Religious philosophy can lead one through logical deduction to the conclusion that belief in religion is the best choice. Along those lines, 17th century mathematician Blaise Pascal is best known today for what is called “Pascal’s wager”, where he argued that belief in God is logical because we have far more to gain by believing in God if He exists, than we have to lose by believing in Him if He doesn’t exist. But which God? What makes Christianity special?
Christianity is unique because it is the only religion that teaches that the eternal, all-powerful creator of the universe humbled Himself to become one of us. Immanuel—God with us (Isaiah 7:14)! All other religions believe God is so far above us as to be unreachable, or that God is in everything from trees to rocks, or that there is no god at all—only wisdom for living well.
Us Christians believe that God sent His only Son, who is also one with (the triune) God, to be born as a defenseless little baby in the backwater town of Bethlehem, surrounded by animals and shepherds. If it weren’t true, it would be blasphemous to say such a thing. It’s a scandal. He came to us, out of love. We should have been seeking Him, but He sought us! And for those who accept this truth, He is always with us. That is the magic of Christmas.
