I absolutely love Christmas. There is something about the whole season that carries an ambiance of warmth and cheerfulness. I love seeing large, tall Christmas trees inside retail stores, completely lit up as their illuminace reflects the sheen of objects ornamented on the tree. I love to see the halo of candle glow against the backdrop of green, red, and even gold. I love to walk down the street and store aisles and hear various renditions of "O Holy Night," and "Carol of the Bells." I love to see the poinsettias, holly, and pine decorating houses and churches. But most of all I love the ever-constant reminder of who Christmas is truly about and what He did for us.
For me Christmas is about so much more than the birth of Jesus. It's about sacrifice. I probably do something unusual during the Christmas season--I don't read the Christmas story. That's right! I've heard it since I was a child, and somehow, through-out the course of my childhood, I practically memorized it. Instead, I like to focus on passages of Scripture that speak about the innate nature of Jesus Christ and what he accomplished by becoming like us. My favorite Christmas verse is found in Phillipians 2:6-11.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and one earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and one earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
The sacrifice Jesus made to dwell among us is unfathomable. The very One who holds and sustains the universe is now held in the arms of another human being, dependent on them to provide his sustainace. Jesus humbled himself. He walked on earth as the poorest of them all--so much so that He didn't have a regular home during his three years in ministry.
Join me this Christmas in learning about how much Jesus sacrificed to be dwell among us.
No comments:
Post a Comment