| JESUS IS LORD |

This is the perfect passage to consider just before Christmas. It holds out the essence of the incarnation (the act of Jesus, God the Son, taking on flesh in his birth as a baby in Bethlehem). Verse 6 puts on clear display how Jesus willingly cast off the comforts of heaven in order to take the “form of a servant.” More than that, Jesus not only took on flesh but went to the cross in the place of sinners.

All of this is amazing. Christmas is amazing. The incarnation is amazing. The intentionality of the Gospel is amazing. But then we have these words, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ….” Don’t miss the significance of the word “Lord.” You will remember that in the Old Testament the word Lord was used in place of the covenant name of God, Yahweh. What name is above every other name than the name Yahweh? What this passage says is that Jesus is the Yahweh of the Old Testament. Jesus is the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God.

This Christmas we celebrate a story that began far before the day a child was born in Bethlehem. We celebrate the fulfillment of promises that have been made since the beginning of history. I pray that your celebration this year will be more bright and sure than ever before. Tomorrow, let us all celebrate God with us! He is fulfilling his covenant that we would be his people and he would be our God.