Today was a very enjoyable day with lots of family here eating barbecued brisket and a whole bunch of other food as well. It was pretty much non-stop eating all day. We have 46 people if all eight kids, spouses and all grandkids are present, and we had 23 today, and it was a full house of feasting and fun.

Christmas is a celebration remembering the second point of the gospel of Christ. There are five points in the gospel, just like your hand has five fingers. (1) Jesus is God, equal with God the Father, one with the Father, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, without beginning and without end.

(2) Jesus became flesh, just exactly like us, was tempted like we are and experienced all of life like we do.

Hebrews 2:17-18
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

(3) Jesus never sinned, not even a little sin of thought or attitude. In order to be our substitute and to be the atonement for our sin He needed to be perfect.

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

(4) Jesus was nailed to a cross and He took our sin on Himself, He became our sin, and God the Father punished Jesus for our sin, He died for our sin.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

(5) Three days later God raised Jesus from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you. . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,