“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders.”
Isaiah 9:6
I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, Christmas morning was all about opening gifts. The anticipation. The paper flying. The quiet calculation of who got the biggest box. Christmas was something you unwrapped.
Somewhere along the way I came to understand how Christians came to celebrate Christmas as something deeper. Not just a day to open gifts, but a day to remember the Gift. The birth of our Savior. God Himself stepping into human skin.
This is the poetry of Christmas: heaven leaning low. The Infinite becoming intimate. Love wrapped in flesh.
And this is how Jesus builds His house — not by force, but by faithfulness. Not through noise, but nearness. Not from the top down, but from the inside out.
Years later, when Jesus stood before His disciples and asked, “Who do you say that I am?” He wasn’t looking for a polished answer or a seasonal sentiment. He was inviting revelation. When Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus replied:
“On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:18
That promise didn’t start with a pulpit. It started with a manger.
Christmas reminds us that the foundation of God’s house is not performance — it’s presence. Emmanuel. God with us. Not God impressed by us. Not God waiting for us to get our act together. God moving toward us while we still figure things out.
But here’s where we need to be gently honest with ourselves. Familiarity can dull wonder. We can celebrate the birth of Jesus and still keep Him in the crib. We can sing the songs, hang the lights, tell the story — and still resist His lordship.
Christmas is a great time to ask ourselves this powerful, truth-filled question: Who is Jesus to you — really — today?
Not who He was when you first believed. Not who He is in tradition or nostalgia. But who He is in your everyday obedience. In your choices. In the rooms of your heart you’d rather keep locked.
Jesus is still building His house. And the materials He uses aren’t bricks and beams — they’re surrendered lives. Disciples who don’t just admire Him from afar but follow Him up close. People who listen for His voice and respond, even when it means rearranging their plans.
Here’s the comfort of Christmas: there is room for you in the house Jesus is building. You don’t earn your place — you receive it. Grace has already wrapped the gift. But once you step inside, love refuses to leave you unchanged.
This morning, as gifts are opened and tables are set, pause for a holy moment. Before the day gets noisy. Before the schedules take over. Remember: the greatest gift was not found under the tree. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
So let’s pray a simple Christmas prayer — the kind heaven loves to answer:
Jesus, You are not only our Savior — You are our Lord. Make Your home in our hearts. Rearrange whatever needs rearranging. Rule and reign in every room of our hearts. Teach us to walk with You, listen to You, and follow You — not just today, but every day that follows. Amen.
Merry Christmas
As we prepare to step into a new year, this is my prayer for each of you:
That you would grow in a deep, abiding love relationship with your Heavenly Father. That the Holy Spirit would lead you, empower you, and strengthen you to do the will of God — not just in the big moments, but in the ordinary and the mundane. That you would love one another well, right where you are, and carry a little taste of heaven into every room you enter.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May Christ dwell richly in your hearts, and may the Spirit guide your steps day by day.
Be blessed.
Go in power, love, and a sound mind.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
Igniter Ministries 