Ps Hilary Williams closes out the Jesus - More Than A Baby series looking at events at that first Christmas. The arrival of Jesus to earth as a baby has been glossed over and made cliche by many in our day - however, there is good news for us today. Jesus not only came, He died in our place - and by doing so, offers us a rescue from our sin. He promises to save all that call on Him and trust in His work which is hinted at in the manger, and completed on the cross.

A tale of two emperors? As we round the corner to Christmas, Andrew Mihaleff contrasts Caesar, "god" of the Roman empire, with Christ, the true God. While earthly kings command our allegiance by force, we face a "caesar" today that is hidden and ultimately more dangerous to our spiritual life. Thankfully, we also see a far different king in Jesus - whose kingdom grows not by fear or conquest, but by an invitation to intimacy, won through His mercy and grace.

Is the gospel of Jesus simply a folk story? Have we merely embellished His story through oral tradition? Ps Louis Baron looks at the evidence for Jesus and the claims made about Him as God. A rational study of the accounts of Jesus lead us to conclude that He was not only a real person, but that He was - and remains - divine. Whether we engage in loving Christ and our communities, or not, hinges on how we respond to this truth.

When we think of Jesus, what do we see? We have no issue with "gentle Jesus, meek and mild" or the praying Jesus. However Ps Hilary Williams answers this question by considering Jesus as judge. The image of a just Christ is threaded throughout the Bible - and the good news is that His justice is always tied to His compassionate love. Furthermore, the penalty that we rightfully deserved is paid - the One that judges is also the One that justifies us.

Who is Jesus? What was prophesied about Him? What was so special about His coming? Ps Eduardo Ramos (CNA Church, Petersham) kicks off our Christmas series by examining these questions. As foretold, Jesus is our perfect liberation, the ultimate jubilee that we so desperately need. Christ's birth would bring freedom forever - and therefore our response has eternal implications.