Merry Christmas - "A Son is Given"
Try to get past all the typical, shallow “christmas thoughts”, and think about the phenomenal situation to which Jesus was born to this earth. No one could make it up. How did God plan the moment He was going to give His one and only Son to the world? What was He going to do to announce and celebrate this ground breaking, monumental, epic event? Surely there would be trumpets, stars, a major event, crowds... But what did our Father design?
That the moment would happen in a barn with animals, outside the city. This precious baby would sleep in a feeding place. The first ones to know about this most special moment....would be simple shepherds in a field watching there sheep. The Son of God and Son of Man came to us in such a lowly, “insignificant” way that the significance is overwhelming. The profundity of the simplicity, is life changing.
The Brother of all brothers, born alone in a forgotten stable. Our Master, would became our servant. Our King would become broken. Our savior, would give His life for us. A Son would be called “Father”, and our Father would reveal Himself in His Son (Is.9:6).
The extraordinary birth of Jesus, would be the “precedent” for his “ordinary”/ extraordinary life. Though He was God, He emptied Himself and came under all men. Lowly, humble and gentle, yet He was GOD. Knowing we could never be better and “go up” to get to Him, He came down to us (phil.2/Rm.10:9/Jn.3:14).
From the bottom of life, Jesus fashioned life, His life, real life. Ponder these thoughts my brothers and sisters. Think on these details. Contemplate the blood, sweat and thirty three years of this precious carpenter named Jesus. He was lowly, and He choses the lowly. He humbled Himself, and only hears the humble. He was broken and now honors the broken. He became nothing, and chooses "the things that are not" (1Cor.1:18)
Who He WAS here on earth, shows us who He IS here and now living today. Near, present, good, approachable, kind, patient and wanting to unconditionaly forgive us and show us His tender love. He suffered outrageous injustice, extreme pain, utter loneliness, complete betrayal, hunger, homelessness, prison and being labeled evil things. He experienced every human emotion from grief and sorrow to joy and laughs. He wept, He hurt and no one cared. He knows you because He was you.
So whatever you are dealing with my dear, whatever ways on your heart, know that there is answer. You are not alone or forgotten and not only does "someone" care, God almighty, the only one who matters, cares. So much so that He let His Son be born into this cruel, cold world to rescue us out of it. In that moment hope was born. In that moment the heavens shouted, "God is with us"! Emanuel.
So in that context my friend, Merry Christmas to you!
May the light of Jesus fill your "jar". May you contemplate His promises and thus give yourself the great gift, of hope.
Love ya - Ruth
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Lk.1:69
