When Jesus came the first time there were many who were in opposition to the promises God had indeed made to his creation. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Micah would say, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

It’s amazing that even though the sacred writings painted a clear picture of not only who was to come but where he would be making his entrance, yet most people were willing to ignore the facts. Oh, it still happens yet today as we are ushered once again into the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” skeptics and naysayers still abound. Yet in the midst of it all, God still keeps His word and reaches lovingly down to His creation offering hope and peace in a world that has done it’s best to deny His very existence.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The bible uses more than 300 names and titles to describe Jesus. But Jesus can no more be contained in his names and titles than we could contain the ocean in a collection of beautiful bottles. Charles H. Spurgeon said, “I know my words cannot honor Him according to His merits: I wish they could. Indeed, I grow less and less satisfied with my thoughts and language concerning Him. He is too glorious for my feeble language to describe Him. If I could speak with the tongues of men and of angels, I could not speak worthily of Him. If I could borrow all the harmonies of heaven, and enlist every harp and song of the glorified, yet were not the music sweet enough for His praises. Our glorious Redeemer is ever blessed: let us bless Him.”

There was a famous plastic surgeon by the name of Maxwell Malts. He wrote the best-selling book, Psycho-Cybernetics. Maltz gives us a glimpse in his book about how the hurt becomes the cure. One day, a woman came to see Dr. Maltz about her husband. She told the doctor that her husband had been injured while attempting to save his parents from a burning house. He couldn’t get to them. They both were killed, and his face was burned and disfigured. He had given up on life and gone into hiding. He wouldn’t let anyone see him – not even his wife. Dr. Maltz told the woman not to worry. With the great advances we’ve made in plastic surgery in recent years, he said, I can restore his face. She explained that he wouldn’t let anyone help him because he believed God disfigured his face to punish him for not saving his parents. Then she made a shocking request: I want you to disfigure my face so I can be like him! If I can share in his pain, then maybe he will let me back into his life. I love him so much; I want to be with him. And if that is what it takes; then that is what I want to do.

Of course, Dr. Maltz would not agree, but he was moved deeply by that wifes determined and total love. He got her permission to try to talk to her husband. He went to the man’s room and knocked, but there was no answer. He called loudly through the door, I know you are in there, and I know you can hear me, so I’ve come to tell you that my name is Dr. Maxwell Maltz. I’m a plastic surgeon, and I want you to know that I can restore your face. There was no response. Again, he called loudly, Please come out and let me help restore your face. But again, there was no answer. Still speaking through the door, Dr. Maltz told the man what his wife was asking him to do. She wants me to disfigure her face, to make her face like yours in the hope that you will let her back into your life. That’s how much she loves you. That’s how much she wants to help you! There was a brief moment of silence, and then ever so slowly, the doorknob began to turn. The disfigured man came out to make a new beginning and to find a new life. He was set free, brought out of hiding, given a new start by his wife’s love.

This is a dramatic expression of human love that gives us a picture, however faint, of the saving love of Jesus Christ, what we call the Atonement. There are so many people who celebrate Christmas without celebrating Christ. Perhaps it’s time to stop thinking about Christmas, start thinking about Christ! This season isn’t about Christmas but about Christ. It not about presents but about presence… His presence. Don’t make the mistake of missing Him!