Weekend Words (Advent)

 From Seeds of the Kingdom...

Happy or Joyful Christmas?

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people." - Luke 2:10

I love Christmas!  I love everything about it.  I love the decorations, the gifts, the food, the fun, the time with family, the laughter, the cooking.  I love it all!!  For me, Christmas is a precious time of year.  Yet it occurs to me that Christmas is not a happy time for everyone.  Many are alone, having to do without necessities (let alone luxuries), missing a loved one for the first time, or not in a place within themselves to celebrate anything.  For some, Christmas is a struggle.

I know that my enjoyment is temporal.  It doesn't last forever.  A time will come when the festivities will come to an end, the decorations will be put away, the food will eventually diminish, and we will return home from spending precious time with our families.  My happiness will dwindle with the ending of the festivities.

Yet, the joy of Christmas is free for us all and is eternal.  It's the joy of the knowledge that God himself entered our world to meet with us and to save us.  He came to us as a baby - vulnerable, shamed by gossip surrounding His very existence, His life under threat from those who feared for their position in life.  Our God came down to this and was born into the dirt and squalor of a stable.  He wasn't born into a clean, safe environment.  His first hours were hours of dirt, mess and fear.  He entered our dirty, messy, fearful world to save us from the grip of the enemy.  He came because he loves us and wants to draw us back to Himself.

This is the Christmas joy we can all celebrate.  This isn't temporal; it's eternal.  It will last forever.  My prayer this Christmas time is that we all find that joy - a joy that deepens as we look at our Saviour and celebrate all that He has done for us.  If you're struggling with Christmas this year, I pray this unfathomable joy will be your strength.  For those of us who have much to enjoy, I pray that we won't lose sight of the deep joy that surpasses our understanding.

Prayer: What can we say to our Saviour who came to this earth to save us?  'Thank You' doesn't seem enough but it's all we have.  Help us, Lord, to know the joy that is ours for free and is eternal, and help us not to lose sight of this truth as we celebrate Your birth.  We especially pray for those who are struggling this Christmas time.  May You give each one of us the only gift that matters this year: may Your love penetrate our hearts in a deep and precious way.  Amen.

From Christmas: Quiet Moments for the Season...

Born to Die

Read: Matthew 1:18-25

Although millions celebrate Jesus' birthday, few seem to be aware of its real significance.

We recognize that His birth was unusual because He was born of a virgin.  His life was unique too, for He was the only one who lived without sinning.  His death was also unusual.  Jesus was not a martyr.  He was not the victim of unfortunate circumstances, dying for a worthy cause.  Nor did He lay down His life just to set a good example.  There's much more to it than that.  The Lord Jesus came into this world to be our Saviour!

Jesus Himself said that He came "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10).  Who are the lost?  The Bible tells us that "all have sinned" and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 3:23; 6:23).  In order to save the world, Jesus had to die for it.  He came and lived the perfect life and then died the death we should have died.  The true meaning of Christmas is that Jesus was born to die.  Because He was crucified and then rose again from the dead, forgiveness of sin and assurance of heaven is now offered to all who believe (John 1:12)

Have you accepted God's gift of salvation?  If not, do so today, and this will be your most meaningful Christmas ever.

- Richard DeHaan