Christmas spirit has been a little hard to come by at No. 20 this year. Several life circumstances have collided to create a lot of tumult. But tonight, I came home from a family Christmas celebration and decided to watch the Christmas programs of some local churches. FBC Jackson's Carols by Candlelight came on too late, but I couldn't turn it off. Their presentation this year was very unique and moving as it gave testimony not only to the arrival of the Christ child but also to His life, death, resurrection, and eternal rule at the right hand of God the Father. And for the first time this year, the Christmas story clicked for me.
This arrival of the Son of God in Bethlehem, while quite an event and a miracle in its own right, was just one of the first of many miraculous steps that would culminate in Christ's sacrificial death on a cross and His victory over death in His resurrection. And all this wasn't just for show. Each of these steps was ordained by God the Father so that the gap between the holy Creator and the sinful creation could be bridged. Christ didn't come to put Bethlehem on the map; He came to save the world. And that manger scene with Mary and Joseph and the shepherds means nothing without the crucifixion and resurrection that came three decades later.
Jesus came into this world just like we did, but after that arrival He did what none of us could do; He led a perfect life. And that perfect life was sacrificed in our place--in MY place--in YOUR place.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. " John 3:16
In Christmas, we don't just celebrate the birth a baby. We celebrate the arrival of our Deliverer, our Redeemer, our Saviour!
Merry Christmas!
