“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
Today, let’s explore more fully the why of Christmas. I would love to refer you to the first two posts of this theme, The Greatest Love Story, Part I, published here on March 25, 2012. The Greatest Love Story, Part II, published here on April 1, 2012.
Knowing why we needed a Savior is the first step to understanding, why Christmas?
There is one idea which hit me this week: Not only did Christ come and live a sinless life, and die a criminal’s death, He also knew what it was like to be separated from God, for three days.
I never thought about it before, but Christ knows what it is to be separated from God. His quote in Matthew 27: 26 “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” He knew the sting of being truly alone. With His sacrifice on the cross, He needed to separate himself from God to take on our sin.
When I think of it in this light, my heart just aches.
And yet, Christ chose to do it, because He loves us so much. And He loves His father, and is obedient to Him. God loved us so much, He would author such a plan to bring us back to him. And, He would ask His own Son to carry the plan out.
How humbling to realize He loves each one of us beyond measure!
And Christ knew exactly how it is to be separated from God. He knew that God would send the Holy Spirit so we would not be alone here on earth, that even when we are uncertain what to do, the Holy Spirit himself would be living inside believers and would prayerfully intercede for them. (Romans 8:26)
Although it is not easy to live the life of a Christian, God authored a simply plan for our salvation, if we can push away our own pride and obey Him.
We need to remember why He authored it: He loves us! We need to remember why Jesus did it: He loves us! And we need to remember why Christmas: God loves us and made a way for us to spend eternity with Him.
While the decorations are exciting and the shopping is exhausting, and the bills are adding up- that is not the point. The greatest gift- the gift of eternal salvation, is free and available to us all. It is never out-of-stock, never out of our price range; we just need to decide if we are willing to accept that precious gift.
Reflections:
1) Consider the thought: Jesus knows what it is like to be without God. How does that idea strike you?
2) Imagine what those three days of death were like for Jesus, all the while remembering He had not sinned.
3) Now imagine what such a love it took to offer us that redemption; praise Him for it.
4) Pray asking God to reveal to you a different perspective on the Christmas holiday than you have had in the past.
5) Contemplate with your family how you might share Jesus’ love this season. Devise a plan, and act upon it.
I would love to hear your thoughts, and what you and your families choose to do to share Jesus’ love. Please share your thoughts and experiences with our readers!
Thank you for reading and please return by Monday, December 17, for the next post.