In response to a troubling trend to wrap the greatest present of the Christmas story in a social justice bow, a thought. /1

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth and condescension to us by becoming like us to rescue us, I can only encourage that we accept his sacrifice on his own terms according to who he was and what he came to accomplish. /2

He had to be ethnically Jewish in fulfillment of prophecy (2 Sam. 7:12-13). He took on human flesh in a particular geographic region and so could have possibly have had brown skin. But he could have had olive skin or even lighter. /3

More importantly, he entered into the same creation that was birthed through him, yet corrupted by sin, in on order to rescue people with varying levels of melanin, from various ethnicities, to reconcile them to the Father ... /4

...according to the promise given to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; Gal. 3:16-17). This means far more than the color of his skin. /5

God the Son entered time and space of low circumstances under Roman rule with Israel’s expectation of the Messiah, the rightful king that would restore her to the glory she once knew. /6

He did this though not in the way expected—deliverance from the oppression of sin was what he accomplished in fulfillment of what had been promised (Jer. 31:31-34). God bringing a people to himself, from the highest to lowest walks of life. /7

These people would bear his witness through word and deed, through the work and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Jesus the Christ did what no other could do because he was like no other, God made flesh, Immanuel. /8

And even now, at the Father’s right hand, having lived a life of sinless perfection and suffering a gruesome death for the sake of the elect, guarantees that he relates to our earthly estate and advocates on our behalf (Heb. 4:14-16). /9

He who is the image of the invisible God, by whom, through whom and for whom all creation was made ascends far about our limited earthly paradigms yet has condescended in it so through him we may have life in his name regardless of circumstances we find ourselves in. /10

So let’s resist the temptation to wrap in our earthly paradigms with its agenda driven language for our comfort. Let’s not limit the Savior this way. Merry Christmas! /11