It might help us to see Christmas for what it is and to think of it accordingly if we stop using the word "Christmas" for a while - - and instead use a longer, more descriptive name, such as: **The Feast of the Incarnation.** It changes our perception for the better. If we took it seriously, who then would ever listen to Mariah Carey singing "All I Want for the Feast of the Incarnation Is You"?

Jesus did not die as our Substitute; he died as our Representative. He did not suffer, die, and rise again *instead* of us. All of us will suffer, carry our crosses, and die. But we must choose to do so in Christ. Because if we are joined to Christ, then we will likewise be raised *with* him and *in* him.