “In the beginning was the Word” (v. 1). Even before everything in the universe came into existence, he is. His existence did not begin inside Mary’s womb.
• He doesn’t need any of us; he was already enjoying the fellowship of the Father from eternity past. “The Word was with God…He was in the beginning with God” (vv. 1-2). He “is at the Father’s side” (v. 18).
• He is not just the ideal or perfect man worthy of emulation; he is fully God (not a lesser God, but of equal essence with yet distinct from the Father) worthy of our adoration. “…and the Word was God” (v. 1). “No one has ever seen God, the only God (Jesus Christ!), who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (v. 18).
• He is not created; he is the Creator. “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (v. 3). “…the world was made through him” (v. 10). Without him, there will be no universe. Without him, you won’t even be here on earth. Jesus matters, doesn’t he?
• He is the true light and life. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (v. 4). Without him, we will all remain in spiritual darkness and blindness due to sin. Without him, we will remain as stinking spiritual corpses and without hope of spiritual re-birth.
• Although he was fully God, he took upon himself our full humanity (except our sin). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (v. 14). Without him, there will be no mediator between God and man. Without him, there is no way we can be reconciled with God.
• He is “full of grace and truth” (v. 14; cf. v. 17). Without him, we will get from God what we deserved, namely, never-ending anguish in hell. With him, “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (v. 16). The Jesus story did not end on Christmas. A full manifestation of his grace was seen on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We do not deserve eternal life but we received it when we come to the Truth, namely, Jesus. He “has made [God] known” to us (v. 18). Without him, we will never know God for who he really is.

Jesus does matter. Jesus is everything (absolutely everything) that matters in our life. Without him, life is wasted. Without him, life is no life. Without him, nothing (absolutely nothing) in life matters.

He came into the world, but not everyone put their trust in him. Until now, he doesn’t matter or matters little in the lives of those people who are not ashamed to call themselves Christians.

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (v. 12). Only those who are truly children of God through faith in Jesus can celebrate Christmas (and all of the days of their lives) with true joy.